InPuertoMorelos.com

Starting in January, you will need to show the results of a negative Covid test in order to board your flight back to Canada or the USA.

Luckily, we have at least three local options to get this test. The cost ranges depending on which test you need and you can pay a little more in some cases and they will come to you. It’s very important that you get the right test. You will not be permitted to board the place without negative results using the correct test. *Costamed in Puerto Morelos and Amerimed in Cancun can do an antigen test which is cheaper, (around $1000 pesos) and will satisfy officials if you are flying into the US. Canadians need a PCR test.

Here’s a link with more info for Canadians from Canada.ca

Here’s a link with more info for people from the USA from the CDC and here.

Please note, we are providing this information for your convenience, but we have no experience with any of these options, except we did have guests test at Costamed successfully. We’ll add more information as we receive it.

In Puerto Morelos

Clinic at Ojo de Agua Hotel
The best deal and easiest to reach if you are staying on the beach side of Puerto Morelos. The phone/WhatsApp number is on the poster.
Here are the details and prices as of March 12, 2021

Antigen test is $500 MXN, PCR test is $2000 MXN

Other options….

Costamed Hospital ✆ 998 500 2505 Facebook Page MAP
Cost for the antigen test is $1000 pesos
Located in the Pescadores neighbourhood of Puerto Morelos (see map)
Address: Cancun-Tulum highway 77580 Puerto Morelos, Q. Roo, Mexico
International Contact: Hospital: 011 52 998 500 2505
Toll-Free U.S.: 855 301 4111
Click here to make an appointment online

Live Medical Centre ✆ 998 196 8697 Facebook Page MAP
Cost for the antigen test is $1200 pesos
Located in the Colonia on Zetina Gasca (see map)
Address: Villas la Playa, Cangrejo 54, 77580 Joaquín Zetina Gasca, Q.R.

Laboratorio de Análisis Clínicos América ✆ 998 259 5622 FB Page MAP
Cost for the antigen test is $900 pesos, next day results. PCR test is $2,200
Located in Villas Morelos 1 on Avenue Timon
Address: 77580, Villas Morelos I, 77580 Puerto Morelos, Q.R.
WhatsApp: +52 998 259 5622

La Siesta Tours, run by PM resident Francisco offers a service to book your appointment for you either at your place or at a lab and arrange transport. Contact Francisco for details

La Nueva Salud is advertising tests at your location.

At the Airport

You can get tested at the airport. It’s recommended you arrive early to make sure you have enough time to receive it. Only the antigen test will give you same-day results. The test costs approximately $290.00 pesos PER ANTIGEN TEST and approximately $2000.00 pesos PER PCR TEST. They are open from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM EVERYDAY. First come – First Serve. NO appointments available. It takes approximately 30-60 minutes for the ANTIGEN results, and approximately 24-48 hours for the PCR Test. Most travel experts recommend you only test at the airport as a last resort. You are much better off to have your test results in hand when you arrive at the airport. One concern I would have would be, what if you had an “unexpected” result to your test? That would be very bad news to receive just before you were about to board a plane home. Obviously, you would not be allowed on the flight. This page has more info and you can read more here and here.

In Cancun

Salud Digna ✆ 998 884 0266 or 667 210 0001 Facebook Page MAP
Address: Av. Tulum #18 Fracción B, SM 5, Centro, 77500 Cancún, Q.R.
This clinic offers a cheaper PCR test, $950 pesos. See their website for details. We’ve heard this clinic is very busy with long lines.

Amerimed Hospital ✆ 998 881 3400 Facebook Page MAP
Av. Tulum Sur 260, 7, 77500 Cancún, Q.R. (Beside Plaza las Americas)
They advertise PCR or Antigen tests (not to be confused with antibody tests)
The price of the PCR test is $2850 pesos. Antigen test is $ 950 pesos. 
Make an appointment online

Centro Quimico ✆ 984 292 0982 Facebook Page MAP
Address: Av. Cobá con Guanábana, Smz.25, Mz. 15, Lt. 7, Local 4.

Farmacias del Ahorro a large chain of pharmacies with locations in Playa del Carmen and Cancun is offering antigen tests (ok for flights to USA, not Canada) for a very good price, $347 pesos including tax. Not all locations are offering the test and you may have to get there very early to make an appointment. They may streamline their operation, keep an eye on their website linked above, but at this time it would not be a practical choice for PM visitors.

