Puerto Morelos
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Puerto Morelos
A fishing village facing the reef
Puerto Morelos has a town square, a leaning lighthouse, cafés and fishing boats that head out to sea every morning. It's about 20 minutes from Cancun International Airport and 30 minutes from Playa del Carmen.
Just offshore, Puerto Morelos Reef National Park protects the stretch of the Mesoamerican Reef that runs closest to shore, while the Cenotes Route heads inland through the jungle.
- Right now
- 81°F (27°C)Partly cloudy
- Best for
- Snorkeling, cenotes and fresh seafood
- Turtle nesting season
- May to October
- When to visit
- Year-round, with the most pleasant weather from December to April
Getting here
Airport
Tren Maya
Bus
National park
The reef closest to shore in the Mexican Caribbean
The reef is part of the Mesoamerican Reef, the second-largest barrier reef in the world, and here it runs closer to shore than anywhere else in the Mexican Caribbean. It acts as a natural breakwater, which keeps the water calm along the town's beaches. You visit it with local guides, in small groups and under the park's rules. Snorkeling and diving trips leave from the pier and reach the reef in minutes, at sites like La Herradura, La Pared, Cuevones, Jardines and the Juan Escutia C-56 shipwreck.
Cenotes and jungle
The Cenotes Route and the Botanical Garden
The Cenotes Route heads inland through the jungle, where you'll find dozens of open, semi-open and cave cenotes, including Zapote, Siete Bocas, Kin Ha, La Noria, Las Mojarras and Verde Lucero. Adventure parks along the route offer zip-lining, rappelling, mountain biking, ATV rides, horseback riding and birdwatching. At the entrance to town, the Dr. Alfredo Barrera Marín Botanical Garden showcases the flora of the coastal jungle. Its grounds include trails through the mangroves, a traditional Maya house and an apiary for stingless bees.
The town
The square, the pier and the leaning lighthouse
Puerto Morelos is small enough to explore on foot or by bike. The old lighthouse, tilted by Hurricane Beulah in 1967, stands beside the pier on the main beach and has become a symbol of the town. Around the town square, you'll find seafood restaurants serving the catch of the day, snack stands, cafés and waterfront bars with live music. A few blocks away is Mercado de los Artesanos, the local craft market.
The beaches
Calm water thanks to the reef
Sheltered by the reef, the main beach and Ojo de Agua have calm water: kayaking, windsurfing, paddleboarding and catamaran trips leave right from the shore, and beach clubs line the coast. Punta Brava, north of town, is open to the waves. Sea turtles nest on the beaches from May to October.
More about Puerto Morelos
September 29, 2024
10 Things to Do in Puerto Morelos
The top 10 things to do in Puerto Morelos: snorkel the Mesoamerican Reef, explore the Cenotes Route, visit the botanical garden and relax on quiet beaches.
Read the article
September 29, 2024
Explore the Cenotes Route of Puerto Morelos
Explore the Cenotes Route of Puerto Morelos: seven jungle cenotes for swimming, snorkeling, diving and zip lines, a short drive from the coast.
Read the article
September 29, 2024
The Beaches of Puerto Morelos
The beaches of Puerto Morelos: the main beach, Ojo de Agua, Punta Brava, Petempich and more, with calm reef-sheltered water and relaxed beach clubs.
Read the article- Wed86°F75°F
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