Puerto Morelos, a peaceful village on the Mayan Riviera, offers visitors a glimpse of the real Yucatan. Closer to Cancun airport than Cancun is, Puerto Morelos makes an excellent base for those seeking someplace quieter than glitzy nearby hotspots, Cancun and Playa del Carmen. Government eco-reserve designations protect the reef and mangroves, and the village itself, from development. Thrilling jungle and diving adventures are offered locally. For smaller scale adventures, rent a bike, car or moped.

Maya Still Life -Puerto Morelos In 1984 ~ by Jeanine Lee  Kitchel - We stumbled onto Puerto Morelos quite by accident in 1984 when my husband and I were criss-crossing Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, searching for a place that felt like home.  While standing on a jungle road sixty miles south of Cancun waiting for a bus that surely didn’t exist, we watched  a small, rusty Honda round the corner from Highway 307 and like magic, glide carefully in front of us to a slow, deliberate stop. Dec./03

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Puerto Morelos stands in the north-east of the state, about 36 km south of the resort city of Cancún. It has historically been the main port between the mainland of Yucatán and the Island of Cozumel, and an automobile ferry used to run from Puerto Morelos to Cozumel. The town is named after Independence leader José María Morelos.

Puerto Morelos has grown rapidly with the development of tourism and as of 2003 is estimated to be the home to some 2,000 people. Resorts are abundant in the Puerto Morelos region along the Riviera Maya, and attractions such as the Crococun Crocodile Zoo are also increasing in number.

One hundred meters off shore lies the Puerto Morelos portion of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, designated as a National Marine Park due to local environmental activists.

Dr. Alfredo Barrera Marin Botanical Garden

We spent a morning at the Dr Alfredo Barrera Botanical Garden, just south of Puerto Morelos, during our Mexico trip in March 2007.

It cost a few pounds to get in, and we had the place virtually to ourselves. The gardens are situated in jungly terrain alongside mangrove swamps.

There are separate areas containing various kinds of trees and plants including cacti and medicinal plants.

There is a lot of wildlife - we saw a snake, squirrels and iguanas and the ubiquitous lizards. Apparently there are also monkeys. Plus there are literally hundreds of beautiful butterflies, some as big as birds, that constantly flit about you.

There is a lookout tower but when we were there it looked like the only way to reach it was to scale a very large tree!

Overally, I would say a visit to the gardens will please any nature lover and is a great way to spend a couple of hours in Puerto Morelos.

Puerto Morelos Hotels

• Excellence Riviera Cancun
• Ceiba del Mar Spa Resort
• Azul Hotel & Beach Resort
• El Dorado Royale
• Paradisus Riviera Cancun
• Marina El Cid Riviera Maya
• H10 Punta Coral
• H10 Punta Tourquesa

More Puerto Morelos Hotels