Transportation
How to get around Puerto Morelos is very easy and straight forward. There are two areas of Puerto Morelos. The town at the beach is where most of the hotels are and where tourists generally spend their holiday. It consists of three main streets that run horizontal to the shore. The colonias is where most of the locals live and the resident expat community. This area is situated up at highway 307. Connecting these two areas is a 3 kilometre corridor called Calle Jose Maria Morelos.
Walking
Puerto Morelos is easily navigated by foot. For the most part, the sidewalks are in good condition. If you are visiting the seaside town, you will be able to walk from one end of the town to the other in a mere 15 minutes. I encourage you to have a stroll, there are quirky eateries, a flea market and so many little details nestled into the buildings and surround.
If you want to visit the colonias, you can easily walk the corridor. It is a straight road with good sidewalks on either side. This time of year, one sidewalk is in the shade until about 10am. This stretch takes me 30 minutes, walking at a brisk pace, not super fast but not a doddle. This is a great place to have an early morning run or get your exercise in. If you are walking at the right time of day you might even spy a croc in the mangroves!
Bicycle
If you are staying in a hotel or even an holiday rental, you may have the opportunity to borrow a bicycle to get around Puerto Morelos. You can explore both areas this way at a nice leisurely pace. You will see many people travelling the corridor by bike. Its fast, handy and you can ride on the sidewalks here!
Bus or Colectivo
A really inexpensive way to explore both areas of PM is by colectivo. These are white vans, clearly marked and mostly used by locals. They travel up and down the corridor between and around the two areas all day long. You can catch the colectivo in the beach town right across from the church. They will travel down the main street picking up other passengers then head up to the colonias. You can simply notify the driver when you would like to get off and he will stop at the next area for you. The drivers are so friendly as are the riders. This will cost you $10 pesos (70 cents CAD).
If you are travelling from the colonias to the beach, there is a colectivo stop at the underpass next to the taxi sitio and white canopies.
Taxi
The taxi’s in Puerto Morelos are numerous, clean and efficient. You will see them everywhere. They are white with a gold stripe down the side. The taxi sitio (rank) at the beach is just down the street from the church, across from the colectivo stop. Taxi sitio’s from the colonias can be found at the Chedraui or at the underpass near the white canopy tents. You will see them lined up there. The drivers have all been friendly and the cost has been $30 pesos ($2.10 CAD). As with anywhere in Mexico, I encourage you to ask the price before you get into the taxi. Its a good habit to get into and will save you money.
Next time you come to Puerto Morelos for a visit, go on a walk-a-bout. Explore the area, there is so much to see and experience here. If you legs get tired, or you simply want a ride, hop on a colectivo or take a taxi.
Most importantly, have a great trip! 🙂
