Tips for travel to Chetumal

Introduction

Located just north of the Belizean border, Chetumal (pop. 208,000) is the capital of Quintana Roo. Quintana Roo didn't become a state until 1974. Mayan Beach Garden is in the state of Q. Roo, as are Cancun and the island of Cozumel. Chetumal overlooks the huge and shallow Bay of Chetumal. Chetumal has a few nice hotels, and activities including the Museum of Mayan culture, the City Museum, the Market, the Mayan Ruin of Oxtankah, and the bay front boulevard. When the Spaniards arrived, Chetumal was known as Chetemal or Chactemal "the place where the red cedar is plentiful" and was one of the numerous principalities into which the Yucatan peninsula was then divided. After several attempts, the Spaniards abandoned the area of Chetumal. They were never able to subjugate the fiercely independent natives.

Chetumal as we know it today was founded in 1898 and called Payo Obispo by Lt. Othon P. Blanco who'd been sent to subdue the rebels of the Caste War and stop the arms trade the natives had going with Belize. In 1936, the prosperous bay side city was renamed Chetumal, its original Mayan name.

What To Do

If you like to experience a traditional Mexican market, Chetumal is an ideal place. Open most days of the week, the open air market is located adjacent to the Cultural Museum. The downtown area around Avenue Heroes features lots of stores, especially Zapaterias, or shoe stores which can be found on almost every block. Unlike Cancun, Chetumal is a city that honors its siesta. It is not unusual to find two-thirds of the city closed from 1:00-5:00. The best time to shop is in the early morning or early evening when the town comes back to life.

Chetumal is a perfectly safe place to venture off the main thoroughfare. If you do, you will find local Mayan farmers selling their produce.

A visit to Chetumal isn't complete without a visit to the Museum of Mayan Culture. If you don't know much about Mayan Culture, this museum is an excellent starting point. This is a modern museum that would fit nicely in any US city with interactive exhibits, models of most Yucatan sites and decorated around a jungle theme. Don't confuse this museum with the Chetumal City museum, just a few blocks away on the same street. While the City Museum is interesting, it is small and focuses on Chetumal.

Dining

We can recommend just a few restaurants in Chetumal. If you want to eat in air-conditioned surroundings in a modern, comfortable setting, try Espress Café & Restaurant, Calle 22 de Enero 141, corner of Boulevard Bahía (tel. 983/833-3013). It serves well-prepared Mexican food, light fare such as sandwiches, and good breakfasts. Open daily from 8am to midnight. For an economical meal with some local atmosphere, try Restaurante Pantoja, on the corner of calles Ghandi and 16 de Septiembre (no phone), 2 blocks east of the Museum of Maya Culture. It offers a cheap daily special, good green enchiladas, and such local specialties as poc chuc. It's open Monday to Saturday from 7am to 9pm. To sample excellent antojitos, the local supper food, go to El Buen Gusto, on Calzada Veracruz across from the market (no phone). A Chetumal institution, it serves excellent salbutes and panuchos. Doors open around 7pm and close around midnight every night.

Entry Requirements

* As of October 1, 2007, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda will be required to present a valid passport, Air NEXUS card, or U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document, or an Alien Registration Card, Form I-551, if applicable.
* As early as January 1, 2008, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda by land or sea, may be required to present a valid passport or other documents as determined by the Department of Homeland Security. While recent legislative changes permit a later deadline, the Departments of State and Homeland Security are working to meet all requirements as soon as possible. Ample advance notice will be provided to enable the public to obtain passports or passport cards for land/sea entries.

Please be sure the name you give to our Reservations Specialists matches your Driver's License and your Passport. Married women with a different last name should carry a marriage license or a notarized affidavit with their married name.

Money

Banks & ATMs
Banks in Mexico are rapidly expanding and improving services. They tend to be open weekdays from 9am until 5pm, and often for at least a half day on Saturday. In larger resorts and cities, they can generally accommodate the exchange of dollars (which used to stop at noon) anytime during business hours. During times when the currency is in flux, a particular bank may not exchange dollars, so check before standing in line. Some, but not all, banks charge a service fee of about 1% to exchange traveler's checks. However, you can pay for most purchases directly with traveler's checks at the establishment's stated exchange rate. Don't even bother with personal checks drawn on a U.S. bank -- the bank will wait for your check to clear, which can take weeks, before giving you your money.

Travelers to Mexico can easily withdraw money from ATMs (automated teller machine) in most major cities and resort areas. In most resorts in Mexico, the use of ATMs is perfectly safe -- just use the same precautions you would at any ATM. Universal bank cards (such as the Cirrus and PLUS systems) can be used. This is a convenient way to withdraw money and avoid carrying too much with you at any time. The exchange rate is generally more favorable than that at a casas de cambio. Most machines offer Spanish/English menus and dispense pesos, but some offer the option of withdrawing dollars. The Cirrus (tel. 800/424-7787) and PLUS (tel. 800/843-7587) networks span the globe; look at the back of your bank card to see which network you're on, then call or check online for ATM locations at your destination. Be sure you know your personal identification number (PIN) before you leave home and be sure to find out your daily withdrawal limit before you depart. Also keep in mind that many banks impose a fee every time a card is used at a different bank's ATM, and that fee can be higher for international transactions (up to $5 or more) than for domestic ones (where they're rarely more than $1.50). On top of this, the bank from which you withdraw cash may charge its own fee.

