Beach 12 km southeast of Cozumel
A wide, wind-swept beach on Cozumel's open east coast, with big waves, limestone outcrops and a beach restaurant.
Punta Morena is one of the best-known beaches on Cozumel's east coast, a few minutes south of where the cross-island road reaches the shore near the tiny settlement of Mezcalitos. This side of the island faces the open Caribbean and the trade winds, and it feels completely different from the calm, built-up west coast.
The beach is wide and sandy, broken by ledges and outcrops of limestone, with the surf breaking on the reef offshore and rolling in hard onto the sand. The scenery is the reason to come: long views up and down an empty coast, dunes, and the color of the water over the reef. A beach restaurant offers food, drinks and shade.
Like the rest of the east coast, Punta Morena is beautiful but rough, with strong currents and waves on most days, so it is a place to walk, sit and watch the sea rather than to swim, unless conditions are clearly calm. Sea turtles nest on beaches along this coast in season, so leave marked nests alone and avoid lights on the sand at night.
What to see and do
Walk the wide beach and the limestone outcrops along the shore.
Watch the surf roll in from the open Caribbean.
Have lunch or a drink at the beach restaurant.
Swim only on clearly calm days, and stay close to shore.
Getting there
Punta Morena is about 25 minutes from San Miguel: take the cross-island road east to the coast and turn right (south) along the coastal road for a few minutes. Go by rental car, scooter or taxi.
12 km southeast of Cozumel
Directions from Cozumel on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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Places to stay in Punta Morena
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Tours & activities
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Weather warm
Punta Morena shares the climate of Cozumel, 12 km away. The best months to visit are Feb, Mar, Apr, May.
Make Cozumel your base
Punta Morena is an easy trip from Cozumel, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
More around Cozumel
-
San Gervasio
· Archaeological site · 8 km away
Cozumel's main Maya site, a pilgrimage center for the goddess Ixchel, with small temples linked by white roads in the forest. -
Chankanaab
· Nature reserve · 9 km away
A park on the west coast with a reef for easy snorkeling from shore, a lagoon linked to the sea, and botanical gardens. -
Chen Río
· Beach · 13 km away
A sheltered cove on the wild east coast, where rocks calm the open sea enough to swim; a good stop on a drive around the island. -
El Cedral
· Town · 15 km away
The village where Cozumel was resettled in 1848; its Santa Cruz fair, around May 3, is the island's biggest traditional festival. -
Palancar Reef
· Nature reserve · 17 km away
Cozumel's most famous reef, off the island's southwest coast: coral towers, tunnels and drop-offs for divers and snorkelers. -
El Mirador
· Viewpoint · 19 km away
A rocky lookout on the wild southeast coast, with a natural arch carved by the waves, tide pools and big surf. -
Punta Sur
· Nature reserve · 25 km away
An eco park at the island's southern tip: the Celarain lighthouse, a lagoon with crocodiles and birds, and quiet beaches with reef.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.