This is our go to Cozumel excursion spot. We tried something new last time and it was a big…read moremistake...we just kept comparing it to Paradise. We've been here with kids and without and its always a fun, relaxed and enjoyable time. The service is great, the food is pretty good, the drinks are flowing and the place is clean and not overcrowded. Perfection.

Wow. Terrible. Service was bad. Food was worse than a fast food joint. Awful tasting. Way over…read morepriced. Drinks were crap too and pool tiles coming off bottom of pool. Seaweed going on water inflatables. DO NOT pay to go on water structures. Just go. It's a waste of $ anyways. All of it is. Terrible resort. Like a motel 6 quality. Will NEVER GO AGAIN. Was here Feb 2026.

You can skip it and never feel FOMO…read more I wanted paradise, but what I got was... well, Playa Palancar. Yes, it's technically a beach, but let's not pretend every patch of sand in Cozumel is created equal. The Good: It's easy enough to get to, and you can rent chairs, grab food, and say you've been to one of the island's "popular" beaches. The Not-So-Good: Drinks here are expensive -- and when I say expensive, I mean "why am I paying tourist-bar prices for a soda that tastes like pee?" Expensive wouldn't sting so much if the quality matched, but it doesn't. The sand? Mushy. The beach? Leaves a lot to be desired. The vibe? More "crowded pit stop" than "Caribbean escape." 5.00 sodas should not taste like they were brewed in a bathtub. Playa Palancar can be skipped. Cozumel has better, prettier, and more authentic beaches without the overpriced drinks and mushy sand. If you want the Caribbean dream, keep moving -- this isn't it. Playa Palancar proves not all beaches are created Instagram-ready.

This place is AWESOME!!! It has a beautiful beautiful beach, with crystal clear water. We had some…read moremixed ceviche which was fresh and very tasty and some loaded chicken nachos and let me tell you....we didn't have to eat anything else!! And A very special thanks to my server "Henry" who took care of me and my wife the entire day. He was on point!!!

Warm water and beautiful white sand. The sand does get very hot. If you burn easy bring an umbrella…read morebecause there is no shade. Great for families with children because there is a reef/rock formation that blocks the oceans waves.

On our drive around the island we stoped at Chen Rio and ended up having an idealic lunch in the…read morebeach! We ordered foot, then swam in the turquoise water, then returned to our table to eat! What more could you ask for?

Came here to access the beach. Minimum requirement to spend a food and a drink per person to use…read moretheir amenities and to use the beach, kinda ripoff policy but this is what you get most of the places around Cancun, Tulum, and Cozumel. Kinda figure out if you cannot beat the system then go along with it. The food and service is alright at this place. There are some waves and current at the beach, kinda have to put some effort to swim and to snorkle in here. I would say this isnt the best place to enjoy the beach. If you go down more to the south you may find better beach, say Playa Palancar ; ) So, next time skip this place and go down more south ; )

We arrived around 11 a.m. and were greeted by staff who immediately asked if we had reservations…read more When we told them we didn't, they informed us that we would be charged $20 per person--including children--to use the chairs and showers unless we ordered both food and drinks for each person. Their tone came across as aggressive and somewhat rude, which was surprising, but we assured them it wasn't an issue since we planned to order food and drinks anyway. Still, their approach left a sour first impression. This used to be our favorite spot 12 years ago when it was open to the public and free to enter. Back then, ordering food and drinks was optional, but the place has since changed under the ownership of Landmark Corp. Public access is no longer allowed without meeting their requirements or paying a fee. There are a few important things to note: sunscreen is not allowed, and there is no lifeguard on duty, so swimming and snorkeling are entirely at your own risk. The menu now caters primarily to tourists, featuring westernized dishes with a touch of Mexican cuisine. Prices are similar to what you'd find in the U.S., which is expected for a tourist destination. Cruise ships frequently drop off passengers here, so lounge chairs tend to fill up quickly until they leave. Additionally, paying by credit card incurs a transaction fee, so using pesos is the better option. If I hadn't come with my kids--and if visiting the Money Bar wasn't the main reason for our trip to Cozumel--I might have walked away. This place holds so many special memories from when we were single and used to travel to Mexico often, but the changes have made it feel far less welcoming than it once was.

Akumal beach is such a great beach for exploring the sea turtles and snorkeling! Not great if you…read moreare looking for white sands and no shells though. Weather is always amazing and so many things to do with the little town and dive shop there. Also several restaurants to eat.

Beautiful white sand beach, turtles in the water, minimal seaweed, what more could you ask for!…read more I understand why people make this beach their home base for their Quintana Roo vacation.! I'm not entirely sure one must pay for the guided tour to get in the water and see the turtles. I want to support the local economy, but perhaps there's a trick to enjoying this beach without paying for guided tour, think life jackets, and locker rooms. There is a restaurant on site, and my friend and I just gave a really big tip to the waiter so he would let us leave our bags at the table for 15 minutes while we snorkeled with our own gear to see the turtles. kind of hush hush, we did it very discreetly and quietly and quickly. I attached the screenshot I showed to the taxi driver upon arrival to get us to the restaurant without going through the Disneyland style entrance line and fee. I'm not sure I recommend this method, however, as I can imagine multiple ways this theory could have gone wrong. Side note, perhaps we were off season in late may, but we actually saw no turtles. maybe we should have paid for the guided tour after all.

