Puerto Morelos Services -
We are providing this list of local services for
your convenience. If you patronize any of these businesses, please tell them you
heard about them on the Alma Libre Bookstore website. It makes us more popular
around town. ATM (ABM-Cashpoint-Bank Machine) -
Best to use bank-affiliated machines as they have the lowest fees. There are
several on the square including a
Santander machine by the police station and a Banco Norte in the OXXO.
There are two bank-affiliated machines in the new Chedraui
supermarket and a CI Banco machine just outside the grocery store. We
find the CI Banco machine has the lowest fees and is safe. There is
another machine at the Bancomer in Super Aki Plaza. There are two
independent machines on the square, two at the mall and one in Aquanauts Dive
Adventures. The
independents have higher fees.
There have been some skimming
incidents in Puerto Morelos, so please examine the machine carefully for
any tampering before using and watch your account afterward. We have not
had any recent events. Chip cards have improved this situation
drastically.
Bank - Puerto Morelos has no bank
in the main part of town. Your best
bet is the bank machine. There is a new CI Banco bank at the
Chedraui on the highway and a Bancomer at Super Aki Plaza.
Bike Rental - The Puerto Morelos
Travel Agency has a tiny office around the corner west of the bookstore. They
rent bikes by the hour, day, week or month. There are also bikes available at
DiversPoint, La Bici Roja on Ninos
Heroes,
website here and
Puerto Morelos Green Bikes,
website here.
Bookstore - There are precious few
bookstores in the Yucatan, so Alma Libre Bookstore is a
rare find. We could probably sell more books if we were in Playa del Carmen or
Cancun...but then we couldn't live in Puerto Morelos! We have 20,000 books
including new books on the area, the Maya and the birds and fish...plus lots of
used fiction and nonfiction books. Maps & postcards & art & gourmet
items too!
Botanical Garden Ya'ax Che - Located on the
south entrance to Puerto Morelos. Open daily at 8:00. Admission charge is around
120 pesos.
More info here.
Catering -
Chef Miguel
co-owner of Hola Asia restaurant will provide meals to your place in Puerto
Morelos or Playa Secreto. He also offers cooking classes in your place.
Click here for more
information. Richard of
Mi
Cocina does catering, as does Anthony at La
Sirena.
Cooking Schools - How better to
bring a little of Mexico home with you than to learn to make some of the
fantastic food you find here? The Little Mexican Cooking School offers classes
two days a week right in Puerto Morelos. Learn some new cooking skills, and then eat
the results. You can book online through their
website.
Chef Miguel
co-owner of Hola Asia restaurant will also teach classes in your home or
condo. Contact him through his
website.
Dentist - Dr. Carlos Escalante has
an office just west of the square. 998-206-9157 NEXTEL 185-2583
Website Here. We've used him ourselves and would recommend him. He speaks
excellent English. People have also recommended Dr Georgina Reyes Herrera,
office in the Colonia 998-251-7595/998-169-3559
Diving - We love to snorkel, but
diving is the best way to go meet the fish. We are lucky to have several good
shops right in town to serve you. If you are staying at a resort, skip their
dive shop and use one of the ones in town, you will save a plethora of pesos.
Doctors - We have a good doctor in Puerto
Morelos and a medical clinic. The doctor will make house calls.
Dr
Doctor Veronica Serrato Quezada
Office 998-253-4118 Cell 998-147-7034 (Cell
24/7)
Monday to Friday from 1pm to 6pm, Saturday
from 2pm till 7pm. |
Office 998-253-4118 Cell
998-147-7034 |
Medical
Clinic (Office in Pescadores just east of the highway - See map) |
998-251-1478 / 998-201-2456 |
Dr.
Benjamin De la Vega |
998-285-9186 / Cel:
998-165-9955 |
Fashion - Check out
Sofia's Fashions on the square toward the beach from the bookstore
for unique creations you will only find there. Open Tuesday-Saturday 9
am-6:30 pm, Sunday 9 am-1 pm.
Fishing - We always recommend
Kathy Loretta of
Puerto Morelos Fishing. She has the best boats and crew. Daytime phone
998-848-8819. Evening phone 998-206-9206. Cell Phone 998-201-9805. She speaks
English and Spanish. Alternatively you can go down to the dock and talk to one
of the captains there or arrange something through one of the dive shops. You
can also arrange snorkeling this way.
