Is it really a 4 hour drive from Chichen Itza?

Not quite that much but it is around 3 - 3 1/2 hours. I guess 4 if you drive slow or stop along the way.

If you take the express highway from
Chichen Itza to Cancun, and then catch 307 south to Akumal, you can probably do it in 3 hours or so. Just make sure you have lots of gas - that express highway has virtually no stops (it's also very expensive).

That is a really roundabout way of going. It's a short jog south and then a straight shot west from Akumal. Plus you get to go through Valladolid.

I didn't know there was a road west from Akumal, not on my map. Perhaps you mean from Tulum?

It is about three hours and the road was just fine, a two-lane strip of asphalt with several cenotes along the way.

The advantage of going South to Tulum is that the best grocery store anywhere near Akumal is at the Tulum intersection. So, you can stock up on supplies, etc. on your way to Akumal.

If you shop in Akumal, there is a little gourmet grocery, but at some very steep prices.

Mom23,

We're visiting Akumal for the first time in January. Can you tell me the name of the grocery store in Tulum? I thought we'd have to schlep up to PDC to do any food shopping.

Thanks

The grocery store is on the corner of 307 and the Coba Road. It's called the San Francisco.

Coba is directly west of Tulum not Chitzen Itza. You can drive west to Coba and then north and west to Chichen Itza. It is too far to drive there and back in a single day in my opinion.

What I did was take a flight tour from PDC. Its a short flight and you get to Chichen Itza by 10 am before the hordes of tourists arrive by bus from Cancun. The tour includes a private guide and a stop for lunch and/or a swim at a cenote. The flight over the jungle is interesting too.

The grocery - San Francisco is correct. Depending on how much time you want in Chichen Itza, you could do Chichen the first day, spend the night there and leave in the morning for Coba.

Try this for driving distances:

http://www.cancun.bz/table_of_distances.htm

We would probably spend the night in Chichen Itza and drive the next morning. Leave after 7:00am to avoid the local buses and vans, which make many stops. We prefer to travel during daylight hours when possible.

Driving was fine and roads were good and fairly well marked.

Safe travels!

Yup, that was west from Tulum not Akumal. Akumal south on 307 to the Coba road then west. I've driven there myself several times and generally leave early in the a.m. to get there when it opens at 8. Then spend several hours walking about, leave and head back to Valladolid and have a late lunch and then drive back to Playa. I've not stayed there overnight.

RBCal,

How did you make the arrangements for the flight from PDC to Chichen Itza? What company did you use?

Thank you

I booked it at a booth near the ferry terminal in PDC.

http://www.aerosaab.com/

Here's a link to the airline. There is a small airport in PDC.