This morning was one of “those mornings” we live for here in Puerto Morelos. As you can see, the Caribbean Sea is as calm as a lake and the beach is empty, clean and sooo inviting!
Hope you are planning a trip to Puerto Morelos soon! We still have some space available for fall and winter in our suites at Casa de los Viajeros. Come see us!
We received our first 20 peso coin recently in my change at Chedraui. The coins have been in circulation since April.
This one commemorates the centenary of the death of General Emiliano Zapata Salazar, a leading figure in the Mexican Revolution of 1910–1920.
The coin is slightly larger than a 10 peso coin and is a dodecagon, meaning it has 12 sides, rather than being round. It’s heavier than any other Mexican coin and also heavier than any coin I had on hand, here’s a comparison:
There will be more commemorative coins on the way, honouring among others, Mexican writer & poet, Ocatvio Paz and the namesake of our town, José María Morelos. Of course, the familiar blue 20 peso bill featuring Benito Juárez is still being accepted everywhere in Mexico and will be for many, many years.
Things are great in Puerto Morelos, the town square finally opened and we have so many new restaurants to tell you about! We will have all the details soon in a future post.
Go anywhere in Mexico and you are going to see vehicles on the road that you would never see anywhere else. Beyond the generic white vans and little white cars that seem to make up most of the vehicles in our state, you will find the unique, the unusual and the downright weird. I present to you, some of our favourite cars and trucks we’ve spotted. Most of these are from our town, but a few are from other spots in Mexico. Enjoy!
We’re sharing some of our favourite vehicles as an attempt to “drive” you into coming to Puerto Morelos! 🙂 We are now taking vacation reservations for next season. With so many people finally able to travel in 2021, 2022 is looking VERY popular. Contact us today to book your place. We have lots of availability right now if you are missing your favourite beach town.
Don’t forget to subscribe to our website so you never miss a post! Also, follow us on Facebook and Instagram for exclusive pictures of Puerto Morelos. Fresh photos most every day! Hope to see you soon in Puerto Morelos. Check out our extensive website InPuertoMorelos.com for all the info on your favourite town. Hasta Pronto!!
A big HOLA from your favourite town on the Mexican Caribbean, Puerto Morelos! We’ve had a challenging and interesting spring here. Lots of new stuff to tell you about.
We continue to add new restaurants! Spyder Cafe opened on March 2 and staged its grand opening on March 6. It’s a small chain that originated in Spain but is now focusing on Mexico. As we mentioned in our last update, they have an unusual concept. They are a combination cafe, bar, rental outlet for cool electric bikes and tattoo parlour. While it is part of a chain, the location is owned by a long-time Puerto Morelian who grew up here. Spyder Cafe already has a location in Tulum and they are planning locations in Playa del Carmen, Cancun and all over Mexico.
The location in Puerto Morelos has proved to be very popular, especially on weekends when they have live music. Their menu leans heavily on big burgers, but they have other food choices too.
Los Chachalacos finally opened on the last day of March. They specialize in tacos and they know their craft well. Importantly, they make their own tortillas right on site, and they have an Al Pastor going all the time. They are still putting the finishing touches on the place, but their abundant staff is ready to serve you. The tacos are served piping hot and almost instant. They have a full bar including cold beer and margaritas. You will find them in the old Don Pepe’s space (if you go back that far) on Rojo Gomez, between The Godfather Jewelry store and the newly-opened Spyder Cafe.
Not an opening, but a new home for the popular El Campanario. Their new space is on Rojo Gomez, which has become ground zero for Puerto Morelos restaurant options.
El Campanario made the move in record time, closing their old restaurant as usual on a Sunday night and opening the following Wednesday for breakfast in their new location. That’s right, they have breakfast now too starting at 8:00 am!
Good news is that they brought their famously over-worked grilled with them, and of course their famous bell. The new space is working out well for them, though not quite as good for Nacho the saxophone player who now has to compete with a lot of other music on Rojo Gomez. Please remember to tip him just before or after you ring the bell.
I almost missed that El Campanario has also opened a taco and burger place in the Colonia! It’s called El Patio del Campanario and has opened on Avenue Timón, pretty much at the intersection of Av. Timón and Calle Chaca (aka Calle Vallarta) That’s the road that goes into the Zona Urbana. It’s just south of Circle K. They are serving tacos, sopes, quesadillas and burgers. They are quite proud of their sauces. It’s all being run by the same family that brought you El Campanario, so you know it’s got to be good. They are open Tuesday to Sunday, from 5:00 PM until 11:00 PM.
Perennial favourite Tanino’s restaurant, an excellent choice for food, wine, tranquil setting and music has changed their hours a little. They are now open Thursday through Tuesday, so closed Wednesday night instead of Sunday. They have live music every night, including the very popular duo, The Nobodies on Thursday & Sunday evenings.
