Mexico: Puerto Morelos

A need for stable wifi due to some last minute work calls and a desire to chill mid-way through the last week of our trip, Martín and I decided to head back to the beaches of Quintana Roo. We were really excited to experience the local life, cenotes and ruins in Homún, but we heard that the wifi was not reliable at our hotel and the hours of travel by colectivo and bus sounded tiring. However, Homún is definitely on the list for our next trip the Yucatán Peninsula!

We opted instead for a small fishing and beach town about 30-40 minutes south of Cancun called Puerto Morelos. Puerto Morelos was recommended by a friend who lived for years in Merida as a beach with a small town vibe and without as many tourists as its popular neighbors – Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum. 

In the end, Martín and I loved Puerto Morelos so much that we extended our trip by a couple more days. I would highly recommend if you are traveling through Quintana Roo!

What to do?

• Diving – Puerto Morelos is home to a Reef National Park, which is part of the world’s second largest coral reef system, so of course we had to go diving! We decided to go with Om Delfin. The owner Delfin and her staff are fabulous! The dive shop is run out of one of the beachside restaurants. There are several other dive shops but Delfin offered the smallest groups and lowest prices of any PADI certified dive shop in the area from my research.
• Hang out in the town square – the Jardin Principal, a park in the middle of Puerto Morelos, is a great spot to people watch, eat “marquesita” and enjoy an evening stroll!
• Watch the fisherman, wildlife and stars from the pier – the fishing pier is a great place to have a beer and watch the stars in the evening, or watch the fisherman come in with their catches of the day, the pelicans flock, and other wildlife gather.
• Day(s) at the Beach – We spent a part of each day in Puerto Morelos on the beach. The beach is split into two parts from the pier. On the left is the more touristy part with several beach clubs, lively restaurants, and slightly nicer water, but it gets crowded, especially on the weekends. The right side (my preference) is much more quiet and relaxing, with very few people.
• Cenotes – since we had already seen so many cenotes on our trip, we opted out of seeing more while in Puerto Morelos. But there are many nearby that are less crowded and just as nice as those in Tulum and Playa del Carmen. These include Las Mojarras Cenote and Verde Lucero Cenote.
• Botanical Garden – we stopped by to see the Jardín Botanico about a 10 minute taxi ride away from the beach, but they are unfortunately closed on the weekends. If you’re around during the week, they are open from 8 am to 4 pm and the grounds are supposed to be beautiful.

Where to eat?

There are more than a handful of great places to eat in and around Puerto Morelos! I’ve listed out our favorites and a few others below.

• Frutería El Puerto – fruit and vegetable shop only open in the mornings that sells freshly squeezed juices, fruit, veggies and homemade baked goods like banana bread!
• Local Coffee + Shop – our go-to for coffee in the morning! They open up early at 7 am and the staff are really nice. Also a great place to work from.
• Amor y Pez – little restaurant two blocks from the beach serving a small menu of lunch and dinner options ranging from seafood tacos, sopes, burritos, sandwiches and more. My favorite was the sopes de pulpo. The guys who work there are also lovely!
• La Petita En La Playita – a casual seafood restaurant on the beach loved by locals and tourists alike. We ordered “pescado a la plancha” (grilled fish) and “camarones al ajillo” (garlic shrimp) for dinner one evening and it was delicious!
• Cocktereria El Picudo – local seafood restaurant in the town of Puerto Morelos about a 10 minute taxi ride from the beach. Great and inexpensive seafood!
• El Sabor Yucateco – local Yucatan food made from a woman in Puerto Morelos out of her home. We discovered these home kitchens with free delivery offer some of the best (and cheapest) food in Mexico!
• Chedraui – Mexican grocery store chain where you can find both international and Mexican groceries and prepared foods. We picked up lunch (sushi and ceviche) a couple of times from here and it was inexpensive, easy and great! 
• El Campanario – Argentian restaurant recommended to us. There is also an Argentinian empanada shop across the street called Empanadas Ruta 40, but the empanadas are frozen and then fried – not the traditional way to eat them in Argentina (baked!), but pretty good nonetheless.
• Merkadito del Mar and La Pepita – two more seafood places  by the beach recommended to us. Similar to La Petita (above).

Where to stay?

Since we decided last minute to travel back to Quintana Roo and due to the busy holiday season, there was little to no availability on Booking.com or Airbnb within our budget. We booked a place we were lukewarm about, but upon arriving decided to ask the hotel next door, Hotel Caracol, that was more our vibe, if they had availability. Low and behold they had a room free!

• Hotel Caracol – where we stayed in. We snagged their most basic room with a queen size bed, private bathroom, and shared rooftop for 950 MXN a night. My only complaints are that the hotel does not have a kitchen or breakfast and that you can hear music late in the evening from nearby bars. However, a short two block walk from the beach though and half the price of everything else in town, the place is a steal.
• Good Morning Bed and Breakfast – a B&B similar to the places we stayed in throughout our trip in the town of Puerto Morelos, about a 10 minute drive or 30 minute walk from the beach town. Lowest price, nice rooms and shared kitchen/outdoor space. We wanted to stay here but unfortunately it was booked up.
• Layla Guesthouse and Hotel Balancá Studios – two other top rated boutique hotels that are a bit nicer than Hotel Caracol I found doing research that are right off of the beach. The only rooms they had left when we were looking were out of our budget, but I would consider either if we’re ever in Puerto Morelos again.
• “Casas” on Airbnb – there are many adorable “casa” stays on Airbnb in Puerto Morelos. Some host larger groups where you can rent out the entire house or you can rent a private room that usually includes at least a shared kitchen, pool, and nice outdoor area. Casa Juanita is one example that was recommended to us. If you simply type in “casa” to google maps in Puerto Morelos on the north side of the beach you can find other listings. These are also located in a more quiet part of town.
• Larger beachfront hotels on Booking.com – there are also several larger hotels on Booking.com and other websites you can book that are often beach front and have nice amenities like a pool and restaurant. Arrecifes Suites is one that was recommended to us.