The general layout  of Akumal on the coast is a small village with a few shops and restaurants near the beach, then a line of condos along Half Moon Bay, and on the other side of the bay is Ya Kul Lagoon.  If you don't want to read all the way through the blog post, I made a Akumal Photo Slideshow video.

Akumal condos at Half Moon Bay  

Akumal, Mexico, is a quiet, coastal village in the Riviera Maya region of Mexico.    Here is a view from inside, and on the porch, of one of the condos about half way up the bay.

Akumal 3rd floor condo interior

Akumal 3rd floor condo view (toward the village)  

When I visited this area in 2008 it was very family friendly.  Extremely quiet and peaceful.  We walked to and from the village to get groceries or catch the bus.  It was about 10-15min walk, but you could also have  gotten bicycles.  In addition, there are a couple of convenience stores and restaurants along the way.

Akumal, Mexico, road behind the condos

Akumal convenience store behind the condos

Akumal Mexico village entrance

Akumal, Mexico Tourist Services (bicycle rentals)  

I was in this area for about a week and one regret I had was not chilling at the condo more.  There were a lot of tourist locations I wanted to see while in the area, like Chichen Itza, Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Tulum and Coba, but you could easily spend a week here relaxing around the village and lagoon.

Akumal Mexico condos

Akumal Mexico beach

Ya Kul Lagoon in Akumal

So I recommend this place to go and relax, or, if you want to visit tourist sites in Riviera Maya region but want stay out of the craziness of the Cancun / Playa del Carmen area.