For details and more things to do, go to Puerto Morelos Travel Guide.
Puerto Morelos
About 36 km south of Cancun and roughly the same distance north of Playa del Carmen, Puerto Morelos is a good vacation spot for travelers looking for low-key beach action. Couples fleeing cold winters in Canada and the northern United States like the combination of reasonably priced hotels and vacation rentals, a wide beach perfect for long walks, and a variety of things to do in the area. When the grandkids come to visit they can take them to the beach or to a handful of sinkholes (cenotes, in Spanish) that line the road leading into Puerto M from the interior. There's the croc zoo just north of town on the highway, and a Wet n' Wild water park about 15 minutes beyond that, towards Cancun. Jardin Botanico Dr Alfredo Barrera Marin is popular with birders and has plants labeled in English and Spanish as well as their Latin botanical names. But mainly there is a long, sandy, tranquil beach, moderately priced restaurants, and an air of tranquility not found in Cancun or Playa.
This is not a hip destination. People who want the brat pack scene gravitate to Playa or Cancun. Most of the tourists who visit these days appear to be older adults, and most are couples.
Fishing boats still line the beach in front of the town square. Facing the plaza are small restaurants, a book shop with lots of good beach reads, and a few cafes and shops. Guys in kiosks sell boat trips for snorkeling just offshore at the Great Maya Reef, a protected national park.
Facing the plaza parallel to the beach road are the town's small Catholic church, a taxi stop, and a bus stop. Buses make the loop between Puerto and the new town on the other side of the highway, where many of the town's 10,000 residents live and shop. Teens practice their skateboard tricks at the kiosk in the plaza there, or play basketball at the adjacent court. I had a good burger at a little outdoor restaurant facing the plaza.
Not far beyond the plaza but a bit hard to find, Ixchel Jungle massage hires Maya women trained in both the healing arts of the grandmothers and standard Western massage techniques. I had an excellent massage, although I chose "medium-hard" and was longing for medium-soft. My masseur was very skilled, and the price reasonable. There are chocolate wrap treatments and aloe treatment applications for sunburn, too.
Began 100 years ago as a port for exporting chicle (gum) and hardwoods, Puerto Morelos is a great destination for people who want to relax and enjoy the turquoise blue Caribbean without a lot of frou-frou. Higher priced and all-inclusive resorts line the beach north of town towards Cancun, with vacation rentals closer to Puerto. Inexpensive and moderately priced hotels, most two- or three-stories, are found within easy walking distance of the plaza.
|
PUERTO MORELOS LOCAL LISTINGS
PUERTO MORELOS LOCAL LISTINGS
Put your free listing here |
