Hola!! We just arrived back in Puerto Morelos after a summer of travel in Europe. As usual, we’ve noticed lots of changes in your town, including new restaurants and new locations of old favourites. (Click on any photo for a bigger/better view)
Let’s start at the town dock. A pair of hurricanes in 2020 seriously twisted it, giving it a Dali-esque look and making the end of the dock unusable.
The tortured dock in 2022
Now, it’s finally being rebuilt. The new dock will be a little longer than the old one. The dock is closed during reconstruction, making loading boats much more difficult, but fishing, snorkelling and dive trips still go on. Progress appears to be slow, but the folks working the dock area say it will be open next month, just in time for high season.
The exchange place at the beach side Chedraui has closed. It’s being replaced with a Michoacán ice cream parlour, so it’s not all bad news. The exchange on the square below La Sirena remains open. If you are exchanging a large amount of money, you will likely get a better rate at CI Banco at the highway Chedraui, but for small amounts this exchange is fine.
Still with money matters, the beach side Chedraui now has 5 ATMs. Citibank, Scotiabank, HSBC, BBVA and Santander. Check with your home bank if they have an arrangement with Mexican banks so that you can withdraw your pesos for free. (For example, the Mexican Scotiabank ATM waives fees for Scotiabank Canada customers)
We have just updated our In Puerto Morelos Restaurant Guide and the downloadable list. As usual, there are sooooo many new restaurants and changes to tell you about. We will start with changes to restaurants you may already know.
Spaghettino (owned by the same family that owns Al Chimichurri) has doubled in size and completed a lovely renovation to its space. In addition to expanding their outside space, they have also added a comfortable air-conditioned dining room. The family has also opened a second Al Chimichurri location in Cancun. And a little aside, co-owner Florencia has just become a sommelier, so we look forward to a new and interesting wine list.
The owner of Taninos has moved an artisanalice cream shop called Bendito Pecado to the beach side of town. The cute little parlour is located on Rojo Gomez, a kitty-corner from Playa Sol, making it the closest restaurant to our Casa de los Viajeros. Very dangerous to our waistlines! (The shop was in the Colonia before)
Yum Yum Wok has a new location. It’s easy to find though, it is right next door to their old location!
One of our favourite cafes has expanded. Lola y Moya is now open for dinner. You can still go there for breakfast and lunch, but now you can stay for dinner and happy hour!
If you are looking for Osteria Barocca, in the Areia Hotel (formerly We Hotel), they have made some major changes. They moved from the ground floor to the rooftop and have a new name. Portside Puerto Morelos, now open from 3:00 pm to 10:00 pm, offers some of the best views to dine by in our town. They are a bit of a hidden gem, you need to go into the hotel and take the elevator to the rooftop to find them, but once you get there, you will find a great place to watch the sunset over the mangrove and sweeping ocean views.
Restaurant Sabrina which was on the main floor of the hotel has closed.
These are just a few of the many changes. The best way to experience them is to stay with us. Right now, we are offering a Holiday Special at Casa de los Viajeros, January rates for the Christmas and New Year weeks. Contact us today for details. We have one—or two-bedroom apartments available just steps from the beach and close to downtown.
We have a lot more to tell you about, so keep an eye on your inbox for more information about Puerto Morelos coming soon. Don’t forget to share this email with your friends.
There is a new food truck village in town! More details to follow…
Summer is over and it is time for us to get back to work. You may wonder why you haven’t heard from us in a while. We have been travelling the world (quite literally) for the last few months. But we are back in our favourite place and looking forward to updating you on the MANY changes that have taken place in our little town. And there have been quite a few, we are still discovering all of them ourselves.
So until we can do some more investigating, here are a few pictures that we have just taken in Puerto Morelos.
The beach is beautiful right now thanks to a little storm cleaning by Mother Nature.
Spoiler alert… They are doing some much-needed work on the dock.
A reminder, we have some vacation apartment openings at Casa de los Viajeros for the upcoming season, especially over Christmas and the New Year. If you would like to stay with us, you can find out more here. We have a great location, just steps from the best beach in Puerto Morelos and a 10-minute easy walk to the town square. It would be nice to have you as our guest!
It’s not too late to come to Puerto Morelos this winter. This is very unusual, but we have some dates open in March at Casa de los Viajeros. We have the following dates open for this high season.
