At the end of January, I was fortunate enough to be invited by James down to Ceiba Del Mar Beach and Spa Resort in Puerto Morelos, Mexico. It was a very last minute trip, but who was I to say no to a trip down south in the dead of winter? Work was hastily wrapped up and the bags were packed quickly.
We arrived at the resort and grabbed a quick bite to eat. This was actually a press trip for James, but we had a free day when we got there, so we grabbed a quick bite to eat, settled into our room, and went off into town to check it out.
Mexico is getting a lot of bad press lately for all the border disputes, gang and drug-related violence, and even the one-off explosion at a resort a little while back. Although these incidents were pretty localized in small areas in the country, the entire country is feeling the effects, even in areas completely unrelated and geographically far from all those issues. Puerto Morelos was no exception. Just a small, quiet fishing town, it was evident that the locals were a bit down on their luck and struggling, despite being located on one of the most peaceful, prestine pieces of beach front in the tropics.
Puerto Morelos itself, located between Cancun and Playa del Carmen, is quaint, but full of life. In the town market, merchants sell local wares, ranging from homemade wrestling masks to tobacco products, clothing and perfume. The town square leads out into its main pier and beach where fisherman tie off their boats after a morning of bringing in their daily haul. The locals are often found hanging out around here; relaxing with a bit of music or just sitting back and chatting.
The one major landmark is the historic lighthouse, tilted over in 1967 by Hurricane Beulah. It was replaced with a more modern one, but remains along the beach front, having withstood other hurricanes since then as well.