The big buzz in town in April is a new restaurant in the Colonia. PECAO fonda de maropened April 8, just west of the square in the Colonia. It’s a big, bright and beautiful space, shaded by palms. Seafood is on the menu, including tacos, tostados burritos, fish kibis, fish & chips and more. (We like the sound of the battered shrimp burrito!). They also have vegetarian options.
Owners are Yannick and Gabo, well known in Puerto Morelos. Early reviews of the restaurant are overwhelmingly good. PECAO fonda de mar is open every day from Noon until 7:00 PM.
A couple of new places are almost open. The former site of DK restaurant has undergone extensive renovations and the addition of a new deck. There will also eventually be a deck on the roof. The name of the new place will be “El Refugio” and their motto is “In tacos we trust”. They expect to open within a couple of weeks.
In the highway Chedraui mall, a new wings place has been slowly making progress, we first told you about it in December. It will be called Wings Factory and they will also have burgers and drinks. They say they will be open soon.
Lots of new places have opened or are set to open in the Colonia too. We spotted this new cafe on the south end of Timon. It’s called “Las Palmas”. Update: We think this place may be on “pause”It’s not been open in a while and all their tables and chairs are gone. The counter is still there. We’ll keep an eye on it.
New places are also popping up in the mini-mall at the entrance to town on the beachside of the bridge. One that just opened is Puerto’s Corner. They make burgers and wraps. They are open daily from 2:00 PM. We were a bit early when I took the photo. They are right next to the highly-rated La Peskadilla and the rarely open La Penca, which is only open on Sunday and Monday. As you can see in the photo, a new laundromat also opened there.
Also in that same strip mall, a new laboratory has opened. It’s called Centro Quimico and they have branches in Cancun and Playa del Carmen. https://centroquimico.com.mx/
It looks like the space beside Chedraui on the beach side that used to be Taqueria Los Tocayos will be opening soon as another jewellery store.
Meet Jesús. He’s working on his new restaurant which is opening in about 30 days at the south end of town, near the federal dock at the end of Rojo Gomez. It’s going to have lots of outdoor space, and the restaurant will be called “Su Frida”. It will pay homage to Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. He’s going to have a wide menu including Mexican food as well as favourites like pizza, pasta and steak. He’s going to have a concept that is very popular in other parts of Mexico, where you order a drink and a free snack will appear. We’ll keep an eye on it and let you know when it’s open.
Back on the square in Puerto Morelos, believe it or not, T@cos.com has opened another location. They are in the newly completed space above the high-pressure jewelry store on the northwest corner of the square. That means that we now have three T@cos.com within a few metres of each other on Rojo Gomez. The new space is very big and bright and will have a nice view of the new square when it’s completed.
The new square is coming along. We were all kind of hoping it would be done by Easter, but it was not to be. The part that is done looks very nice. We’re all anxious to get our square back. Click any photo for a full screen view.
The whole town is happy to have our big PM sign back. The sign disappeared during the latter part of hurricane season, we assume out of fear that it would be damaged. It finally reappeared, freshly painted, in mid-March. Here’s a look at the finished product.
Much needed patchwork was recently done on our pathway between the Colonia and the beach, and a completely new, heavy duty sidewalk was finished on the opposite side of the road. The pathway is very popular and important to the town, used daily by tourists, workers commuting to their jobs and exercise buffs trying to work off too many tacos. Some patchwork has been done of the tortured asphalt of Niños Heroes too, but much work remains to be done.
In other local news, the local collectivo raised their rates to 10 pesos from 8.
A new tattoo parlour has also opened in town. This is “Feel Ink Art Tattoo“. They already have a location in Playa del Carmen. They opened at the end of March. The place is on Rafael Melgar, across from Hacienda Morelos Hotel. They are decorating their locale right now with very intricate murals.
Visitors leaving Quintana Roo now have a few things to think about when they leave our state. First, they must figure out how to pack everything into that carry-on bag they brought. Then they have to make sure they have a negative Covid test. The type of test depends on where you are from. Guests from the US only need the quick antigen test, while visitors from Canada and some European countries need the more complex PCR test. Luckily, both tests are widely available in Puerto Morelos, with most visitors electing to go to Ojo de Agua hotel. More info on our InPuertoMorelos.com website.
There’s a new thing to do before you leave now us though. Starting on April 1, our state of Quintana Roo requires all visitors (over age 15) to pay a tourist tax on departure. This is a new tax, so it is not already built into your airline ticket. You must show proof of payment when leaving the state. You can pay at the airport, they apparently have set up special machines to handle the tax, or you can pay online in advance and print off your receipt by going to the government’s Visitax.com website. The tax is amount is 224 pesos per person. (about $11 USD or $14 CAD). There’s very little official information to direct you to. This article is about the best we have seen.