This apartment is HUGE with an extra large terrace on the main floor, with very few steps. It is perfect for a family or two couples. It is open from March 17, 2024 onward.
This private apartment is located on the second floor. It has a lovely balcony with a good breeze and a nice hammock. It is perfect for 1 couple or 1 couple with children or teens. It is available from Feb 28 to the morning of March 9 and March 19 to the morning of March 27th. Then it is open from April 3 onwards.
This is the most economical of our 3 apartments. It is perfect for 1 couple. It has a king-sized bed which can be made into 2 twin beds. It is open from March 8 to the morning of March 23rd. And March 31 onwards.
Casa de los Viajeros has a great location! It is just steps (less than a 3-minute walk) from the best part of the beach in Puerto Morelos. We are about a 10-minute walk from the main town square and a 12-minute easy walk from the Chedraui Selecto grocery store.
Welcome to Part 3 of our end-of-2023 Town Update. We had so much to cover, that we broke it up into three issues. Did you miss Parts one and two? You can find them here and here.
In this issue, we will focus on Restaurant News. As we told you in Part One, a lot of restaurants moved around over the summer, but some new ones have sprung up too. For hours, menus, websites, locations, phone numbers, etc. check our Puerto Morelos restaurant guide. We keep track of all the changes so you don’t have to!
Photo collage by Contenedor
Contenedor Restaurante opened on the square in July. It is in the former “Namaste” space on the square (beside La Sirena). They say they are a “seafood fusion” restaurant. Contenedor Restaurante has seafood entrees as well as tostadas, tacos, salads and some pretty tasty-looking drinks. They are open every day except Tuesday from noon to 10:00 PM. (Namaste still has its location in the Colonia.)
Photo of Marco Aurelio Gomez in “Maria Bonita” restaurant by Marco of I Wanna Pizza.
Maira Bonita restaurant opened recently in a new building on Niños Héroes. When you walk in, we’re pretty sure that your first impression will be, “This place is adorable!” They are a cafe, but also serve dinner. They have a very wide and very different menu. For breakfast, they have choices like omelettes and chilaquiles. Dinner includes pasta, meats, and seafood. They are open all day. Early reviews are very good, including by the stunning chef in the photo above.
Photos by Muses
Muses is a new Greek restaurant with a familiar face. Sakis Gennatos, formerly of La Sirena and Lauro’s has struck out on his own making his native Greek cuisine on the beach at Diving Lodge. They are open in the evenings from 6:00 to 11:00 and have a full Greek menu with lots of appetizers, souvlaki, lamb, Greek salad and of course, homemade Baklava. Lots more on the menu including vegetarian choices.
Photo by El Che Carlito
El Che Carlito has opened on Rojo Gomez, right around the corner from Blue Morelos in a space formerly occupied by Doragon Restaurante Japonés which closed. The restaurant is named in memory of a renowned local chef. It is helmed by Chef Pablo, formerly of Los Gauchos. They serve pizza, empanadas, sandwiches and salads. They are open late afternoons until 10:30 PM every day except Tuesday.
Photo by Perla Negra
Perla Negra is another small place on Niños Héroes. They are “mar y tierra”, so surf and turf. Meat and seafood. Drinks & desserts too. They are open every day, from noon until 11:00 PM.
La Margalante opened on the north end of Rojo Gomez in August. They are in the old “My Little Italy” (which has closed) space. In that spirit, they have Italian on the menu, including pizza, but they also have Mexican food, steaks and seafood. They are open daily from 3:00 in the afternoon until midnight.
Oops Que Chido is now Prats.
Not new, but the restaurant “Oops, Que Chido” has changed its name to Prats Restaurant. The menu looks similar to what they were offering before, steaks, salads, soup, and pasta. They are located next to El Campanario.
El Timon de Shark is easy to find on Avenue Timon
This is El Timon de Shark, a good-looking seafood place in the Colonia. Its menu is all about seafood…shrimp, fish and ceviche. Easy to find, just south of the Circle K store on Timon.
Wings Factory became Wings FC. Did anyone notice?
Wings Factory in the Colonia Chedraui parking lot changed its name to Wings FC, but as far as we can see it’s the same restaurant. We’re talking beer, we’re talking wings, we’re talking fries and burgers. By the way, FC stands for “Fire Club”, so I’m assuming that some of those wings pack a punch! It’s open from 3:00 PM to 10:45 PM daily. (I guess the staff wants to be OUT by 11:00!)
