Another of our favorite places in Mexico is the town of Puerto Morales, a small village about 30 minutes south of Cancun.
The town is divided into two distinct parts, the Colonia where working class local citizens live and the downtown tourist area on the beach. We routinely visit both areas and feel very safe in either. Driving south from Cancun and you reach the exit for Puerto Morales the Colonia begins about two blocks from the highway on the right and the beach area is about two miles to the left. Nearly everyone visits the downtown beach area while few ever see the Colonia so I will focus on downtown.
Upon entering downtown the first thing you do is enter the town square, if you are driving you must avoid the natural inclination to go straight and make an immediate right turn or you will be going the wrong way. Yes I have done this more than once…duh!
Church on the square 
Local craft market 
Fruiteria
One side of the square contains a lovely catholic church. Opposite it is a police/military post with beach access on either side and on both ends several small gift ships and other stores. In the center is a small park with a stage. One evening we were fortunate enough to see several music and dance performances in native costumes. On some evenings you will also find strolling musicians playing for tips. On one particular evening we stumbled across a demonstration of local folk dances.
Many activities also take place on the dock and pier. We saw someone come in on a fishing boat with a very large, I’d say 8-10 foot, sailfish! Snorkeling and diving is mire our speed though. For $25-$30 you can hire a guide and boat to take you to the reef which is about 1000 yards off shore. It is part of the Great Mesoamerican Reef which stretches along the coasts of Mexico and Belize. It is the second largest barrier reef in the world.
On the beach 
Preparing to dive 
View from down under
After a day of browsing the local shops, snorkeling or diving, and people watching on the square we enjoy having dinner at one of the many local restaurants. The food is quite good and very reasonably priced. One one particular evening we were entertained by a group of strolling musicians as we ate.
A couple miles outside of town through the Colonia is the Ixchel Jungle Spa. Open from mid December until Easter Sunday the Spa offers Mayan massages by local women at very reasonable prices. A 90 minute massage is just $60. On Sundays the ladies perform a series of native dances and sell their handmade crafts. It is a unique, wonderful experience that you just can’t find at the local resorts.
Another thing that we like to do is find a local cenote and spend the day swimming and exploring it. I personally enjoy jumping off the cliffs which are 10 – 30 feet high depending on where you are. I have yet to convince my wife to try it however.
Now you see why we love Puerto Morales! If you get a chance to visit the Riviera Maya I would recommend you spend a day or two in there , you’ll love it!