We have not travelled anywhere further away than 30 kilometres in more than 500 days, so a trip to Playa del Carmen is about as big of a thrill as we get. They have spent the last year reconstructing their square and a big piece of 5th Avenue. The square is done and 5th is pretty much completed as well. Here are a couple of pics of the new square.
Covid Update: Not too much new to report Covid-wise here in Puerto Morelos. We were lucky enough to be one of the first towns in our state to have the number one dose of vaccinations for our residents over 60. Us younger folks are waiting for our turn, which is supposed to be later this month or next. We remain under a “yellow light”, which means most things are open, just not as late and with a more limited capacity. You need to purchase food in order to buy a drink. You need a mask to enter any public place or any public transport, and they encourage people to wear them anytime you are outside of your house. The ADO bus is still not stopping in Puerto Morelos. The collectivo is running, both in Puerto Morelos and north and south to Cancun.
Happy to report that live music is back in Puerto Morelos! Some spots like Lauro’s and Tanino’s have had live music for a while now, usually with one or two musicians. Other places like La Sirena and Don Mexkal are just bringing it back now. The new Spyder Cafe has live music on the weekend. We’ve also seen live music at Mem Al Mare, T@cos.com and El Socio Naiz. El Campanario has Nacho playing saxophone every night and sometimes during the day too.
We are now taking vacation reservations for next season With so many people now able to travel in 2021, 2022 is looking VERY popular. Contact us today to book your place. We also have lots of availability right now if you are missing your favourite beach town.
Don’t forget to subscribe to our website so you never miss a post! Also, follow us on Facebook and Instagram for exclusive pictures of Puerto Morelos. Fresh photos most every day! Hope to see you soon in Puerto Morelos! Check out our extensive website InPuertoMorelos.com for all the info on your favourite town. Hasta Pronto!!
Borders and the airports in Mexico never closed and we are seeing a number of visitors in Puerto Morelos. The state uses a “traffic light” system to monitor covid in our area. The lights are red, orange, yellow and green. We are currently under a yellow light which is second only to green. This means that there are some restrictions on us, but not too many.
The beach and all restaurants are open, with some social distance restrictions. Masks are required when entering any business or transport. We’re all pretty used to it by now and we all have a larger collection of masks than we ever thought we would own.
Governments in Canada, the US and other countries are requiring a negative Covid test in order to return home. Luckily, those tests are available in town and even at the airport. Click this link for more info.
The town is pretty quiet for February, which is normally the height of our tourism season. It is definitely quieter than usual here, but in general, Puerto Morelos is a great place to be. We’re even seeing some new businesses opening. Two new restaurants are opening on Rojo Gomez. They are both racing to get ready to open right now.
Spyder Cafe is an unusual concept. It’s a small chain that originated in Spain but is now focusing on expansion in Mexico. They are a combination cafe, bar, rental outlet for electric bikes and tattoo parlour. While it is a chain, the location is owned by a long-time Puerto Morelian who grew up here. Spyder Cafe already has a location in Tulum and they are planning locations in Playa del Carmen, Cancun and all over Mexico.
Spyder Cafe has a large breakfast menu and most of their evening menu focuses on burgers, but there are salads too. Check out their menu here. They hope to open in early March. They are also hosting a parking lot next door, which will be very welcome in PM.
As we told you in our last update, the popular El Campanario restaurant is also moving to Rojo Gomez, almost across the street from these new places. They will open in this new spot on March 3, and (surprise!), they will now be offering breakfast too. This will make Rojo Gomez a juggernaut for restaurants in Puerto Morelos, from Unico & Diving Lodge Downtown in the north to Spaghettino in the south.
A new place opened on Ninos Heroes as well. Amor y Pez opened in the location that used to be The Burger Underground (The burgers moved to Rojo Gomez). We watched this restaurant’s progress as they got ready to open, creating their cool wall fish-themed wall mural. They opened to great fanfare on February 26 by offering 2X1 on their whole menu. (Menu photo courtesy of Lynn Warner)
That funny-looking vehicle in the photo is actually a portable ceviche factory! You can spot it on the road, or at its home on Rojo Gomez, just south of the Mayan Handicraft Centre. The owners are also working on a barbeque restaurant at the same location. They promise brisket “Mexican style”. You’ve got our interest!
We told you back in December’s issue of Beach Reads about a new little restaurant on Rojo Gomez called Fit & Fat. It appears they have changed their name to Che Itza. They are open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Work continues on a new place moving into the DK container and a new beer and wings place in the highway Chedraui mall. Puerto Morelos Fish Market restaurant has re-opened as well after some renovations.
