Located in the heart of the Mayan Riviera, Akumal is one of the most popular diving destinations in Mexico. A lot of historical facts are connected with the name of this village. So, in 1511, after the shipwreck of a Spanish galleon, only 17 people reached the coast of Akumal. All the sailors were captured by the Mayans, and the two Spaniards who survived the captivity quickly became their own among the local residents. One of them, Gonzalo Guerrero, soon married a local princess, they had three children and he completely abandoned Spanish culture and considered himself a Mayan. This was the first time that the blood of a European was mixed with the indigenous people of America. Knowing the tactics of the Spaniards and having learned the military science of the Mayans, Guerrero successfully fought the troops of the conquistadors. Perhaps thanks to the skillful actions of Gonzalo Guerrero, the Mayans survived in contrast to their northern neighbors. Modern Mayan descendants have erected a monument to Gonzalo Guerrero at the entrance to Akumal.
The second surviving Spaniard, Geronimo de Aguila, was rescued by Cortez and became the first Mayan translator and guide for the future campaigns of the Spanish conquerors. The history of the creation of modern Akumal is also interesting. In 1959, a group of Mexican divers raised from the bottom of the sea the remains of a Spanish merchant ship that sank 200 years ago. One of the divers, Pablo Bush Romero, acquired a large plot of land and founded a small diving village. Some of the cannons from the sunken ship are still at the bottom, some are exhibited in the northern part of Akumal Bay, and artifacts and the history of the expedition can be seen in the Puerto Aventuras Museum. Part of his land near Akumal and Xel-Ha Roomero gave the state a national ecological park.