Traveler's Checks
Traveler's checks are something of an anachronism from the days before the ATM made cash accessible at any time. Traveler's checks used to be the only sound alternative to traveling with dangerously large amounts of cash. They were as reliable as currency, but, unlike cash, could be replaced if lost or stolen.

You can get traveler's checks at almost any bank. You can also get American Express traveler's checks over the phone by calling tel. 800/221-7282.

Visa offers traveler's checks at Citibank locations nationwide, as well as at several other banks. Call tel. 800/732-1322 for information. AAA members can obtain Visa checks without a fee at most AAA offices or by calling tel. 866/339-3378. MasterCard also offers traveler's checks. Call tel. 800/223-9920 for a location near you.

If you choose to carry traveler's checks, be sure to keep a record of their serial numbers separate from your checks in the event that they are stolen or lost. You'll get a refund faster if you know the numbers.

Credit Cards
Credit cards are a safe way to carry money: They also provide a convenient record of all your expenses, and they generally offer relatively good exchange rates. You can also withdraw cash advances from your credit cards at banks or ATMs, provided you know your PIN. If you've forgotten yours, or didn't even know you had one, call the number on the back of your credit card and ask the bank to send it to you. It usually takes 5 to 7 business days, though some banks will provide the number over the phone if you tell them your mother's maiden name or some other personal information.

Charges will be made in pesos, then converted into dollars by the bank issuing the credit card. Generally you receive the favorable bank rate when paying by credit card. However, be aware that some establishments in Mexico add a 5% to 7% surcharge when you pay with a credit card. This is especially true when using American Express. Many times, advertised discounts will not apply if you pay with a credit card.

Dear Visa: I'm Off to Chetumal! -- Some credit card companies recommend that you notify them of any impending trip abroad so that they don't become suspicious and block your charges when the card is used numerous times in a foreign destination. Even if you don't call your credit card company in advance, you can always call the toll-free emergency number if a charge is refused -- a good reason to carry the phone number with you. But perhaps the most important lesson is to carry more than one card on your trip; if one card doesn't work for any number of reasons, you'll have a backup.

Emergency

Public Security
832 15 00

Fire Dept
832 15 78

Police
832 01 93

Migration
832 02 21

Customs
834 50 44

Emergency
060

The State Tourism Office (tel. 983/835-0860, ext. 1808) is at Calzada del Centenario 622, between Comonfort and Ciricote. Office hours are Monday to Friday from 9am to 3pm.

Map of Chetumal

 

Chetumal Weather

 

Weather Forecast | Weather Maps | Weather Radar

Fun Things To Do in Chetumal

Attractions & Activities

Chetumal Attractions

Museo de la Cultura Maya
This modern museum unlocks the complex world of the Maya through interactive exhibits and genuine artifacts. Push a button, and an illustrated description appears, explaining the medicinal and domestic uses of plants with their Mayan and scientific names; another exhibit describes the social classes of the Maya by their manners of dress. One of the most fascinating exhibits describes the Maya's ideal of personal beauty and the subsequent need to deform craniums, scar the face and body, and induce cross-eyed vision. An enormous screen flashes images taken from an airplane flying over more than a dozen Maya sites from Mexico to Honduras. Another large television shows the architectural variety of Maya pyramids and how they were probably built. Then a walk on a glass floor takes you over representative ruins in the Maya world. In the center of the museum is the three-story, stylized, sacred ceiba tree, which the Maya believed connected the underworld (Xibalba), Earth, and the heavens. If you can arrange it, see the museum before you tour the Río Bec ruins.

Chetumal Activities

Sting rays, reef sharks, tropical fish, sea horses and a huge variety of sea-life make their homes in the reefs that are only 150 yards from the shore. You can snorkle or dive these reefs. The Chinchorro banks are also within an hour or so away, boasting over 150 sunken ships in 15 to 30 foot depths.

Bird watching is a favorite past time, even if you aren't a bird watcher. Several different varieties of Toucans make their home in the nearby jungle and occasionally stop by to steal some fruit if you leave it out.

Visit Uyumil Che (nicknamed the Monkey Farm), a place where monkeys and other animals that are either injured or that people have taken as pets are slowly reintroduced into the wild.

Health & Safety Links

Travelers' Health, US Department of Health and Human Resources

Flight Overview Chetumal

Non-stop, direct or connecting flights are available to Pleasant's 18 Mexico destinations from most of the major and regional airports in North America. Flight times can range from 1 hour to 5 hours, depending on the city of departure and the destination.

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