Akumal Bay Beach & Wellness Resort

Named for the bay it faces, Akumal takes its name from the Mayan word for turtle, and the beach still draws wild sea turtles to its shallows. The resort's spa carries the theme forward, called Aak' Ha, water turtle in Mayan, with treatments built around copal ceremonies and rebozo massage drawn from regional tradition. Set along a stretch of white sand between Playa del Carmen and Tulum, the property holds 310 oceanfront junior suites spread across four beachfront buildings, each within a short walk of the water. Suites range from ground-floor garden rooms with private jacuzzis to an adults-only penthouse with a rooftop terrace over the bay. Meals run across four à la carte restaurants, an international buffet, a sushi bar and round-the-clock room service. Snorkel gear is free for an hour a day, and the reef here draws swimmers out among turtles rather than only past them. Paddleboards, tennis courts and daily yoga sessions are included in the rate. You can hear the surf from most balconies, and the sunrise over the reef reaches the beachfront suites directly. Checked baggage clears easily from either Cancun or Tulum airport, both under an hour and a half by road.