Puerto Morelos is a town in Quintana Roo on the Yucatan Peninsula, about 20km south of Cancun. It is both a fishing village and a resort and diving destination. It is located roughly halfway between Cancun and Playa del Carmen on the Caribbean coast of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula.
The pier in the center of town hosts snorkel and sport fishing boats while yachts dock in a man-made harbour just south of town. The village used to be the embarkation point for the car ferry to Cozumel, but that now leaves from Calica, a major port south of Playa del Carmen.
About
If you’re looking to escape the crowds of the Riviera Maya, don’t miss Puerto Morelos, just 20 minutes south of Cancún.
It's the ideal location for those who want a quiet beach vacation away from the glitz, but with ample tourist amenities. The town has just two principal streets and you can walk from one end to the other in about 15 minutes.
You can get by with English, but Spanish is not superfluous. Most places accept US dollars but not credit cards. Almost all prices are quoted in Mexican pesos and it is generally cheaper to pay in pesos, than in US dollars.
The reef just off shore is part of the Great Mesoamerican Reef, the second largest reef system in the world and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. In 1998 the reef in front of Puerto Morelos became a protected National Marine Park, preserving its rich biodiversity and making this area one of the best preserved of the Great Mesoamerican Reef. Buildings in Puerto Morelos are limited to three stories by local bylaws, to preserve the village type of character.
There are two parts to Puerto Morelos, the former fishing village on the coast, now Hotels, Condominiums, Restaurants and Tourist shops, and the second part about 2 Km. inland and adjacent to Highway 307, on the western side, called La Colonia by locals. The inland portion is mainly single level dwellings for the local workers, as well as amenities such as small/local food stores, pharmacies, and several casual restaurants, serving simple fare such as tacos.
It's the ideal location for those who want a quiet beach vacation away from the glitz, but with ample tourist amenities. The town has just two principal streets and you can walk from one end to the other in about 15 minutes.
You can get by with English, but Spanish is not superfluous. Most places accept US dollars but not credit cards. Almost all prices are quoted in Mexican pesos and it is generally cheaper to pay in pesos, than in US dollars.
The reef just off shore is part of the Great Mesoamerican Reef, the second largest reef system in the world and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. In 1998 the reef in front of Puerto Morelos became a protected National Marine Park, preserving its rich biodiversity and making this area one of the best preserved of the Great Mesoamerican Reef. Buildings in Puerto Morelos are limited to three stories by local bylaws, to preserve the village type of character.
There are two parts to Puerto Morelos, the former fishing village on the coast, now Hotels, Condominiums, Restaurants and Tourist shops, and the second part about 2 Km. inland and adjacent to Highway 307, on the western side, called La Colonia by locals. The inland portion is mainly single level dwellings for the local workers, as well as amenities such as small/local food stores, pharmacies, and several casual restaurants, serving simple fare such as tacos.
Beach at Puerto Morelos, in front of the Casita del Mar at the north end of town
Get there
By plane
The nearest major airport is in Cancún International Airport (IATA: CUN) (ICAO: MMUN). It is 20km away from Puerto Morelos and is Mexico's second busiest airport.
By car
Puerto Morelos
is situated at the junction of Route 307 and a paved road to Leona
Vicario in the interior of the Yucatan Peninsula. This recently paved
road is the eastern terminus of La Ruta de los Cenotes,
a network of minor roads that allows access to many cenotes in the
interior. At Puerto Morelos, the beginning of this road network is
marked by an archway. The waterfront is about 2km from Highway 307.
Puerto Morelos is about 30km south of Cancun, 30km north of Playa del
Carmen, and one hour north of Tulum.
By bus
Buses from Cancun and Playa del Carmen traverse Route 307, the coastal highway and the main highway into town:
- From Cancun airport take the Riviera/ADO bus to Playa del Carmen, hourly from 10:30. The bus departs from Terminal 2, east end (terminal faces north). Buy a ticket for Puerto Morelos just inside terminal or on bus. Ask the driver to stop at Puerto Morelos. Cost: 50 pesos as of 12/09
- From downtown Cancun (el centro) take the Riviera/ADO bus for Playa del Carmen from the bus terminal on Av. Tulum. Departs every 15 minutes. Buy your ticket at the station.