Poutine! Photo by PitStop
The PitStop is a new place in the Colonia on the north end of Zetina Gasca, across from the football field. Their specialty is sliders, which they sell in groups of three. They also have fries, chilli cheese dogs and that all-time favourite northern indulgence, poutine. They are open 8:00 am to 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm Wednesday to Monday.
And in some non-restaurant news… There’s a new attraction in Cancun that we definitely will be skipping. Diversiones Polo Norte in Plaza La Isla 2 offers a chance to experience 15 minutes of winter. Not a thrill for us, as we already experienced our 15 minutes of snow and ice about a billion times over, but it might be an adventure for tropical folks who have never had the pleasure of getting their tongue stuck to a lampost. Plus, think of the selfie opportunities! The temperature is kept at a brisk -24C (-11F). If we ever really miss the cold (has not happened so far) we can always spend a few minutes in the fruit and vegetable room at Costco. We nicknamed that room “Canada”. The North Pole at the mall will cost you 200 pesos for that 15 minutes of chill, which includes the loan of a jacket and gloves. “Canada” in Costco is free with the purchase of a membership. (but will likely cost you much more by the time you get out!)
That wraps up our news for 2023. We hope that you have a wonderful 2024 and that we see you soon at Casa de los Viajeros in Puerto Morelos. We still have some March 2024 dates available.
This edition, we’ll focus on a few major projects that I didn’t think I’d live long enough to see. They are premiering this month. The Tulum Airport and the Mayan Train. (and there are a couple of more things too)
For at least 25 years, realtors and travel agents have talked about an international airport in Tulum “coming soon”. This month their dream finally comes true as our state, Quintana Roo gets its fourth international airport. (Cancun, Cozumel, & Chetumal are the others) The new airport, officially called “Aeropuerto Internacional Felipe Carrillo Puerto” will be known as Tulum Airport. (IATA: TQO, ICAO: MMTL) It is about 20 km south of Tulum, hence the Felipe Carrillo Puerto name. Google puts the drive to the Tulum hotel zone at about 50 minutes. The taxi fares look quite high, but ADO will service the airport, so you will have that option too. To give you an idea of how far it is, from Casa de los Viajeros to the Tulum airport would be about a 2-hour drive by car.
Tulum Airport is pretty, but very much still under construction. (Photo courtesy of Yucatan Magazine)
The airport is constructed and operated by the Mexican army, which is part of the broader strategy of our President’s administration to engage the armed forces in significant infrastructure projects. This trend of militarization extends to other projects, including the takeover of multiple airports, the Tren Maya, and the revival of Mexicana Airlines.
Several airlines have already made plans to fly directly into Tulum Airport, including Air Canada, Aeroméxico, Mexicana, American Airlines, Delta, Spirit and JetBlue. Viva Aerobus is already landing there now. The airport also hosts an Executive Aviation Terminal, (read: private jets) equipped with presumably swanky lounges. There are also plans to build an Air Force base within the airport grounds. The airport is open right now, but only for domestic flights so far. Construction continues on the airport and a station for the train.
The Tren Maya is an enormous project, connecting 5 states in Mexico.
The Tren Maya is another giant project that is just getting started. To say this endeavour is “controversial” would be an enormous understatement. Serious concerns have been raised about the environmental impact of the project, its effect on archeological sites, its general safety, the rapid speed of the construction, its soaring cost, and its impact on the people of the peninsula. There were also numerous changes in the plan. Routes were moved around and added seemingly at a whim and even the type of train planned changed several times from hydrogen-powered to electric to diesel.
Mexico’s President and unabashed train admirer, López Obrador…AKA AMLO.
Our President, López Obrador was unphased and the train project rolled on. Only part of the line is completed so far, but it did have its inaugural run on December 15 from Cancun to Campeche. The train is supposed to be completed early next year and will include stops as far away as Palenque. 1,500 kilometres of track will connect the states of Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán and Quintana Roo. It will carry passengers but also will haul freight.
When completed, this is what the Tren Maya route will look like. Each station has a name and a pictogram. Ours is a leaning lighthouse. (Click the photo for a larger view)
Puerto Morelos is part of the route. The station is still under construction about 5 kilometres from the Colonia on the Ruta de Cenotes road. The train will also have a station at the Cancun Airport (you will need to take a free shuttle from the terminals to the train station), so in theory, you will be able to take the train to town after landing in Cancun. Schedules are still being worked out, but chances are the train probably won’t be frequent enough for you, (it runs about every 2 hours) and you will still have to get transport from the Puerto Morelos station to your accommodation.
