Travel Guide Chetumal

Capital of the state of Quintana Roo, Chetumal was founded in 1898 under the name of Payo Obispo by Lieutenant Othón P. Blanco, with the aim of controlling the Mayan natives who had risen up during the Caste War, which had begun fifty years earlier. Today it is a peaceful and sleepy city. Its charm lies in its typical Caribbean look and its few wooden houses that have resisted the assaults of hurricanes. Although Chetumal is not very interesting for tourists, except for the Museum of Mayan Culture, one can spend a day visiting the archaeological and natural areas of the surroundings (also accessible from Bacalar or Mahahual) or the few beauties of the bay such as the Hondo River or the islands of Tamlacab and Dos Hermanos. Chetumal is the arrival point for many buses and planes coming from other regions. It is also the place from which to travel to the north of Guatemala and Belize.