The
peaceful town of Puerto Morelos in the state of Quintana Roo is
located in one of the most beautiful areas of the Mexican Caribbean,
where the lush vegetation devours the roads and hundreds of birds fly
across the blue sky.
This
small port is ideal for those looking for a place to enjoy the wonders
of nature, as well as the beach and sun.
The
whole time we were in Puerto Morelos, we would get up at sunrise and
take a 5 km walk on a solitary white sand beach, where we would just
lay down and sunbathe or take a dip in the ocean.
Several hundred meters from the beach there is a white line in the
water caused by waves that break in the shallowest part of the reef,
which forms a beautiful natural pool.
We
spent one of our first days in this peaceful place enjoying the warm
and blue waters of the Caribbean Sea, and after sundown rode our bikes
towards the town of Puerto Morelos on a rural sand road bordered by
thick mangles. We sat on a bench in the park from where we could see
the moon’s reflection on the sea, and began chatting with some local
boys, who told us a bit about the town’s history.
The
first settlers arrived in Puerto Morelos at the end of the 19th
century. The place had ideal conditions to build a port, which could
be used to ship the region’s main products, including gum from the
chicle tree and wood from the tinte tree. Back then people
only fished for their own consumption; however, when logging declined
the people of Puerto Morelos became totally involved in fishing,
hunting, and commerce. Puerto Morelos’ economic and population growth
was mainly caused by the development of Cancún in the late 1970’s;
today it has almost 4,000 inhabitants.
Another day we went to a dive shop near the dock and took a boat to
Puerto Morelos’ reef (a national park), which is between 200 and 400
meters from the coastline. As soon as we touched the water we got
excited just because we knew we were near the reef. In our opinion
nobody should miss the experience of penetrating this fascinating,
silent, and colorful world. We saw many fish, seaweeds, sponges, and
corals of all shapes and colors in different parts of the reef.
Our
guide told us that the reef of Puerto Morelos has very important
marine habitats, including prairies of marine grass and coral reefs.
These fragile areas have a high ecological value, since they are the
habitat of thousands of plant, fish, and invertebrate species, some of
which use the reef to reproduce, feed, and raise their young. In
addition, several endangered species live there, including cuerno
de alce and cuerno de venado corals, and green, white, and
carey turtles.
The
reef has recovered quite well after it was heavily hit by hurricane
Gilbert in 1988.
Afterwards, we decided to make a visit to the botanical garden, which
is only 3 km from Puerto Morelos on the Cancún-Tulum highway. We took
a walk there and saw the region’s typical vegetation, in addition to a
very important collection of orchids, cacti, and bromeliads. Several
biologists here are trying to help recuperate and learn about Mayan
herbal medicine.
Puerto Morelos is bordered by impressive mangroves separated by a
lagoon to the north, west, and south. An interesting characteristic
about mangles is that their roots filter salt and the remainder is
discarded by leaves, which allow them to live in saltwater. Aside from
being the habitat of many animal and plant species, mangroves protect
coastal communities from storms and hurricanes, stop erosion, and
filter pollutants.
This
incredible ecosystem is almost in a pristine state, and there you can
find many species of insects, crabs, mammals (foxes, raccoons,
badgers, aardvarks, porcupines), reptiles (snakes, iguanas, caimans),
and birds (spoonbills, herons, fish eagles, owls, woodpeckers,
kingfishers). In many places mangroves are destroyed by humans, but in
Puerto Morelos the community is genuinely interested in conserving
them, since they are one of the few places in Quintana Roo that are
still in good condition.
It
is interesting to mention that about 60% of the people in Puerto
Morelos make a living from the coral reef. Although fishermen get most
of their catch outside the reef, many species they fish are heavily
dependent on the reef, including lobsters, sea snails, sea bass, and
porgies. The community became highly aware of the reef’s importance
and worked hard to establish the national park in order to ensure its
conservation and proper management.
Puerto Morelos is also a good place to learn about Mayan traditions;
many ecotours that show the lifestyle of locals start their tours
here. Furthermore, Puerto Morelos is an ideal place to relax and
meditate. After visiting it you will go back to your daily routine
with a renewed spirit and eagerness to come back as soon as possible
to this incredibly peaceful place.
IF
YOU GO TO PUERTO MORELOS
Puerto Morelos is 21 km from Cancún on federal highway 207 that goes
to Tulum. There is a ferry that takes people and cars to Cozumel
island in about 90 minutes. The hottest months are July and August
with average temperatures of 28.9°C and 29.6°C, respectively. January
and February are the coldest months with an average temperature of
24.5°C.
Source:
México desconocido # 273 /
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