Iris is back! You may remember her from last year as our Casa de los Viajeros guest that shot the wonderful bird photos in our garden that you can see here.

This year Iris got a new underwater camera and she has been nice enough to share more of her beautiful photos with us. She also identified all the fish for us! These pictures were taken this winter at our reef and at the small cenote which is located just offshore in front of Ojo de Agua. Iris took them while snorkelling. It is amazing what you can see just from the surface of the water.

To see the images larger, just click on them!

Sit back, relax, and enjoy this undersea adventure, thanks to Iris.

We want to thank Iris again for her amazing photos and this moment of relaxation. If you would like the chance to take some photos of your own, come stay with us at Casa de los Viajeros in Puerto Morelos.

Important Subscriber Notice!

Starting NOW we will no longer be using this mail service. We are switching to a new mail host. We have added your name to our mailing list, but you must confirm your subscription. You should have received an email that looks like this: 

You must click on “Subscribe me to Beach Reads” to continue receiving our newsletter. If you did not receive this email you can sign up again here. 

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If you are having problems with your subscription, please email us at info@inpuertomorelos.com

For the last 20 years we have been writing the Beach Reads Blog. At first, it was just “Beach Reads” but after we sold Alma Libre Bookstore and started the website www.InPuertoMorelos.com, it became the Beach Reads Blog by InPuertoMorelos.com. There was no such thing as a “blog” 20 years ago.

You can find the new Alma Libre Bookstore website here.

If you want to take a trip down memory lane, you can still read our original “newsletters” (as they were called in those days) here. Including our very first one from 2003 which talks about our drive from Canada to Puerto Morelos.

We hope that you continue to enjoy our website and blog. Thank you for subscribing to Beach Reads InPuertoMorelos.com.

“At Mightnight” the film that was shot right here in Puerto Morelos has been released.

Our little town even made the credits!

Read all about the filming here!

For information on where to see it, click here.

Important Subscriber Notice!

We are switching to a new mail host. If you are currently a Beach Reads Newsletter subscriber we have added your name to our mailing list, but you must confirm your subscription. You should have received an email that looks like this: 

You must click on “Subscribe me to Beach Reads” to continue receiving our newsletter. If you did not receive this email you can sign up again here. 

Thank you for subscribing to Beach Reads InPuertoMorelos.com.

Puerto Morelos loves a good party, and everyone loves a parade, so Carnaval is our kind of thing! (Click any photo for a full-screen view)

Carnaval in Puerto Morelos has come a long way since we first arrived 20 years ago. At that time Carnaval was so small that they would run the parade once and then run all the floats past us again with all new revellers on board… then they would switch riders and do it again! There were more people in the parade than watching.

This year, Carnaval started last week in Puerto Morelos. Normally Carnaval celebrations around the world occur just before the liturgical season of Lent. Since our town is rather small, we can’t attract the big bands and midway attractions during the official dates, (they play the big cities at that time) so we always celebrate Carnaval a little early or a little late. This year we are early.

Celebrations have been lower-key in the past few years due to pandemic restrictions, but this year’s celebrations have been big.

The town erected a giant stage at the rodeo grounds in the Colonia and lots of midway attractions and food stands have moved in. The music plays until the wee hours.

On Superbowl Sunday, the town staged the Carnaval parade. We were tied up with Superbowl preps, but Casa de los Viajeros guest June from Minnesota took in the festivities and loaned us these great pictures.

Carnaval wraps up soon in Puerto Morelos, but celebrations will begin shortly in Cancun and Playa del Carmen. Cozumel has a particularly big celebration, as does Merida. If you play your cards right, you could hit several celebrations in one season!

And again a special thanks to June for taking all these great photos! Plan to be here next year!

Since 2016, Puerto Morelos has held a mass wedding for the residents of our town on Valentine’s Day and this year is no exception. The collective ceremony will be held on Tuesday, February 14th at 4:30 pm, in the municipal DIF facilities, on the beach side of Puerto Morelos. The event will follow all health protocols and health safety measures will be strictly followed.

The ceremony is free and intended for Mexican citizens. It’s always fun to see.

Here is our post from the first event from Salsa and Sun in 2016:

Puerto Morelos celebrated its first Valentine’s Day as its own municipality with a valentine for the residents. On February 14th, 2016 the town married 30 couples on the Malecon in front of the town square. Hundreds of people turned out to take part in the celebration.

