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Top 5 Reasons Why Travelers Should Visit Chetumal, Mexico

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The beautiful capital of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo offers you more than magnificent landscapes; it's a tourist city where you can enjoy almost any activity you can think of. From water sports to ecological walks on its route, and gastronomic delights that will make you enjoy this city full of culture and history, Chetumal has it all.

Thanks to its location at the end of the Mexican Caribbean coast, Chetumal is an important entrance to Central America and the primary guardian of the state's protected areas. The Chetumal bay is a vital space for the coexistence of many birds, mammals, and marine fauna. Here are five reasons why you should include Chetumal in your next trip.

The Bacalar Rapids

Just 20 minutes from Chetumal, you will arrive at the magical town of Bacalar, located next to a spectacular lagoon of seven colors known as the Bacalar Lagoon. You can take a long journey through it until you reach its famous rapids, a natural water channel with an approximate length of 980 feet, with areas up to 16 feet deep, which is fed by the surplus water from the Xul-Ha lagoon. Thanks to this phenomenon, both lagoons join, and you can enjoy a stream of water that runs from south to north. You will appreciate an important variety of marine fauna and flora native to this area. You will also see fantastic structures known as Stromatolites, which are the most important tourist attraction of the site.

Enjoy the Town of Calderitas

Chetumal is surrounded by lagoons and villages with a beauty that distinguishes this town, and proof of this is Calderitas, a beautiful fishing village located just 10 minutes north of Chetumal. Its façade is the same as a neighborhood with a Caribbean atmosphere, with spectacular views of the sea and the best seafood. Enjoy its wide variety of very fresh restaurants, each of them of a different style but with the unmistakable flavor of the Mexican coast.

Apart from its fabulous gastronomy, in Calderitas you will find a variety of hotels as well as places to spend a night camping. You can enjoy some great boat rides offered by the friendly locals and contemplate the incredible view, as well as the multiple species of birds that decorate the landscape.

Explore Mahahual

If you want to enjoy a dream excursion, be sure to visit the fishing village of Mahahual, where you can see the only cruise-ship dock located on the south coast of Quintana Roo. In this strategic location, you can be sure to experience dazzling adventures.

Take a tour of the coast, sailing through the lagoon of where you will find the reef, practice diving, and discover unforgettable natural beauties. Just about twenty minutes from the beach, you can also admire an underwater paradise called Banco Chinchorro, the largest coral reef in Mexico, where you will enjoy keys with mangroves, with an astonishing variety of marine flora and fauna that you can discover. At the same time, you can swim with turtles, fish, and dolphins.

Discover El Palmar

Palmar is considered a paradise on the banks, and it's the most visited tourist attraction on the riverbank of the Hondo River. Located about 20 miles from Chetumal, it has been open to the public for more than 35 years and is considered an ecotourism spot. Its significant number of inhabitants are very well organized. To enjoy the services and amenities offered in it, you must pay a small fee of 10 pesos ($0.50 USD) per person and for each vehicle that enters. Its most frequent visitors are usually local tourists since it is one of the best-kept secrets and a beautiful secret that keeps this Ribera for knowledgeable tourists.

Visit the Archaeological Ruins in Kohunlich

Kohunlich is a center of ceremonies and ancient Mayan city, located about 40 miles from the town of Chetumal, very close to the border with Belize. It is the most studied among the Mayan archaeological ruins due to the numerous spaces open to visitors. When you visit, you will learn the most important aspects of the daily life of its ancient inhabitants.

You can start your visit through the residential complex, which is home to a group of residential buildings equipped with niches and sidewalks, among other elements of daily life. You will also notice that there are various structures in which you will recognize the architectural style of this development. Among its constructions is the Temple of the Masks as well as the Plaza de las Estelas.

Include this incredible town in your next trip to Quintana Roo, and be you'll be pleasantly surprised with these and many other things to do in Chetumal, Mexico. See for yourself why this is one of Mexico's best-kept secrets.

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