Tren Maya dining car
The train could be used to effortlessly extend your vacation though. Cities like Valladolid, Merida, Campeche and Chetumal are well worth exploring, and the Palenque ruin site is nothing short of spectacular. Fares are still being worked out, but look to be similar to first-class bus fares. You can ride the rails in “premier” class (you get a meal and a bigger seat) or tourist class. Locals with proof of residency in one of the states will pay less than tourists.
Another major project is underway in Cancun. It probably won’t change your life much, but it’s huge for folks who live and work in the hotel zone. It’s a bridge across the Nichupté lagoon which will save drivers lots of time. Right now, there is only one road that meanders through the entire hotel zone. The bridge will allow folks to shortcut and avoid the most congested areas.
The bridge will avoid the most congested area around the top of the “7”.
The project will require a bridge almost 9 kilometres (5.6 miles) long. The bridge will be three lanes, with one lane reversing depending on which direction has the most traffic demand. They are working on the bridge 24/7 to try to get it done in 2024.
We took this photo of the bridge construction site from our plane in late November. You can see the footings across the bottom of the picture. (Click the photo for a larger view)
Apparently, there are traffic delays in the Cancun Hotel Zone due to the construction of this bridge. To be honest, we rarely venture into the Hotel Zone. It feels like a foreign country to us. We do go to Cancun at least every month, but that trip is all about Home Depot, Costco, paying some bills and maybe catching a movie.
The good news about construction in Cancun is that the highway construction that had made airport trips a nightmare last season is mostly done. We now have a pretty good, six-lane concrete highway in and out of Cancun. Trips to the airport are no longer a major chore, as long as there is not an accident on the highway. A new bridge is under construction at Kabah/Bonampak, but it is not causing any serious delays.
Go Mall is still under construction down the road from Puerto Morelos.
If you have visited our area in the last few years, you might know that a new major mall is opening close to the airport on the road to Puerto Morelos. It’s called “Grand Outlet” or GO for short. It’s sometimes listed as being in Puerto Morelos, and I guess it is in our “county”, but it is much closer to the airport than it is to us. The mall is located across from Moon Palace, about 20 kilometres north of PM.
The mall is open, but still very much under construction. PM’ers were hoping it would have movie theatres, and they were in the original plans, but they didn’t get built. Instead, there are go-carts, laser tag and (gasp) a real Olympic-sized ice rink. (Apparently, an amateur Puerto Morelos hockey league is already being formed.) Stores will include designers like Dolce & Gabbana, Armani, Hugo Boss, Carolina Herrera, BCBGMaxazria, Lacoste, Adidas, and many others. During the second development phase, the complex will also feature a 7,500-seat auditorium, an aquarium, and even a small lake. When finally completed, it will be the biggest mall in Cancun and perhaps, Latin America.
The local pelicans are unphased by the damaged dock.
One last piece of infrastructure to mention, and that is our tortured town dock. It was turned into a Salvador Dali art piece in 2020 after two hurricanes, Delta and Gamma gave it a twist. (Read our front-line report on Hurricane Delta here) A few months ago new funding was offered to repair the dock. Hooray! So far our dock remains unchanged and unfixed. Hopefully, the funding will be put to use in 2024.
We hope you enjoyed our look at the big projects in our Town Update Part Two. In the next part, we will focus more on changes within our town.
Happy 2024 to everyone and we hope that we will see you at Casa de los Viajeros next year!
Hola from Puerto Morelos! It’s been a while since you’ve heard from us, but we have an excellent reason we haven’t been reporting from your favourite town. We have not been here! We’ve been gallivanting around the world! We do love our town though, and we’re very happy to be back.
Rob & Joanne in Toruń, Poland!
Lots of changes to report on as usual, but happily the town remains as laid-back and charming as ever.
The biggest news by far is the relocation of some of your favourite restaurants and the iconic bookstore on the square in Puerto Morelos. It’s a complex situation, but the big building that housed Cafe de Amancia, El Nicho, Dona Triny’s, some small gift shops and Alma Libre Bookstore is going to be used for different purposes. Making the situation more complex, the building is owned by two separate owners, and the building is not easily divided in half. Long story short, the businesses had to find new homes.
