The Edzná archaeological site, nestled in the Mexican state of Campeche, is a fascinating and historically rich complex that showcases the architectural ingenuity and ceremonial significance of the ancient Maya civilisation, with its impressive five-storey pyramid, sophisticated canal system for water management, and a variety of well-preserved structures that reflect the socio-political and religious complexities of a once-thriving urban centre.
Mexico: Quintana Roo – Puerto Morelos
🌊 Puerto Morelos — The Riviera Maya’s One Saving Grace
The coastline of Mexico’s Riviera Maya, that long Caribbean-facing stretch of the Yucatán Peninsula, has been comprehensively gobbled up by beach resorts. And I mean comprehensively. The Yucatán’s tourism explosion really got going in the early 1970s, when the Mexican government — with characteristic ambition and rather less characteristic foresight — decided to turn a sandbar-and-mosquito backwater called Cancún into an international resort city. It worked, rather too well, and the development virus spread steadily southward along the coast like something you really didn’t want spreading anywhere.
To be fair, somebody somewhere had the wisdom to limit the height of the buildings, so at least you’re not looking at a wall of glass towers like some sort of Dubai-on-Sea. Whether this was government regulation, deliberate planning policy, or simply that nobody could be bothered to build taller, we genuinely couldn’t tell you.
🏘️ A Proper Little Town in a Sea of Sun Loungers
Fortunately, scattered along this relentless strip of all-inclusive resorts, there are actual towns — proper places where real people live and go about their business, which comes as rather a relief when you’ve had enough of dodging drinks waiters in matching polo shirts.
One such place is Puerto Morelos, a small village sitting roughly halfway between the brash, neon-lit excess of Cancún to the north and the slightly more self-consciously hip Playa del Carmen to the south. It’s about 36 kilometres south of Cancún and 30 kilometres north of Playa, if you’re the sort of person who finds that sort of information useful.
Puerto Morelos started life as a small fishing village — which is how virtually every coastal settlement in this part of the world started before someone arrived with a business plan and a set of architects’ drawings. It served for many years as the main ferry crossing point to the island of Cozumel, which gave it a modest commercial purpose beyond fishing. Tourism has, of course, arrived — it was always going to — but Puerto Morelos has, against the odds, managed to hold onto enough of its original character to still feel like somewhere rather than nowhere.
😴 Pleasantly, Stubbornly Unhurried
The atmosphere is relaxed, and if we’re being honest, a little sleepy — which we mean as a compliment. There’s no thumping nightclub scene here, no strip of bars flogging two-for-one tequila shots at eleven in the morning, none of the particular chaos that Cancún and Playa del Carmen seem to wear as a badge of honour.
The tourists here tend to be what you might diplomatically call more mature, or alternatively families with younger children who haven’t yet developed strong opinions about nightlife. It’s the sort of place that attracts people who actually want a holiday rather than a prolonged ordeal.
There are plenty of places to eat and drink, and they match the town’s mood perfectly — mellow, unhurried, the kind of bars and restaurants where nobody rushes you and the ceiling fans turn slowly overhead.
🌳 The Plaza — Still Doing What Plazas Are Meant to Do
Like virtually every town in Mexico — and there’s a reason for this, as the Spanish colonial urban planning model, codified in the Leyes de Indias of 1573, required every settlement to be built around a central square — Puerto Morelos has its plaza principal at its heart.
What’s rather pleasing is that this plaza is still properly functional. It’s not just a tourist-facing backdrop for Instagram photographs. Locals actually use it. You’ll find people sitting in the shade passing the time of day, children making full use of the play structures with the kind of bottomless energy that makes middle-aged knees ache in sympathy. The bars and restaurants line the perimeter, which is exactly where bars and restaurants belong.
⚓ The Beach — Blessedly Normal
Close to the plaza, the beach. And here’s the thing — it hasn’t been over-commercialised. There are no serried ranks of matching sun loungers with a man hovering to charge you for sitting on them. You can actually access it, which in this part of the world counts as something of an achievement.
We spotted fishing boats hauled up on the sand, which gave the whole scene an agreeably authentic look. Whether those boats still go out on the Caribbean in any serious working capacity, or whether they’ve been left there primarily for the benefit of people like us taking photographs and feeling wholesome about it, we couldn’t honestly say.
