Wanting to check out the beautiful coastal town called Puerto Morelos? I did a solo trip in 2018 and here is all all you need to know for planning your trip!
What to prepare before you leave, how to get there and of course what to do once you are there!
I must say, I really loved Puerto Morelos. Unlike the over touristy Cancún area, Puerto Morelos is super chilled.
I hope you find this blog interesting and if there is anything you still need to know, drop me an email.
The sections below include:
1) Before you leave: visa, maps, translator, travel insurance, don’t forget to pack
2) Getting There- flights, airport transport to Puerto Morelos and transport within Puerto Morelos
3) Once there- activities, places to visit, excursions, foods to try
Before you Leave
Visa or No Visa?
So, as a South African traveler, I am always concerned about what visa’s I need. I’ve added a map below and a link to show which countries need visas.
For South Africans, in short, you need a visa. However, citizens of South Africa visiting Mexico for tourism/ business do not require a visa as long as they hold a valid United States visa, or have permanent resident status in Canada, Japan, United Kingdom, or Schengen countries.
Wikipedia has a long list of countries and their visa requirements for South Africans. You can check it out by clicking here.
For more interest, The Sunday Times/ Times Live has a great article on countries South Africans can visit WITHOUT a visa and a list of countries that you can get a Visa for upon arrival. Read the article here.
Need a Map?
If using Google Maps you can actually use download maps of certain areas to use offline! Super great! Learn how here. I would also get a map from a café or tourist centre once you are in town.
Translators
So obviously if you already know Spanish you will be A-OK! However, for all of us out there who are still learning or don’t speak Spanish, I would suggest getting a translation app that can work offline.
Just like Maps, Google translate allows you to download different languages to use offline. So that’s what I did. I also printed out a few phrases to keep in my wallet in case of emergencies. I tried to practice my Spanish though as much as I could and most people are really helpful and can understand basic English if they aren’t fully fluent already.
Travel Insurance
For South Africans- most South African banks will give you travel insurance automatically when you book your flights but just double check what it includes and you may want to buy a top up or change and add territories if you are going to multiple countries on the way to Mexico.
You can also look at World Nomads for travel insurance options. I know a lot of my American friends don’t bother about travel insurance but I find it super important to have incase you miss your flight, a flight is cancelled, your luggage gets lost, your stuff gets stolen or you get injured! Hopefully, none of this bad stuff ever happens….but just in case…insurance does not cost much and could save you a lot at the end of the day!
Don’t forget to pack…
SWIMSUIT for sure! Puerto Morelos has some of the most beautiful beaches and if you definitely should go out to the reefs. I always carry a travel size, microfibre, quick drying towel. Sunblock- environmentally friendly one of course. Don’t forget your camera and camera accessories as you will be wanting to snap away at the beautiful scenery. Passport, money (if you plan to use your bank card, don’t forget to let your bank know you are traveling!), hiking shoes, flip flops and a wide-brimmed hat because the sun is potent. You don’t need to pack a lot; Puerto Morelos is a super chilled spot!
Getting There:
Flights
There are no direct flights to Puerto Morelos but you can fly to Canún International which is only a 20-minute drive away.
I must say I am quite impressed with the local airlines and their prices are competitive. Personally, I used Interjet for this trip. I found the flight spacious and comfortable, the attendants were friendly and I enjoyed the complimentary snacks and beverages they offered. A bunch of local American airlines fly into Mexico too. I used United on my return which felt cramped, inhospitable, was delayed by 30minutes and had more issues upon landing. I would take Interjet again over United.
My friend used AeroMexico to return to Puerto Morelos and raved about how great they were. She was travelling with a broken foot and they went out of their way to make sure she was comfortable.
Another, alternative, local airline to look at is Volaris.
For my South African friends out there: there are no direct flights from South Africa to Mexico sadly. However, there are flights with only one stop from Johannesburg to Mexico City (MEX) and Cancun (CUN). There are also flights with two stops to Guadalajara (GDL), Monterrey (MTY) and Tijuana (TIJ).
