(see the shopping page for grocery, liquor, etc.)

Money:

Only a few places in Puerto Morelos take credit cards. Martins' (the grocery store) now accepts cards. With the surcharges that most credit cards charge for foreign transactions, we avoid credit cards. Getting cash from cash machines has always worked well for us, and gives the best exchange rate. There is a cash machine at the airport, on the right just after you go through customs. There is also a cash machine in front of the grocery store in town. The cash machine next door at Ojo de Agua has a $20 peso service charge. There is another one out on the highway. The banks in Cancun and Playa del Carmen have them too. If you bring travelers checks or dollars there are several places to exchange them in town.

It is always a good idea to let your credit card company know that you are going to be in Mexico so they will not assume your card is stolen and freeze it. This has happened to us a few times, but only with large purchases.  The same goes for your ATM card. Check your limit for withdrawals at the same time. 

The official exchange rate typically runs almost 11 pesos to the dollar. You can use dollars many places, but they exchange at 10:1.

Health tips:

Be sure to use only bottled water for ice, and brushing teeth. You can get more drinking water, from Gabino or Cece for $30 pesos per bottle. The water is located between the last two villas on the right facing the sea.

We wash produce that we don't peal in a solution of water and microbiceda drops (supplied in our unit).

All the restaurants in town use purified drinking water and ice. They wash the veggies in purified water.

Be sure to drink plenty of water and use lots of sunscreen. The tropical sun can burn quite easily even in the shade or on an overcast day. Ease into the sun.

Best local Snorkeling:

The best free snorkeling inside the reef, is straight off Villas Latinas, the second hotel south of us.  You will want to locate Ojo de Aqua (eye of the water). It is the exit of an underground stream probably about 6' in diameter. To find it, line up with the radio tower and the block wall to the north of Villas Latinas, at the point where the wall is adjacent to the building. It might be 100 yds out. Say hi to the giant Jew fish that lives in there. He is a little skittish, but wanders out from time to time.

Then go out further 25-50 yards and slightly to the south. there are large coral heads there - some are very close to the surface. You can get a fix on them by lining up the radio tower over the center of the northern most Villas Latina building. From the south line up the lighthouse with the palapa on the beach. If you look closely you will find Moray Eels in some corals. The barracuda are pretty big, but don't bother you. I have seen turtles and rays in this area before.

We noticed a huge number of old conch shells dumped on the sea floor straight out from Playasol along the swim buoy line. Probably from the old days when they were over-harvested.

Internet

The wireless for Playasol is new and the bugs are still being worked out.  Some guests have said it works great. I think it depends on your computer. Our son's Macbook worked well. If you are having trouble try it from the palapa just beachside of the pool The internet cafes in town are a fun, local activity and inexpensive as well.

Yucatan Food:

Here are some links on Yucatan food. It is quite different than what you might think of as Mexican food. The only place in PM that has authentic Yucatan food is Tios, around the corner from Martin's market.    http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/recipes/puebla/kgyucatanindex.html

https://www.mexicanmercados.com/food/states/yucatan.htm