🛒 One Slightly Incongruous Supermarket
There is, in the middle of all this gentle, faded charm, a thoroughly modern and rather well-stocked supermarket sitting in the centre of town. It’s the sort of clean, bright, upscale establishment you’d be perfectly happy to find in a large city, and it looks absolutely baffling here among the low-rise buildings and the fishing boats. Like finding a Waitrose in Whitby. We weren’t complaining, mind you — needs must — but it does make you raise an eyebrow.
📌 Worth Coming Back For
We’ve never actually stayed in Puerto Morelos. We passed through, we looked around, we had a good poke about — and we left rather wishing we’d booked a room. It has that rare quality on the Riviera Maya: it feels like a place that exists for reasons other than extracting money from tourists. We’d like to remedy our oversight at some point. It’s on the list.
🌿 Vegan Cafe — Las Robles
Av Javier Rojo Gomez · Puerto Morelos, 77580 · (4,089.04 km from home, since you’re asking)
We’d already had lunch, so we weren’t exactly ravenous. That said, we had tickets for a show that evening at one of the big resort hotels along the strip — Rock of Ages, which, if I’m being honest, turned out to be roughly as entertaining as watching paint dry in a Mexican heatwave. Still, not knowing quite how long we’d be sitting through it, we thought it wise to top ourselves up beforehand with something decent, just in case hunger struck mid-power-ballad.
Puerto Morelos, for those who haven’t been, is a small fishing town on the Caribbean coast of Mexico, tucked between the vast resort sprawl of Cancún to the north and the increasingly fashionable Playa del Carmen to the south. It sits right on the edge of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef — the second longest coral reef system in the world, no less — which gives the place a rather pleasant, unhurried character that the bigger tourist towns lost sometime around 1987. The town itself was officially designated a Pueblo Mágico (Magic Town) by the Mexican government in 2015, which is their way of recognising places that have managed to hold onto some genuine cultural and historical charm without entirely surrendering to souvenir shops selling sombreros.
So: hungry-ish, facing a dubious evening’s entertainment, and in need of vegan options. We did what any sensible person does these days and pulled up the HappyCow app, which, if you haven’t encountered it, is essentially a global directory for plant-based eating. Remarkably useful. We were genuinely surprised to find that even in a town of this modest size — Puerto Morelos has a permanent population of only a few thousand, though that swells considerably with tourists — there were actually several vegan-friendly options to choose from. Mexico, it turns out, has quietly become rather good at this sort of thing, partly because traditional Mexican cuisine has always relied heavily on beans, corn, chillies, and fresh vegetables. The vegan movement hasn’t so much arrived in Mexico as it’s recognised something that was already half there.
We had a wander around, as you do, and eventually found Las Robles tucked along one of the main streets that cut through the town centre. It was a bijou little place — small, colourful, brightly decorated in the way that Mexican cafes tend to be, all cheerful paint and mismatched charm. The sort of spot that looks like someone opened it because they genuinely loved food rather than because a franchise consultant told them to. We liked it immediately. And, in what felt like a minor miracle given our track record with outdoor seating, the one table outside had just become free as we wandered up. Sometimes things work out. Not often, but sometimes.
🍽️ So Many Choices, So Little Appetite
The menu at Las Robles was genuinely impressive — a proper spread of tempting options — but we were, frankly, running on empty in the hunger department and wanted something light. We cast our eyes over the offerings and quickly zeroed in on two things: the vegan ceviche, which sounded intriguing, and the mini empanadas, which came as a plate of three. Since neither of us could agree on just one, we did the only sensible thing and ordered both. Decision-making at its finest.
☕ The Coffee That Promised Everything
To wash it all down, we decided to give the Mexican coffee a go. We had a show to get to later and, given that Mexico operates on what I can only describe as a pleasantly relaxed relationship with the concept of time, we reckoned the caffeine might come in handy. The server talked it up considerably, which is either a good sign or the beginning of a disappointment. We’d soon find out.