Advertised ahead of time, the ceremony was for Mexican citizens and allowed both opposite or same-sex couples. Participants were asked to gather all of their official documents, register and get their blood work done ahead of time. The fee for the wedding for $250 pesos ($13.21USD/$18.30CAD), which was great value.

The price included the brides having their makeup done and a bouquet of flowers. Plus, there was a big cake and snacks afterward. A real celebration. The couples ranged in age from very young to “more experienced”.

It was a beautiful sight and we hope that this will become an annual event.

Are you still looking for a Valentine’s gift for your sweetie? Take them to Casa de los Viajeros in Puerto Morelos. We are now taking bookings for 2023!

Things just got a little more inconvenient for smokers.

Effective immediately, Puerto Morelos along with the entire country of Mexico, has new smoking laws.

Beaches (yes beaches), resorts, restaurants, bars… ALL public spaces are now smoke-free. YES, ALL PUBLIC SPACES.

Basically, the only places you can smoke are in your home (some vacation rentals may allow this) or your yard. And if you are a tourist staying at a resort or hotel, chances are they are smoke-free as well. Hotels will no longer offer smoking rooms and you are not permitted to smoke on your hotel balcony. Also in some cases, you cannot smoke in your own car. For a deep dive into this, read here.

One of the first comments we heard after this law went into effect from tourists was, “Oh, I know Juan, he owns the bar, he will let me smoke there….” No, no he won’t. Juan can’t even smoke at his own bar. And if Juan does let you smoke in his bar, his business can face fines of up to $2000 USD! and temporary or permanent closure.

The fines for individuals caught smoking are really steep as well. They start at around 1000 pesos or $50 USD and could go as high as 1100 pesos or $550 USD!!! and/or up to 36 hours in jail! That is one expensive smoke!

With the new rules, you can smoke on the streets as long as you stay away from other non-smokers and don’t form large groups. This would mean, in Puerto Morelos, you can smoke on the streets, but you cannot smoke on the beach or in the town squares.

Currently, restaurants and bars in our state, along with several other states, are fighting the new laws.

This no-smoking law comes as Mexico tries to get its own population to cut back on smoking. Mexico’s legislation is one of the most stringent anti-smoking laws in the world. The Pan American Health Organization has applauded the Mexican Government for the new laws. The ban also applies to advertising and sponsorships. You will notice that stores can’t even display cigarettes for sale now.

For non-smokers, this all comes as a breath of fresh air.

Frigatebirds over Puerto Morelos, by William Neville.

We are very lucky to have many wonderful guests stay with us at Casa de los Viajeros in Puerto Morelos.

Last season we featured Iris who brought you wonderful photos of the birds of Puerto Morelos.

This season we were lucky enough to have William Neville and Betty Haskin, two wonderful artists from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, stay with us for more than a month. While they were at our casa they were inspired by the surroundings. They were also nice enough to share some of their wonderful work with us.

Please note that these are studies for future paintings. They were done small in size, (about 12×15”) so they could be put in their suitcases for transport home.

From Betty Haskin. You can see more of her work here.

A brightly coloured casa on Niños Heroes by Betty Haskin.

One of the original Mayan huts that are still left in town, by Betty Haskin.

A lovely front gate, by Betty Haskin.

A colourful bungalow, by Betty Haskin.

From William Neville. You can see more of his artwork and woodwork here.

Gardens of Puerto Morelos, by William Neville.

Plants in the garden of Casa de los Viajeros, by William Neville.

The balcony of Suite #1 at Casa de los Viajeros, by William Neville.

We want to thank William Neville and Betty Haskin for sharing their wonderful work with us and if you are interested in purchasing any of these please contact them via their websites.

Betty Haskin at www.bettyhaskinart.com

William Neville at caseworksart.com

As 2022 comes to a close and we welcome the New Year, it’s traditional to have a wee look back at the year that was.

Your favourite beach town fared pretty well in 2022. We got new stamped concrete roads and then closed them to traffic every night. We had a very quiet storm season. Hurricane Ian came by, but he just rolled on by us. Lucky for us, less lucky for our friends in Cuba and Florida. We unplugged the Covid traffic light and the Cancun airport set new records for visitors. The lighthouse continued to lean.

So, let me load up the slide show carousel here, get comfy and let’s look at our favourite photos of 2022. (click any photo for a full-screen view)

Want to see more? Follow this link to see all of our updates from 2022.

Also, we’ve been producing a lot more short videos these days. Check out our new YouTube channel and visit Puerto Morelos anytime you wish!