- From Playa del Carmen, take any ADO bus for Cancun from either bus station in Playa. Buy your ticket to Puerto Morelos at the station.
Cancún and Playa del Carmen buses arrive and depart from the highway,
about 2km from town. Each side of the highway has its own small station
and ticket office.
Frequent local buses travel between the highway/la colonia and
the beach/el puerto for 4 pesos per person. Or take a taxi into town 22
- 25 pesos. If you decide to walk instead, ensure adequate insect
repellent, as the road leads through a mosquito-infested mangrove swamp -
and watch out for inquisitive crocodiles about half way, particularly
on the northern side.
By private transfers
Private Transfers to Puerto Morelos start at $55 US each way for 2 people or $90 round trip.
- Airport Transfers from the Cancun International Airport Direct to your hotel.
Get around
There are many local taxis around, they gather at a taxi stand on the
west side of the main square in Puerto Morelos. Bicycling is an
excellent way to get around town, and they can be rented at a number of
places in town. There is also a local car rental agency in the main
town on the highway. Always make sure you find out the price of a taxi
ride before you get in to avoid disagreements. At the car rental place you can bargain for a cheaper rate.
The Original Lighthouse at Puerto Morelos, Mexico in Feb. 2007. In 1967
the structure was tilted over in Hurricane Beulah. It has since survived
Hurricanes Gilbert in 1987 and Wilma in 2005, but has not been knocked
down. The new light house replacing this one is visible in the
background.
A quiet beach just north of the Puerto Morelos town square.
See
- Sit on the white sand beach in the shade of a thatched palapa
- Visit the Jardin Botanico just outside town and watch out for the spider monkeys.
- Birdwatching in the mangroves.
- Browse the various shops around the central square.
Do
- Scuba Diving.PUERTO MORELOS offers a large variety of marine life on one of the most beautiful reefs in the world. The dives inside the reef can be from shallow up to dives where you can see large coral formations at greater depths. For more advanced divers there a few wrecks and the cenotes to explore. Also has easy access to various dive sites ranging from very easy to very challenging ones. For those who are looking for some relaxed diving there are some beautiful shallow reef formations in water of 40 feet/12 meters depth where you can dive among turtles, schools of colorful fish, eagle rays, and many species of crabs and lobsters only to name a few.For wreck lovers, there are two accesible wrecks near Puerto Moleros. The nearest is the C-56, a navy boat that has beautiful coral and which is home to very large pelagics at 60-90 feet/18-27 meters). For more experienced divers there's the Tulum which is at a depth of about 120 feet/36 meters.
- Swimming. Near the shore, water temperatures average about 27°C (80°F) year round. Freshwater swimming is available inland, at several cenotes. At cenotes that are not exposed to sunlight, temperatures are colder, and a partial wetsuit may be necessary for anything more than a brief dip.
- Reef Diving. The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef lies about 500 meters offshore. It is closer to the shore near Puerto Morelos than it is at most other points along the coast of Quintana Roo. Several dive shops and nearby resorts offering diving on the reef.
- Snorkeling. Guided trips by boat are offered to the reef. Snorkeling out to the reef from shore on your own is not permitted. To protect the reef against intentional and unintentional damage, you are only allowed onto the reef in the company of an accredited guide and wearing a life jacket. If you do go it alone, you risk being picked out of the water by park wardens who may just tell you off and take you back to the shore, but are within their rights to fine you. Note that these rules are not clearly signposted anywhere. A light wetsuit is welcome certain times of year.