⏳ Mexico Time — It’s a Thing
The food took a little while to arrive, which was, if we’re being honest, a touch surprising given that we were more or less the only souls in the café at the time. Normally when you’re the sole customers, service tends to be fairly brisk. But this is Mexico, and Mexico has its own unhurried rhythm that dates back centuries — the Spanish colonial era left behind many wonderful things, including architecture, language, and an entirely relaxed attitude toward the passage of time. We waited. We were fine with it.
Ceviche itself has deep roots in Latin American food culture, with origins debated between Peru and Mexico, though both countries claim it with considerable passion. Empanadas, meanwhile, have been a staple across Latin America since the Spanish brought the concept over from the Iberian Peninsula sometime in the 16th century. So we were, in a small way, eating history. That’s the sort of thing that makes waiting feel worthwhile.
🌮 Worth Every Minute of the Wait
And worth it absolutely was. The food, when it finally made its appearance, was beautifully presented — proper care had gone into it. The vegan ceviche in particular had been compressed into a striking colourful cone, which looked far too good to eat. We ate it anyway. The flavours were spectacular — fresh, vibrant, and exactly the sort of thing you want when you’re not particularly hungry but still want to feel you’ve done something sensible.
The mini empanadas were equally good. Tiny, yes, but punching well above their weight in the flavour department. Crisp on the outside, properly seasoned within. No complaints whatsoever, which from a confirmed British whinger is practically a standing ovation.
⚡ The Coffee Delivered
As for the Mexican coffee — the server had not been overstating things. Not even slightly. The flavour was, as promised, decidedly full. Bold, rich, and deeply serious about itself in the best possible way. It wasn’t long before we could both feel the caffeine making its presence known in no uncertain terms. Show survival: confirmed.
😌 Full, Happy, and Ready to Go
We left Las Robles feeling genuinely content — that particular satisfaction of having eaten exactly the right amount of exactly the right thing. Not stuffed, not still hungry, just sorted. If our travels bring us back through this part of the world, and we rather hope they do, Las Robles will be the first place we head.
In summary …
- If you are not a party animal and want to avoid crowds then this is a great little town to base yourself
- Easy to get around on foot
- Only 30-minutes from Cancun airport
- Great eating options for vegans!
Planning Your Visit to Puerto Morelos
🌴 Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo — A Visitor’s Guide
Tucked between the buzz of Cancún to the north and the bustle of Playa del Carmen to the south, Puerto Morelos is a small, unhurried fishing village on Mexico’s Caribbean coast. It sits roughly halfway along the Riviera Maya in the state of Quintana Roo, close enough to the major resort strips to make day trips effortless, yet refreshingly free of the overdevelopment that has swallowed its neighbours. Life here moves at its own pace — locals sell bread from the boot of a car, fishermen return to the pier at dawn, and the town square fills with the easy rhythm of everyday Mexican life.
📍 Location
Puerto Morelos sits on the Caribbean Sea, approximately 36 kilometres south of Cancún and around 35 kilometres north of Playa del Carmen. It lies directly adjacent to the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the second-longest coral reef system in the world. In places, the reef sits barely 400 to 500 metres from the shoreline — closer to land here than almost anywhere else along the Quintana Roo coast. This makes the town a natural base for divers and snorkellers. The town is divided into two distinct areas: the beachside zone known as El Puerto, centred on the main square and pier, and the inland residential area called La Colonia, separated by a stretch of road running through mangrove swamp.
✈️ Getting There
The most practical gateway is Cancún International Airport, which is roughly 24 kilometres away and generally takes 20 to 25 minutes by road. Private transfers arranged in advance through a reputable company are the most reliable option for the journey from the airport. Only authorised, badged drivers and official taxi or shuttle services should be used, particularly at the airport itself where unofficial operators do approach travellers. Pre-booking is strongly recommended.
For those already in the region, colectivos — shared minivans that run along Highway 307 — provide an affordable alternative. From Cancún, these depart frequently and drop passengers on the highway at the Puerto Morelos junction, near the Chedraui supermarket. The town centre is approximately two kilometres from the highway stop. Second-class buses from Playa del Carmen are another option; first-class services will generally not stop here. The Tren Maya, Mexico’s recently opened passenger railway, also serves the area and is an increasingly popular way to arrive.
