- What’s This Post About? In this post, you will find a list of the best things to do in Puerto Morelos.
8 Best Things To Do In Puerto Morelos While Living Your Best Life!
Adventure, relaxation and new experiences are all waiting for you in Puerto Morelos. After many trips to Puerto Morelos, it still remains my favorite beach side town in the Riviera Maya, even more so than Cancun, Tulum and Playa Del Carmen.
Let this guide help you have the best vacation possible in Puerto Morelos. Get ready to live your best life!
Love food? This post also has a list of recommendations of the best places to eat in town. Enjoy!
1. Discover the charm of Puerto Morelos on a leisurely walk.
For your first day in Puerto Morelos, stroll through town, be present and take in the tropical vibes and beauty of Puerto Morelos.
Bask in the authentic Mexican beachside ambiance, distinct from the bustling party scenes of Cancun and Playa Del Carmen.
Puerto Morelos is a place to relax, and slow down the pace of life.
As you walk, you will hear the background sounds of the waves of the sea. Soft breezes brush against the palm trees and give a short reprieve from the sun’s heat.
You’ll see bright colors painted on the buildings, cheerful murals, tropical green palm trees and blooming flowers that catch your eye with their bright colors.
See beautiful murals as you walk in Puerto Morelos Mexico.
Puerto Morelos is a walkable town where a car is not needed. If walkability is important to you, Puerto Morelos is a great vacay choice.
2. Be Mesmerized By A Cenote
If there is any one tour or excursion to take in Puerto Morelos, I recommend visiting a cenote. Cenotes are one of the most magical natural beauties in the world, and Mexico has some of the best in the world. No exaggeration!
What are cenotes? Cenotes are natural wells/sink holes that fill with pure natural underground water. The water is so pure and clear that when the light hits it, the shades of blue that appear through the sun rays are just mesmerizing!
Because a picture is worth a thousand words, just look at this picture… and it’s a thousand times more beautiful in person. I took this picture of my friend with #nofilter or editing. Doesn’t it look surreal and magical?
Photo with NOFILTER. I took this picture of my friend in the cenote. Doesn’t it look surreal??
Quintana Roo and Yucatan have the world’s largest underground river system and there are hundreds if not thousands of cenotes because of this. That’s an insane amount of cenotes! So take advantage of the opportunity to encounter these natural marvels, crafting a one-of-a-kind adventure that few destinations can offer worldwide.
Where to find cenotes in Puerto Morelos?
The closest cenotes to Puerto Morelos is on the Ruta de Cenotes about 25-30 minutes away where there are many cenotes. You can hire a taxi driver for the day or book a tour that includes transportation.
You can also take a day trip for the day to cenotes near Playa Del Carmen or Tulum. Whether you rent a car and go by yourself or book a tour, you have many options. Tours are easily found online or at the many kiosks in Puerto Morelos offering cenote tours.
My best tip for choosing a cenote: visit a less popular cenote to have a more serene experience, unless you don’t mind the crowds. This means skipping the most talked about cenotes you find on Instagram and social media! #sorrynotsorry
My favorite Cenotes of all time is at a lesser known property called Aldea Tierra Nueva Cielo Nuevo. I drove there myself without a tour.
Aldea Tierra Nueva Cielo Nuevo has a collection of 6 cenotes and it’s likely you will be one in a handful of people there. I write all about those cenotes in this post here to learn more: https://www.littlebirdietravel.com/the-best-cenotes-in-the-riviera-maya-mexico/
A trip to a cenote will fill you with unforgettable memories you will remember for a lifetime. Don’t think, just go!
3. Dine Your Heart Out.
Puerto Morelos has many great restaurants to choose from. It’s surprising how many restaurants there are in what seems like a small town. I find new restaurants opening each time I visit.
Choose from Mexican, Argentinian, Italian, American, Vegan, Seafood, Steak…. One thing is for sure, you won’t run out of options of delicious food to try.
Below I’ll give you a quick list about some restaurants that I’ve enjoyed and recommend.
El Campanario – Great empanada’s and service. Before you leave your table, you must ring the large bell! It is a part of the experience. The bell?? Yes, the bell. Trust me, it will make sense once you get there. (I can’t ruin all the surprises lol.)
El Nicho – Large selection of breakfast and brunch options. Lovely outdoor setting with murals. Most of everything I have had there is very tasty. Iguanas live in the niches of the wall, inspiring the name of the restaurant, El Nicho.
El Nicho has beautiful murals painted in the courtyard and iguanas live in the niches. Look closely…
Las Robles – Great breakfast at affordable prices. It’s a small place so sometimes the service can be on the slow side, by hey, you are on vacation, what’s the rush?
La Petita En La Playita – My go to spot for ceviche. It’s also right next to the beach to hear the sounds of beach waves while you eat.
Mangata – Good for breakfast and lunch, including many healthy eats on the menu. Lovely outdoor setting with a beautiful mural that says “Love Is All We Need.” Variety of healthy smoothies. Slightly on the pricier side, but good quality ingredients.
Best Tacos – For the best tacos, head over to the Colonia side of Puerto Morelos and visit one of the local taco stalls. What’s the Colonia? See my local tip below.
Local Tip – For the most authentic Mexican dining experiences, head over to the Colonia which is a short 5 minute taxi ride. (The Colonia is another area of Puerto Morelos which is more local and farther from the more visited area near the beach.) Yes, it’s safe in Puerto Morelos’ Colonia side of town and it’s a great experience. You can google map it.