- Cenotes. Cenotes are sinkholes in the native limestone that are filled with crystal-clear groundwater; some are large and deep, while others are small passages through a cave. Inland from Puerto Morelos, many cenotes are accessible along the road from P.M. to Central Vallarta, some with really good swimming in clear blue water; To take local transport to the cenotes take colectivo bus "jacinto kanek" from Puerto Morelos to the other side of the highway get off at pemex station (colonia zetina gasca) once there go to the main zocalo two blocks west of 7 eleven and take the bus heading to Leona Vicario, they leave Morelos at 7.00, 8.00, 9.00AM and return from Leona at 12.00,13.00,16.00,and 17.00PM you can get off at Boca del Puma, just past central vallarta at km16, which has nice trails through the forest and a cool snorkel through a cave passage, the owner Jesus will rent you a bicycle if you want to explore the nearby cenotes on your own. Snorkel in a cenote a few meters out in front of the Ojo de Agua hotel or the Puerto Morelos Reef, about 500-1000 meters from shore. You can rent equipment at the dive shops around town and swim there yourself, or book a boat trip outside the Casita del Mar (north end of town, on the beach) for USD22. Downtown operations offer trips for USD25.
- Walk on the boardwalk through the mangroves behind Ceiba del Mar resort (N end of town), and look at birds, fish and cool plants.
- Marina La Bonita (in Hotel Zoetry Paraiso de la Bonita, +52 9988728300 ext 8066, info@marinalabonita.com)- Offers high end catamaran sailing tours to Puerto Morelos, Punta Maroma, Cozumel, Cancun, Isla Mujeres and Isla Contoy. They also offer private deep sea fishing trips, snorkeling and scuba diving tours and PADI certified scuba diving training.
- Almost Heaven Adventures in Puerto Morelos, +52 9988710230 - Offer scuba diving, reef snorkeling, fishing trips and jungle tours. They also sell equipment. For those who want to try out scuba diving but are not certified, you can try a resort course and dive today. Night snorkeling trips and cenote diving are also popular.
- Jungle Spa, Calle de Las Reinas (Zona Urbana), ☎ 998 2089148 or Cell 044 998 1805424 (starseed@prodigy.net.mx). Make an appointment Tues, Wed, Thur, Fri and Sat. Reservations 10AM, 12PM, 2PM or 4PM. Limited time Sunday - 1.30PM and 3.30PM after Jungle Market. Closed Mondays. The spa is operated by non profit organization and directed by Sandra A. Dayton. The spa was created so that the Mayan women could benefit from the tourists coming to the area and provide for their families. They provide an authentic Mayan massage.
- Aquanauts Dive Adventures (in Hotel Carmen Hacienda), Ave. Rafael E. Melgar (one block south of the town center), ☎ 998-206-9365. 8AM to 4PM. Offers scuba diving tours, PADI certification classes, snorkeling tours, and fishing.
- The Little Mexican Cooking School (Cooking in Paradise), Avenida Rojo Gomez 768 (On the main avenue facing the beach), ☎ 52 998 2518060. 10AM-4PM. The cooking school offers a fun day of learning how to cook all your favourite Mexican foods and teaches you about the flavours and ingredients used in this fascinating cuisine. The school has classes during the week in CAsa CAribe (cat@puertomorelosliving.com) with an experienced local (English-speaking) chef, and students receive an apron and recipes to take home with their memories. USd90-130.
- El Rey Polo Country Club (Horseback riding, polo and fourwheelers), Ruta de Cenotes 11.5km (On highway 308 turn right at Ruta de Cenotes, the club is 11.5 km down the road). An attraction in the middle of the jungle. A huge green polo field, club house with restaurant and bar surrounded by pristine tropical forest. Here you can take a trail ride on horse back take riding and polo lessons, hire a four wheeler to visit the cenotes or just relax at the bar. Regular polo matches are on the calendar and visitors are welcome to watch.
- Diverspoint, Ave Javier Rojo Gomez #17 (Inside posada el Moro), ☎ +52 998 1893628 (info@diverspoint.com). 09.00 - 18.00. Offers diving, snorkeling and fishingtrips. Offers PADI certification training until Divemaster. Also rents bicycles and snorkeling gear.