More to come…

Don’t miss important information like this! Be sure to subscribe to our Beach Reads Newsletter.

Hola and Happy 2021 to all our friends!

2020 was a challenge for everyone on the planet, and it was not easy on your favourite little village in Mexico either! Almost everything in town closed in the spring and our visitors went home. We were left here with a beautiful beach we couldn’t use, and friends we couldn’t visit. Add to that we had a VERY active storm season. (See more about Delta and Zeta on our blog) Thankfully we suffered no major or lasting damage from the storms, but the prepping, cleaning and repairing was exhausting. (Click any photo for a full-screen view)

2021 offers the promise of something better and we’re embracing it. Our Christmas season was quieter than normal, but some families, mostly from the USA or Mexico found us. New Year’s Eve was the sleepiest I remember, aside from some cheap and loud fireworks. There were no public parties and restaurants were closed long before the midnight hour due to Covid restrictions.

There is always some news from our town, so let’s start 2021 with what’s new in Puerto Morelos!

Several restaurants in Puerto Morelos are on the move! The first to change locations was The Burger Underground, which moved from Ninos Heroes to a better space on Rojo Gomez (formerly occupied by the Cuatro Colibri art shop (which has moved online, visit them here.) The move puts them right in the thick of things on Rojo Gomez, between Cantina Habanero and the Panna e Cioccolato ice cream shop.

Speaking of Panna e Cioccolato, they have reopened their location on the square, which means they have two locations on the beach side of town and one in the Colonia.

The biggest move is coming up in the middle of the month. El Campanario will be moving their busy grill and famous bell to Rojo Gomez as well. The new space will be right beside Lauro’s, so just north of Hotel El Moro and just south of Cantina Habanero. El Campanario owner and grill-master Arturo promises that the restaurant will not close for even an extra day to move. They will close on a Sunday night mid-month as usual and reopen Tuesday afternoon in the new location.

We mentioned Lauro’s in our last issue. They opened and then closed for a little while, and are now open again. They often have live music, usually involving guitar virtuoso Héctor, who also owns the place.

Also opening soon on Rojo Gomez will be a new restaurant concept for Puerto Morelos. I can’t share too many details yet, but I can tell you that there is nothing quite like it in Puerto Morelos.

We also mentioned in our last update that El Pirata was just about to open. Well they did open, and Chef Karla is busier than ever! (We mentioned her new take out place Itacate in our last issue), and of course, she is also the creator of her farm-to-table experience, Koox Ich Kool.

All this will make Rojo Gomez a restaurant powerhouse, ranging from Unico in the north to Restaurante Spaghettino in the south. I roughly count at least 20 places!

We did lose a few places because of the long Covid season. We mentioned Los Gauchos closed in our last update, now we can tell you that DK restaurant will also not reopen. The iconic container will remain, but it will be a new restaurant. We’ll miss the honey ginger chicken, the coconut rice and the affable owner, Luis. The other familiar DK pillar, Tony, can now be spotted working at the Diving Lodge Downtown.

We do have some new places to tell you about. Muelle Once opened on New Year’s Eve in the Hacienda Morelos hotel. From the photos on their Facebook page it looks like they’ve renovated the space and brightened it up. They are serving breakfast, lunch and dinner with a wide menu, everything from breakfast favourites in the morning to crab cakes, steak, pasta and more at night. It will be very easy to catch them open, their hours are 7:30 am to 10:15 pm. The name Muelle Once translates as “pier 11”. It is sure to be one of our most mispronounced restaurants. Try saying it “moo-YAY ON-say” and you will be close.

We have a new ice cream temptation in town too! Aldo’s is a small ice cream and gelato chain out of Cancun. They have locations there, in Playa del Carmen and now in Puerto Morelos, right beside the church on the square.

Vegans and vegetarians have reason to cheer too! Veggie Veggie Streetfood has opened right beside Tuch Tlan restaurant, which is just south of Chedraui, across from the Mayan Handicraft Centre. They call their menu “vegan street food fusion”. Hours are 12:00 – 7:00, Friday through Monday.

