5 things to do in Puerto Morelos, a magical fishing village

With a sea whose waters go from intense blue to bright green and beaches of fine white sand, this town should be your first stop when getting to know the paradisiacal Caribbean Sea.

Imagine a simple and quiet fishing village, dishes prepared with the best of the sea and one of the most spectacular reefs to learn to dive, that and more is Puerto Morelos.

Among its best attractions, it hides an old lighthouse, a botanical garden and several cenotes of turquoise waters with stalactites and plants hanging from their roofs. Located only 38 km from Cancun, these are the 5 reasons why you should visit it.

1. Puerto Morelos Reef National Park

Nestled in the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System -the second largest barrier reef in the world ,here you can practice numerous water sports, such as diving, windsurfing and kayaking, snorkeling being the favorite because of the hundreds of corals and tropical fish that you will see passing around you, creating a multicolored landscape.

2. Dr. Alfredo Barrera Marín Botanical Garden

This 65-hectare sanctuary, also called Yaax' Ché, is ideal for observing the regional fauna, from spider monkeys to coatis, as well as a great diversity of plants, both ornamental and medicinal. Don't miss the hanging bridge and the archeological zone.

3. Crococun Zoo

Two kilometers to the north is this crocodile farm, whose specimens vary in both species and size. It has a small zoo where you will find boas, ocelots and deer, and you can even get up close to some of them!.

4. Walking around

Stroll the streets of Puerto Morelos on foot as you discover restaurants, cafes and stores. Stop at the Mercado de Artesanías to buy a souvenir and then continue on to the leaning lighthouse, which was left like this after several hurricanes and is now part of the town's image.

5. The beaches

Its shades, fine sand and gentle waves - courtesy of the reef that acts as a barrier to the ocean - will allow you to swim with children, kayak, learn windsurfing, or just relax and float on the sea!.

As you will discover, Puerto Morelos is a safe, family friendly and above all magical town, once you visit it you will never stop going, you will come back at least once a year during the summer season, to enjoy the food, the beach and the people, who do a great job in terms of how kind and courteous they are to the tourists who visit them around the world. Going to places like this feels like coming home after a long time and that is the magic of traveling and getting to know different cultures, lifestyles and hobbies. In the state of Quintana Roo there are many more magical places like this, and if you want to discover them for yourself you must experience it first hand to understand.