🚕 Getting Around
Within the town itself, Puerto Morelos is compact and easily navigated on foot. The main square, the beach, the pier, and most restaurants and shops are all within comfortable walking distance of one another. For journeys to La Colonia or the highway, local colectivos run between the main square and the inland areas for a very modest fare — simply wave one down along its route and tell the driver where you wish to stop.
Taxis are widely available throughout town and are a straightforward option for short trips. Always use registered taxi services rather than accepting rides from unofficial drivers. Uber has been reported as operating in the area, though tensions between ride-share and traditional taxi drivers have been noted, and caution is advised.
Renting a car is worth considering for anyone wishing to explore more widely — cenotes, Mayan archaeological sites such as Cobá and Chichén Itzá, and the surrounding jungle are all far more accessible with your own transport. Car hire is available at Cancún Airport and locally in Puerto Morelos.
Best time to visit Mexico
🌮 The Best Time to Visit Mexico by Region & Season
Mexico is vast — roughly 25 times the size of the United Kingdom — and its geography ranges from scorching desert to cloud forest, tropical reef to high-altitude plateau. There is no single “best time” to visit the whole country. Where you are going, and what you want to do, determines everything.
🌵 Baja California
Baja California, the long peninsula reaching south into the Pacific, enjoys some of Mexico’s most reliable weather. The dry season runs from November through April, with temperatures settling between 20°C and 28°C — warm enough for the beach but cool enough to walk comfortably. This is the peak season for whale watching, particularly in Laguna San Ignacio and Magdalena Bay, where grey whales arrive from the Arctic between January and March. The summer months bring intense heat, occasionally exceeding 40°C in the desert interior, along with some humidity and sporadic rain. Cabo San Lucas remains popular year-round, but the sea is calmer and the air is cooler in winter.
What to pack (Nov–Apr): Light layers for the evenings, a light waterproof jacket, sunscreen SPF50+, a wide-brimmed hat, breathable trousers, and comfortable walking sandals. Binoculars are essential for whale season.
What to pack (May–Oct): Lightweight moisture-wicking clothing, high-SPF sun protection, insect repellent, a reusable water bottle, and sandals or flip-flops.
🏄 Pacific Coast (Jalisco & Nayarit)
The Pacific Coast — encompassing Puerto Vallarta, Sayulita, and the Riviera Nayarit — is at its finest between November and April. Skies are reliably blue, temperatures sit in the mid-to-high 20s Celsius, and the ocean is calm and swimmable. Humpback whales migrate through the Bay of Banderas between December and March. From May onwards, humidity climbs sharply, and heavy afternoon downpours become routine through the wet season. Surfing conditions are actually excellent during the wet months, as swells increase considerably. If you are after a beach holiday with guaranteed sunshine, November to February is ideal.
What to pack (Nov–Apr): Swimwear, reef-safe sunscreen, a lightweight cover-up, flip-flops, one smart-casual outfit for restaurants, and a small dry bag for beach days.
What to pack (May–Oct): A packable rain poncho, quick-dry clothing, insect repellent with DEET, a rash guard for surfing, and moisture-wicking layers.
🏙️ Mexico City & Central Mexico
Mexico City sits at 2,240 metres above sea level, which moderates its climate considerably compared to the coasts. The dry season from November to April brings clear, sunny days but cool — occasionally cold — nights, particularly between December and February when temperatures can drop to around 5°C. The wet season from May to October delivers warm afternoons followed by reliable evening showers, typically between 4pm and 7pm, which rarely last all day. Spring (March to May) is considered the best time to visit: dry, warm, and before the summer crowds. October and early November offer the famous Día de Muertos celebrations, one of the world’s most extraordinary cultural events.
What to pack (Nov–Feb): A proper jacket or fleece for evenings, comfortable walking shoes (the city centre involves a lot of cobblestones), a light scarf, layers you can remove during the warmer afternoons, and a compact umbrella.
What to pack (Mar–May): Light clothing, a sun hat, sunscreen (UV is intense at altitude), comfortable shoes, and a thin layer for air-conditioned restaurants and museums.
What to pack (Jun–Oct): A compact rain jacket or poncho, quick-dry trousers, and a small backpack to carry layers as the weather shifts.
