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Territory capital · Mexico

Chetumal

Go for 1–2 nights as a border or Bacalar stop: Mayan museum, 3 km malecón, cheap seafood in Calderitas. Skip if you want beach resorts.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
MXN
Best months
Dec–Apr (dry, cooler)
avoid Sep–Oct (rain and storm season)
Airports
CTM · CUN · BZE
Nights
1–2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • Mexico ↗Check entry rules for your passport with Mexico's National Migration Institute (INM) or your nearest Mexican consulate; keep proof of your entry (stamp or digital record) until you leave.
  • Mexico ↗Security advice differs by state: some governments advise against travel to parts of several states. Check your own government's advice for each region on your route.
  • Mexico ↗Do not drink tap water; use bottled or filtered water and ice from reliable places.
  • Mexico ↗Foreign visitors to Quintana Roo (Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Bacalar, Holbox) pay the state VISITAX online at visitax.gob.mx only; lookalike sites add fees.

Chetumal is the capital of Quintana Roo and the land gateway to Belize, on a sheltered bay at the mouth of the Río Hondo. It is a working city, not a resort: the draws are the Museum of Mayan Culture, a 3 km seaside malecón, the fishing village of Calderitas and the Maya ruins of Oxtankah, Kohunlich and Dzibanché. Most travellers use it for one or two nights between Bacalar, Tulum and Belize.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Chetumal, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Street or quick mealStreet hot dog with cheese inside the sausageIncludes crisps.from M$15 (≈ under US$1)
  • Taxi, about 5 kmShort taxi hopM$25–30 (≈ US$2)
  • Metro or bus rideBus to the Belize borderabout M$14 (≈ under US$1)
  • Budget bedHostel dorm bed, a night, per personMX$250 (≈ US$14)
  • Mid-range bedDouble room, mid-range hotel, a night, per roomMX$1,200 (≈ US$65)
  • High-end bedDouble room, mid-range hotel, a night, per roomMX$2,500 (≈ US$140)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget MX$500 (≈ US$30) · Mid MX$1,100 (≈ US$60) · High MX$2,200 (≈ US$120)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Museum of Mayan CultureMalecón de ChetumalBelize border crossingOxtankah and Kohunlich ruinsCalderitas seafood
Airports
CTM Chetumal International Airport (About 3.5 km west of the centre; domestic flights to Mexico City (MEX and AIFA) and Cancún. A taxi to the centre is about M$70; some walk 7 min to Calle Antonio Plaza for a local taxi at about M$30 — agree the price first.) · CUN Cancún International Airport (Long haul: ADO bus to Playa del Carmen, then onward bus or the Aerus flight to Chetumal.) · BZE Belize City (Philip Goldson) (Fly in and cross by land or water; Corozal (CZH) is closer to the border.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Chetumal: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

28°C

18°C

6 rd

Feb

29°C

19°C

4 rd

Mar

31°C

21°C

3 rd

Apr

33°C

23°C

3 rd

May

33°C

24°C

7 rd

Jun

32°C

24°C

13 rd

Jul

32°C

24°C

13 rd

Aug

32°C

24°C

13 rd

Sep

32°C

24°C

15 rd

Oct

31°C

23°C

13 rd

Nov

30°C

21°C

8 rd

Dec

28°C

19°C

7 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The centre is walkable and taxis for a short hop cost about M$25–30; agree the fare before you get in. Colectivos run to the centre from the ADO terminal for about M$8 (no Sunday service). A small bus, the Bulebuzz, runs down Avenida Héroes to Boulevard Bahía. Buses to the Belize border leave from an office on Av Primo de Verdad between 16 de Septiembre and Miguel Hidalgo, about M$14.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Bacalar

go

Door to door: About 45 min

ADO or Mayab bus, or colectivo from the centre

Lagoon town; the usual reason people stop in this corner of Quintana Roo.

Calderitas

go

Door to door: About 20 min

Colectivo from beside the Mayan culture museum, or taxi

Fishing village 6 km north with seafood restaurants on the water.

Oxtankah ruins

go

Door to door: About 45 min

Colectivo to Calderitas, then taxi; or taxi for the 16 km

Maya temples and plazas about 1 km from the bay; open 08:00–17:00.

Kohunlich

caution

Door to door: About 1 h 15 min

Car or taxi; no regular public bus

65 km west; carved masks. Without a car, arrange a driver.

Dzibanché and Kinichná

caution

Door to door: About 1 h 30 min

Car or taxi

75 km west; the two sites are 2 km apart.

