Must-see attractions in Quintana Roo

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    Tulum Ruins

    Tulum

    Tulum is one of the most visited archaeological zones in Mexico and for good reason: it’s sublime. The ruins sit on seaside cliffs, high above turquoise…

  • Aerial of a path between palm trees on Isla Contoy.

    Parque Nacional Isla Contoy

    Cancún

    A white sand beach with manta rays gliding through the shimmering turquoise waters. No hotels. No nightclubs. No roads or cars of any kind. It’s hard to…

  • SFER IK

    Tulum

    Wandering barefoot through the contemporary art museum at Azulik hotel, you feel like you’re in a giant cocoon. Nature surrounds you, inside and out:…

  • Museo Maya de Cancún

    Cancún

    Surrounded by dense tropical forest, the contemporary Museo Maya de Cancún is a welcome respite from the beach and buffet lines of the neighboring high…

  • Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve

    Reserva de la Biosfera Sian Ka'an

    Tulum

    While floating down a canal that Mayans dug by hand centuries ago, you see tall grasses on either side and colorful birds flying overhead. You hear the…

  • The Mayan ruins of the Coba pyramid in the Yucatan Peninsula.

    Cobá Ruins

    Cobá

    Cobá's ruins include the tallest pyramid in Quintana Roo (the second tallest in all the Yucatán) and the thick jungle setting makes you feel like you’re…

  • Destroyed jetty on a white sandy beach at Isla Blanca.

    Isla Blanca

    Cancún

    Driving down a narrow sand road, the turquoise Caribbean on one side, the glimmering Laguna Chacmuchuch on the other, you feel like you’re a thousand…

  • Beautiful Cenote Manatee, ( a.k.a. Casa Cenote, and Cenote Manatí ), in Tankah Bay, Quintana Roo, Mexico.

    Tankah Tres

    Tulum

    At the end of a sand road is the hamlet of Tankah Tres (aka Tankah Bay), a seaside community of vacation homes and small hotels in Mexico, all facing a…

  • Chacchoben

    Mahahual

    Chacchoben means 'Place of Red Corn' in Maya and like so many ruins, its origin and use remain a mystery. It has several impressive structures, including…

  • Síijil Noh Há

    Costa Maya & Southern Caribbean Coast

    About 8km south of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, off Hwy 307, you'll find a bumpy 3km dirt road leading to this sublime, solar-powered ecotourism center. Run by…

  • Templo de las Pinturas

    Tulum

    This two-story temple has some of Tulum's most intricate decorations, including relief masks, carvings, columns and partially restored color murals on an…

  • Laguna Milagros

    Chetumal

    Paddle out on a kayak or simply have a swim in the azure waters of Laguna Milagros, about 23km west of Chetumal, in the town of Huay-Pix. Waterfront…

  • El Cielo

    Isla Cozumel

    Living up to its heavenly name, El Cielo's shallow turquoise waters are ideal for snorkeling and swimming among starfish, stingrays and small fish…

  • Punta Mosquito

    Isla Holbox

    On the eastern side of the island, Punta Mosquito is about 2.5km east of the downtown area. It has a large sandbar and is a good place to spot flamingos…

  • Playa Garrafón

    Isla Mujeres

    Head to this beach for excellent snorkeling. It's 6.5km from the tourist center. A cab costs M$100.

  • San Miguelito

    Cancún

    You don't have to leave the Zona Hotelera to find Mayan culture in Cancún. Before the beach umbrellas, resorts, banana boats and  Spanish conquistadors…

  • Mexico, Quintana Roo State, Riviera Maya, Cancun, Playa Delfines

    Playa Delfines

    Cancún

    Unfolding from the base of a mild seaside bluff, Playa Delfines is one of the most scenic beaches in Cancún. A languid stretch of sand with turquoise…

  • Templo del Dios Descendente

    Tulum

    Templo del Dios Descendente is named after the relief figure of a descending god, aka the Diving God.

