When we start to fall months behind on the website, you know I’m to blame. Better late than never though! So without further adieu…

When we moved back to Virginia last fall I mentioned to Phil that a true spring break trip would be a good idea. I was thinking a warm weather trip to look forward to during the winter months was a good idea. Little did I know we would only see a few snow flakes all winter and only a handful of days below freezing over the holidays. Winter seemed to skip over the DMV but either way, I didn’t object to the beach vacation. Plus, the kids finally got to use their passports after our European vacation plans went down the tubes in 2020. We snagged a good deal on flights to Cancun, lined up some quiet Airbnbs in Akumal and Cozumel and we were off!

The first half of the trip was in Akumal – a quiet beach town about 90 minutes south of Cancun. The area is known for it’s snorkeling and Akumal means “place of turtles.” Unfortunately, we didn’t spot any during our adventures but we still had a great time. We spent our days snorkeling at the Yal-ku Lagoon, taking a dip in the cenote to get a fish pedicure and do some cliff jumping (no wedding rings lost this time), and also some paddle boarding for Phil and Sophia. In between was lots of time at the pool – the kids even enjoyed some fresh coconuts the landscapers were nice enough to slice open for them. Akumal is pretty sleepy and not as many dining options as the bigger tourists spots like Tulum, but we still enjoyed checking out different spots for dinner each night to get our fair share of ceviche and tacos.

Part two took us Cozumel! While the ferry ride to Cozumel was brief and beautiful, the travel days to and from the island were kind of a bust since we had to arrive early at the ferry terminal to load the car. Day one in Cozumel was pretty much a travel day but we did manage to fit in some pool time before dinner. The highlight of the time in Cozumel was definitely all the time on the water. One day spent at Punta Sur strolling the beach, finding conch shells and soaking up sun. Another day was spent on a snorkel adventure checking out the reefs in the area. I didn’t realize prior to this trip that Cozumel has the second-largest barrier reef system! After our first snorkel adventure in Akumal, the kids got the hang of things right away and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the day. We pretty much avoided the city center and cruise ships crowds that took over the island during the day, but we did enjoy a short drive into town each night for dinner. Always a balance of avoiding the tourists while being one yourself!

Knowing we had to do the whole ferry adventure on the way back, we returned to Cancun the day before our flight home. We hoped to enjoy a nice day poolside but the “quick” ferry ride and drive to Cancun ended up taking nearly the entire day due to some bad traffic. The plus side was, the time trapped in the car coincided with the one rain shower during the trip. We were determined to enjoy the resort despite our late arrival so we got some happy hour libations and a dip in the pool before a late dinner. It was a great way to end our relaxing spring break getaway!