11 Great Things to do with Kids in Puerto Morelos, Mexico
Activities for families in and around our personal favorite of the Mayan Riviera towns
The Riviera Maya (Mayan Riviera) is famous for its white sand beaches, beautiful blue warm waters. With the second longest coral reef system in the world, its loved by divers and snorkelers. While many families travel to Mexico’s Yucatan and stay in or around their resort , there is so much more to see and do down the coast and inland, including some of the finest archaeological sites in the Americas.
We rented a car from the Cancun airport, traversing the Riviera Maya from Cancun all the way to Tulum and explored inland through the intense jungle through the lovely town of Valladolid out to Wonder of the World Chichen Itza. Of all the Riviera towns and islands we visited, Puerto Morelos was our favorite and is where we’ll be staying when we return. It is the least developed part of the Mayan Riviera, remaining a small, relaxed beach town and fishing village. About 30 minutes south of Cancun, we really loved the laid back vibe here and found tons to do with our very busy kiddos.
In this post we outline our favorites - we think there’s at least something here for every member of the family! If you’re hungry for more, don’t miss the links at the end of the article for even more things to do within 30 minutes to a couple hours’ drive from Puerto Morelos!
💦Check out the stunning Cenotes!
Cenote Tula
Cenotes are natural limestone pools, sometimes in the open and sometimes in caves; pronounced “seh-no-tays”. They often have spectacularly clear water, allowing you to see the bottom easily. They can be found all across the Yucatan peninsula, including many near Puerto Morelos. In our opinion, cenotes are a “must do” for any traveler to the Riviera Maya, but we’ve found that not all cenotes are great for all kids. Some good options for families near Puerto Morelos include:
Cenote Sol y Luna (closer to town)
Cenote Tula (closer to town)
Cenote Siete Bocas (further out from town)
Cenote Verde Lucero (further out from town)
…and many more as you head further inland on the Quintana Roo Puerto Morelos-Leona Vicario road - just search ‘cenote’' on Google Maps, and check out reviewers’ photos for ones that suite your family. Every cenote is a new adventure - our kids never got tired of checking out a new one!
Cenote Verde Lucero
Some important things to (ce)note :)
All cenotes we’ve gone to provide life jackets (and require that you use them), so its not necessary that any kiddos be particularly good swimmers.
Bring cash - many cenotes do not take cards.
Know that, depending where you go, there may not be cell signal once there - make sure you have an non-internet-dependent return transportation options :) PS. I’m sure the cenote staff are used to tourists getting stranded without signal for Uber and will help you find a solution - we can go on for days about how kind and gracious Mexico’s people are.
🐚Bask at the beach & out in the waves
There is no need to travel to any particular beach - Puerto Morelos’ beaches are pretty much uniformly warm, shallow, calm, and seaweed-free. Two things worth noting:
‘Private beaches’: While some hotels like to stake out beaches in a way that makes it seem they are private, all beaches are public under Mexican law. Enjoy the sun and surf in whatever spot you like!
Beach toys: You can of course bring your beach/sand toys from home, but many hotels and AirBNBs have toys for guests’ use and the local shops offer a great variety.
Aquanauts offers snorkeling and reef, cenote, and shipwreck diving tours as well as diving lessons/certifications (and even lionfish hunting!) The coral reef is close to shore here for any free-range/self-equipped snorkelers and scuba divers among you!
Also: June to October is turtle breeding season in Puerto Morelos! If you’re lucky early in the season, you’ll see loggerhead, green, and/or hawksbill turtle moms making their way up to dig their nests and lay their eggs on the same beach they came from! Later in the season, you may get to see the babies making their mad dash to the waves (and even help some along the way). Be sure to keep calm and listen to any conservationists’ directions!
🐬Swim with dolphins!
Delphinus (which has a few locations along the coast) in Puerto Morelos offers a few different packages for dolphin experiences, from being in the water with them to riding them and having them push you up out of the water!
While not the cheapest on the pocket book, we can personally vouch that swimming with dolphins remains a “core memory” for our children.
Some important notes:
Don’t put sunscreen, oil, fragrance, or lotion before you go! These can irritate the dolphins’ skin! Just bring your swimsuit, towel, and change of clothes :)
We recommend reserving ahead of time to make sure you have a spot.
🌳Explore the enormous Barrera Marín Botanical Garden
Our kids adore botanical gardens - the paths and bridges and mazes make for great adventure. Puerto Morelos’ botanical garden (Jardín Botanico Dr. Alfredo Barrera Marín) is one of the largest in Mexico at 65 hectares with over a mile of trails and incredible plants from orchids to cacti and traditional Mexican medicinal plants.
The garden is also home to various animals including spider monkeys and coatis, and there is a zoo inside with boas, crocodiles, deer, ocelots, and more inside. Here is an option for tickets ahead of time. the spider monkey and the coati.
🐾Visit well-loved Croco Cun Zoo
Croco Cun Zoo prides itself on protecting the local endangered species and rescued animals. This zoo focuses on interactions - guest can hold a parrot, baby crocodile and snake if they want, and/or feed parrots, turtles, and deer. You’ll also see grown crocs, monkeys, wild cats, and more.
Unlike many zoos, your visit here will be led by a guide - in English and/or Spanish - who is highly knowledgeable and ready to answer any questions you have. The guides seem to all be great with kids to boot (Mexican culture is super kid friendly, so this isn’t actually surprising at all!) There is a nice little cafe for lunch or a snack.
🧺Snag great mementos & gifts out the local market
Puerto Morelos’ market south of the plaza is really something special, with crafts, hammocks, and other local goods that are much better quality and far more affordable than the ones you would find in Cancun or Playa del Carmen (or at the airport heading home!)
Even if you have no intention of buying anything (or no bag space!), our kids still have a great time fun checking out the amazing variety and color on display.
Other posts you may enjoy!
There is so much more to do with kids within 30 minutes to a couple of hours from Puerto Morelos! Check out:
Cancun, just 30-45 minutes north - see our post on to-do’s in Cancun with kids!
Playa del Carmen, just 30-45 minutes south - see our post on activities for kids in Playa!
From Playa, easily catch a ferry over to beautiful Cozumel Island - see our post on things to do with kids in Cozumel!
Tulum is about an hour south - see our post on family activities in and around Tulum
For the truly intrepid (and kids small or grown who think they are Indiana Jones), head inland into the heart of the Yucatan Peninsula’s jungle to discover incredible ruins and the beautiful town of Valladolid - check out our post here!
Keep in mind for getting around the Riviera and inland: Mexico has been building the Maya Train (Tren Maya) for the past few years, and they’re making speedy progress. Soon, visitors will be able to expediently visit all of these spots via the train. For more and updated information, go here.