  • Grupo Nohoch Mul

    Cobá

    Nohoch Mul (Big Mound) is also known as the Great Pyramid (which sounds a lot better than Big Mound). It reaches a height of 42m, making it the second…

  • Cenote Azul

    Riviera Maya

    Conveniently located right off the main highway, Cenote Azul is one of the easiest Riviera Maya cenotes to visit. It’s also one of the region’s most…

  • This is one of the well preserved ancient Mayan temples at the Dzibanche's archeological Mayan ruins site about two hours inland in the Yucatan region of Mexico. They still allow visitors to climb to the top of the temples but may need to restrict it in the future due to the expansion of tourism in the area.
Dzibanche

    Dzibanché

    Costa Maya & Southern Caribbean Coast

    Though it’s a chore to get to, this site is definitely worth a visit for its secluded, semi-wild nature. Dzibanché (meaning ‘writing on wood’) was a major…

  • Small PYramid at Mayan ruins of Coba, Caribe. Quintana Roo state. Mayan Riviera. Yucatan Peninsula. Mexico

    Grupo Cobá

    Cobá

    The most prominent structure in the Grupo Cobá is La Iglesia (the Church). It's an enormous pyramid; if you were allowed to climb it, you could see the…

  • Parque Punta Sur

    Isla Cozumel

    For the price of admission to this park, you can visit a lighthouse, a small nautical museum and a Maya ruin. The park road leads past an observation…

  • Playa Norte, Isla Mujeres

    Playa Norte

    Isla Mujeres

    Once you reach Playa Norte, the island’s main beach, you won’t want to leave. Its warm, shallow waters are the color of blue raspberry syrup and the beach…

  • Kohunlich

    Costa Maya & Southern Caribbean Coast

    This archaeological site sits on a jungle-backed grassy area. The ruins, dating from both the late pre-Classic (AD 100–200) and the early Classic (AD 300…

  • Xcacel-Xcacelito

    Riviera Maya

    Between the Chemuyil and Xel-Há exits is a tiny sign on the east side of the highway marking the short dirt road that leads to the two arching bays Xcacel…

  • Punta Laguna

    Riviera Maya

    Punta Laguna is a fair-sized lake with a small Maya community nearby, 20km northeast of Cobá on the road to Nuevo Xcan. Thus far, it's remained relatively…

  • Grupo de las Pinturas

    Cobá

    The temple at Grupo de las Pinturas (Paintings Group) bears traces of glyphs and frescoes above its door and remnants of richly colored plaster inside…

  • Kinich-Ná

    Costa Maya & Southern Caribbean Coast

    Part of Dzibanché (ticket price includes entry to both), but well removed from the main site, Kinich-Ná consists of one building. But what a building: the…

  • Museo de la Guerra de Castas

    Costa Maya & Southern Caribbean Coast

    Housed in an 18th-century building and with a passionate director, this small museum does a fine job of detailing the more than four centuries of…

  • Estructura 25

    Tulum

    On the south side above the main doorway you'll see a lovely stucco frieze of the Descending God, also referred to as the Diving God. The upside-down,…

  • Sea Walls

    Isla Cozumel

    Local and international artists backed by the PangeaSeed foundation created 36 large-scale public murals in 2015 to raise awareness about ocean…

  • Crococun Zoo

    Puerto Morelos

    About 23km south of the Cancún airport, this former crocodile farm now calls itself a conservationist zoo that protects some of the area's endangered…

  • Punta Esmeralda

    Playa del Carmen

    Emerald Point has become a favorite beach among Playa del Carmen locals, set on the northern edge of the city. Here, a shallow cenote provides a calm…

  • Grupo Macanxoc

    Cobá

    Grupo Macanxoc is notable for its numerous restored stelae, some of which are believed to depict reliefs of royal women who are thought to have come from…

  • Juego de Pelota

    Cobá

    An impressive ball court, one of several in the ruins. Don't miss the relief of a jaguar and the skull-like carving in the center of the court.

  • Templo 10

    Cobá

    Here you can see an exquisitely carved stela (AD 730) depicting a ruler standing imperiously over two captives.

  • Avenida Náder

    Cancún

    This avenue one block east of Avenida Tulum has emerged as one of the Centro's top restaurant and bar zones.

  • Punta Coco

    Isla Holbox

    On the western edge of the island, about 2.5km from downtown, Punta Coco is a great sunset beach.