Such a lovely morning on the beach today, we couldn’t resist sharing a few moments with you. The weather is perfect right now, November has always been our favourite time of year.
There are lots of new things in town to show you, and we will get to that in future posts. (Be sure to subscribe to our posts so that you never miss one.)
For now though, let’s enjoy the beach and the dock in Puerto Morelos today.
Come stay with us at Casa de los Viajeros! We still have some space available in late 2022 and 2023. Winter is SO MUCH BETTER HERE! Trust us, we’re celebrating 20 years in Puerto Morelos this year.
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!
One of the more unusual vehicles ever to roll in Puerto Morelos, this truck sported a classy palapa roof as a camper. As we recall, the palapa was in good shape, but the truck was not, and its lack of a muffler made it easy to hear it coming. We took this pic back in 2015. I have not spotted it recently.
This truck belonging to Materiales Tauro in the Colonia is a proud survivor of Wilma. Wilma was an especially nasty hurricane that hit us in 2005. It did a lot of damage, but the town sprang back nicely. We took this photo in 2015. Not sure if the truck survived old age as well.
Rob’s first car was a Ford Maverick, so he’s happy to still spot them on occasion in Mexico. Ford only made them for 7 years and stopped making them in 1977, but you can still see one on the streets, or even in car shows. This one was on the cobbled roads of Guanajuato, Mexico.
Whoever loaded this truck deserves an honourary degree in engineering. We assume the boss told him to make one trip, but bring all the produce to town. We took this pic in the Colonia in 2016, but we often see similarly loaded trucks around town.
Volkswagen Beetles are ubiquitous in all parts of Mexico. They are relatively inexpensive, fun and they seem to run forever. We joke that every man, woman and child in Mexico can fix a Beetle. They are also fun to customize, so you will see many versions in Mexico that VW never intended. Volkswagen has a giant factory in Puebla where the last “old” Beetle rolled off the assembly line in 2003. It is still on display there. The “new Beetle” was also built in Puebla. Its last edition was built there in 2019. We spotted this one, with “all-natural” air conditioning on the streets of PM. It looks like a whole lot of fun.
You will also see many Volkswagen Combi vans around Mexico, though most of them don’t smile as big as this one. An actual “clown car”, this one brought a travelling circus to town in 2016.
This vehicle looks perfect for Puerto Morelos! It belongs to a local man who has lived here for many years, so you might just spot it rolling through town.
This pic isn’t so much about the car, but the situation. Back in 2018, the town suddenly moved ahead with its project of redoing all the roads around the square. The road this car drove into town on, no longer existed after it was parked for a few hours. We imagine the driver was just a little bit surprised after having dinner at a nearby restaurant. Not sure how the driver did it, but the car was gone the next day.
We are not sure what was going on at Ojo de Agua Hotel on this day in 2106, but it certainly drew a lot of well-parked police cars!
This truckload of marigolds is for the Day of the Dead celebrations in Michoacán. There were many of these trucks overloaded with the most beautiful cargo ever. We were in Patzcuaro for the Day of the Dead in 2015.
This fantastic “5th Beatle Beetle” was spotted in Puerto Morelos.
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.
Fun fact: Tacos Al Pastor make me happy!
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.
The location may be different, but the service, the grill, the sax guy and the bell are all the same.
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.
Photo by El Patio del Campanario
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.
Don’t miss The Nobodies at Tanino’s
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.
Very tranquil setting! (Photo by PECAO fonda de mar)
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.
Workers have expanded the old DK site and added a sundeck. Eventually there will be a roof deck too offering ocean views.
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.
Wings Factory, coming soon.
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.
Las Palmas in on the south end of Timon in the Colonia.
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.
Centro Quimico
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.
Jesús from Merida wants to open his new restaurant by May 15.
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 looking good. This photo was taken on the northeast corner of the square. That’s the gazebo on the left side of the picture, which is surrounded by partially shaded seating. That white building on the right side of the photo is washrooms.
They are still pouring concrete on the east side of the square. You can see the gazebo and shaded seating well. A lot of the old trees were saved, and many new palms have been planted.
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.
This view is from the south end of the square, looking north. The new square features a big new playground. Fun for kids and the occasional, over-served adult.
Our new square at night. You can catch this view from La Sirena Restaurant. Photo by Anthony – La Sirena
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.
