Puerto Morelos to Become Caribbean Trade Hub with New Port

Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo — This week, Quintana Roo awarded the contract to develop the executive project for a new industrial complex in Puerto Morelos, an initiative involving an investment exceeding 1.2 billion pesos. The project aims to transform the port into a strategic hub for international trade and energy autonomy in the Mexican Caribbean.

Located just 36 kilometers from Cancún, Puerto Morelos has historically been a minor tourist stop. However, the ambitious plan led by the Integral Port Administration of Quintana Roo (APIQROO) seeks to establish the municipality as a key logistical and industrial node, reducing the state’s reliance on land and maritime routes that currently place it at a competitive disadvantage.

A New Industrial Hub

Currently, most commercial and fuel cargo consumed in Quintana Roo—including essential supplies for its international airport—arrives via land or maritime routes from the U.S., incurring logistical surcharges estimated at 15% to 20%. The absence of a deep-water industrial port has constrained regional economic growth and inflated costs for tourism and industry, a situation set to change with this development.

The project will integrate the new port terminal with major federal initiatives, such as the Maya Train and the Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (CIIT). This connectivity will open competitive export opportunities to the Caribbean, Central America, and South America, reducing dependence on Gulf and Pacific trade routes.

130-Hectare Infrastructure

According to the 2024–2029 Master Port Development Program, approved on June 29, 2024, by the Secretary of the Navy under Admiral Raymundo Pedro Morales Ángeles, the planned complex in Puerto Morelos will span 130 hectares. The facility will include terminals for general and containerized cargo, administrative offices, and a fluid terminal to secure fuel and energy supplies for the region.

With this infrastructure, Puerto Morelos could compete directly with Caribbean logistical hubs like Kingston, Jamaica, or Freeport, Bahamas, by diversifying beyond tourism and offering large-scale port services.

Specialized Financial Consultancy

A decisive step toward realizing the project was taken on June 30, 2025, when the API-GAF-SAI-LPN-025-2025 tender was awarded to Fingenta Consultores, a firm specializing in financial and legal structuring for high-impact infrastructure projects.

Though the sole bidder, Fingenta was tasked with designing the technical, economic-financial, and legal strategy to promote and develop the new deep-water port. This framework will enable APIQROO to attract private investment, forge strategic partnerships, and ensure legal and environmental viability.

Environmental Concerns

As with all major projects in Quintana Roo, the port must navigate opposition. While the construction zone lies outside protected areas like the Puerto Morelos Reef (established in 1998) and the Mexican Caribbean (designated in 2016), past environmental conflicts suggest active resistance from ecological groups.

These same organizations successfully halted a 2019 proposal by the Cancún and Puerto Morelos Hotel Association opposing any port expansion for tourism. Although the current plan excludes cruise infrastructure, potential future inclusion could reignite tensions with environmentalists and hoteliers, particularly given the state government’s policy against new tourist piers in Cozumel.

A New Logistical Profile

Despite challenges, Puerto Morelos will mark Quintana Roo’s first large-scale maritime industrial infrastructure, lowering logistical costs, ensuring maritime energy supply, and linking the state to the national rail network—positioning it as a new player in Caribbean regional logistics.

Environmental impact studies and bidding terms are expected in the coming months, with operations slated to begin by late 2027.