Over the last 15 years, we've helped thousands of people plan their vacations to our slice of paradise. Along the way, we've answered a LOT of questions. So here is a summary of Frequently Asked Questions, and their answers. And of course, after you book, we'll much more detailed INFO through our Planning Guide.
You can book direct on-line or free to call us. We keep it simple. Many of our repeat guests, just give us a call, or text.
Remember, to lock in your dates, we do need a deposit.
All nationalities, including US citizens must have a valid passport. Entry visas are not required except for a few countries outside of North America. All visitors will need to complete and sign a Mexican Tourist Card. Typically, these provided to you by the aircraft flying into Mexico and at Cancun airport. Upon your arrival, immigration officials will check your proof of citizenship and will then stamp your Tourist Card with the number of days (usually 30) that you are allowed to remain in Mexico.
While you are in Mexico, you must not loose this card as it has to be returned to the immigration officials upon your departure. If you lose your card, you may be charged for a new one.
If you are planning to scuba dive in Mexico you will be required to have proof of your diving certification. Dive shops are very strict on this point. If you are not certified, there are dive courses available in the area for certification.
We urge you purchase Travel Insurance prior to paying the final balance of your reservation and protect your vacation investment. There are many options on-line now, and we opffer a good policy that is backed by a company that has A+ rating and a high payout percentage. Many do not.
We are in the La Sirena Condominium complex, located in Half Moon Bay, Akumal. Some now call this North Akumal. We are located about 60 miles south of Cancun, a little over an hour drive, and about halfway in between Playa del Carmen and Tulum. It is a very easy drive, directly down the major highway of the region.
Most people fly into the Cancun airport, whose airport code is CUN. The airport is a large international airport, and has many options. You can also fly into Cozumel, and take the ferry to Playa del Carmen.
After booking, we provide you additional detailed instructions, including address, access, and maps.
Getting to Akumal is very simple. You can rent a car, take a shuttle, taxi, or bus. The decision on which to do is based on what all you want to do once here, and how much you want to explore the region. We can help with that.
Akumal itself is a small community, that consists of one road, that has a VERY low speedlimit, 12MPH. Most people walk around; or use the collectivos, which is our local bus system. You can also rent bicycles, or golf carts, which we do recommend to be planned ahead of time during high season.
Standard arrival times begin at 2 pm. Arrivals /before this are possible but must be arranged for in advance so that it can be coordinated. Please check with us about a week before arrival, as it depends on other guests, and housekeeper capabilities. Non-coordinated early arrivals may be charged an early arrival fee, depending on the arrival time.
Departure times are 11am, unless otherwise agreed upon by management. Also, check with us. We will do our best, but can't guarantee it. Non-coordinated late departures MAY be charged a late departure fee, depending on the time.
YES, we all have WIFI, as it's now considered a necessity. But please realise that as we are effectively in the jungle, on the beach, therefore the internet may not be at the speed that you are used to back home. While the service is reliable, there are occasional outages, especially during storms. As the service providers do not provide service agreements, we then have to wait until the internet provider repairs it, which can take a few hours to a few days. When this happens to us personally, we go out to the beach.
Akumal does have petty theft. Our complex does have our own dedicated security guard. All of our 2nd homes have safes, as well as window and door locks.
Don't forget to lock up your valuables, and always lock the windows and doors when you leave the home as well as your car.
The Mayans believed that we are located in the land 'Where the Sky is Born'. There is even a book written on this and has the title. During the 'rainy' season, there is a greater potential for a storm to occur. These dates are effectively from June 1 to November 30, about the same time as turtle season, and our favorite of the year.
In general, storms come and go very quickly where we are, typically, in a matter of just a few hours. Mexico, and Quintana Roo (our state) are very cognizant of the fact that the economy is driven by tourism, work very hard to protect the tourists, and do not take risks. Also, Mexico has a very good electrical grid in place such that sections of power can be temporarily shut off to protect the grid.
If, in the rare event of a significant storm, we will work with you. We may provide refunds, or rebooking options, in the following scenarios:
We are not, though responsible for finding alternate lodging, and are not responsible for any financial losses related to transportation or alternate lodging that you may incur.
We urge you purchase Travel Insurance prior to paying the final balance of your reservation and protect your vacation investment.This will cover mandatory evacuations and all other natural disasters. There are many options on-line now, and the costs have come down in the last few years.
Yes, many baby items can be easily rented and delivered before you arrive. We can help with that.
There is now no shortage at all in getting groceries, and prepared items in our area. There are many super-markets and grocery stores in the various towns along the highway as you come from Cancun. There is even a Sam's Club in Playa del Carmen. Within Akumal, there are several small stores, that you will drive by. As well, if you would like groceries delivered, we can help arrange.