A Real Estate Browse, Puerto Aventuras, Quintana Roo, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Puerto Aventuras. (Aerial Map by Aerozoom.com.mex as displayed outside Puerto Aventuras Properties Real Estate office).

It is not unusual when we travel to randomly visit an open house or real estate sales office to get a feel for the local housing market. We're not serious potential buyers, just curious looky-loos.  This condominium development, Punta Roca (bottom right in the aerial photo above), randomly caught our eye even though they don't have a sandy oceanfront beach but instead, a rocky coral oceanfront. Here's Amy and the realtor on the third floor balcony of the last unit to be sold. It's a two bedroom, 2 1/2 bath, marble floors, high end finishes, all-glass-walls-toward-the-ocean kind of place.  Asking  price $493,000 USD. (Very small bumps on the horizon are cruise ships docked at Cozumel).

Looking the other direction (south). 

A resident relaxing by the pool.

Amy testing out the hammock on one of the ocean-side decks. The next land masses straight out after Cozumel are the Cayman Islands about 400 miles away, and then Jamaica another 250 miles after that.

I don't know why but, I expected Gollum's head to pop-up from a crevice along this path - I also expected to encounter a few Hobbitses....... but alas, no.

Water, Puerto Aventuras, Quintana Roo, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Water, water everywhere - a laughing gull standing in the surf.

Bahia Chan Yu Yum and the lagoon inlet to Bahia Kantenah. Provides beaches for both hotels and condo developments.

Hotel Catalonia Yucatan Beach Resort swimming pool area. It is an all-inclusive resort and since I just wandered in looking around like I do without having the required paid guest wrist band - I was escorted out fairly quickly.  It's a beautiful physical setting - but I was hoping to see the food offerings for their guests, too!  They were more than willing to give me an escorted tour - maybe later.

Secret Waters condo complex side yard - they have this cool artsy water sculpture.

A little bufadora along this rocky part of the coast.

Swimming pool steps at night.

A clear morning sunrise over the sea. It has cooled down to about 70 degrees F this morning.  Brrrr.

The Pelican Whisperer, Puerto Aventuras, Quintana Roo, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

I am at the beach,  it is very late afternoon, this pelican flies by.  He seemed no different than many other pelicans who have flown by.

He circles back and lands at the surf line and pauses, then.......

He hops/flaps over to this man, presumably just another tourist in the late afternoon light - but apparently not.......

They have a lengthy tête-à-tête.  So I presume this man must be - "the pelican whisperer."

And then the pelican flies off into the mounting darkness. I'll never know what was said........perhaps they talked about the beauty of this land, the friendliness of its people, or the warmth of its water and weather.

People, Puerto Aventuras, Quintana Roo, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

The birders have returned from their successful 18-day, 5000 km tour of the Mexican states of Chiapas and Oaxaca.  Three of the four amigos, Jess, Ian, and Luke are swimming, relaxing, and getting in some snorkeling before heading back to the cold northeast winter. Keenan already returned.

And of course, they loved my guacamole - but I had to make a 10 avocado batch to satisfy them.

Visitors to Puerto Aventuras can also interact with dolphins   This woman is being towed through the water by two of them. Although I don't personally support caged animal entertainment like this, at least this company purports to comply with the standards of animal care, training, and interaction times.  It's a mixed result - creating a life-long love of animals can be a by-product of these interactions - always a good thing for the planet.

This woman was lying flat on the water and then pushed by the two dolphins into a standing position.

A grandfather takes a spin in the lagoon but junior seems more interested in the pelicans and gulls.

Jess in silhouette.

Give Amy some soft sand, a towel, and a palapa and she is a happy woman.

But all is not play - she must still spend hours working to meet the demands of keeping the Plymouth Digital Photographers Club (PDP) humming along smoothly.  She may be 1800 miles away but with her team of able assistants back home and a good internet connection abroad, she's all set - and after all, it is a pretty pleasant place to sit and work - with the door open wide and no bugs!

Out and About, Puerto Aventuras, Quintana Roo, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

I've never seen a puppy heel so well - maybe he's scared of the big ocean and just wants to stay close to mommy - he stayed out of the water though, even when mommy went in.

Looking south from the Omni Hotel.

Odd place to take a nap.........I wonder how often it is used?

Many of the fishing, snorkeling, and diving boats are moored here ready for the day's customers.

A catamaran heads out the harbor channel for a morning sail.

Not every beach is brilliant white sand with gently lapping waves. There are some dramatic non-sandy beaches too.

The barstools (and bar) on the right belong to the Omni Hotel. (Click on this panorama for the full size view).

