White sand, clear blue water, palm trees and a cocktail in your hand. As the Riviera Maya is situated at Caribbean Sea, you will find stunning beaches along the whole coastline.
On the road between Playa del Carmen and Tulum you will find unexplored beaches, but you’ll also find beaches with nice beach clubs to have lunch, dinner or just a refreshing drink, depending on what you prefer! Here you will read about all the beautiful beaches to stay or to go during your holiday at the Riviera Maya.
Table of Contents
Riviera Maya Beaches
Akumal bay
Akumal bay, in Mayan language called ‘the land of turtles’. Akumal is a really great place, because the ocean water is so clear and the sand is so white, which makes it the perfect place for hanging out on the beach and for swimming. You can spot turtles and tropical fish with all colors of the rainbow.
Akumal bay is the place to be for diving and snorkeling. On the beach there are several restaurants where you can eat or just have a drink. White sand, clear blue water with fish and turtles, something to drink, something to eat– all you need for a great day!
How to get there?
Akumal is situated right between Playa del Carmen and Tulum. From the Highway 307 you can easily find Akumal from both sides, just follow the signs for Akumal. You have the option to go there by your own car, a taxi or a colectivo. A colectivo will cost you 35 MXN pesos per person (one way), either you come from Playa del Carmen or Tulum. Just tell the driver you want to get dropped off at Akumal.
Jade bay and South Akumal
Right south of Akumal bay you will find Jade Bay and South Akumal. These beaches are more quiet than Akumal Bay. Jade bay has a small restaurant and both beaches have condos for renting.
At South Akumal you will find more condos for frequent renters! For these beautiful beaches it is easy to go to Akumal, where more things are happening. So it’s up to you; would you like to relax a bit in complete silence or do you want to hang out where more things are going on, or maybe both?
How to get there?
Jade beach and South Akumal is situated right south of Akumal. From the Highway 307 from Tulum you have to get off the highway right before Akumal. You have the option to go there by your own car, a taxi or a colectivo. A colectivo will cost you 35 MXN pesos per person (one way), either you come from Playa del Carmen or Tulum. Just tell the driver where you want to get dropped off.
Xcacel
White sand, turquoise water, jungle and from a short walk through the mangroves you will find a hidden cenote! Xcacel is just a one of a kind beach in the Riviera Maya. If you want to escape the tourism with all the hotels, beach bars and overcrowded beaches, then Xcacel beach is the perfect beach for you!
This is one those beaches which hasn’t been taken over by big resorts and beach bars, so let’s cherish that. When you come off the highway, it is just a short walk to reach the beach. At the entrance you pay 20 MXN pesos per person. The money will be used to preserve the beach.
Visiting this beach is definitely worth the 20 MXN pesos. After a swim in the sea you can have an amazing walk to the hidden cenote (which takes around 5 minutes), to wash off all the salt water. For an impression of the walk from the beach to the cenote.
How to get there?
Xcacel beach is located between Tulum and Akumal. You reach Xcacel from the 307 Highway from Tulum to Playa del Carmen. If you are coming from Tulum, take the dirt road to the right, after the exit to Xel-Ha. If you are going by colectivo, just tell the driver you want to go to Xcacel and he will drop you off on the highway at the dirt road to Xcacel. From the dirt road it only takes you 5 minutes to reach the entrance.
Soliman bay
Soliman bay is a bay located a bit south of Xel-Ha. Soliman has one of those one of a kind beaches which will be perfect for a movie set. At Soliman bay you will find a lot a of exclusive houses for holiday renting. A lot people, who stay there during their holiday, come back yearly.
That should already say enough, right? You are not staying at Soliman bay, but still want to have a glimpse of it? Drive until the end of the road, until there are no houses anymore, you will find a public beach, with a beautiful ship wreck on the beach. There’s also a place to eat with a lot of hammocks.
How to get there?
Driving on the 307 highway, a bit south of Xel-Ha, you will find a restaurant called ‘Oscar & Lalo’. Right opposite of this restaurant you will find the road to Soliman bay.
Tankah bay
This is a beautiful beach close to cenote ‘Casa Cenote’. There are several condos to rent here. A perfect place to spend your holiday if you want to have a couple days just to relax with a good book, watch the beautiful view and cherish the beautiful nature!
Something different than big resorts and overloaded beaches! Here you won’t only find a beautiful beach. Casa cenote is also really worth visiting.
How to get there?
7 km north of Tulum you will find Tankah Bay, close to cenote ‘Casa Cenote’. Coming from Tulum, when you see the sign with ‘Casa cenote’ on the 307 Highway, then take the dirt road to the right.
If you are coming by colectivo or taxi, just tell the driver to drop you off at ‘Casa cenote’.
Tulum Beach
Easy, breezy Tulum beaches! In Tulum you can find the most beautiful beaches with white sand, very clear water and a relaxed vibe. Even if there are hotels behind the beach sometimes, you won’t even recognize it because most of the times you find very small and cozy hotels behind them with ‘cabañas’ (wooden huts), so don’t expect big buildings in these beaches everything is small and cozy.
You have the choice to go to different kinds of beaches in Tulum. If you’re not staying in one of the hotels in Tulum Beach, it is recommended to go to the big beach which is situated just at the right of the Tulum Ruins.
How to get there?
If your are coming from the highway from Playa del Carmen, go to the left at the first crossroad with traffic lights, right before you enter tulum town. On this road you can choose to go to different directions with different kinds of beaches. If you just go straight ahead, you will find a lot of hotels, with beautiful beaches.
Here it is more difficult to reach the beaches though. On the road after the crossroads with traffic lights, you can take the first road to the left and keep going straight ahead. In the beginning you will find hotels as well, but especially at the end of the road, you can easily find the beach! Best is to get here by car, but there are other options.
From Tulum town you can take a taxi or you can hitchhike (which is very common in Tulum town). If you are coming from the highway from Playa del Carmen, you can take a colectivo to the Tulum Ruins. From the highway you walk to the ruins and then turn right, from there you can find a way to the beach.
Paamul
It’s like you’re going 20 years back in time! Probably at that time all the beaches would have looked like this. Just another unspoiled paradise in the Riviera Maya! If you want to get away from the tourism, you should come here! The beach of Paamul is still very pure, so don’t expect to find a well manicured beach, without any piece of seaweed on the sand.
At this beach you will find a good restaurant where you can go for lunch or dinner and there is also a swimming pool!
How to get there?
You will find Paamul beach a bit north of Puerto Aventuras, on the way to Playa del Carmen. There is a sign for Paamul beach from the 307 Highway. You can also easily get there by colectivo or taxi. The drivers know where to drop you off.
Xpu Ha
An authentic beach close to Puerto Aventuras. Again with sand so white that it looks like sugar and super clear water. On this beach you will only find a few hotels and some places to eat.
You can do a lot of things at this beach though. You can go snorkeling, go fishing or get a massage on this beautiful beach! renting jet skis is another option as well! You will be charged 50 MXN pesos to enter the beach, but they will refund the money if you have breakfast, lunch or dinner at the beach bar.
How to get there?
Coming from the Highway 307 from Tulum, take the road to the right, right before the village ‘Puerto Aventuras’. You will find different kinds signs to Xpu Ha, but make sure you take the latest one to go to the beach.
Conclusion
The Riviera Maya holds many pristine beaches and many others that are not very popular among tourists and locals, this means that they become a true paradise for people looking for tranquility, peace and nature. Did you like this post? Don’t forget to share, comment and that we can help you with your transfer to Akumal.