Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business Puerto Morelos is a small coastal town on the Caribbean side of Quintana Roo, roughly halfway between Cancún and Playa del Carmen. It is a quieter alternative to the big resort strips, with a leaning lighthouse, a plaza, a protected reef offshore and jungle cenotes inland.
Jardín Principal
Faro Inclinado
The pier and beach
Guided reef snorkeling
+4 more places
Puerto Morelos is a fishing village that grew into a diving and beach destination without losing its small-town feel. Local bylaws limit buildings to three stories, and the town has just two principal streets, so you can walk from one end to the other in about fifteen minutes.
The reef is the biggest draw. In 1998, the reef in front of the town became a protected national marine park, which helps keep it one of the better-preserved parts of the Great Mesoamerican Reef.
The town is also a practical base. It is close to Cancún airport, it has a Tren Maya station nearby, and the Ruta de los Cenotes begins here, which opens up the jungle for day trips.
The central plaza fills a full block in the middle of town and is a popular gathering place. On Saturdays it becomes an informal market as vendors set up tables.
The Jardín Principal is the central plaza of Puerto Morelos. Photo: Luis Fernández García, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5 es
The old lighthouse stands at the end of Calle Morelos by the sea. Hurricane Beulah knocked it askew in 1967, and it has since become the town icon.
The Faro Inclinado leans after Hurricane Beulah struck in 1967 and is now the town icon. Photo: Jaontiveros, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
The pier in the centre of town is where snorkel and sport fishing boats come and go. Beaches here are soft and white, with palapas that serve cold drinks and snacks.
Snorkel and fishing boats work from the pier in the centre of town. Photo: Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Across Highway 307 lies La Colonia, the inland community where many local people live. It has small food stores, pharmacies and casual restaurants that serve simple meals.
Just off the beach lies a small underwater cenote called Ojo de Agua, which is popular with snorkelers and has plenty of fish. It is within the zone marked by yellow floats, so it is easy to visit without a boat.
The best snorkeling is at the park reef, reached only by guided boat trips from the public dock. Visitors must go with an accredited guide and wear a life jacket and a park wristband, and swimming out alone from the beach is not allowed.
The reef off Puerto Morelos is part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef and a protected marine park. Photo: ProtoplasmaKid, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Dive shops in town offer reef dives from shallow to deep, as well as wreck dives for experienced divers, including a former navy boat called the C-56.
Dive shops in town visit reef sites and wrecks off the coast. Photo: PNAPM, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
This botanical garden on the highway south of town shows plants of the Yucatán Peninsula along shaded trails. Monkeys may watch from the trees and iguanas are common.
The botanical garden near Puerto Morelos shows plants of the Yucatán Peninsula. Photo: William Avery Hudson, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Birdwatchers can walk a boardwalk through the mangroves behind the shoreline. Go early in the morning, when birds are most active, and wear repellent.
Mangroves lie behind the coast at Puerto Morelos and support birdlife. Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Jaontiveros assumed (based on copyright claims)., Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
The road from town toward Leona Vicario is the eastern end of the Ruta de los Cenotes, marked by an archway. Many sinkholes along the route have clear water for swimming.
The Ruta de los Cenotes begins at Puerto Morelos and leads to swimming sinkholes inland. Photo: Buceo Xtabay, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Puerto Morelos has a relaxed food scene, with small restaurants around the plaza, the pier and along the beach. Seafood is the obvious choice, so try ceviche, which is raw fish or shellfish marinated in citrus with onion, chili and cilantro, and tacos de pescado, soft tortillas filled with grilled or fried fish.
For Yucatecan flavors, look for cochinita pibil, slow-roasted pork marinated in citrus and annatto, usually served with pickled red onions and tortillas. Casual taquerias in La Colonia are good for simple meals, and the plaza has food stalls on market days.
Popular dishes to try in Puerto Morelos
The town is small, and each area has a different feel.
The Puerto is the original coastal village, with boutique hotels, apartments and walkable restaurants. It suits couples and divers who want the sea at their doorstep.
Colonia Pescadores lies east of the highway and offers a more residential setting with good value, which suits longer stays and families. La Colonia, on the western side of the highway, is where locals live, with simple and affordable lodging that fits budget travelers who do not mind a short taxi or bus ride to the beach.
Where to stay in Puerto Morelos
Puerto Morelos has a tropical climate with a drier season and a wetter season. The drier months are usually the most comfortable for snorkeling, diving and cenote visits, while the wetter months bring heat, humidity and afternoon storms.
Hurricane season affects the whole Caribbean coast, so check forecasts if you travel in late summer or autumn. Saturdays bring a small market to the plaza, and weekday mornings are quiet at the pier.
Cancún International Airport is the nearest major airport. Many travelers take a private transfer or a colectivo to town, and the colectivo vans labelled Cancún and Playa stop on Highway 307 about two kilometres from the center.
The Tren Maya has a station just outside town, and Puerto Morelos is the first stop after Cancún.
By car, the waterfront lies about two kilometres east of the highway along Calle José María Morelos. Taxis gather by the plaza, and bicycles are an excellent way to get around town.
Stroll the plaza and the pier, photograph the Faro Inclinado, then snorkel at Ojo de Agua.
Join a guided reef snorkeling trip in the morning.
Drive the Ruta de los Cenotes and swim in a sinkhole, then stop at Boca del Puma for a forest walk.
Try a dive or a Saturday market morning, then take the train or a bus onward.
WISERMAP PLACEPuerto Morelos: photos, reviews & things to doSee traveler photos and reviews, or share your own →
Chacchoben, Quintana Roo
Bacalar, Quintana Roo
Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo
Real de Asientos, Aguascalientes
El Tajín, Veracruz
Islas Marietas, Nayarit