Market Day, Puerto Aventuras, Quintana Roo, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

The main village area of  Puerto Aventuras has many shops and restaurants including a few small convenience stores but - they only stock a very few perishable fruit and vegetable items -  that creates a perfect opportunity to have a twice weekly "farmer's market" set up in a tent by the kiosk. Three men kept the operation humming along efficiently, re-stocking the bins as needed, taking the cash from customers, and hopefully, making good money for themselves and their families selling fresh and  healthful produce to vacationers and residents alike.

The prices posted are per kilo in Mexican pesos. 

Here's most of our haul for the day.  Total cost was $320 pesos (about $25 USD).  That included 12 Hass avocados and two papayas which back home just by themselves would have cost about the full amount. I expect we'll be back here on Saturday - and next Wednesday - and the next Saturday..............now if we could just find a panaderia (bakery) that makes and sells "pan integral"  (whole grain bread) we'd never have to leave.........

Villas del Mar, Puerto Aventuras, Quintana Roo, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Anyplace that has a day that begins with a sunrise like this is my kind of place. Of course the air temperature was already in the high 70's F, and I was out barefoot in shorts and a light shirt (the shirt to hide my skinny white old man body not because it was too cold).  It is pleasant here around the clock. We've been sleeping comfortably every night for over a month with no air conditioning, no fan, only a single thin sheet, and the warm breezes wafting through the open windows.

Since this is our first visit here, I don't really know what "normal" looks like but, from our 2nd floor balcony, there are not many people out and about at the pools or beach at any one time. Amy found this place on Vacation Rentals By Owner (VRBO) and made arrangements directly with the owner in Colorado.  As I've said before, I am not affiliated with VRBO but we have used the online site many times quite successfully.  This property is VRBO # 161199.   It is beautifully and comfortably furnished, perfectly located within easy walking distance of shops, restaurants, the beach, tennis, golf, marina, hotel, and other aquatic or land activities. Wednesdays and Saturdays there is also a fresh fruit and vegetable market by the village kiosk.  I'll write more about that market in tomorrow's blog post. VRBO is another example of the wonder of the internet age - I can access millions of properties all over the world whose owners are looking for someone just like me to rent their place for a few days or weeks.

Condo building reflections in the pool.

And as the day's shadows lengthen, looking towards the ocean also from our balcony, it's still warm, peaceful, and wonderful. Anywhere that stays between 75 -85 degrees Fahrenheit is my kind of place. 

This is the Caribbean beach at Villas del Mar. Click on the panorama to view in full width.  

Heading South, Puerto Aventuras, Quintana Roo, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Puerto Aventuras is a beach, golf, marina and residential resort community located about 60 miles south of Cancun, Mexico, on the Caribbean coast, otherwise known as Riviera Maya. During the Northern Hemisphere winter the weather is warm and sunny (air temp 75 to 85 F day and night) and the Caribbean waters are clear and warm (around 80 F). This will be home for the next four weeks. It is an ideal location from which to visit the archaeological sites at Tulúm and/or Cobá, the island of Cozumel, and the vibrant beach town of  Playa del Carmen.


View Puerto Aventuras in a larger map



View Puerto Aventuras in a larger map

Goodbye, Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

It is time to say goodbye to Puerto Morelos.  We have been here for a wonderful month.  The weather was warm and sunny every day, I don't think it ever went below 75 F nor above 85 F day or night, a few showers here and there, always a breeze, and friendly people, both residents and tourists alike. Plenty to do or nothing to do - your choice. We are heading south about 60 miles to a different place called Puerto Aventuras. Hopefully, I will do some more blog posts from there.  ¡Hasta luego! Here's a final walk about on our last day.........

Sunrise at the public beach access.

A storm rolled through briefly after sunrise.  Not too many folks were out walking.  I had to seek refuge for a half hour when the skies opened up. Palapas are made to keep the sun off, but they leak too much during a downpour to serve as a rain umbrella. 

We stopped and checked-out this beachfront condo development - maybe for a future visit?

The town pier had the usual range of activities - fishing, snorkeling, wandering.

This fisherman is trying to convince the visiting cormorant that he is not going to give away his catch.

This is a regular sight all along the beach and pier - the fruit man selling cups of fruit - sticks of papaya, jicama, coconut, cucumber, etc.

This band was playing Beatles music at the entrance to the pier.

The Unico beachfront bar on the sand is always hoppin' with natives and gringos alike. Beer drinking on the beach seems to be legal here - or not enforced - folks have beers at any and all times of the day in glass or cans.

And speaking of beer, we stopped for Amy's last beer on the beach - note her faint reflection in the sunglasses.

A sunset sailor caps another beautiful day here. ¡Adios! Puerto Morelos.