A Trip to Puerto Morelos

I was lucky enough to spend the past week in paradise- that is Puerto Morelos, Mexico.  Only 20 minutes from Cancun, but removed from the strip lies a sleepy fishing town.

Pristine beaches and turquoise waters welcome people into the town.  I walked along the beach from my hotel (the walk was under an hour) and was taken in by the most gorgeous waters ever.

The most iconic part of the town is the leaning lighthouse.  The edifice was tilted by Hurricane Beulah in 1967, and it remains lopsided.  There’s a new lighthouse nearby, but I love the quirky charm of this one.  The locals joke and say it had too much tequila!

You can see tourists and local children playing on the beach, as well as dozens of fishing, snorkelling and tour boats that cater to the tourists.

Inside the sleepy town lies many hidden gems.  One of my favourites is the bookstore – Alma Libre Books, which is the perfect place to pick up a beach read.

Down the corner is a quaint cafe that is very popular with locals and tourists. You can see many people enjoying a cup of java with a cigar.

Another landmark is the Catholic Church, which was decked out for Navidad.

But one of the most famous places in town is without a doubt, the Pelicanos Bar.

The bar even has a little dock going out into the ocean.

In town, many stores sell brightly coloured ceramic handicrafts like these geckos.

I picked up this orange ceramic shoe! It was practically made for me, how could I resist?

There are plenty of other shops selling souvenirs like backpacks, shells and cotton blouses that feature the most gorgeous embroidery.

These purses and change purses are made of old wrappers.

Before leaving the town, I had to get a bit of ice cream, since my hotel only had ice cream with dinner, and it’s a must on steamy summer days!

Inside the plaza was one shop with a ton of leather sandals and handbags.  They were beautifully made and featured intricate Mexican designs.

I ended up buying the blue and beige one on the very left!

The front features a beautiful Mayan pyramid design, as well as a chunky strap.

But the back features a gorgeous Mayan calendar imprinted into the leather.

The store owner, Vicente Moreno, said the bag was made by hand by his family.  You can find his store in the Plaza D’Cesar in Puerto Morelos.

I styled the bag with a flirty floral romper.

Another accessory I picked up in town is this gorgeous hand-beaded flower bracelet. To think this intricate piece was done by hand boggles my mind!

A trip to Mexico wouldn’t be complete without a Mariachi, and this harp-playing caballero in white was happy to play a tune for us!

I will never forget those turquoise waters (that matched my dress), and I can’t wait till I visit again!