In Puerto Morelos, Janal Pixán starts at the Muelle de Pescadores. Last November it began at 5:30 in the afternoon, when the boats came in dressed with lights, flowers, altars and offerings. They were judged at the pier and then sailed out together toward Hotel The Fives, with singer Ann Araujo performing on board. At 6:00, while the boats were still out, the Casco Antiguo lit up onshore.
Starting at the pier tells you how the festival works. Mar de Almas, the municipal Janal Pixán festival, returns on Saturday, October 24, and again on Sunday, November 1 and Monday, November 2. It is organized around the town's working fleet. The prize money, the permits and the evening schedule all point back to the boats.
The prize money goes to the boats
The contest rules show the priorities clearly. The Instituto Municipal de Cultura y las Artes, led by Adriana Nava Gómez, set these prizes for 2026, as SIPSE's Novedades reported on October 1:
| Contest | Who can enter | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lanchas Decoradas, open category | Fishers and water-service operators | MXN 19,000 | MXN 13,000 | MXN 8,000 |
| Decorated façades | Businesses and institutions | MXN 10,000 | MXN 5,000 | MXN 3,000 |
| Artisanal catrinas and alebrijes | Individuals or teams | MXN 7,000 | MXN 5,000 | MXN 3,000 |
First place for a decorated boat pays almost twice as much as first place for a storefront. Third place for a boat pays more than second place in either of the other two contests. The boat rules also have their own terms. Entries are judged on creativity, popular art and how well they preserve tradition. Decorations have to show Day of the Dead themes "sin afectar la navegación ni la seguridad de sus tripulantes," meaning without affecting navigation or the crew's safety.
The façade rules cover a different concern. Shops can't block sidewalks, pedestrian access, streets or emergency exits. The artisanal catrina contest gives points for recycled or natural materials. Registration for all contests closes Friday, October 23, at the Instituto's offices, open 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Sixteen boats last year, sixteen signed up so far this year
At the October 6 press conference in the Sala de Cabildo, Mayor Blanca Merari Tziu Muñoz said 16 boats had registered so far for the procession at sea. That matches the 16 decorated boats that sailed in 2025, and registration was still open when she spoke.
Quintana Roo Hoy listed last year's fleet by name: Shark Tale, Little Catcher, Native 4, Shantal, The Kraken, Paula Ruby, Brian's II, Breckos, Seven 1, Nemo, Jasiri, Rubí, Pixan Kay, Ponto´o, Pulguita and Big Boss. Little Catcher took first place, Shark Tale second and Shantal third, according to the municipality's closing report.
The municipality's own account of 2025 called the procession a tribute to "los hombres de la mar," the men of the sea.
Why the procession runs on permits
The procession is a regulated trip. The mayor said every registered boat has current permits from the Capitanía de Puerto, the port captaincy. She also said the route will be run with CONANP, Mexico's protected-areas commission, with the measures needed to protect the reef and marine life.
That fits with the contest rules, which aim the boat category at fishers and water-service operators, the people whose vessels carry those permits. Puerto Morelos' 2026 announcement also mentions a third part on the water: a procession of the town's canoes alongside the boats.
The town lights up while the boats are out
The 2025 schedule shows the water and the streets running side by side. The municipality hasn't published 2026 times and venues yet, so last year's timing is the best guide to how an evening plays out. Last year on November 1:
- 5:30 p.m. Boat contest judging at the Muelle de Pescadores, then the procession toward Hotel The Fives. The public was allowed to ride along on the boats.
- 6:00 p.m., while the boats were out Businesses in the Casco Antiguo, the old town center, lit up their decorated façades with cempasúchil marigolds, papel picado, candles, incense and calaveras.
- After that The Procesión de Ánimas, a costumed procession of souls, went through the main streets around Parque Fundadores, followed by the artisanal catrina and alebrije contest, the municipal altar, a Maya ceremony, and altars representing traditions from other Mexican states.
