Puerto Morelos

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Puerto Morelos is a town in Quintana Roo, Mexico's easternmost state, on the Yucatán Peninsula.

The Beach at Puerto Morelos in Feb. 2007.

There are two parts to Puerto Morelos, the original coastal fishing village is now a laid-back, mixed use neighborhood of private homes, hotels, condominiums, restaurants, and tourist shops. The second part about 2 km. inland and adjacent to Highway 307, on the western side. The inland portion is mainly single level dwellings for the local workers.

Puerto Morelos stands in the north-east of the state, about 36 km south of the resort city of Cancún. It has historically been the main port between the mainland of Yucatán and the Island of Cozumel, and an automobile ferry used to run from Puerto Morelos to Cozumel. The town is named after Independence leader José María Morelos.

Puerto Morelos has grown rapidly with the development of tourism and as of 2003 is estimated to be the home to some 2,000 people. Resorts are abundant in the Puerto Morelos region along the Riviera Maya, and attractions such as the Crococun Crocodile Zoo are also increasing in number.

One hundred meters off shore lies the Puerto Morelos portion of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, designated as a National Marine Park due to local environmental activists.

The Original Lighthouse at Puerto Morelos in Feb. 2007. In 1967 the structure was tilted over in Hurricane Beulah. It has since survived Hurricanes Gilbert in 1987 and Wilma in 2005, but has not been knocked down. The new light house replacing this one is visible in the background.