Cafe Layla has expanded its hours and menu to make room for vegan pizza. They serve their regular Asian-fusion, Mexican and plant-based cafe food from 8-4 and then it’s a vegan pizza menu from 5-9:30. Open every day except Tuesday.

The family behind the successful La Cabaña del Puerto restaurant are growing again. They opened the new Lobster House restaurant on the square in September. Now they are seriously expanding in the Colonia. It’s easiest to explain their plans using the photo above. On the far right side, there will be a new cafe. Working our way left, you have the existing La Cabaña, next to it will be a new seafood place, and the little kiosk on the far left will be the bar for the whole operation. Lofty plans for sure, but everything this family does seems to be successful (and delicious).

Also coming soon in the Colonia, a new place for burgers, wings and beer. It’s located in the same plaza as the highway Chedraui. They are to open sometime in 2021.

Remember to check out our voluminous, constantly-updated Restaurant Guide on our website to keep up with the places and the players in the ever-changing Puerto Morelos cuisine scene.

You know that King’s Day is coming soon when you see the bakery overloaded with “Rosca de Reyes”. Also, see the bonus gag pic…

The town square is still under construction. They are working on it every day and have made some progress, but it will not be done any time soon. The artisans are now displaying their wares on the Malecon area beside the square Friday and Saturday nights, and the marquesita stand is open at the entrance to town, near My Little Italy restaurant.

The Canadian government is suddenly requiring everyone entering Canada to show proof of a negative PCR Covid test administered within 72 hours of arrival. This means Canadians returning to the ice and snow will need to get the test done in Mexico. Luckily there are at least two places in town where you can get the test, Costamed Hospital and Laboratorio de Análisis Clínicos América. Cost is about $2500 pesos, about $160 Canadian. This all starts on January 7. Please note that this does not replace the regular Canadian quarantine rules. Here is some more information.

Here in Puerto Morelos, we remain under a “yellow” traffic light. Your vacation should not be too affected. The beach is open, restaurants are open with slightly limited capacity but nothing stays open really late. At any restaurant, you must purchase food in order to drink alcohol. This is strictly enforced by the local government. Businesses can be fined heavily or shut down if they violate this rule. To enter any business or transport you need to wear a mask. You are asked to wear a mask all the time you are outside your house, especially if you are near other people. You can find more details in our previous blog post.

And our usually full vacation rentals at Casa de los Viajeros have loads of space this year! We are normally booked more than a year in advance (we are taking bookings for 2022 now), but not this year. So if you would like to visit Puerto Morelos and support us, be sure to book a stay in one of our apartments. We have a fantastic location! We hope to see you all in Puerto Morelos soon. Hasta pronto!

Rob & Joanne at InPuertoMorelos.com and VacationRentalsPM.com want to wish you a wonderful holiday season!

2020, to say the least, has been a very “interesting” and “challenging” year for all of us. We in Puerto Morelos made it through a very active storm season as well as Covid. In our 18 years here, we have never had such a demanding year. On the good side, we got to know our town much better than ever and developed a new appreciation for our Puerto Morelos amigos.

As we put 2020 behind us, we hope that you have a very Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season and that 2021 brings you happiness, health, prosperity AND brings you to Puerto Morelos! In the meantime, here are a few photos from our little village this holiday season.

May you and your family have a wonderful holiday season and all the best in 2021. Stay happy and healthy. Saludos, Rob & Joanne.

Feliz Navidad from InPuertoMorelos.com and VacationRentalsPM.com. Come visit us at Casa de los Viajeros in 2021! We look forward to seeing you!

Don Mexkal is not just a bar, it is so much more. If you have been there before, you need to go again as it has brand new menu! If you have never been, you are in for a real treat.

In past years this was traditionally a local’s hang-out was best known for its mezcal naturally, and late-night music and fun. This is the place where other restaurant and bar employees end up after their shift to relax. Don Mexkal is still all that, but under the current Covid rules, they transformed into an original restaurant and we are happy that they did. The vibe is still very much friendly and local, and they welcome everyone plus the staff all speak English.