- November 2 More boat and ánimas processions, then a cultural festival and the awards ceremony.
The town's businesses come in at the second step. In 2025 the five monumental catrinas came from Hotel Ocean Coral & Turquesa, Cenote Zapote, Restaurante Vanguardia Residences, Restaurante Spaguettino and Desarrolladora Vanguardia Residences. Façade winners included Hacienda Morelos, María Bonita and Doña Trinidad Juárez Vázquez. Kanan Pixanoob, Espíritu de sal and Enzo placed in the artisanal catrina and alebrije contest.
Hotels are taking a bigger role this year. At the October 6 press conference, Héctor López Trucios, the local representative of the Asociación de Hoteles de Cancún, Puerto Morelos e Isla Mujeres, said the celebration has had more promotion and that hotels will put up monumental catrinas and decorate their façades. Fátima González Alcocer of Cenote Zapote was also at the table, along with César Santiago, director of the Centro Cultural y Museo de Puerto Morelos.
The move to the sea is recent
The pier-first format is new. The municipality's account of the 2024 celebration used a different name, "Ofrenda de Luz y Amor-Janal Pixan 2024." It centered on the area around the municipal palace, with an ánimas procession along part of Avenida Zetina Gasca and contests for catrinas, catrines and altars. The "Mar de Almas" name, meaning "sea of souls," appears in 2025, the same year the 16-boat procession left the Muelle de Pescadores.
Crowd estimates have grown with it. Quintana Roo Hoy counted more than 3,500 people at the 2025 festival. The municipality's closing release estimated nearly 5,500 over the weekend, including about 2,000 national and foreign visitors. The two counts may cover different time periods. For 2026, the municipality expects more than 6,000 people across all of its Janal Pixán events.
"Queremos que este Janal Pixan sea una celebración llena de vida, de nuestras tradiciones, de nuestra cultura y de nuestras raíces; una fiesta que podamos compartir con nuestras familias, con nuestros visitantes y con todos los sectores que hacen de Puerto Morelos un destino único."
The mayor said this at the October 6 press conference, according to the municipality's official release. Roughly: "We want this Janal Pixán to be a celebration full of life, our traditions, our culture and our roots, a party we can share with our families, our visitors and every sector that makes Puerto Morelos a unique destination."
The 2026 calendar
The official program lists the decorated-boat procession, a sacred Maya fire ritual, songs to nature, the procession of souls, the blessing of the municipal altar, a tour of altars, local groups, and traditional Mexican dances. The music highlight is Sesquiáltera's concert "Pashil Vichanoc." Director Mario Contreras says the Maya phrase means "music for the souls." The set includes new versions of La Llorona and La Bruja, plus music for dancing. El Sureste's October 6 report gives the same dates.
- Friday, October 23: Registration closes for the boat, façade and artisanal catrina and alebrije contests.
- Saturday, October 24: Mar de Almas opens in the town of Puerto Morelos.
- Friday, October 30: Leona Vicario holds its own festival, "Alma y Raíz," with the tagline "Donde el Alma Vuelve y la Raíz Florece" ("where the soul returns and the root blooms"). It includes a Paseo de Ánimas, traditional music, a Maya ritual, an altar route, skulls and alebrijes made from recycled materials, and a catrina contest for children and teens. Last year it started at 6:00 p.m. with a procession from the Panteón del Centro to the Parque Principal.
- Sunday, November 1 and Monday, November 2: Mar de Almas continues in Puerto Morelos, with the contests and processions on the main festival days.
The municipality hasn't yet released exact times and locations for each 2026 day, so check its communications page before heading out. Last year the boats left the Muelle de Pescadores at 5:30 p.m.
If you're spending Janal Pixán in Puerto Morelos this year, or thinking about how the town's seasonal calendar fits into owning a home here, Riviera Maya Homes can share what we know about the coast from Puerto Morelos to Bacalar. Schedule a personalized consultation, and we'll start with what this pier-to-plaza week looks like from the inside.
