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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.
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
Other destinations
- 🌍 Banco Chinchorro - offshore reef lying 22 km off the Quintana Roo coast, includes 3 islands, popular scuba diving site, crocodile reserve on one island
- 🌍 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve - Mexico's largest protected wetland full of saltwater mangrove swamps, a
UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Ramsar wetland - 🌍 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.
Understand
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 best selection of flights in Quintana Roo is from the Cancún International Airport.
The new Tulum International Airport (TQO IATA) is located near Felipe Carillo Puerto. Flights to TQO begin December 2023.
By train
Tulum International Airport in Felipe Carillo Puerto is a major station for the new Tren Maya intercity rail system, connecting coastal areas with major cities and archaeological sites throughout the Yucatan Peninsula. The train can also be used as local transportation to Chetumal, Tulum, and Cancun.
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
See
Do
Scuba diving is a primary attraction.