Golf
- I've never had the bug, but I know there are some of you who need to
swing the wrenches even on vacation. Here are a few courses near PoMo.
- Mayan Palace golf course.
Closest to PoMo (14kms), just south of town near Playa Secreto.
Website.
- Iberostar golf course. Just
a little further south.
More info.
- Mayakoba El Camaleón Golf Club.
About 22 kms south, this course, designed by Greg Norman, hosts an
annual PGA tournament.
Website.
Grocery Store - Puerto Morelos now
has a real, live grocery store. Chedraui opened in late 2014. It has everything
you would expect to find in a small supermarket, including baked goods, hardware
items and liquor. There is also another store a little further north on the same
road called Super Aki. Aside from a few beautiful beer sales, there is nothing
you can find at Aki that you can't find at Chedraui, so if you only go one
place, go there. On the port side of Puerto Morelos, Casa Martin on the north side of the
square has the basics including produce, eggs, bread, snacks & alcohol. There
are an abundance of small "Supers" (convenience stores) all over town, most with
beer. There is also an OXXO convenience store on the south west end of
the square and another at the entrance to town. Alma Libre Books & Gifts has a selection of locally made gourmet
items, coffee, honey, chocolate and more.
Chulim, which has two produce
stores in the Colonia, recently opened a new one on Ninos Heroes across
from the Tejones Park near the Cultural Centre. Fresh produce, juice,
eggs and other staples available. They open early at 7am.
The Wednesday morning Produce Market by the Church and the many
produce trucks that roll through town will keep you in fruits and vegetables.
The fish co-operative on the square has the best and freshest fish anywhere.
Mariscos del Puerto on Av. Ninos
Heroes has frozen fish, shrimp and steak. They are open Monday-Friday 9-5 and
Saturday/Sunday 9-3. A bakery truck rolls through town every
evening at dusk with baked treats. For more
grocery selection, Playa
del Carmen and Cancun both have Sam's Club, Chredaui, Mega, Wal-Mart and
Soriana. Cancun also has Costco.
There are 2 very good produce markets located in the Colonia.
These markets specialize in fresh fruit and vegetables. We especially like the
fresh squeezed orange juice for around $15 pesos/litre. (look in the big white cooler
for a variety of juices.) They also have fresh meats, chicken, pork and other
items next door. You never know quite what you are going to find, so they are definitely
worth checking out. The first store is located 3 blocks behind the Pemex, on
the corner of the road that runs beside the Pemex and the wide street. The
second location is one or two blocks further west (toward Villas Morelos). If
you ask the bus or taxi driver to take you to Chulim, they will be able to help
you find them. There are a couple of larger grocery stores there too. See our
Puerto Morelos map for exact locations.
Handicrafts -
For sure you should check out the Mayan Handicraft Centre
located around the corner from the bookstore on the main road, across
from Spaghettino restaurant. Mauricio's hammocks are located there among
other shops. There are also many places around the square and Tesoros
Mayas just south of OXXO on the square. Also check out our selection in
our gift section at the bookstore.
Hardware - There are a couple of
stores on the highway, I have had the best
luck with the new one on the west side, a few blocks past the Pemex. There are a
couple more in the colonia. You need to know how to ask for what you want as the
products are behind the counter. Prepare to act out what you want. Cancun has a Home Depot which is surprisingly
well equipped and features some of the worst and loudest in-store music you will
ever hear.
Internet - Stay in touch with
loved ones...or just rub it in that you are in paradise and they are not! There
is one internet cafe in town, beside the OXXO on the square and there is also free WiFi with purchase at several restaurants.
Mail - The Mexican postal system
leaves much to be desired. It is not quick, but reasonably accurate. Good for
sending postcards. Not good for sending vital time-sensitive materials. For that
we have fax, email and FedEx. Lovely Puerto Morelos postcards are available at Alma Libre
Bookstore. Stamps are available at the grocery store on the square. Best to mail
them at the airport, or if you buy your postcards from us and stamp 'em, we will
post them.
Money Exchange - We only have one
in town and it handles cash only. Exchange rate is posted above the window.
Located in the mall on the north side of the square. They will not cash
traveler's cheques. If you are changing US dough, you need to show your
passport. It's not their policy, it is federal law. Count your change. These
folks are notorious for short-changing.
