Akumal sits in the middle of the Riviera Maya, with major sights twenty to forty minutes away in both directions. The ruined Mayan cliff city of Tulum is the closest day trip. Playa del Carmen is the nearest proper town, good for shopping and nightlife. Inland, the jungle ruins at Cobá — about an hour's drive — are larger and more atmospheric than Tulum, and you can still climb to the top of the main pyramid for a view over the canopy.