🌺 Oaxaca
Oaxaca is one of Mexico’s most culturally rich states, home to extraordinary food, indigenous craft traditions, and the astonishing Día de Muertos celebrations in the city of Oaxaca. The dry season from November to April is the most comfortable period, with warm days around 25°C to 30°C and cool, dry nights. The wet season (May to October) brings more rain but also lush, green landscapes in the valleys and Sierra Juárez mountains. July is significant because of the Guelaguetza festival, a magnificent showcase of Oaxacan dance and costume held on the two Mondays following 16 July. Monte Albán, the ancient Zapotec hilltop city, is best visited in the cooler dry months when the walk is less exhausting.
What to pack (Nov–Apr): Light cotton clothing, a warm layer for evenings, sun protection, comfortable walking shoes, and a small day bag for market browsing.
What to pack (May–Oct): A waterproof layer, insect repellent (especially if visiting jungle areas or Monte Albán at dusk), breathable fabrics, and a second pair of shoes in case the first gets wet.
🌿 Chiapas & the Yucatán Jungle Interior
Chiapas is one of Mexico’s greenest and most biodiverse states, home to the Sumidero Canyon, the ruins of Palenque buried in jungle, the Lacandón rainforest, and the colonial city of San Cristóbal de las Casas. The dry season from November to March makes travel significantly easier: roads are passable, trails are manageable, and the ruins are accessible without wading through mud. San Cristóbal, at 2,200 metres, is surprisingly cool year-round — even cold at night in winter. The wet season transforms the landscape into brilliant emerald green but also renders some remote areas inaccessible. Palenque and the jungle ruins are best visited early in the morning before the heat builds.
What to pack (Nov–Mar): A proper warm jacket for San Cristóbal evenings, sturdy walking shoes or boots, insect repellent, long-sleeved shirts for jungle visits, and sunscreen.
What to pack (Apr–Oct): Waterproof boots or hiking sandals, a high-quality insect repellent with DEET, antimalarial advice from your GP if visiting remote jungle areas, a dry bag for electronics, and quick-dry clothing.
🏖️ Yucatán Peninsula (Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Mérida)
The Yucatán Peninsula is Mexico’s most visited tourist region, and for most visitors the ideal window is December to April. Temperatures are warm without being punishing (27°C to 32°C), the Caribbean Sea is clear and turquoise, and rainfall is rare. The shoulder months of November and May offer similar conditions with slightly fewer crowds. Hurricane season officially runs from June to November, with the peak risk between August and October. Tropical storms can appear quickly in this period, making beach holidays risky. Cenotes — the extraordinary freshwater sinkholes scattered across the peninsula — are spectacular year-round but most popular between December and March. Tulum’s ruins are best seen early in the morning before tour groups arrive.
What to pack (Dec–Apr): Swimwear, reef-safe sunscreen (chemical sunscreens are banned in cenotes), a light cover-up, insect repellent for evenings, smart-casual clothing for Mérida’s restaurants, and water shoes for cenote swimming.
What to pack (May–Nov): A portable weather radio or reliable hurricane tracking app, travel insurance that covers weather disruption, waterproof sandals, and lightweight layers. Rescheduling flexibility is wise during peak hurricane months.
⚓ Gulf Coast (Veracruz)
Veracruz, Mexico’s main Gulf Coast state, is often overlooked by international visitors but offers a fascinating blend of Afro-Mexican culture, exceptional seafood, and some of the country’s oldest colonial architecture. Winters are mild and pleasant, typically between 20°C and 25°C, making November through March the most comfortable period. The port city of Veracruz hosts one of Latin America’s most vibrant carnivals in February. Summer on the Gulf Coast is hot, humid, and prone to tropical storms called “nortes” — strong cold fronts that roll in from the north and can cause rough seas and heavy rain, particularly between October and February. Paradoxically, these nortes can strike even in the nominally dry winter months, so flexible plans help.
What to pack (Nov–Mar): Light layers for the variable Gulf breezes, a compact waterproof jacket, comfortable walking shoes, and sun protection for the coast.
What to pack (Apr–Oct): Moisture-wicking clothing, high-SPF waterproof sunscreen, strong insect repellent, and a rain poncho. Check weather forecasts carefully before any boat trips.
