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Puerto Morelos

Puerto Morelos is a town in Quintana Roo on the Yucatán Peninsula, about 20 km south of Cancún. It is a fishing village, and a resort and diving destination. It is roughly halfway between Cancún and Playa del Carmen on the Caribbean coast of the Yucatán Peninsula. The pier in the center of town hosts snorkel and sport fishing boats while yachts dock in a man-made harbor 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.

See
3
Do
7
Eat
6
Drink
4
Buy
3

23 places

  1. Buy

    Alma Libre Bookstore

    Large selection of used English paperbacks, plus new books of local interest in both English and Spanish. They take trades too. Sign up for their free monthly newsletter, full of updates about the town. Only open during high season (December to June).

    Daily 10:00 - 17:00

  2. Do

    Aquanauts Dive Adventures

    Offers scuba diving tours, PADI certification classes, snorkeling tours, and fishing.

    Daily 08:00 to 16:00

  3. Drink

    Cantina Habanero

    Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner serving a variety of food, from delicious baby-back ribs and grilled steaks to regional Mexican food. Cold beer, margaritas, mixed drinks. Live music most Friday nights. A gathering spot for locals and tourists. 1/2 block north of the town square. English and Spanish spoken.

    Daily 08:00 - 01:00

  4. Eat

    El Pirata

    A popular spot for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a drink from the bar, this open-air restaurant seats you at the center of the action on Puerto Morelos's town square. If you have a hankering for American food, you can get a good hamburger with fries here; there are also great daily specials. The best selections are the seafood entrees.

    Thu-Tue 16:00 - 22:30, closed WedM$400

  5. Drink

    El Refugio Bar

    Fun bar with cold beer, some innovative takes on the classic margarita, and a food menu that's a wide range of tacos, from octopus to classics like chicken or fish tacos. Local craft beers available.

    Wed-Mon 13:30 - 23:00, closed Tue

  6. Do

    El Rey Polo Country Club

    Horseback riding, polo and fourwheelers

    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.

    Mon-Sat 10:00-22:00, Sun 12:00-18:00

  7. Eat

    El Tio Polo

    Tiny place across from the lighthouse; very inexpensive grilled meats, tortas, soup or Mayan food.

    M$150

  8. See

    Faro Inclinado

    Leaning Lighthouse

    The town's old lighthouse was knocked askew by Hurricane Beulah in 1967. It's since been adopted as the town's icon and is a popular place for photographers and wandering tourists.

  9. See

    Jardin Principal

    Zocalo

    The town's central plaza is a large city block at the center of town. It's a popular landmark and gathering spot and becomes an impromptu marketplace on Saturday when several vendors set up tables.

  10. See

    Jardín Botanico Dr. Alfredo Barrera Marín

    Botanical Garden

    Walk the trails and learn about the various types of plant life found in the Yucatan Peninsula. Monkeys will watch you from the trees and iguanas are everywhere. Wear mosquito spray and bring a water bottle.

    Mon-Fri 08:00 - 16:00, closed Sat-SunM$120

  11. Eat

    John Gray's Kitchen

    More upscale and pricey; excellent food by a former Ritz Carlton chef - reservations recommended. The duck breast is a must. Also makes one of the better margaritas along the riviera; not too sweet. Not to be confused with the related, casual beachfront restaurant La Suegra de John Gray (John Gray's mother-in-law) is in Puerto Morelos.

    Mon-Sat 15:00-22:00, closed SunM$800

  12. Do

    Jungle Spa

    Make an appointment Tu-Sa. Reservations 10:00. 12:00, 14:00 or 16:00. Limited time Sunday - 13:30 and 15:30 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.

    Tue-Sat 10:00 - 16:00, closed Sun-Mon

  13. Drink

    La Petita en la Playita

    Palapa bar and restaurant on the beach. Cold beer, frozen margaritas, mixed drinks. Super fresh seafood with a delicious ceviche full of fish, shrimp and crab. Live music in the evening.

    Daily 12:00 - 20:00

  14. Eat

    Le Café d'Amancia

    On the square. Best coffee and healthy full breakfast. Very small with a handful of tables outside.

    Tue-Sun 07:00-21:00, closed MonM$150

  15. Eat

    Los Pelicanos

    Friendly palapa-style beachfront restaurant serving traditional Mexican cuisine with a heavy emphasis on fresh seafood and tacos. Good place to have your first drink and nachos in Puerto Morelos...nothing spectacular about the nachos but the guacamole, like most places here was abundant and quite good.

    Daily 09:00 - 22:00M$300

  16. Do

    Marina La Bonita

    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.

    Daily 08:00 - 20:00

  17. Buy

    Mercadito de los Miercoles

    Tianguis

    Puerto Morelos has a small tianguis on Wednesday mornings. A tianguis is a pre-Hispanic tradition in Mexico in which informal pop-up markets occur each week on a specific day. That day is Wednesday in Puerto Morelos. A traditional tianguis offers fresh produce and other agricultural products, but in Puerto Morelos the emphasis is on items that travelers may want, such as woven bags and wood carvings.

    Wed 08:00 - 14:00

  18. Buy

    Mexican Artisan Market

    Mercado Artesania

    Best place to buy souvenirs, the marketplace has a large number of vendors selling artesanias and folk art from Yucatan craftsmen as well as pieces from outside the region. Excellent selection of hand-made Yucatan hammocks as well as woven textiles and carved obsidian and jade.

    Daily 08:00 - 21:30

  19. Do

    Om Delfin

    For scuba diving on Puerto Morelos reef, ship wrecks and cenotes. PADI certifications.

    Open now · closes 6 pm

  20. Do

    Scuba Public Diving

    PADI certification courses and dive trips to local reefs and cenotes. Night dives are available.

    Daily 08:00 - 20:00

  21. Eat

    Trattoria d'Gulio

    A little south of town in the El Cid Marina Beach Resort. Overlooks the marina and serves Italian cuisine with an emphasis on seafood. Service is as good as the food and view. The resort also includes a seafood restaurant, a traditional Mexican restaurant, and a Mediterranean restaurant.

    Tue-Sun 17:30-21:30, closed MonM$300

  22. Drink

    Unico Beach Club

    Palapa beach bar 5 blocks north of the square on the beach. Chairs and umbrellas available, light lunch fare and friendly bartender. English and Spanish spoken.

    Daily 10:00 - 19:00

  23. Do

    Wet Set Diving and Snorkeling Adventures Scuba Shop

    Hotels and resorts send people here for the guided reef snorkling, but they're a full-service dive shop offering PADI certification courses and a variety of dive trips including cenote diving, dives with sharks, and night dives

    Daily 08:00 - 16:00