Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico

If you enjoy small friendly towns with long white sandy beaches, great snorkeling and good food you will love Puerto Morelos. This is a peaceful village on the Mayan Riviera, offering visitors a glimpse of the real Yucatan.

Just off highway 307 and only 18km from Cancun International Airport, Puerto Morelos is a perfect base for relaxation or exploring the many wonderful sights the Yucatan Peninsula has to offer.

To explore the coral reef, just 500 meters from shore, you may hire local guides to take you by boat to a number of prime snorkeling areas. Here you can expect to see sea turtles, rays, barracudas and hundreds of fish swimming in this pristine coral environment.

The Mexican Government has designated the reef, mangroves and the village itself a marine park. Further development of the community is under strict control much to the delight of visitors who come to enjoy the tranquility.

History
In the 19th century, long before tourism, chewing gum was big business in Puerto Morelos. Sapodilla-tappers harvested "chicle", the main ingredient of chewing gum, found in the wild sapodilla trees of the Yucatan and transported it to Puerto Morelos for export.

In the 1960's the village of Cancun was developed to become a world tourist destination and while this has created a spin off effect in the neighbouring communities Puerto Morelos has succeeded in maintaining its small town charm.

Recommend Accommodation
We spent a very enjoyable week at Abbey del Sol in an attractive studio, competitively priced and just a block from the beach. Manager, Efrain (Jim) Ceballos Cuevas provides promt and friendly service with a good command of English.

For bookings you can write to jim@abbeydelsol.com - Website