Land Transport From Cancún International to Puerto Morelos
From the airport, you can either get a bus, shuttle or taxi. Obviously, if you are staying in an all-inclusive hotel, shuttles may be provided for you.
As I arrived close to midnight, I didn’t want to chance to miss the Ado bus so I booked a shuttle with Mozio. They waited for me with my name and took me straight to my accommodation. Do watch out, as the website asks if you want to tip beforehand, which I did. My shuttle driver then ask for more tips claiming the company doesn’t tip them. This didn’t happen to my friend, so just be aware. Overall I found their service very good and even got refunded when I cancelled my return trip because I had to go home early so I ended up taking the Ado bus as an experiment instead. It only cost ± $5 USD ($110 MXD/pesos) It was a super easy ride and I recommend trying it! Happy Shuttle is another service you can look at.
Hiring a car is super cheap and you can do this beforehand on pretty much any car rental companies site. If you want to do comparisons use Kayak or Orbitz. However, if you don’t feel comfortable driving in a foreign country there are many other ways to get around and it is perfectly safe.
When you are in Puerto Morelos, it is SUPER EASY to get around. Apart from walking everywhere or riding if you get a bike, you can:
Take a taxi. call: 871 0090 (from a local phone, otherwise use +59 for the international code). From Puerto Morelos to Villas Morelos 1 / La Colonia areas it is $25 MXD/pesos. You are looking at between $25 -$50 MXD/pesos using a taxi around Puerto Morelos, depending on the area you are staying in. Most taxi drivers have a card and offer trips to many tourist locations such as the cenotes and ancient ruins.The local Collectivo (±$8 MXD/pesos). The Collectivo’s are vans that you can wave down and hop into. You have to be patient and figure out (by asking locals or observing) where the common pick up spots are. I was nervous at first but these taxi’s are so easy to use. Try it!Bus- the buses run from two stations and are super convenient. If you are wanting to do a day trip to Cancun or Playa del Carmen then I would suggest the bus. You can also take the bus to Merida and Vallodalid for a really good price (but I would recommend spending a night or two at these cities since they are while away.)
Accommodation
I am so grateful to have had stayed at my friend’s house in the more local part of Puerto Morelos, the hospitality I received from her and others living there is inspiring. There are, however, many places to stay which include Bnb’s, all-inclusive hotels and house rentals.
In this first screenshot below you can see there are many places to stay along the coast. Obviously, there are a lot more places inland too but this was just a quick Google search. Normally I use either Booking.com or AirBnb to find some cool spots. Lonely Planet also lists some good hotels with reviews at this link.
I thought, in order for you to understand the layout a bit better, I have attached a second screenshot of the area. The purple circles represent the areas known as Villa Morelos 1 (or La Colonia) and Villa Morelos 2. They are the areas where more of the locals will live and are the older sections of Puerto Morelos. The pink/ salmon circle represents what everyone refers to as ‘Puerto Morelos’. Like I mentioned above, if you stay in Villa Morelos 1, a taxi to Puerto Morelos will cost 25 pesos, the Collectivo will cost only 8. At the beach side of Puerto Morelos, you will find many shops to buy souvenirs and a variety of restaurants.
The areas may look far apart but I assure you, they are not.
What to do in Puerto Morelos?
I love to walk around and explore areas and Puerto Morelos is GREAT for that. Just meander through the different streets and find local supermarkets, flea markets and food stalls. There are plenty of shops and restaurants to see by the beach.
Obviously hanging out on the beach is a must! It’s a lovely wide beachfront with white sand and crystal blue water. On my trip, they were having a problem with 'sargassum' but there were people on the beach consistently trying to sort it out.
There are plenty of fishing boats and snorkeling/ scuba companies that you can sign up within the town that will take you out to the reefs.
I would suggest visiting La Quinta Orquidea, on Niños Heroes. It is an amazing strange structure with intricate carvings and they serve rolled ice cream from 4:30 pm.
La Sirena is a lovely restaurant with a great rooftop bar overlooking the ocean. They make fantastic margaritas. Just up the road from it, you can’t miss it, is a local fish shop where they sell freshly caught fish, if you are looking to cook for yourself.