Brother and sister team and owners, Javier and Jessica, are originally from Puebla and have brought with them the cuisine from their area. Puebla is world-famous for its cuisine. Javi and Jess have even imported Chef Ricardo, also from Puebla, to create their new menu. Ask about their daily specials which include cemitas, cochinita pibil and much more.

Now instead of just being a really fun bar, they are also a really great restaurant. You can still get the best shot of mezcal in town here too. If you aren’t familiar with mezcal, ask for Javi and he can give you a quick introduction.

Don Mexkal is currently open Friday to Tuesday from noon to midnight. Soon they will be open 7 days a week. It’s a good place to watch NFL Football or just chat with old friends and new friends.

Don Mexkal is located on Ave. Javier Rojo Gomez just half a block north of the town square on the port side. You can visit them here on their Facebook page.

And of course, they also have a really yummy margarita with your choice of tequila and cold beer on tap.

Mention promo code SaveJan2021 and get up to 20% off January Stays at Casa de los Viajeros

Spend January in Puerto Morelos for LESS! Choose from a 2 bedroom/2 bath, a 1 bedroom/loft/2 bath or a budget 1 bedroom/1 bath vacation rental all just steps from the beach and close to the main town square.

This one time only we are offering a very special discount. Mention promo code SaveJan2021 and get 10% off weekly stays at Casa de los Viajeros or a 20% discount if you stay 3 weeks or more!

This special is only available for January 2021.

Normally we are booked more than 1 year in advance, but due to Covid, we have open dates. To learn more about Covid in Puerto Morelos, click here.

We also still have some February and March dates available. We look forward to seeing you at the BEACH!

Contact us today to spend January in Puerto Morelos.

You can find more information here on our second website:

Vacation Rentals Puerto Morelos

We have had a pretty quiet time here in Puerto Morelos. Normally, we travel and work up north, but not this year. Our vacation rental business suddenly ended in March and has not recovered yet. We have been forced to put Christmas and January on SALE! Contact us today if you would like to pay us a visit.

We’re not alone. All restaurants, shops and services in Puerto Morelos have seen their business fall off a cliff. In addition to Covid, we also had to face a very busy storm season, with three named storms, including two hurricanes passing through. Luckily, there were no injuries and no major damage, but a heck of a lot of cleaning up and repair was required and still is.

Some guests have found our town though and some regulars are returning, only slightly less recognizable behind their masks.

There’s always some news to share with you though. For one thing, a lot of new restaurants have opened recently. (Click any photo for a full screen view)

Itacate is a new venture from super-chef Karla Romo. You may already know Karla as the owner of El Pirata restaurant and her farm-to-table experience, Koox Ich Kool (read more about it on our blog). Itacate is a new restaurant, mostly focused on food that you take away. There is a daily “menu of the day” special, and also a large selection of tortas (sandwiches) and some tempting desserts. Itacate is conveniently located just outside the doors of the highway Chedraui location. Karla has promised that El Pirata will reopen very soon.

On the beach side of town, a new little place has opened called “Fit & Fat”. We certainly like the sound of it! They serve all day, starting with breakfast in the morning, snacks in the afternoon and dinner in the evening. I’ve also seen some delicious looking chocolate cake on their FB posts. They are located on Rojo Gomez, a block north of the square in the space formerly occupied by “On The Vine”. Here’s a map link.

Also beach side is Lauro’s. This place is all about music, and is owned by local sensation and guitar virtuoso, Hector. We stumbled into Lauro’s place at the right time and were actually their first customers! They are momentarily closed, but assure us that they will be open again soon.

The Colonia is bursting with new places. A new taco place has opened behind the Colonia square. It’s called “Taqueria El Rodeo” and they offer many types of tacos including arrachera, sirloin, chicken, sausage and pastor. They are open 2:00 PM until 11:00 PM every day. We will be checking them out soon as we adore arrachera tacos and find them hard to locate in town.

“La Penca” just opened in the little strip mall at the entrance to town across from the baseball diamond. They advertise barbacoa, quesadillas, tlacoyos, and mixiotes in the traditional style of the state of Hidalgo in central Mexico. They are open every day from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm, closed Saturday.