4.Snorkel The 2nd Largest Barrier Reef In The World
The Snorkeling in Puerto Morelos is some of the best in the Riviera Maya. Why? The Mesoamerican Reef is a very short boat ride from shore and it’s the 2nd largest barrier reef in the world. This reef extends all the way from Mexico to Belize and Honduras.
Snorkeling right from the beach is also possible in Puerto Morelos with plenty of marine life to see.
To see the coral reef, you can take a snorkel tour with a guide. A snorkel tour will include a short 10 minute boat ride out to the reef. The water visibility is fantastic on most days and your boat captain will usually bring you to a spot on the reef that has calm waters even on a windy day. It’s amazing what you will see. You’ll see many varieties of coral, fish and marine life.
This video from my Youtube Channel will show you what its like snorkeling in Puerto Morelos.
Snorkel Tour Recommendations in Puerto Morelos
There are plentiful snorkel tour operators in Puerto Morelos to choose from. You can expect the tours to be about $25 – $35 per person. Usually, the tours will take you to 2 snorkel spots on the reef and you’ll spend about 30-45 mins at each spot.
I don’t have a specific tour company to recommend because there are too many good ones to mention. You will find most people in Puerto Morelos are very friendly and they work very hard to show visitors a good time.
5. Scuba Dive in Puerto Morelos
Want to go deeper into the sea and get a closer look at the coral reef? That’s possible for new or experienced divers alike!
Never scuba dived before? Try scuba for the first time on a Discovery Scuba Dive Tour.
Already certified as a scuba diver? The scuba diving is excellent with more than 17 dive locations along the reef in Puerto Morelos. In my experience, the visibility on my dives have been great.
There are many great certified dive spots in Puerto Morelos where you can dive along the Meso American reef. The reef is not far from shore so you can expect a short boat ride of 10-20 minutes. The short boat ride to the reef is a huge benefit of diving in Puerto Morelos. That means more time in the water snorkeling too!
Besides the reef, unique diving opportunities include ship wrecks or you can even dive in a cenote. (I haven’t gone on a cenote or ship wreck dive yet, but it’s on my list for the future.)
Want to dive for the first time?
Discovery Scuba is for those who want to try scuba diving for the first time. This includes a short training on how to breathe through the equipment, usually in a pool, and then you are taken out to the reef to experience the amazing underwater world.
I was dive certified in Puerto Morelos because it’s been a long time goal of mine. The water clarity was amazing, the coral reef was beautiful and I saw lots of marine life. One other bonus, the prices are reasonable in Puerto Morelos compared to other parts of the world.
About Choosing a Dive Instructor
There are many reputable dive companies in the area. You can look for top ranked dive shops online, read reviews and do your research before your trip.
Whether you are certified or want to try a Discover Scuba dive, a good diving instructor is an important choice for the best dive experience. It’s good to read reviews ahead of time and do a little research before choosing whom to dive with. Don’t just choose anyone.
If you get a chance to stop by any of the dive shops and chat with an instructor to feel out the vibes beforehand, I highly recommend doing so.
6. Shop For Unique Handmade Items Made In Mexico…not made in China
A walk past any of the artisan shops will flash you with splashes of many eye catching designs, colors and textures of many wonderful handmade Mexican crafts. You’ll likely be going home with something wonderful to take home for a souvenir, made in Mexico…not China.
Mexico has many gifted and talented artisans which makes it easy to find handmade items. You’ll find things like jewelry, pottery, clothes, art, beaded handicrafts, tapestries and more.
Want to shop with me? Heard of window shopping? This is video shopping! Lol. Watch and let me know what you look forward to shopping for.
While your suitcase won’t be able to fit all you wish to buy, it’s a pleasure to roam the artisan stalls and admire the artistry behind so many unique items, each of which are works of art in themselves.
We have all been in those situations where we go buy a souvenir and know it’s probably made in China. It’s easy to avoid that in Puerto Morelos.
7. Soak in the sun at the beach.
I couldn’t end this things to do post without mentioning the beaches. One of the top reasons people to any destination in the Riviera Maya is the beaches. So how does Puerto Morelos’ beaches compare?
The water is warm, clear and great for swimming. I’ve already mentioned snorkeling which is awesome too. The sand is soft and the beaches are pretty. See the video below for a beach walk that I took in Puerto Morelos to show you the beach.
When is the best time to visit Puerto Morelos? One of the things to look for when planning a trip to Puerto Morelos is to plan around sargasso season. The extremity of sargasso varies from year to year and this is something that occurs all over the Riviera Maya. Sargasso season can start as early as late March, but it really just depends. The best time to avoid sargasso is between October and February.
8. Walk The Malecon Of Puerto Morelos
The Malecon is the central area of Puerto Morelos and I find myself there almost once a day when in Puerto Morelos.
At the Malecon, there is a crooked lighthouse still on the beach that was affected by a hurricane many years ago. It’s almost like a landmark now and something you must get a picture of.
The pier is also lovely to walk on and gaze into the clear blue waters where you can often spot sting rays and tropical fish. Below is a photo I took on the pier and facing the lighthouse. You will notice two lighthouses. The tall and straight one is the actual working lighthouse. The crooked one is the old lighthouse that isn’t used anymore.
Well, there you have it, 8 of the best things to do in Puerto Morelos. Is that all of the amazing things to do? Of course not! But these 8 things shall get you started and put you on the right track to an amazing getaway! Please show some love in the comments if this post has helped you. Thanks and remember to LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE TODAY!
You may enjoy these other posts on my blog about Puerto Morelos:
