Whenever we hear the word coral, we think of a kind of living wall made of immobile marine species in which they live, feed or serve as protection for other animals from the marine world.

If you want to see one with your own eyes, we recommend that you take a look at the recommended sites in Mexico for snorkeling, scuba diving or simply to know their geographic location.

Coral reefs in Mexico

Thanks to the Mexican Government’s official page about the country’s biodiversity, we can have a quite detailed description of what a coral is, ”a marine community of shallow waters near the coast, dominated by coral communities and rocky structures, with a great diversity of species of algae, invertebrates and fish”.

We can also discover that there are different species of corals, which are coralline, rocky, mixed or artificial. Within the coral reefs there are different types, such as coastal reefs, barrier reefs, platform reefs and atolls.

Continuing with the rocky reefs, these are usually formed by rocks that help the survival of different kinds of marine species. These, unlike the former, are usually farther away from the coast.

Artificial reefs, despite what one might think, serve as a great help to marine biodiversity, since even though they have not formed naturally, they perform the same functions as other corals.

Within the country, there are three main places where the coveted reefs can be found: in the Gulf of Mexico, in the Caribbean and in the Pacific.

Within these we will highlight, first, the flora and fauna protection area of the Lobos-Tuxpan Reef System, followed by the Sian Ka’an Reef Biosphere Reserve, and lastly, the Bay of La Paz.

Reefs in Veracruz

They are located in the Gulf of Mexico, like other reefs such as the Campeche Bank or the Alacranes Reef National Park. The Veracruz Reef has been a protected area since 1992 to safeguard its more than 65,000 hectares in which there are an estimated 28 reefs.

Reefs in Puerto Morelos

As for the reefs in Puerto Morelos, like those of Cozumel or the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, they are part of the Caribbean Sea. These are part of the Western Atlantic Great Barrier Reef Belt, also known as the Great Mayan Reef.

Since 1998 it has been considered a protected area very close to other popular human destinations, such as Isla Mujeres or Punta Nizuc.

Lodging Nearby

To get to know all these paradisiacal locations, you will need several days in Mexico. That is why we recommend you to stay in one of the fantastic hotels in Cancun of the Oasis hotel chain.

These will get you very close to all the most desired tourist attractions, as well as being very close to the beach of Puerto Morelos and its incredible reefs.