Construction of our new square is not done by any stretch, but work is progressing much more rapidly than it has in the last several months.
Quick action by many first responders and neighbours prevented more damage from that palapa fire that broke out on January 24. We wrote a full post about it here. One souvenir store owned by our friend Thomas was damaged heavily. The store supports his extended family.
They are slowly repairing and rebuilding. In the meantime, they are selling their wares in front of their store. They need our support, so please consider buying something from Thomas and his family.
Noticed this new clinic is opening in the Super Aki Plaza. I can’t find a web page for this location, but they appear to be related to the Victoria Hospital in Cancun.
Shoutout to the bike shop near the square in the Colonia. It actually has a name, it’s called “Bike & Ride”, but there’s no sign, though the bikes parked in front let you know that they’re open for business. They even have a website. I thought my bike might be ready for the scrap heap. It had broken spokes, a creaky pedal array, wimpy brakes and it was emitting a series of somewhat disconcerting noises. The techs at Bike & Ride breathed new life into my wheels in just a few hours and for a reasonable pile of pesos. They had the knowledge and the parts in stock which saved a lot of time. Check ’em out. Your old ride might be better than you think! (Now the only disconcerting noises originate from the rider, not the ride)
Here are the cash exchange rates for February 19, 2021 at CI Banco on the highway in Puerto Morelos.
I post these rates on occasion so that you can compare them with what your bank or the ATM may offer. 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
Buy
Sell
US Dollar $
19.00
20.30
Canadian Dollar $
14.75
16.15
Euro €
23.20
24.55
Pound Sterling £
26.80
28.35
Just out of interest, I looked up rates from just over a year ago, and you get more bang for your buck now than in 2020. The US dollar was about 17.60 and the CAD was 13.05.
We’ve been going through our voluminous photo collection from almost 20 years of Puerto Morelos history. For the next few Thursdays, we’ll share some of them with you.
For this edition, we go way back to when we first arrived in Puerto Morelos.
We hope you enjoyed our trip down memory lane. We’ll post another set of photos next Thursday.
We’ve been going through our voluminous photo collection from almost 20 years of Puerto Morelos history. For the next few Thursdays, we’ll share some of them with you.
For this edition, we focus on signs. How many do you remember?
Here are the cash exchange rates for January 25, 2021 at CI Banco on the highway in Puerto Morelos.
I post these rates on occasion so that you can compare them with what your bank or the ATM may offer. 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
Buy
Sell
US Dollar $
18.95
20.25
Canadian Dollar $
14.70
16.10
Euro €
23.35
24.85
Pound Sterling £
26.40
27.90
Just out of interest, I looked up rates from just over a year ago, and you get more bang for your buck now than in 2020. The US dollar was about 17.60 and the CAD was 13.05.
On Sunday, January 24, 2021, at approximately 1:00 pm a fire broke out on the south side of the square. It appears to have started just west of the restaurant Punta Corcho behind some street-level gift shops that are locally owned. As the smoke poured out above the shops, the owners rushed to save the merchandise inside, pulling it out into the streets.
A small truck from the fire department arrived first and firefighters bravely climbed out onto the smoky palapas to fight the fire.
At about 1:25 pm the larger firetruck donated from Canada arrived on the scene. A hose was even run from the hydrant located in the nearby Chedraui store. The staff of Punta Corcha and the residents of the next-door apartment building fought the fire with whatever they had. They wielded buckets of water drawn from the rooftop tinacas (water tanks) and even ice cubes from the restaurant. The fire was put out around 1:35 pm. No injuries were reported. This video, posted on Facebook byMiguel Angel Valladares Ibarra shows the hose running from Chedraui, not quite long enough to reach the source of the fire, but close enough perhaps to stop it from spreading.
Cause of the fire is under investigation.
One of the gift shops that was damaged by the fire is owned by a man named Tomas. He and his family have been running this store for at least 18 years. He is originally from Chemax, Yucatan and is married with 4 children. Many of the staff working at the store are all part of his family. They too are married with kids of their own. This tiny store supports several local families.
The fire comes at a time when many of the businesses in Puerto Morelos are struggling to survive. Normally at this time of year, the town would be experiencing 95% occupancy rates. This year, due to Covid, Puerto Morelos occupancy rates may be running as high as 20-30%. With this in mind, the fire comes at a very bad time for our little fishing village.
Update: Esto Es, a local news organization has some heartbreaking photos on their Facebook page. Lots of damage inside one of the shops.
Update Monday, Jan 25: I was able to confirm with the owner of the building this morning that nobody was injured and that the cause of the fire was electrical. The clauarado stickers were removed late this morning, which I assume means that the investigation is complete and repairs can commence.