| location | |
.svg/250px-Quintana_Roo_in_Mexico_(location_map_scheme).svg.png) Location of Quintana Roo in Mexico | |
| Short dates | |
| Capital | Chetumal |
|---|---|
| surface | 50.212 km² |
| population | 1.3 million |
| Time zone | Eastern Standard Time (UTC -4), no daylight saving time |
The state Quintana Roo lies on the mexican Yucatan Peninsula. It borders in the west Campeche, to the northeast Yucatan and in the south Belize. To the east, the state has a coastline to the Atlantic Ocean.
Most of the tourists who spend their vacation here are looking for beautiful beaches, which can also be found here. But the state has a lot more to offer. In addition to the swimming opportunities, there are countless first-class diving and snorkelling areas. The Maya culture and its numerous ruins offer unique experiences not only for culture enthusiasts and hobby researchers. If that's not enough for you, the cenotes and the varied fauna offer plenty of opportunities for discovery.
Regions
Quintana Roo is officially called Estado Libre y Soberano de Quintana Roo.
- The Caribbean coast to the east of Cancun to Tulum is also known as Riviera Maya and accordingly marketed for mass tourism. The result is that the coastal region is partly very densely populated with a correspondingly good infrastructure, unfortunately also sometimes quite uniformly looking hotel complexes.
- Farther south is the Costa Mayathat is still spared from mass tourism (and should remain so).
- Inland, the rainforest is still extremely sparsely populated.
- The mexican caribbean consists of a number of rather small islands that can all be reached via Cancun. This is the nature reserve Isla Contoy and the islands Isla Cozumel, Isla Holbox and Isla Mujeres.
places
There are only three notable cities in this state:
- 1 Chetumal
- is the capital with 140,000 inhabitants. It is located in the south on the border with Belize and has an international airport, although there are not frequent flights to it. - 2 Cancun - the city on the mainland has around 900,000 inhabitants with an international airport and numerous hotels of all categories.
- 3 Playa del Carmen - is about 60 km south of Cancún and has about 100,000 inhabitants and is also very touristy.
There are also numerous small villages that are more or less geared towards tourism:
- 4 Puerto Morelos is 35 km south of Cancun and offers good snorkeling opportunities
- 5 Felipe Carrillo Puerto - rural community with a rich history during the caste war. Almost 80% of the residents here still speak the ancient Mayan languages.
- 6 Bacalar - Equally steeped in history and beautifully located on the lagoon of the same name in the coastal region.
There are some islands off the coast in a fantastic Caribbean ambience:
- 1 Isla Cozumel is the largest island in Mexico. It is located about 60 km south of Cancun across from the city of Playa del Carmen. Most of the 100,000 inhabitants live in the main town of San Miguel. A paradise for divers and snorkelers.
- 2 Isla Mujeres 10 km north of Cancun, approx. 15,000 inhabitants.
- 3 Isla Holbox on the north coast
background
On the Yucatán Peninsula, Mayan culture had passed its peak long before it was occupied by the Spanish. Today's population consists largely of descendants of this people, lives in the ancient culture and still speaks one of the numerous Mayan dialects.
language
The official language is the national language Spanish. Mayan languages are predominant in many smaller towns, albeit with a decreasing tendency, especially among the younger ones. English is understood along the coast and in the larger hotels, especially in areas frequented by US tourists.
getting there
By plane
It is by far the largest airport in the state and the only airport with intercontinental flights Cancun, which is served by scheduled and charter flights from numerous destinations within Mexico, the USA, Canada and other destinations in Europe and Latin America.
The airport on the islands Cozumel has connections within Mexico and the USA. Another small airport is in the capital Chetumal, but only a few connections Mexico City Has.
By train
Nothing. There isn't a meter of track in the state.
By bus
mobility
The bus network is very well developed. The first class bus (e.g. ADO) is definitely recommended for longer distances to and from larger locations. Shorter distances are better covered in the inexpensive Collectivo (shared taxi). The island is an exception Cozumel there. All bus traffic has been discontinued here, and the taxi companies are already using this monopoly position to their advantage in terms of prices. Renting a scooter quickly pays off for longer stays.
Tourist Attractions
beaches
Cities
- Majahul, small town in the center of the Costa Maya
- The small town of Bacalar is one of the "Pueblos Mágicos" of the Mexican Ministry of Tourism, it is located on the lagoon of the same name about 40 km north of Chetumal.
Diving
Mayan ruins
Given this past, it is not surprising that there are numerous ruins here. Some are only worthwhile for tourists interested in archeology, so the following is a brief overview:
The most important ruins are:
- 4 Cobá.Probably the largest Mayan ruin in the state was the center of power on the Yucatán Peninsula for centuries. Although relatively few buildings have been restored, they are located in the rainforest. The largest and tallest pyramid in the state can be found here, and it can still be climbed. The fantastic view beckons approx. 40 km west of Tulum attracts numerous tourists every day.
- 5 Tulum. This small Mayan ruin is uniquely located directly on the Caribbean Sea. No picture of the ruin is missing in any illustrated book. This dream combination attracts several thousand tourists every day and is located approx. 130 km south of Cancún.
- 6 El Rey & Xaman-Ha. The two ruins are rather unspectacular, but happen to be in the urban area of the cities Cancun and Playa del Carmen.
- Kohunlich. In the rainforest you can find this pre-classical city with very well-preserved large masks on a temple.
- Chacchoben. Very well restored ruin, which is now popular with cruise tourists. It is located near Bacalar.
Other ruins are e.g. Dzibanche, Kinichna, Oxtankah, El Meco, Muyil, Tancah
Nature reserve
Of course, the Caribbean and the rainforest offer a fantastic starting point for a rich fauna and flora. The most important nature reserves for animal observation are:
- Isla Contoy Island. The island is located north of Cancun and can only be reached by boat. These depart from Cancun, Puerto Juarez or Isla Mujeres. There are 150 species of birds, three species of sea turtles, 98 species of flowers and 250 species of fish on the island. To protect nature, the number of visitors is limited to 200 people a day!
- Sian Ka'an. The biosphere reserve can be found near Tulum.
Eco parks
- XelHa. Ecological amusement park on the Riviera Maya, about 13 km from Tulum.
- Xcaret. Amusement park, 10 km from Playa del Carmen.
- 3 Rios or Parque Ecólogico Tres Rios, near Playa del Carmen.
- Uchben Kah. Eco and adventure park near Majahual.
Cenotes
activities
- Swimming
- Diving
- Cave diving - There are underground freshwater rivers and rivers practically all over the Yucatan Peninsula Cenotes (officially over 700). These form when water seeps through the limestone. A very special diving experience, which, however, requires a diving license.
- Snorkeling
kitchen
nightlife
security
There are crocodiles, big cats, sharks, and strangler snakes in the state. Most tourists, however, will not even see them from a distance.
climate
Quintana Roo not only has a Caribbean flair, but also a suitable climate.
