Puerto Morelos attracts visitors who seek seaside relaxation without crowds and high prices. The town has a few hotels and a few restaurants. For outdoor recreation, there are two dive shops and plenty of recreational boats for fishing or snorkeling. Try Dive In Puerto Morelos (www.diveinpuertomorelos.com) at Av. Rojo Gómez 14. On the main square, Alma Libre (tel. 998/871-0713; www.almalibrebooks.com) sells more English-language books than any other in the Yucatán. The owners, a couple of Canadians named Joanne and Rob Birce, stock everything from volumes on Maya culture to English classics to maps of the region. The store is open October through the first week in June, Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 3pm and 6 to 9pm.
The reef directly offshore is very shallow and protected by law. Snorkelers are required to wear life vests to prevent them from diving down to the reef. I'm unaccustomed to snorkeling in a vest and found it bothersome, but it didn't prevent me from getting a close look at the reef, which is quite shallow -- 3m (10 ft.) at its deepest, rising to within a foot of the surface. In a short time, I spotted four different eels and sea snakes, lots of fish, and a ray.