Newspaper - The local English
newspaper is the "USA Today Cancun Edition" which comes out daily. It
is available at several locations around town including the grocery store. As an
alternative, pick up one of the local Spanish language dailies. Some of them are
quite outrageous and have lots of pictures, some of them quite tasteless. In Playa del Carmen and Cancun you
will be able to find other papers like the New York Times.
Perito Traductora - The Mexican
government may require you to have officially translated documents if you are
applying for visas etc. You can't just have anyone translate the documents for
you, they must be approved by the state. Catherine Gray from Felipe
Carrillo Puerto is now an official translator for English/Spanish or
Spanish/English. Costs for this service depend on the work, but her rates are
lower than can be found in Cancun or Playa del Carmen. Contact us for her
contact information.
Rental Accommodations -
See our list
Restaurants -
See our list or
download a copy to take with you
Snorkeling - Our main attraction
in Puerto Morelos is our Federally protected healthy reef which attracts
thousands of fish, creatures and plant life. There are a variety of ways to book
a snorkel trip, the easiest is just to head sown to the dock and catch the
next boat going out. It's a quick boat ride to the reef and they should take you
to two different locations. Cost is about 25 USD or peso equivilent, which includes Park
admission. Make sure you receive a wrist band. The money from the sale of the
band goes to protect the reef. All the guides are trained. If the guide "Charlie Brown" is
available, go with him. He's a special guy. You can also arrange a trip through one of the Dive Shops
or with Diving
Dog Tours.
Spanish Lessons - The wonderful
Casa de la Cultura now offers lessons in Espanol Mondays and Wednesdays from
6:00-7:00. A little Spanish goes a long way here. Give it a try! For private or
semi-private classes, try Marilu and Victor. I don't want to publish
their email address here because of spam, so write to us and we'll send it to
you. They get excellent reviews and teach all levels.
Spa Services - Your hotel will
have all kinds of spa services, but for a real local experience, try the Jungle
Spa. Skilled local Mayan women will treat you at a price that is much, much
lower than your hotel. Full treatments are offered Tuesday through Saturday,
limited appointements on Sunday during the season.
Appointments can be arranged other times. Spa is easy to reach by taxi or car.
Website Here.
Map to the spa here.
Martina who lives in Puerto Morelos
offers Massage, Body, Facial and Esthetic Treatments. She will come to you.
Contact her through her
website.
Manicures and pedicures
can be booked at Aquarius, on Avenue Ninos Heros north of the square. The staff does not
speak English, but they are very kind and welcome visitors. You can also get
this service from Carmen in the Colonia. Her shop is called "Glamour", it is on
our Puerto Morelos map.
Telephone -
To call locally or back home, your best bet is to get a Ladatel Telmex
card and use it in one of the many silver payphones around town. Local calls are
about a peso a minute and long distance to the US or Canada is about 5 pesos a
minute. The cards never expire. There are a variety of discount calling cards
available, but we have never had any luck with them.
More info here
Tours - Former Puerto Morelos
shrimp taco magnate Eric is now designing and conducting tours of our area.
Small groups ensure a better experience than your hotel can offer. Reviews are
very good. Website
Here. The travel agency also books tours.
Travel Agency - Located around the
corner from Cafe de Amancia. Offers tours plus car and bike rentals.
Website
Here. Be aware that there are "fake" travel agencies that are just fronts
for time share sales. You can save big money on tickets, but you will have to go
to a presentation, usually three hours.
X-Rays - A company will
come to you and give you an x-ray using portable equipment. We have not
used this service. 998-937-0280 or 984-876-2415.
Yoga
– Lots of options for yoga in Puerto Morelos
-
Mina Wigueras
has yoga classes on the beach three times a week, Monday, Wednesday
and Friday at 8:15 am. Meet up in front of PlayaSol. 50 pesos.
-
During the season there is yoga at Abbey del Sol, Tuesday,
Thursday and Saturday at 8:15
-
Melissa has yoga classes, contact her through her
Facebook page.
-
Casa Om – Contact them through their
webpage.
-
Coco does
advanced yoga
Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7:00 am in the gazebo on the square.
Contact her through her
webpage.
Zoo -
Crococun
is just north of town on the east side of the highway. Kids will love it...and
adults will too. Telephone: 998-850-3719
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