The best place to snorkel along the coast is Puerto Morales about 20km north of Playa del Carmen. The coral reef comes about 1/2 mile from shore and is 100 feet wide. The area is a protected marine reserve and you need go out with a guide. We took a taxi up there, he even waited for us and we went out with the local cooperataive. There were 5 of us on the boat with 2 guides. It is one of the most amazing things I have ever done. The water is crystal clear and we saw every type and color of plant imaginable. We also saw a Barracuda, little one, a lobster, a ray, a live conch and tropical fish in every color of the rainbow. You swim along in another world like 20,000 leagues under the sea and then pop up to see where everyone else is and it is a shock, it is just life jackets and snorkels floating on the surface. They don´t allow diving and everyone is required to wear a life jacket to keep from touching the reef. It does make it easier to snorkel when you don´t have to blow out the tube. We came back to town and had lunch at a place called 1847 good fresh strawberry margueritas and of course Mexican food. In the evening we walked along 5th street and listened to Marichi bands.

Wed Feb 18
Today we took the ADO bus up to Cancun, (they run every 10 minutes) just to see what it was like and hoped to go to the bullfight. We both agree that Cancun has absolutely no redeeming features, and the bullfight wasn´t on this week. The hotel zone is several miles from downtown and we didn´t go out there. We were back in Playa by early afternoon so after dealing with the hotel move went down to the beach and went for a little swim. Our new hotel is actually much nicer than the first one. It is at 22nd and 10th. Hotel Paradise.