Photo courtesy El Nicho
Luckily, most places have found new homes very close to the square. El Nicho was the first to leap to a new location, they started moving in the summer of 2022. Now they are very much at home in their new and larger location on Rojo Gomez. They never missed a beat, and remain very popular for breakfast & brunch. Their new location even has a kid’s area and a Mimosa lounge.
The new Alma Libre Bookstore
Alma Libre Bookstore also found a nearby, bigger and better home. They are on Rojo Gomez, steps from their old location just south of the OXXO. Their new space is marvellous and enormous. The shelves are meandering and full of books and other treasures. It’s never looked better in its storied 26-year history. You can find the new location here.
Café de Amancia’s new location
Café de Amancia, unfortunately, lost its perch on the corner of the square but is now just down the street in a lovely new location on Rojo Gomez, just north of Al Chimichurri.
Dona Triny also found a new home on Rojo Gomez, north of the square, directly across from Don Mexkal.
Rincon Criollo which had moved into El Nicho’s former space on the square did not find a new home and has closed.
Also, there have been some changes at Osteria Barocca in the WE hotel. It’s still there, but owner Deigo and the crew moved on up to the roof, which has an amazing view! It’s THE best place in town to see the sunset with a 360-degree view. Deigo tells us that they will be relaunching with a new name and menu soon. We will keep you posted. On the main floor of WE, you will now see a separate new restaurant called Sabrina, which also has a location in Playa del Carmen. Their menu is traditional Italian.
Photo courtesy Lauro’s
The other move by a restaurant/bar is Lauro’s. It has moved north from its previous location and is now next to the newly remodelled I Wanna Pizza.Lauro’s has a bigger and better space, making it one of the best places to hear live music in Puerto Morelos.
There are many more restaurant changes. We try to keep up with them as much as possible and we are constantly updating our Puerto Morelos Restaurant Guide which you can find here.
Those are just a few of the changes for now. We have so much more to tell you… watch for Part 2, coming soon. But for now, it is the holiday season and there is lots of work to be done here at Casa de los Viajeros.
We hope that you have a wonderful holiday season and we wish you all the best in New Year!
I guess winter is moving into your favourite Mexican town! We had a fair amount of rain last week, but this week is looking absolutely perfect. Speaking of perfect, how about our beach? Sun, surf and sand. The only thing missing is you!
Here’s a video we shot for you this morning so you can have a quick visit…
For those who can’t be here for the holidays (and know you should be), we thought we would share a few photos of the Christmas lights that the city has put up around our little town. Relax and enjoy…
The Christmas tree on the Malecon, beach side.
The Christmas tree in the town square in La Colonia.
Please note that all rates quoted on our list are in Mexican Pesos and are based on departing from the town square on the port side of Puerto Morelos. Rates from other locations are available when in the attached pdfs.
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It is not necessary to tip your driver, but we always do if we get good service and a nice, safe ride, and a clean cab.
Here are the cash exchange rates for December 1, 2023, at CI Banco on the highway in Puerto Morelos.
I post these rates occasionally so you can compare them with what your local bank or the ATM here may offer. These rates available in town will differ from those you see if you just google “exchange rates”, as that is the bank-to-bank rate, not available to us as mere mortals exchanging small sums of cash.
To see where the rates have been in the last couple of years, search “exchange rates” on our page at InPuertoMorelos.com
Cash Exchange Rates Dec 1, 2023
Buy
Sell
US Dollar $
16.60
17.20
Canadian Dollar $
12.00
13.10
Euro €
18.00
19.20
Pound Sterling £
21.00
22.10
Notably, through CIBC Bank in Canada, I can order 10,000 pesos today for $834.80 CAD. I could get the same number of pesos here at CI Banco for $833 CAD in cash. Virtually the same cost, and as an added bonus, I know the bills you receive at the bank will be pristine and can be ordered in smaller denominations making them easier to use. Bank of America would charge me $611.00 USD today for 10,000 pesos. Those same pesos would cost $602.41 in cash from CI Banco.
Decline the ATM rate and Save Money! Using the ATM is an easier option. You will likely get charged a fee by the Mexican bank as well as your home bank. We always advise folks who use the ATM here to get their pesos, to DECLINE the machine’s exchange rate. It is very much in the ATM’s favour, not yours.
