With white beaches stretching for miles, the Mesoamerican Reef just a short boat ride away, and jungles and wetlands nearby, Puerto Morelos is the perfect spot to start reconnecting with nature. The Ruta de los Cenotes is home to spider monkeys and a wealth of bird species and as you enjoy a cooling swim in a limestone sinkhole, wander along jungle trails or whizz through the trees on a zip line, you’ll see toucans, huge blue morph butterflies, orchids and much more.

Stroll along the beach for miles

Grab your hat, swimsuit and towel and start your Puerto Morelos day on the beach. Find a palapa or bask in the sun and watch the waves breaking gently along the shoreline. If you go for an early morning walk, you’ll be accompanied by pelicans, gulls and terns diving into the sea in search of fish and frigate birds on high ready to swoop down and steal their catch. Busy along the shoreline foraging for food are smaller birds such as turnstones, sandpipers and plovers known collectively in Spanish as playeritos. And as it is turtle season, you may see the tracks of female turtles that dragged themselves across the beach to dig their nests the night before.

Dive right in, discovering Puerto Morelos Reef Park

A short boat ride through turquoise waters takes you to Puerto Morelos Reef, a stretch of corals and underwater gardens of sea fans, algae and sponges protected by a National Park. Part of the Mesoamerican Reef, the world’s second longest, the reefs are rich in marine life, ranging from a variety of colorful fish of all shapes and sizes to sea turtles and eagle rays.

Seafood, shopping and gelato

Stroll along the malecón, which is soon to have a new dock, and around the town square. Take photos of the iconic leaning lighthouse, a survivor of Hurricane Beulah in 1967, and of pelicans perching on the fishing boats waiting for their share of the catch.

Enjoy beach views and fresh seafood at one of the restaurants along the waterfront; you may even see local fishermen bringing in the catch of the day.

Browse for beachwear, jewelry, local art and Mexican crafts in Puerto’s stores and craft markets. If you have run out of vacation books, you’ll want to call in at Alma Libre bookstore just off the main square to stock up on beach reads.

Any stroll through Puerto should always end up back on the main square for a coffee, gelato and people watching.

Puerto Morelos Botanical Garden

Close to Highway 307 just after the turn off to Puerto Morelos is Yaaxche-Alfredo Barrera Marin Botanical Garden, Mexico’s second largest botanical garden, and a nature reserve protecting 65 hectares of jungle and marshland rich in wildlife.

See trees and plants native to the Yucatan and from other tropical regions around the world. In the herb garden basil, rue, chamomile and spearmint grow with native species traditionally used by the Maya as remedies for ailments ranging from the common cold or fever to stomach bugs and arthritis.

In a jungle clearing there is a rustic exhibition about chicle, the original natural ingredient for chewing gum that is the resin from the chicozapote, a native forest tree found throughout southeast Mexico.

The reserve is home to a variety of birds, families of spider monkeys, grey fox, coatimundis and the shy agouti, a rodent the size of a small dog.

The Botanical Garden is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. Take eco-friendly bug spray with you.

Family fun at Crococun

To the north of Puerto Morelos, Crococun is a small nature park with enclosures of crocodiles, iguanas, snakes, deer, spider monkeys and other native wildlife.

Sinkholes and zip lining on the Ruta de Los Cenotes

The jungle bordering the Ruta de los Cenotes is even richer in wildlife and opportunities for adventure. Take the road to the west of Highway 307 to the village of Central Vallarta and the small town of Leona Vicario.  Along the route you’ll see many wooden signs marking the turn off for cenotes deep in the forest.

Formed over millions of years by the erosion of the limestone, these natural wells or sinkholes have crystal-clear waters that look turquoise or emerald, depending on the light, sculpted columns, stalactites and stalagmites. Some cenotes are open to the sky and others are hidden in caves. They include the 12 cenotes at Kin-Ha Cenote Park, Las Mojarras, Siete Bocas, Boca de Puma, La Noria and Verde Lucero and many of them have zip lines and nature trails in the vicinity of the cenote.

The Xenotes Oasis Maya trip offered by Experiencias Xcaret gives you the chance to explore four very different cenotes in one day and includes swimming, snorkeling, zip lining and time for kayaking.

For a day of jungle adventures, try Selvatica Park. A series of zip line circuits will take you on a thrilling flight through the trees, swim in cenotes and embark on ATV tour through the forest.

Bird watching

If you are interested in wildlife, how about an early morning Puerto Morelos birding trip. Accompanied by a knowledgeable local guide you’ll walk along jungle trails alive with the sounds of birdsong. Flocks of parrots and Yucatan jays, lone trogons, tanagers and keel-billed toucans make an appearance. You’ll hear the distinctive call of the pygmy owl and the raucous rattle-like sound of the chachalaca. A flash of turquoise heralds the arrival of Yucatan’s bird of paradise, the pajaro toh or turquoise-browed motmot with its pendulum-shaped tail feathers.

The forest is also home to spider monkeys, brocket and white tail deer, peccary, ocelot, puma and the solitary jaguar.

The call of Puerto

After a day in the water or jungle, you’ll have worked up an appetite and dining in one of the waterfront restaurants in Puerto Morelos followed by a stroll through town is the perfect option.

Plan your Puerto Morelos adventures with Thomas More Travel

From snorkeling trips in Petempich Bay to zip lining thrills and cenote swims, let Thomas More Travel be your Puerto Morelos guide.