Puerto Morelos

Four slow Puerto Morelos days on the reef, the faro and cenotes

Spend your first Puerto Morelos day settling in on foot. Start at the Jardín Principal, the plaza in the middle of town, then head to the waterfront and the Faro Inclinado, the tilted lighthouse. Walk the wide beach north or south, where the resorts thin out quickly, and watch the sunset from the pier.

Day two. Go out on the reef early, when the water is calmest. Licensed boats from the beach and pier take snorkellers to shallow coral gardens inside the national marine park, and divers can explore formations at around 12 m, deeper walls and a couple of wrecks. Spend the afternoon in a hammock.

Day three. Drive or take a taxi inland through the archway onto the Ruta de los Cenotes. The road toward Leona Vicario passes signposted turn-offs to open and cave cenotes, some with zip lines and jumping platforms, others no more than a ladder into clear water. Visit two, have lunch at a roadside stop and be back for dinner. On the way, stop at the Jardín Botánico Dr. Alfredo Barrera Marín on Highway 307, where trails lead through native forest past orchids and troops of monkeys (it closes at weekends, so plan this for a weekday).

Day four. Take the Tren Maya south to Playa del Carmen, 28 minutes away, for a change of pace, or carry on to Tulum's clifftop ruins. If it is Saturday, wander the stalls on the plaza when you get back.

Tikin xic, Yucatecan plates and cheap family kitchens in La Colonia

Fish is the thing to order in Puerto Morelos, where fishermen still working from the docks supply the restaurants and sometimes sell direct. Look for tikin xic, whole fish or fillet marinated in achiote and sour orange and grilled, served with tortillas and pickled onions; ceviche, fried snapper and seafood cocktails are on almost every menu.

Maya and Yucatecan dishes fill the rest: cochinita pibil (slow-cooked pork in achiote), panuchos and salbutes (small fried tortillas with toppings) and sopa de lima. El Tío Polo, a tiny spot across from the lighthouse, does inexpensive grilled meats, tortas, soup and Mayan plates. Cantina Habanero on Javier Rojo Gómez serves from breakfast to late, with ribs, steaks and margaritas, and live music most Friday nights.

For the cheapest meals, cross Highway 307 to La Colonia, where small family restaurants feed local workers; stick to dishes cooked to order there. In the village, Casa Martín on the square is the mini-supermarket for picnic supplies.

Timing matters. Most restaurants do not book tables, so either eat before 19:00 or expect a short wait, and Sunday evening is the busiest of the week. Bring cash: card machines are far from universal.

Timing the coast around sargassum, nortes and hurricanes

Puerto Morelos is warm all year, so plan around rain, wind and seaweed. February to April is driest, with March at about 42 mm, and brings the clearest reef water and calmest sea for snorkelling; highs run from 28C in January to 33C in July and August, and nights rarely drop below 18C.

Rain builds from May and peaks between September and October at roughly 185 mm a month. That is the core of the Atlantic hurricane season, which officially runs from June to November. Storms skip some years, yet they can close the port, cancel boat trips and knock out power, as the town's own tilted lighthouse reminds everyone.

Winter has its own quirk. Between November and February, cold fronts from the Gulf called nortes can bring a few days of wind and choppy water, enough to stop reef tours even when the sun is out. Build a spare day into any trip planned around snorkelling.

In recent years the bigger worry has been sargassum, a brown seaweed that drifts in from the Atlantic, typically from spring to late summer, and piles up on Riviera Maya beaches. Some years are bad and others nearly clear. Check recent reports before booking a beach week in that window, and keep the cenotes in mind as a fallback for swimming. December to April balances the weather best, though Christmas and Easter fill the village's limited rooms quickly.