Costa Maya

The Costa Maya is in the Quintana Roo state of Mexico. The Costa Maya is part of the Mexican Caribbean coast created and marketed by the state of Quintana Roo to tie the southern part of the state with the more successful Cancún and Riviera Maya in the North. The "Costa Maya" is also a marketing term used to refer to a cruise ship destination in the town of Mahahual.

Cruise ship at Mahahual

Regions

The Costa Maya extends from Xcalak in the South to the Southern Border of the Sian Ka'an in the north, although many people include the southern part of the Sian Ka'an to Punta Herrera when they talk about the Costa Maya because you can only access it via the Coast Road in The Costa Maya.

Cities

• 1 Chetumal – largest city in the Costa Maya region, state capital and transportation hub for southern Quintana Roo
• 2 Bacalar – relaxing small town on the shores of the "Lagoon of the Seven Colors", known for its spectacular powder blue waters. One of Mexico's Pueblos Magicos
• 3 Felipe Carrillo Puerto – historic 19th century Maya town
• 4 Mahahual – cruise line dock
• 5 Punta Allen – small beachside town at the end of the road through Sian Ka'an (no crowds!)
• 6 Xcalak – southernmost fishing village, near Belize border

Other destinations

• 1 Banco Chinchorro - offshore reef lying 22 km off the Quintana Roo coast, includes 3 islands, popular scuba diving site, crocodile reserve on one island
• 2 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve - Mexico's largest protected wetland full of saltwater mangrove swamps, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Ramsar wetland
• 3 Oxtankah - small Maya archaeological site just north of Chetumal with a dramatic jungle setting near the sea, off the beaten path and generally unknown to foreign visitors so crowds are never an issue. Well cleared structures with good walkways, an on-site museum, several temples (one with in-place, intact murals). Bring water and mosquito repellant.
• 4 Kohunlich - large Maya archaeological site famous for its Sun God masks
• 5 Dzibanche - large Maya archaeological site famous for two pyramids that were tombs of Mayan royalty

Get in

By car

The major highway through the Costa Maya is federal highway MEX-307, which runs from the Belize border north to Cancun.

By plane

Chetumal International Airport (CTM ^IATA) has several daily flights to and from Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City. The new Tulum International Airport (TQO ^IATA) is located 40 km south of the town of Tulum. TQO is served by domestic flights on Aeromexico, Mexicana, Viva Aerobus and Volaris. International flights to Tulum are available on TAG from Guatemala, from Germany on Discover Airlines, and from U.S. and Canadian cities on most major airlines.

Chetumal is the best choice for the southern Costa Maya while Tulum is the best choice for the northern Costa Maya. A wider selection of flights to Quintana Roo is at the Cancún International Airport.

By train

The Costa Maya region has 4 major stations and 2 smaller stops for the new Tren Maya intercity rail system, connecting coastal areas with major cities and archaeological sites throughout the Yucatán Peninsula. The train can also be used as local transportation between towns in the region, though it will not run as often as combis or buses. Tren Maya tickets can be purchased in stations or through the official Tren Maya web site. Train stations in the Costa Maya region are:

• Tulum
• Tulum International Airport
• Felipe Carrillo Puerto
• Limones
• Bacalar
• Chetumal

By boat

Cruise ships occasionally visit the small port of Mahahual with its large pier on the open Caribbean shore. A growing cluster of shops offer souvenirs from the area, as well as bars and swimming pools for visitors. A tower that has a view of the entire harbor is in the cruise ship port. One must be able to climb up several flights of stairs to reach the top, as there is no elevator in the tower.

Get around

By bus

The Costa Maya is well-served by regional buses connecting all larger towns with major cities in the region, including Cancun, Merida, and Campeche. The three largest bus companies are ADO, AU, and Mayab. All are sister brands of the ADO company, which is one of Mexico's largest and most popular bus companies. ADO also operates buses branded as ADO Aeropuerto with routes between major tourist destinations and the Cancún International Airport and the Tulum International Airport (TQO ^IATA). Airport buses and first-class buses in this region generally do not make unscheduled stops for people to get on or off along the route.

Major bus stations serving the Costa Maya are in Chetumal, Felipe Carrillo Puerto, and Tulum.

By combi

Combis, which are also referred to as colectivos, peseros, or other terms, are shared vans that travel a pre-set route, stopping frequently to discharge or pick up passengers along the way. Both routes travel on highway MEX-307. There are two main routes in the Costa Maya region:

• Chetumal - Felipe Carrillo Puerto - use this combi to get to the Belize border; the terminus is a sitio near the main plaza in Felipe Carrillo Puerto
• Playa del Carmen - Felipe Carrillo Puerto - use this combi to get to Tulum, Sian Ka'an, or Muyil; the terminus in Felipe Carrillo Puerto is a sitio on highway MEX-307, about 1-1/2 blocks from the main plaza

By taxi

Local taxis are readily available in Tulum, Felipe Carrillo Puerto, and Chetumal. Hotels throughout the region can call a taxi for you. Taxis are generally affordable unless you use an official airport taxi at the Tulum International Airport (which are exorbitantly priced), or if you use a taxi to or from remote beaches like Xcalak or Punta Allen (which are very far from anything and have horrible access roads).

Do

Scuba diving is a primary attraction.

Go next

• Mayan Riviera
• Bacalar
• Tulum
• Playa del Carmen
• Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve