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!
