LUXURY AKUMAL

BAHIA PRINCIPE LUXURY AKUMAL

QUINTANA ROO, MEXICO

ALL INCLUSIVE

Akumal is a small beach-front tourist resort community in Mexico, 100 km south of Cancún, between the towns of Playa del Carmen and Tulum. It is on the shorelines of the gorgeous Caribbean Sea.

Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts is a division of resorts owned by Grupo Piñero established in 1995 with the opening of the first hotel in the town of Rio San Juan on the northern coast of the Dominican Republic.

We flew in Air Canada Vacations from Vancouver to Cancun, arriving at the airport we were greeted by Best Day Tour Buses and had a fun 1 hour ride with margaritas and cervezas to Bahia Principe Luxury Akumal. We arrived pretty late in the evening and were greeted wonderfully by staff with a welcome mimosa - champagne & orange juice. our room was very clean, beautiful marble tiled & very spacious. We were in bldg. #5725 top floor and close to the adults only section. that evening we walked along the beach under the moonlight watching the waves crash against the shoreline. The next morning we woke up early to watch the sun rise over the Caribbean sea. Little did I know that waking up that morning was going to be one of the best days of the rest of my life.

After watching the sunrise we went for breakfast. The adults only section right beside the infinity pool has a breakfast & lunch buffet with freshly squeezed juices of all kinds, made to order omelettes and a beautiful array of fruits and vegetables. There was cheese and crackers and seafood, different types of breads and granolas, a very wide range of healthy and fresh food to choose from. The service was wonderful. We learned very quickly to not leave plates on the tables unattended because the birds in the outdoor patio will go after it right away! The sunrise over the infinity pool area was so surreal to watch.

We spent the morning walking around checking out the resort and were curious about what the “privilege club” was as we had noticed little signs throughout…big mistake, we asked one of the representatives and next thing you know we were in a hour and half long selling spiel to spend an extra $25,000 usd. It wasn’t for us considering we just got there and had nothing to compare, basically what it is you buy in to the club and you get extra luxury perks being part of it. If your into always travelling Bahia Principle Resorts and frequently than it could be good idea, but make sure you look into it deeply first…it wasn’t for us and we decided we just wanted to go and enjoy the beach for the rest of the day.

We had an amazing day checking out the beaches and our favorite ended up being the one on the adults only side because it was less busy and we were able to get in some wonderful snorkeling there. After playing in the ocean all day drinking pina coladas and margaritas we went back to the room to get ready for the night. That evening we checked out the new sports bar called parkal. There is nightly live music, a games room with pool tables and shuffle boards and some arcade style games and lots of big screen tv’s throughout. They had a 60’s - 70’s dance oldies live band playing and twist n shout was a blast! Everyone was having a good time!

That evening we booked our A La Carte dinners and went to a gorgeous seafood restaurant by the ocean called Frutos Del Mar. We had the octopus and fresh fish with coconut mango ceviche prawns followed by dessert and drinks (Blue ocean water martinis). It was a wonderful evening and after dinner we went for a walk under the moonlight with our feet in the Caribbean sea. We were gazing up at the moon and remembering how it brought us together for our first kiss and that is where my fiancé got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife!!! It was so romantic and exciting and I am over the moon about it! The start of our life journey together!

I love you!

The next day was about relaxing we checked out all the pools and went around and found ourselves hanging out by the swim up bar and listening to music by the main pool area. There is always lots going on for entertainment, they have afternoon beach volleyball, water volleyball, yoga by the sea, water aerobics and so on…

Guest services has a list of times.

That evening we went for a lovely Gourmet dinner at Sian Kaan and it was absolutely spectacular, and the service again was phenomenal so well presented and put together. there was a circus show at Sian Kaan as well, so bonus! One of the main benefits of booking Akumal All Inclusive is you are able to visit all the resorts in the area of Bahia Principe and still remain all inclusive throughout, but we tip when service is good and service was always so above and beyond! We are very grateful for the staff at Bahia Principe.

There are several different species of animals around the area. Coatis also known as coatimundis are adorable little creatures who run around in groups, they are like a small racoon mixed with a cute little lemur tail. They are indigenous to the area and to South America, Central America, Mexico, and the southwestern United States. They eat small fruit, leaves, worms. They are omnivores. They also eat small vertebrate prey, such as lizards, rodents, small birds, birds' eggs, and crocodile eggs.

A rare beauty that is indigenous to the South American rainforests.

Macaws are the largest parrots in the world from beak to tail they can be as long as 33 inches.

The scarlet macaw can be found from southern Mexico to Peru, as well as Bolivia, eastern Brazil and the island of Trinidad. Macaws mate for life, nesting from January through April in the holes of dead canopy trees.

They prefer to spend their time in tall, deciduous trees in forests and near rivers as where this one was.

Agouti, These little cuties are more like free range guinea pigs, they run around and scurry and at first glance I thought it was a rat in which it is part of the rodent family. They have short little tails. They are an endangered species.

They eat fallen fruit, leaves and roots, although they may sometimes climb trees to eat green fruit. They will hoard food in small, buried stores. They are native to Middle America, northern and central South America, and the southern Lesser Antilles.

The Iguana is a lizard native to tropical areas of Mexico, Central and South America and Caribbean. Iguanas can range from 5 to 6 feet (1.6 to 1.8m) including their tail. Spiny-tailed iguanas easily live to 15 years of age. Many male spiny-tails can live up to 25 years of age or more. They are generally omnivorous, feeding on fruits, flowers, foliage, and small animals. Unlike green iguanas, spiny-tailed iguanas are not docile – in fact, they are notoriously aggressive. Iguanas possess atrophied venom glands that produce a weak harmless venom. Adult iguanas are large powerful animals that can bite, cause severe scratch wounds with their extremely sharp claws, and deliver a painful slap with their tail. Iguanas normally avoid people but will defend themselves against pets and people that try to catch them or corner them so admire them from afar. I know I got a little close with this guy! - Lucky!

We went swimming in Cenotes at Xel-Ha, they were a extra tour that we went through the resort and were only 10 minutes away. It was so amazing, all the beautiful caves and little fish everywhere, the water was so blue and clear.

A cenote is a natural pit, or sinkhole, resulting from the collapse of limestone bedrock that exposes groundwater underneath.

The name is derived from the Yucatec Maya word “ts’onot” which means a place with underground water.

The Mayan people associated sinkholes to their spiritual beliefs.

this was an amazing place to snorkel into the cenotes, the mangal rojo entrance.

Mangrove swamps (mangals) are found in tropical and subtropical tidal areas. A mangrove is a shrub or small tree that grows in coastal saline or brackish water meaning a mix of salt and fresh water. Areas where mangroves occur include estuaries and marine shorelines. Mangroves are extremely important to the coastal ecosystems they inhabit. They protect coastal areas from erosion, storm surge (especially during hurricanes), and tsunamis. Ecologically, they provide habitat for a diverse array of terrestrial organisms, and many species of coastal and offshore fish and shellfish rely exclusively on mangroves as their breeding, spawning, and hatching grounds.

This is the Inlet from the Caribbean sea to the Xel-Ha cove. The cove of Xel-Há is not only an entrance of the sea to the interior of the continent, but also the mouth of several fresh water channels that make up the longest system of underground rivers in the world.

This trip was by far one of the most exciting ones so far, not only because I get to call my best friend my fiancé soon to be husband but there is something truly magical about the Caribbean sea.

An amazing resort to do a Destination Wedding!

Amor Eterno

“Everlasting Love”

- D

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