El Nicho is also a lovely spot to grab some food.
I bought a lot of lovely gifts from Alba at her store Amarte. Local artwork and she took the time to explain a lot of the history to me. I also bought some cool gifts from a man called Salvador at a shop on the corner of Rafael E. Melgar and Av. Tulum. There is also a flea market/ Artisanal Handcraft Market down Av Javier Rojo Gomez, just past the street Isla Mujeres. There is another ‘flea market' before it but it doesn’t sell much and the prices are high.
A refreshing place for coffee, fresh juice, trinkets and possibly a message is also Aarom/ Finders Keepers.
Excursions
If you want to do your own excursions you can use the Ado buses to get to Cancun, Playa del Carmen and other areas. Even to Merida and Valladolid. Many of the local taxi drivers will also offer to take you to many major Mayan sites or along the cenote trail. The cenotes are a must!
I highly recommend Alltournative. I took their Tulum, Coba, Mayan Village and Cenote tour. It was fantastic! Small groups with a knowledgeable, friendly guide, water included, delicious food and enough time to see everything. I booked with them before I left and they were easy to contact and verify pick up spots and information before and during my trip.
I also went on a tour to Chichen Itza with Manolo Tours and hated every second. I signed up with a local tour company in Puerto Morelos, (website can be found next to the Oxxo by the Church in town. Also known as Paradise tours, their website has a different name.). I paid for the Chichen Itza tour, which, apparently, turned out I paid for the basic tour and not the all-inclusive. They gave me a brochure for Experiences Xcaret Tours, told me I would have 3 hours at Chichen Itza and time to explore Valladolid. This was not the case, as I found out when I arrived to get my ticket, the tour was with Manolo, it was not all inclusive and we would only spend an hour and a half at Chichen Itza. The man who picked me up from Puerto Morelos was late, spoke about his jail time in the USA and strippers all the way to Cancún, which I didn’t know we had to go to either. In Cancún, I had to go get my ticket in a shopping mall and without much help or assistance, found my way onto one of the buses. They pack the buses full of people and make you pay for EVERYTHING. Everything felt like they were just trying to sell you things and rip you off. “Authentic artwork” and an “authentic village” where the Shamans have tip jars. The whole tour was rushed and poorly managed. The tour guide was insulting, at one point telling the passages how the English speakers on the tour are bad people for not learning an entirely new language before traveling! When we arrived in Valladolid we only had 15 MINUTES to “explore”. What can you see in 15 MINUTES!!? Maybe it wouldn’t have been so bad if I knew from the get-go what to expect but then I would not have paid to go with them and would have rather paid more for a better experience with Alltournative.
However, there are many tour companies, all with different offers and you can use Viator if you so choose. Most place will advertise pick up from Cancún but they can also pick up in Puerto Morelos. Just email them and make sure.
More things to see: Cozumel, Ek’ Balam, Isla Mujeres, Playa del Carmen and if you can squeeze one in, a Cirque du Soleil show.
Spas
Los Colibries Mayan Jungle Spa is a phenomenal jungle spa and offers a taxi service (at an additional price) from wherever you need a lift in Puerto Morelos. There is another Jungle Spa closer to Puerto Morelos (and you can see it in the maps above) but I highly recommend Los Colibries Mayan Jungle Spa. It’s along the Cenote trail about 20 minutes from Puerto Morelos.
There are also plenty of spas along the beachfront or within hotels. You can either Google them beforehand or stumble upon them on your meandering.
There is also a beach massage area just a bit North of the old lighthouse on the Puerto Morelos beach.
Foods to try:
New to Mexican foods? I would suggest trying:
Chilies stuffed with meat and cheese (aka jalapeno poppers) Tomales Tacos (with pastor) Fried chicken Huaraches Pambazos Gorditas Quesadillas Panuchos Salbutes Empanadas Sopes
Here are some photos from the trip. I was testing out a new camera, which turned out to be very disappointing and had technical problems. When I returned from the trip I returned the camera. It was disappointing to know my photos would never be the quality I hoped but I am grateful I was still able to take photos and have these memories forever.
Comments