Live music is back at Don Mexkal. This band is called “Breakdown”. They play a mix of pop music in English and Spanish.
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!!
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?
2007: Marlin Bleu was a great restaurant operated by our friend and next-door business neighbour Eric. Originally from Paris, Eric has lived in Puerto Morelos for many years and made scrumptious shrimp tacos and other delights. Eventually, he gave up the restaurant to focus on his own tour company. The space is now occupied by Dona Triny’s.
2010: Next to Eric’s Marlin Bleu was L’Oazis. It was run by Flavio & Martine from Quebec. They stayed at our Casa de los Viajeros right after Hurricane Wilma and fell in love with Puerto Morelos. Next thing we knew they had moved here and opened this restaurant, which was originally a cafe called Caffetto. They served many dinners and were very popular, but eventually, they sold. The space is now El Nicho’s.
2009: Que Hora Es was the bar in the Posada Amor hotel. Posada Amor was one of the oldest businesses in Puerto Morelos. We stayed there when we were scoping out the town in 2001. The space is under renovation now. We are told it will be a Mexican Market/Food Court.
2014: This was a fish restaurant on the north end of Rojo Gomez.
2014: A very colourful candy stand on Rojo Gomez, across from Taninos. It is still there, but I think they sell cigars etc.
2019: Our Puerto Morelos sign disappeared this past fall. We think city officials might have taken it to safety because of our busy hurricane season, Hopefully, it will return soon.
We hope you enjoyed our trip down memory lane. We’ll post another set of photos next Thursday.
Good morning from Puerto Morelos! We are waking up to a post-Zeta morning in your favourite town in the Caribbean.
It was a long night. Our electricity quit at about 7:00, in the middle of dinner I might add, and just came back this morning at 8:00. Most of Puerto Morelos and all of Cancun that I heard from kept their electricity and internet all night.
It looks like we weathered the storm in typical Puerto Morelos fashion. There are some tree branches down and some green debris, but overall your town is fine.
I made a quick trip down to the beach and was amazed that everything looked intact. Ironically, after a storm the beach is always at its most beautiful. The sand has certainly been rearranged!
The town pier appears to be intact but definitely suffered some more damage. It was hurt by Delta too.
This photo by the early-rising Marco Gomez of I Wanna Pizza
Now it’s time for coffee and then we grab a broom. We’re relieved to be on the other side of this thing and we have definitely had enough of hurricane season 2020.
Hope to see you in Puerto Morelos soon! Please remember to check out our vacation rentals at our brand new site, www.VacationRentalsPM.com Find all the town info you could want at our constantly-updated www.InPuertoMorelos.com site. Saludos!
Starting to get dark here in Puerto Morelos. There was a break in the rain, so I ran up to the roof and shot a little video before we lost the light.
Not sure if you can see it in the video, but the waves breaking on the reef are an amazing sight. I’ve seen the Caribbean recently looking like a lake, it does not look like that tonight.
Latest intelligence has the storm hitting south of Akumal and north of Tulum. We’ve had some serious wind, some very powerful surge and a bit of sideways rain. We lost power for a couple of hours, not everyone in town did, but we have it back now. Hoping it sticks. Electricity, internet and cold beer make these things a lot easier to deal with.
It’s dark now, wind is coming up still more. Going to be a long night, but your town, and it’s many residents have been through this before…and recently!
Hasta pronto! We will do our best to keep you updated here on this FB page as the storm goes by. See you on the other side!
Just a quick update from your favourite Mexican village on the Caribbean in Mexico.
As we told you almost a month ago, the beach in Puerto Morelos is open again. We remain in “yellow” status, which allows the beach to be open and most businesses open to 60% capacity. In order to enter any business or public place, you need to be wearing a mask, and most places will take your temperature (with a non-contact thermometer) and give you some gel to clean your hands. We’re all fairly used to these precautions by now and most of us are following the rules so that we can all be safe.
The square on the port side of town remains under construction. They are working on it every day and they have made some progress, but it does seem to be moving rather slowly. We’re all impatient to get our square back.
The José Morelos bust, which was a part of the portside square, has been given a new home in the Colonia square. There was a short dedication on Wednesday. The bust is of José María Morelos who the town was named after. He was a hero of the 1810 Mexican War of Independence and a fascinating individual. He was a priest and man of the people, but also a very skilled general, who took over leadership of the war after Miguel Hidalgo was executed. You may also know him as the face on the 50 peso bill. For more information on his fascinating life, please click here.
