Puerto Morelos, Q.R. — With a minimum investment of 300,000 peso, Puerto Morelos will be the first port-of-call terminal for cruise ships in the state.
The announcement came from Alicia Concepción Ricalde Magaña, director of la Administración Portuaria Integral de Quintana Roo (Apiqroo) who says that starting in November, the town of Puerto Morelos will become a port-of-call for passing cruise ships and not a home port.
During the presentation of her report at the Maritime Terminal of Punta Sam, she stressed that the arrival of both national and international vessels to the eleventh municipality will detonate a multi-purpose port since cargo and passengers can be handled in simultaneous operations under all measures of protection and security.
“Come to Puerto Morelos, as a new destination for the arrival of large vessels. Le Ponant and Vidanta Cruise lines have already scheduled arrivals for November 2019,” she said adding that “arrivals at the maritime terminal are beneficial due to its proximity with archaeological zones, to the Cenotes Route and to the International Airport from Cancun. The arrival of cruise ships will detonate a multi-purpose port,” she said.
She added that the cruise ships will arrive on the mornings of Thursdays and Saturdays when passengers will disembark and return to their ships at mid-afternoon or night to continue on their route.
“It is not competition for hotels since we are transit, as they arrive in Cozumel and Mahahual. They do end their journey in Puerto Morelos. It is a route that will travel throughout the Yucatan Peninsula, a route where tourists walk the Mayan Route,” she reported.
On the opening of a home port, Ricalde Magaña clarified that no such project is being contemplated in the state, explaining that there will be no problem to integrate the arrival of ships to Puerto Morelos because it will bring a different segment of cruise ship travelers, which are mature tourism that seeks tranquility.
Alicia Ricalde added that the state government has donated 350 hectares of land adjacent to the Zaragoza Canal to detonate and attract nautical tourism. She says that there will eventually be development in that area of two marinas, one in Mahahual and the other in Xcalak, that will include a crossing to Belize from the Mexican Caribbean.