Planning a trip to Chetumal
The State Tourism Office (tel. 983/835-0860) is at Calzada del Centenario 622, between Comonfort and Ciricote. It's open Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm.
Orientation
The telephone area code is 983.
Traffic enters the city from the west on Hwy. 186 and feeds onto Avenida Obregón into town. Stay on Obregón and don't take the exit veering left for Avenida Insurgentes (unless you're looking for the zoo or the huge Plaza Las Americas mall). You'll cross Avenida Héroes, the main north-south street through downtown.
Getting There
By Plane
Mexicana's suspension of operations, along with its regional carrier, Click, leaves Chetumal (airport code CTM) with no service from the U.S. The Mexican airline Interjet (tel. 866/285-9525 in the U.S.; www.interjet.com.mx) flies there through its Mexico City hub from a dozen airports all over Mexico. The airport is west of town, just north of the entrance from the highway.
By Car
Chetumal is just over 3 hours from Tulum. If you're continuing to Belize, be aware that rental companies don't allow you to take their cars across the border. To get to the ruins of Tikal in Guatemala, you must go through Belize to the border crossing at Ciudad Melchor de Mencos.
By Bus
The main bus station (tel. 983/832-5110) is 20 blocks from the town center on Insurgentes at Avenida Héroes. Buses go to Cancún, Tulum, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Morelos, Mérida, Campeche, Villahermosa, and Tikal, Guatemala.
To Belize: Buses depart from the Lázaro Cárdenas market, most often called Mercado Nuevo (Héroes and Circuito). Ask for Autobuses Novelo, which has local service throughout the day (140 pesos) and several express buses per day (185 pesos).