Puerto Morelos had a socially distanced Independence Day celebration at City Hall.
Most restaurants in town are open again, and we even have a few new ones. Lobster House just opened on the square where La Casa del Pescador was, above the Fish Co-op. Lobster is on the menu naturally, as well as fish, steak, pasta, tacos, tostadas, ceviche and even a burger. The owners are the same folks behind the popular La Cabaña del Puerto in the Colonia.
A new cafe is on the way in the Colonia. It’s not open yet, I think their opening was delayed by the COVID shutdown, but it appears they will be open soon. It’s a very big space and even has a large outdoor garden area behind. The cafe is called Elefantitos Rosas, and it looks really beautiful. For now, you can visit them on Facebook and on the web. Once they open, you will find them one block east of the square in the Colonia.
For all the latest on the ever-changing Puerto Morelos restaurant scene, check the PM Restaurant Guide on our InPuertoMorelos website.
We were all happy to see Don Mexkal open again! They had a big Independence Day party to celebrate. Also, opening again recently was Cantina Habanero.
Bike Puerto Morelos!
During the early days of the COVID shutdown in Puerto Morelos, we were not allowed out of our houses unless we were going to the grocery store, which was pretty much the only place open. As a result, many of us made too many grocery trips, plus rediscovered baking cake and bread. Now that we are free again, some of us are rediscovering cycling to lose some of those quarantine kilos.
Overall, Puerto Morelos is a pretty good place to cycle. There are not too many roads and almost no hills of any consequence. There are a few hazards, like potholes, unmarked speed bumps and speedy taxis, but seeing PM from a bike has been rewarding and has helped me to get to know my town even better. An added bonus is that if you get a little too hot or too tired, there are many places to grab a coffee or cool drink. You can also grab some cake! There are lots of places to rent bikes locally, so consider a bike adventure as part of your next trip to Puerto Morelos.
We hope you are making plans to come to see us again soon. All the major Canadian airlines are now offering free COVID insurance. Here are more details about Westjet’s offer, but Air Canada and Air Transat are also offering coverage.
Photo tour of Puerto Morelos. Here are some random photos from around town…
These days, the Caribbean can look like a lake…
You never know who you will run into on the streets of PM.
Normally a post with a title like this would have to do with pizza! But, alas, this one has to do with a storm. Tropical Storm Marco is scheduled to pass very close to us sometime today. (Saturday, August 8, 2020)
The track has slipped north for the last several hours. At first they thought it was going to strike far south of us, near Punta Allen, but it has since slid north. Last night it looked like it was coming right up our driveway, but it has continued to track north. We’re hoping it meanders into the channel and just grazes us.
It’s a tropical storm, not a hurricane. We’re not expecting too much, certainly some wind and rain, but we’ll feel better when Marco moves on and we can associate his name with pizza again! (Marco is the affable owner of the legendary “I Wanna Pizza” in Puerto Morelos.)
All the above photos were taken this morning (August 22, 2020) Click any photo for a full screen view.
The boats are mostly out of the water, and we’ve all taken the usual precautions of securing our outdoor furniture. We’ve got batteries in our flashlights and our phones are all charged up. Refrigerators are stocked with supplies. Now we just wait and stand by with the mop if necessary. (This is a great time to discover if those roof repairs you made last year worked or not.)
Update: As we hoped, Marco meandered to the north in a big way and eventually passed us by with almost nothing. A bit of rain, but no wind. We are all breathing a big sigh of relief and trying to figure out what to do with all that beer we panic bought.
We have been treated to some lovely sunsets lately as well. These photos are from last night.
Thanks for thinking of us. We’ll update when we can. Saludos from InPuertoMorelos.com
Here are the cash exchange rates for June 25, 2020, at G Capital 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
Here are the cash exchange rates for March 14, 2020 at G Capital Exchange 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
US Dollar $
19.60
Canadian Dollar $
13.50
Euro €
20.90
Pound Sterling £
23.80
Don’t be left in the cold! Book a Spring Fling in Puerto Morelos. We have some good dates still available at Casa de los Viajeros, and we’ve put some March and April dates on sale!