Also near the Colonia square and opening soon is a new rotisserie chicken place. It is called “El Pechugón” and it will be opening on the north side of the square, about a block west of the Oxxo. El Pechugón is a fairly large Mexican chain of take-away rotisserie restaurants that started in Guadalajara in the 80’s. Now they have more than 360 locations all over Mexico. They already have locations in Cancun and Playa del Carmen, and soon Puerto Morelos.

A couple of other new restaurants also opened recently. Across from the new chicken place in the Colonia is “Sazon de mi Corazon“. They serve all kinds of choices for breakfast, lunch or dinner. They are open daily from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm, closed Wednesdays.

Also, Tulipanes Mexican Restaurant opened recently in the Hotel Puerto Corcho which is on Calle Chaca, between the two main roads in the Colonia, Zetina Gasca and Timon. They are open every day from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm.

A new cafe also opened recently just east of the square in the Colonia called Elefantitos Rosas. We briefly mentioned them in our October Beach Reads Update. They are a cafe that bakes daily, so it always smells divine there. Last time we were there, I had a slice of banana bread that was practically the size of my head. They have a nice garden area to dine in, or you can chill in the air conditioning.

Not a restaurant, but we’re happy to report that after a long absence, the Wednesday morning market is back again. It’s a long-running tradition in Puerto Morelos and features fresh produce as well as locally-sourced food, baked goods and other treats. Well worth dropping by any Wednesday morning from about 8:00 am to 12:00 pm. We recommend getting there early for best selection.

The artisans from the square are back as well. You can find them on the malecon on Friday and Saturday evenings. The square remains under construction. Some progress has been made and they seem to have more workers going these days. No idea when it will be completed, but it will not be this month for sure.

Not only are the artisans back, the Marquesita family is back too! Hooray! (If you do not know them, check out our love letter to them on our Beach Reads blog.)

Opening soon directly below La Sirena, where the grocery store Casa Martin used to be, will be a new convenience store, Circle K. It has not opened yet, but the signage is up.

We are happy to see that our favourite little jewelry store just got bigger! The Godfather Jewelers has doubled in size! They are in the same location, they just have more space and more selection. For more information you can click here.

Congratulations to Tomas and the whole crew at Lighthouse Tours. They are celebrating 4 years of service in Puerto Morelos. A totally local success story, check them out for tours, fishing and anything fun you want to do. Bike rentals too!

Live music is a little more rare in town these days, but we did manage to catch “The Nobodies” at Tanino’s recently. They will play regularly there on Thursday nights. Check out our new Music in Puerto Morelos page to learn more about our local artists.

Here’s a very Puerto Morelos story. This is a great fish restaurant in the Colonia that has been around for years. It has a name, you can read it on the sign, but everyone, absolutely everyone we know just calls it “the red chair place” because of the sea of red chairs in front of it. Well now they went and bought black chairs. Black chairs! They look very comfortable and all, but what do we call it now? We noticed they did leave a few stack of red chairs in front, hopefully a nod to their informal name. The real name of the restaurant is Cockteleria “El Sazon Jarocho” and they are open every day from 10:00am to 7:00 pm. Check out Google maps to see the old red chair look.

If you are planning to vacation in Puerto Morelos this year, please check out our vacation rentals. Normally our season is booked years in advance, but this year, we have prime time available. We have one and two bedroom suites, close to the beach and downtown Puerto Morelos.

Thanks for reading. Be sure to check our website often for updates and reliable information about Puerto Morelos. Check out our constantly updated Facebook Page, Instagram Page, Twitter Page and our Vacation Rental Page too. Saludos!

Save up to 20% off!

We have a very special offer for you! As we all know, 2020 has been a very different year for us all. Our vacation rentals at Casa de los Viajeros are normally booked more than one year in advance. Not this year!

We are offering you a very rare discount on our Christmas/New Years vacation dates! Up to 20% off!

From December 19, 2020, to January 2, 2021, we are offering stays at the same price as our January rates when you book 7 nights or more during the holiday season.

We have 1 or 2 bedroom apartments for you to choose from.

Visit our websites for details: www.CasaDeLosViajeros.com or VacationRentalsPM.com

If you have any questions please contact us via email today.

And if you have questions traveling during Covid times, read our blog post that has tons of information. And you can see our Covid cleaning protocols here.