During the BF and I's recent vacation to Mexico we opted to stay at the Riu Tequila. Located just…read moreunder a half mile from the beach (via private shaded walkway) getting there was a bit of a journey, but Playa Playacar was most def worth it once we arrived! ++ Gorgeous white sands. The sand is actually crushed coral and doesn't get too hot to walk on. Loved that! ++ Blue waters as far as the eye can see! ++ Tons of lounge chairs to relax on and palms for shade. ++ Scuba Caribe on hand to offer up free (non motorized) water sports to guests of the Riu Resorts. Motorized water sports and other activities were available such as parasailing, jet skis, etc... We opted to kayak two times during our trip. So much fun! ++ Resort employees would come by to take away empty cups. Though they did not serve drinks on the beach, you could def bring your own! So glad we chose this part of the Yucatan Peninsula for our Mexico vacation! Would def recommend it!

ENTRY IS FREE BABY!!! A very secret getaway, not so "touristy" area, which I like. More space…read moreindeed to just run away. My family has kept a condo here for years and we would have it ready in case we fly out of the country. This is a magical area, with 0 hotels and mostly small huts, full houses, condos, beach houses as well, and really just yourself and your towel. How cool is that??? It's not crowded. We were here in the summer of 2015, kept the grand trip alive, mostly out fishing, petting sea turtles and watching fish swim by. The sun is literally in your face, so it's normal and obvious to have that sunscreen in your face!!! What's really nice is that this beach also small stands to rent our some few equipment like snorkel gear, chairs, tables, and umbrellas. Very nice beach, I'm so happy to share this review with y'all

Can you imagine swimming away from shore without a lifeguard, going as far as you want and where…read moreyou want in crystal clear 80 degree water to swim and follow schools of fish? That's what you get at Xcacel. I didn't detect any crazy rip tides or strong currents - and went about a mile off shore - far enough that to lose sight of landmarks to return to the beach (forget about remembering where clothing, sandals and water bottle!). I did not see any turtles here but I did see a lot of fish - it was fantastic. One of the best beach experiences I have had in my life - I will definitely go back. This is a DIY, advanced level snorkeling and swimming beach. There are tours showing up with the occasional busload of people to see the tiny cenote and to trek onto the beach but - the beach is so big - I really didn't see many other people. There are no services - just a kiosk on the driveway for your donation/entry fee. Bring your own EVERYTHING.

Amazing beach and decent snorkeling spot for just 20 pesos admission. The water was unbelievably…read morewarm and clear, and the beach never got too crowded. We snorkeled on our own and saw quite a few fish and a barracuda. We didn't see any turtles, but it's possible that we just weren't looking in the right place. There's also a small cenote in the back with a ton of fish. I liked that the price of admission was low enough that we didn't feel compelled to spend too much time in the cold cenote water. The location is kind of hard to spot from the road. There's just one small banner with a picture of a turtle on it on the side of the road, and by the time you see it, it's probably too late to turn in.

Bad experience we have lounge chair rented 200 pesos each that included umbrella. You can order…read morefood from we're you at and enjoy your stay 2 hours later never get our food. Waiter never see him again. So we decided to go to the bar with swing and explained, then we ordered our drinks and food and they have it. Right away. So just be aware.

Serene and beautiful. Water Is lovely and this is more of a…read morelocal beach. Nature at it's finest. This by far is my favorite beach to come too. 40 pesos per person. Brink a snack, towels and umbrellas. You'll love it.

If I could have given zero stars I would, but I had to give at least one star. Me and my husband…read morewent to Cozumel and rented a scooter and rode around the island and stopped in San Martin to get bottled water and the gentleman in the beach shack/ tiki hut charged us $119 on our credit card for two bottles of water and the ladies trying to sell their junk in the huts behind the beach shack are rip offs and scammers. Do not buy anything from any of these places. They are all thieves.

One of our stops on our private jeep tour was this ocean side secluded beach- now to be fair, our…read moreday was dreary and raining. The beach sported roadside parking and shops across the street- the vendors actually came out to fetch us to shop! Walking down to the beach I was sad to see all the trash that had washed up. Knowing this is a turtle beach I worried how much debris was scattered everywhere! The waters are stunning- all the shades of blues, the crystal clarity of the waters! Even with the clouds and rain, it couldn't diminish the beauty. Peak season is Feb and March and I imagine the locals clean up the beaches a bit more for the tourists! We were a month early. Not a bad stop!

Great little public beach that is not as crowded as the one in town…read more Parking is on the street and can get tricky/tough to find on weekends. There is a walkway to the beach with bathrooms and showers at the end, and a lifeguard station. Along the beach there are places you can rent a chair, or just throw your towel on the sand. There is also a protected area for swimming right where the public walkway comes out. No one bothered us or tried to sell us anything while we were there. I would recommend a beach umbrella though if you don't rent a chair because there is no shade. We will be back!

I was walking on beach from my resort in front of Playa Xcalacoco on Jan 8, 2020 at 8am. 5 of…read moretheir dogs ran from their buildings to the beach-water front and one bit me. It drew blood and I had to get medical treatment in Cancun's private hospital at my own out of pocket expense. It was very expensive...in the thousands$$$$ The next day I went to this business and asked for proof of rabies vaccinations, which they did not have. The owner offered me 1000 pesos ($50 USA). THE TAXI TO CANCUN COST $120 USA. Needless to say, I lost 2 days of vacation that I can't get back, a very expense injury I am responsible for, and additional rabies protocol vaccinations in the USA. I would not use this beach access at any cost if you care for your well being. The dogs are always loose and are a danger to those walking onto this property. Just up the beach is free public access and no dogs. Don't support this irresponsible business owner!!!!!!