Things to Do in Quintana Roo, Mexico: City Guides

Quintana Roo is a state on the eastern Yucatán Peninsula, bordered by the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Its beaches and resorts are only part of the story: the region also brings together Maya history, archaeological sites, tropical forests, mangroves, coral reefs and protected landscapes. Neywo offers free audio guides for 3 cities in Quintana Roo, covering 14 narrated places in total.

What to see and do in Quintana Roo

Explore the region’s Maya history

Quintana Roo’s history was shaped by Maya resistance and by a long struggle over control of the eastern Yucatán Peninsula. During the nineteenth-century Caste War of Yucatán, an independent Maya nation called Chan Santa Cruz was based in what is now Felipe Carrillo Puerto. It maintained considerable independence for decades and developed trade and treaty relationships with British Honduras, now Belize.

The territory of Quintana Roo was created by presidential decree in 1902 and named after Andrés Quintana Roo, an early patriot of the Mexican Republic. In the following decade, the Mexican Federal Army subdued most of the region’s indigenous Maya population. The history of the state therefore includes both the creation of a modern territory and the lasting story of Maya communities.

Visit archaeological sites around Cancún

Cancún combines a major tourism industry with places that preserve the region’s older history. The city’s Museo de Sitio presents archaeological remains connected with the area, while the Zona Arqueológica El Rey offers another opportunity to encounter a Maya site within the modern destination.

The Museo Maya de Cancún provides further context for Maya culture and history. Nearby, Yamil Lu’um adds another historic point of interest, and Mercado 28 offers a different view of contemporary local life through its market setting.

For a closer look at the city’s narrated places, see the Cancún guide.

Discover Cozumel

Cozumel lies off Quintana Roo’s Caribbean coast and has a tropical monsoon climate, distinct from the tropical wet and dry climate found across much of the state. The island is also part of a region known for the meeting of land and water, where coral reefs and coastal environments are central to the landscape.

The Museo de la Isla de Cozumel is the main narrated place available through Neywo on the island. It offers a way to begin exploring Cozumel through its history and identity before turning to the wider natural setting.

Read more in the Cozumel guide.

Walk through Playa del Carmen

Playa del Carmen is one of the destinations along the Riviera Maya, the stretch of Caribbean shoreline that also includes Cancún and Cozumel. Its narrated places reflect several sides of the destination: El Acuario de Playa, Residencia Art Project, Frida Kahlo and Xcaret.

Together, they connect marine life, art, popular culture and the wider attractions of the Riviera Maya. The city is also part of the tourism boom that transformed Quintana Roo from the 1970s onwards, bringing coastal hotels and resorts and driving rapid population growth.

Explore the city with the Playa del Carmen guide.

See the landscapes of Sian Ka’an

The Sian Ka’an biosphere reserve protects one of Quintana Roo’s most important natural landscapes. The state includes tropical forest, savanna, mangrove forest and coral reefs, creating a varied environment where land and water meet in many forms.

Quintana Roo’s coast and forests support hundreds of bird species. Some live in the region year-round, while others spend the winter there or stop during journeys towards South America. At the same time, hunting and habitat loss are causing many medium and large animals to disappear. The reserve and other natural areas are therefore valuable not only for visitors, but also for the protection of habitats under pressure.

Visit Tulum and Cobá

The archaeological sites of Tulum and Cobá are among the places that draw visitors beyond the beaches and resorts. They reflect the deep Maya history of the peninsula and show how the region’s present-day tourism is closely connected to its archaeological heritage.

Tulum’s wider landscape also preserves evidence of a much older human story. In submerged caves and sinkholes near the town, ancient human remains have been found. One skeleton discovered in Chan Hol cave belonged to a woman who lived here at least 9,900 years ago. Quintana Roo’s past is therefore found not only in its towns and ruins, but beneath its waters as well.

Understand the pressures on the coast

Tourism has brought economic growth and new residents from Yucatán, Campeche, Tabasco and Veracruz. It has also increased development along the coast and inland. The resulting pressures affect forests, beaches and archaeological sites, while long-term concerns include environmental damage, economic stresses and the marginalization of Maya natives.

The region’s exposure to severe hurricanes is another part of its geography. Hurricane Dean, in 2007, is one example of the risks faced by this Caribbean coast. Quintana Roo offers abundant natural and cultural attractions, but its future depends on protecting the landscapes and communities that make the state distinctive.

Explore Quintana Roo with Neywo

Neywo has free audio guides for 3 cities in Quintana Roo: Cancún, Cozumel and Playa del Carmen. They cover 14 narrated places in total and include 1 walking tour. Narration is available in 11 languages.

The app tells the story of each place as you reach it, at your own pace, with no group and no schedule. Download Neywo to explore Quintana Roo while walking through its cities and discovering the places that connect the region’s Maya history, tourism and landscapes.