Stay with the people that bring you InPuertoMorelos.com. We look forward to seeing you this Holiday Season in Puerto Morelos. Where this could be you!

Mexico is one of the most popular travel destinations right now because it is one of the few places in the world that you can travel to with relative ease since Covid. Puerto Morelos is no exception.

When you arrive by plane you will have to fill out a Health Declaration Form, but there is no legal requirement to quarantine.

Quintana Roo has been working very hard to stop the spread of Covid-19. Case numbers are posted at noon daily (local time) here on Twitter. As we write this, Puerto Morelos has had an official total of 30 cases. Most of the cases occurred in the first few months of the pandemic. 

Our state has been handling Covid on a stoplight system. Under “red” everything except grocery stores and pharmacies were shut down. We then moved to “orange” which loosened a few things. On September 7th we moved to “yellow” which was very good news for us, because it meant we could go to the beach again and other restrictions were lifted. You can read more about that big day here.

We have remained in yellow since then. The Governor of the state of Quintana Roo, Carlos Joaquin, does an update every Thursday which he live streams on Twitter.  Some day we will go “green”, but that will not be soon. 

Here’s what you can expect when you visit Puerto Morelos during Covid: 

• You must wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth when you are within 1.5 meters (5 feet) of other people.
• You must wear a mask when you enter and are inside any business. 
• When entering a business you will have your temperature checked, gel your hands, and wipe your feet on a disinfectant floor mat.
• You should practice social distancing as much as possible
• You must self isolate and get tested should you come down with any of the symptoms of Covid-19.
• You must wear a mask inside public transport (ie Taxis, buses, collectivos) 

The number one question we get is… “Do I have to wear a mask when I go to the beach?” You should wear a mask when you are walking to the beach if you are near people. Once you are at the beach, most people take their masks off as long as they stay at least 1.5 meters away from other people, outside of your family/group. Our beach is very large making it very easy to social distance.

Do you have to wear a mask when you are walking around the town? You are supposed to wear your mask anytime you are off your own property, but most people only wear one when other people are nearby. Note: You can be fined for not wearing a mask. I have not heard of anyone in Puerto Morelos being fined.

Vacation rentals and hotels must clean for Covid. We recommend that you check with your accommodations and make sure that they have an enhanced cleaning regimen for the virus.

Restaurants and cafes are allowed to be open up to 60% capacity. You must wear a mask when entering or walking around a restaurant. You must also have a temperature check and walk through a disinfectant mat when entering an eatery. Bars are not allowed to be open, so many of the bars in town have transitioned to restaurants so that they can keep their businesses going. You will be required to order some food with your booze, it is a law that bars are following so that they can open. Many of the bars/restaurants have come up with low-cost menu items so that you can enjoy a drink.

When you visit a restaurant you must wear a mask when entering and leaving. You must also put your mask on when you get up to use the restroom or if you walk around for any other reason. All of the staff in restaurants must and are wearing face masks and some have also added visors on top of that.

When you go shopping, you MUST wear a mask inside ALL grocery, convenience, and produce stores. You will not be allowed inside the store without a mask that covers your nose and mouth, having a temperature check, using hand gel, and walking across a disinfectant mat. You must stand 1.5 meters apart when lining up at the cash registers.

You must also wear a mask when you are taking a taxi, collectivo or bus. Also, there is a maximum of two passengers allowed in a taxi. Buses and collectivos are only allowed to operate at 50% capacity. And only a maximum of four people are allowed in a private vehicle, so if you are a family of more than four, you will want to prepare for this.

Now you know what to expect when you arrive in Puerto Morelos. We think you will find that it is probably not much different from your hometown. Being a small town, with lots of wide-open spaces and fresh air, we do believe that you can have a very nice vacation in Puerto Morelos this winter. We & and the whole town will be very happy to see you!

Make sure you always purchase travel insurance before you leave home. Some airlines are even including Covid insurance with your ticket.

Having said that, we must let you know that we have openings at our usually fully booked vacation rental Casa de los Viajeros. Many of our clients are Canadian (who do have to quarantine upon return) or high risk. Because of this, we have had some very good dates available that were booked one year in advance. We encourage you to contact us about a place to stay this winter. We look forward to hearing from you and even better, seeing you in Puerto Morelos soon.