🏔️ Copper Canyon (Barrancas del Cobre, Chihuahua)
The Copper Canyon in the Sierra Madre Occidental is larger and deeper than the Grand Canyon, and the extraordinary Chepe Express train journey through it is one of Mexico’s great travel experiences. Spring (March to May) and autumn (October to November) are the finest seasons to visit: temperatures are moderate, the light is beautiful, and the canyon walls glow with warm colour. Summer brings the rainy season (July to September), which makes the canyon dramatically green and the waterfalls thunderous, but some trails become slippery and landslides can occasionally disrupt the train service. Winter at altitude can be genuinely cold — Creel, the main gateway town, sees temperatures drop close to freezing — and the higher Sierra trails may be icy.
What to pack (Oct–May): A warm fleece or down jacket, layered clothing, sturdy hiking boots, gloves and a hat for mornings and evenings, sunscreen for the intense mountain UV, and a reusable water bottle.
What to pack (Jun–Sep): Waterproof hiking boots, a rain jacket, trekking poles for slippery trails, and insect repellent. Pack for warm days and cool nights.
📅 Overall: The Best Time to Visit Mexico
If you can visit just once and want the best balance of weather, manageable crowds, and access to the widest range of regions, November to early March is the outstanding sweet spot. The dry season is in full effect across the Pacific Coast, the Yucatán, Oaxaca, Chiapas, and Baja California simultaneously. Temperatures are warm without being oppressive, hurricane risk is negligible, and the festive period from late November through Christmas brings a particularly warm and celebratory atmosphere. October offers the bonus of Día de Muertos — a deeply moving and visually extraordinary cultural experience, especially in Oaxaca and Mexico City — while avoiding the school-holiday crowds of December. Travellers with flexibility who want to sidestep peak pricing would do well to consider January and February: the Christmas rush is over, the weather remains superb across most of the country, and some of the year’s most memorable events — whale watching in Baja, Veracruz Carnival, whale sharks off Isla Mujeres — are in full swing.
Where to stay?
1. The Fives Oceanfront
The Fives Oceanfront sits on a white-sand beach in Puerto Morelos, a small fishing village on Mexico’s Riviera Maya, about 20 minutes south of Cancún Airport. It’s a boutique all-suites hotel with 82 rooms — a mix of one, two and three-bedroom suites — each with floor-to-ceiling windows, furnished balconies and a residential feel rather than a standard hotel-room layout. Guests can opt into an all-inclusive plan or pay as they go. Dining is split between Al Mare, which focuses on Italian and international cuisine with Caribbean views, and the Ro Marley Beach House for a more relaxed setting. There’s a spa, fitness centre, rooftop pool and a beach club. It’s a good base if you want a quieter stretch of coast without being too far from Cancún or Playa del Carmen.
2. Amar Inn
Amar Inn is a small, family-run bed and breakfast sitting about 30 metres from Playa Mar Beach in Puerto Morelos, a relatively quiet town on Mexico’s Riviera Maya, roughly 25 minutes south of Cancún airport. The property has 11 rooms, all with air conditioning, a mini-fridge, flat-screen TV, and free Wi-Fi, with some offering sea views. A courtyard garden with a small pool and hammocks gives guests somewhere to sit outside the room. A Mexican breakfast is included in the rate, and beach chairs and umbrellas are available for guest use. The town square, restaurants, and shops are within easy walking distance, as is the National Reef Park. It suits travellers who want a straightforward, good-value base without the resort hotel experience.
3. Hostel Humanity – Puerto Morelos
Hostel Humanity sits in Puerto Morelos, a small fishing village on Mexico’s Riviera Maya, roughly 20 minutes from Cancún International Airport and about 3 km from the Caribbean coast. The hostel offers dormitories sleeping four to eight, plus a small number of private rooms, all with en-suite bathrooms. Rates are low — around $16 a night — and include a vegetarian breakfast, Wi-Fi, and access to the outdoor swimming pool. Common areas include a garden, lounge, hammock zone, and rooftop terrace, along with a shared kitchen. Bicycle hire is available on site. The location works well as a base for day trips to Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, and the cenotes along the nearby inland road. Guests consistently rate the welcome and helpful staff as a highlight.
More to Explore
