Akumal Tips

Published on October 2nd, 2006 by Tortuga.
Groups: Financial tips.

In preparing for your vacation to Akumal Mexico, you need to consider your money options, making sure you have the right payment options and enough cash on hand. While you should bring some US dollars which you can exchange in Akumal at the TSA (Travel Services Akumal), be sure to bring a debit card which you can use at an ATM.

Although you can pay at any Riviera Maya business with US dollars, you will not always get the best exchange rate. Currently, the exchange rate is 12.5507 pesos to 1 American dollar. Not that exchange houses will give you that best rate, but if you pay US dollars at businesses, you will generally only get a flat 10:1.

An ATM in Mexico is a good option for retrieving pesos for your trip and receiving a good exchange rate. There are ATMs at banks in Tulum and Playa del Carmen and at many supermarkets in Playa del Carmen like Walmart and Chedraui.

The only ATM in the town of Akumal is at the Chomak, the well-stocked convenience store at the front of town just before the arch. It is a safe ATM and has English instructions. All you do is punch in the amount of pesos needed and the machine spits out pesos, making the exchange rate via your bank.

While most all ATMs in the Riviera Maya dispense a maximum of 3000 pesos per transaction (approximately $300 US), the Chomak ATM has been keyed recently to dispense a maximum of 1500 pesos to help reduce the chance of the machine running short of funds. If the machine does run out of cash, it can take a day or two before it is replenished, so it is wise to hit the ATM early and often if you prefer to collect pesos this way.

Don’t be like the recent tourist who arrived only with a credit card — and an American Express card at that — ran up a $500 bill in her hotel, only to find out the hotel didn’t accept credit cards. She brought no other form of payment. In a bind, she thought she could make a cash advance on her American Express at a Mexican bank, but because she didn’t have a passport (she traveled only with her birth certificate), the bank wouldn’t make the cash advance for her.

Instead of carrying a large amount of US dollars, it is a good strategy to …

• bring some cash which can be exchanged for pesos,
• withdraw some pesos from your debit card at the ATM in the Chomak,
• bring a few travelers cheques for established tourist businesses who will accept them,
• and bring a credit card (Visa or Mastercard) also for tourist businesses set up to accept them.

Give yourself a few options so you don’t get yourself in a bind.

For your reading pleasure…

• Akumal Tip #018 - Exchanging money tips

• Akumal Tip #031 - Exchanging money in Akumal

• The Top 10 Indispensable Akumal Vacation Tips

• Akumal hotel and other Akumal properties for rent

• Akumal Tip #002 - Top Ten Mayan Riviera Souvenirs for $10 or Less

• Akumal Tip #024 - Top 20 Packing Tips for the Riviera Maya

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