Layout of Chetumal
Chetumal sits at about 10 m on the western shore of the Bay of Chetumal, a shallow, almost enclosed arm of the Caribbean, at the mouth of the Río Hondo — the river that marks the border with Belize. It is the capital of Quintana Roo and the seat of the municipality of Othón P. Blanco, which recorded about 224,100 residents in the 2020 census; the city itself holds roughly 169,000 of them, against 888,797 in Cancún at the other end of the state. It is the only state capital in Mexico on an international land border with a country other than the United States.
The town was founded in 1898 as Payo Obispo, a naval and customs post placed here to stop guns and timber reaching the Maya still fighting the Caste War inland; it took the name Chetumal in 1936. On 27 September 1955 Hurricane Janet destroyed almost the whole settlement, and the city was rebuilt afterwards on a wide, regular grid of long blocks — which is why Chetumal has no colonial centre and looks unlike anywhere else in the peninsula. A few of the clapboard Caribbean houses have been reconstructed, and the Maqueta Payo Obispo, a scale model of the pre-hurricane town, records what was lost.
Boulevard Bahía runs for several kilometres along the water, past the monument at the flagpole and the Congress building; the bay here is shallow and there is no beach, so the front is a promenade rather than a resort strip. Avenida Héroes runs inland from the bay and is the commercial spine, with the market at its northern end and the Museo de la Cultura Maya — the best museum of Maya civilisation in the state — partway along it. Chetumal is a free-trade zone, and shoppers cross from Belize for the goods on Héroes.
Chetumal International (CTM) lies about 2 km west of the centre, with flights to Mexico City and within the peninsula, and the ADO bus terminal is roughly 2 km north-west at Avenida Insurgentes and Avenida Belice. Highway 307 runs north to Bacalar, Tulum and Cancún; Highway 186 runs west through Xpujil and Escárcega to Villahermosa; Highway 184 cuts north-west across the state to Mérida.
The clock matters here. Quintana Roo has kept UTC−5 with no daylight saving since February 2015, an hour ahead of the rest of the peninsula. Bacalar, Mahahual, Tulum and Cancún are all in the same zone. But driving 120 km west on Highway 186 to Xpujil crosses into Campeche and back to Central time (UTC−6), so a day trip to Calakmul gains an hour on the way out and loses it coming back — worth checking against the reserve's closing time.
Distances from Chetumal
| Place | km | Time | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chetumal airport (CTM) | 2 | 10 min | City road |
| Subteniente López (Belize border) | 12 | 15 min | Hwy 186 west |
| Bacalar | 40 | 40 min | Hwy 307, colectivo |
| Kohunlich | 65 | 1 h | Hwy 186 then side road |
| Xpujil and the Río Bec sites | 120 | 1 h 30 | Hwy 186 (Central time) |
| Mahahual | 145 | 2 h | Hwy 307 then Costa Maya road |
| Felipe Carrillo Puerto | 155 | 2 h | Hwy 307 |
| Tulum | 250 | 3 h | Hwy 307, Maya Train |
| Playa del Carmen | 315 | 3 h 45 | Hwy 307 |
| Cancún | 380 | 4 h 30 | Hwy 307, ADO bus |
| Campeche | 425 | 5 h | Hwy 186 then 261 |
| Mérida | 450 | 5 h 30 | Hwy 184 via José María Morelos |
Around Chetumal
Bacalar, 40 km north, is the standard excursion: a freshwater lagoon about 42 km long over a pale limestone bed, shading from clear to deep blue, with the Cenote Azul at its southern end and the small Spanish fort of San Felipe, built in 1729 against pirates coming up from the bay, above the town. Closer in, Laguna Milagros and the Río Hondo villages are local swimming spots.
The bay itself is a protected manatee sanctuary — one of the few places in Mexico where the West Indian manatee is still regularly seen — and 40 km off the coast east of Mahahual lies Banco Chinchorro, at roughly 800 km² the largest coral atoll in the northern hemisphere, with dozens of wrecks on its reefs. Mahahual, 145 km away on the Costa Maya, has a cruise pier and the southern end of the Mesoamerican reef.
Inland, Highway 186 is a line of Maya sites. Kohunlich, 65 km west, has a temple stairway flanked by giant stucco masks of the sun god from about 500 AD; Dzibanché and Kinichná, north of the road, were capitals of the Kaan dynasty before it moved to Calakmul. Past the Campeche line come Becán, Chicanná, Xpujil and, 300 km from Chetumal, Calakmul in its 7,231 km² biosphere reserve. The archaeological sites map covers them all, and the Yucatán Peninsula page places Chetumal against the resorts of the Riviera Maya to the north.
Questions about Chetumal
Where is Chetumal on the map of Mexico?
In the far south-east corner of the country, at 18.50° N, 88.30° W, on the west shore of the Bay of Chetumal where the Río Hondo forms the border with Belize. It is the capital of Quintana Roo and 380 km south of Cancún.
How far is Chetumal from Bacalar?
40 km north on Highway 307, about 40 minutes by car; colectivos run all day. Bacalar's Laguna de los Siete Colores is the usual day trip from the city, and no time-zone change is involved.
Can you cross to Belize from Chetumal?
Yes. The crossing is at Subteniente López, 12 km west on Highway 186, where a bridge carries the road over the Río Hondo to Corozal. Belize City is about 160 km further on. Check entry requirements and any exit fees before travelling.
What time is it in Chetumal?
Quintana Roo has used UTC−5, the Southeast Zone, with no daylight saving since February 2015. That is one hour ahead of Campeche, Yucatán, Tabasco and Chiapas, which are all on Central time (UTC−6). See the time zones map.