Belize Free Zone

caution

Door to door: About 20 min

Taxi or bus toward the border

Duty-free shops and casinos 11 km out; entrance about US$1. No passport stamp needed.

Mahahual

overnight

Door to door: About 2 h

Bus or car south along the coast

140 km; reef diving and snorkelling. Too far for a comfortable return day.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Centro (around Av Héroes and the malecón)

Walk to the Mayan museum, the cultural centre and the bay; ADO Chetumal Centro for second-class buses. Best for one night without a car.

Boulevard Bahía

Waterfront hotels and the mid-range restaurants; a taxi from the centre is short and cheap.

ADO Terminal Chetumal area (Av Insurgentes)

First- and second-class ADO departures, supermarket and cheap eats; about 4 km northwest of the centre, so you need a taxi or colectivo.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
M$500–900 (≈ US$30–50) excl. bed
Mid
M$900–1,800 (≈ US$50–100) excl. bed
High
M$1,800 (≈ US$100)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Double room, mid-range hotel1 × 2 nights × MX$1,200MX$2,400
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × MX$1,100MX$4,400
Airport taxi to the centre1 × MX$70 · checkMX$70
Local taxi hop in the centre1 × MX$30 · checkMX$30
eSIM, about a week of data2 × MX$250MX$500
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeMX$740
Trip total≈ MX$2,035 per person per day, bed includedMX$8,140≈ US$450

2026 estimate in pesos; long-distance buses and flights excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Street hot dog with cheese inside the sausageIncludes crisps.from M$15 (≈ under US$1)
Torta or hamburger at a local counterfrom M$30 (≈ US$2)
Menu del día (set lunch)about M$85 (≈ US$5)
Whole pizza at a chainfrom M$99 (≈ US$6)
Short taxi hopM$25–30 (≈ US$2)
Colectivo to the centre from the ADO terminalNo Sunday service.about M$8 (≈ under US$1)
Bus to the Belize borderabout M$14 (≈ under US$1)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Chetumal is a calm, low-key state capital and the centre is fine on foot by day. Use taxis after dark, keep to lit streets, and treat the border area as a normal border: watch your bags and your paperwork.
  • Belize border: Quintana Roo may charge a tourist tax of about M$594 (≈ US$35) when you leave Mexico; it is not always enforced.
  • The daily ADO bus from Belize City to Chetumal does not show on the ADO app or website — confirm by phone before you rely on it.
  • Storm season runs roughly Jun–Nov; September and October are the wettest and can bring hurricanes.
  • ATM withdrawal fees vary; the airport ATM had a M$67 (≈ US$4) fee. Use bank ATMs in the centre.
  • Ruin sites close at 17:00 with last admission about 16:20; carry water and mosquito repellent.

Emergency numbers

All emergencies
911
Tourist assistance
078

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

ChetumalChetumal

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

A esta dirección, por favorTo this address, please

Emergency

  • All emergencies911
  • Tourist assistance078

Embassy

No US consulate in Chetumal; the nearest is in Playa del Carmen, with the consulate general in Mérida. Most other countries: embassies in Mexico City.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Airport (CTM) → centre, taxi: about M$70 (≈ US$4) (check)
  • ADO Terminal → centre, taxi: M$25–30 (≈ US$2) (check)
  • Chetumal → Bacalar, bus: about M$50–80 (≈ US$3–5) (check)

Say or show

  • ¿Cuánto cuesta? — How much is it? (KWAN-toh KWES-tah)
  • La cuenta, por favor — The bill, please (lah KWEN-tah por fah-VOR)
  • ¿Dónde está la terminal de autobuses? — Where is the bus station? (DON-deh es-TAH lah ter-mee-NAL deh ow-toh-BOO-ses)
  • Tengo una reservación — I have a reservation (TEN-goh OO-nah reh-ser-vah-SYON)
  • ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta? — Can I pay by card? (PWEH-doh pah-GAR kon tar-HEH-tah)
  • A esta dirección, por favor — To this address, please (ah ES-tah dee-rek-SYON por fah-VOR)

Border day: carry your passport and your onward ticket, and confirm the Belize bus time by phone.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Chetumal. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Dec–Apr (dry, cooler) · avoid Sep–Oct (rain and storm season) · month by month →
  2. 3 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 7 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for CTM: taxi and walk-out options field-checked, plus the Tren Maya station next to the airport.
  2. Four walking clusters with anchors: malecón, Av Héroes museums, the ADO terminal area, Calderitas.
  3. Place pages with verified hours (Mayan museum, Oxtankah, Kohunlich, Dzibanché) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Border-day fixtures for the Belize crossing so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Mexico

Sources