It is the capital of the state of Quintana Roo and the municipal seat of the Municipality of Othon P. Blanco. In 2010 it had a population of 151,243 people. Highway 307 veers away from the coast and by the time it gets to Felipe Carrillo Puerto you are more than 50 km away from the coast. Driving along dirt roads one can cruise the coastline, however, the roads are not well maintained and a 4-wheel drive vehicle is recommended. Chetumal It is situated in the most southwestern part of mainland Mexico, 382 km from Cancun on highway 307 or 414 km from Merida via highway 184.

The city center is quite manageable on foot. Once you find the main intersection of Avenida de los Heroes and Avenida Alvaro Obregon you're within a short walk of several inexpensive hotels. The best hotels Chetumal has to offer are within five blocks of this intersection. You are also a short taxi ride away from the beaches.

Near Chetumal's market, the Museo de la Cultura Maya is a repository of information about Maya culture. A pleasant, air-conditioned, and well-designed museum, it has few artifacts, however. Mostly the two-story space has replicas of stelae, dioramas, and mock-ups of reconstructed pyramids. All explications are in English and Spanish.

Driving from Chetumal to Cancun It's a slow drive. There are some new highways to the south but you have to travel through the Sian Kaan nature preserve and those are two lane narrow roads. Make sure you fill up with gas at Tulum and Felipe Carillo. There are no gas stations, restaurants, etc in between.

A goods and services tax-free zone (Corozal Free Zone) established on the Belizean side attracts many visitors to Chetumal and also provides a ready market for Chetumal's retailers and traders. Chetumal itself was also once a free zone and a notable destination for people from other parts of Mexico seeking to purchase high-value and bulk goods, free of government duty charges (a policy that was deliberately implemented to attract this business). The city retains a significant retail trade for the region, which supports many local businesses.

Visitors can also rent bikes or roller blades near the city pier and cruise the cement seawalk. At the far end, in an area of private homes interspersed with some dilapidated and abandoned lots, there's a small, relatively unimpressive beach and adjacent cabanas selling seafood and snacks. The area is called Calderitas.

The city is situated on the western side of Chetumal Bay, near the mouth of the Rio Hondo. Chetumal is an important port for the region and operates as Mexico's main trading gateway with the neighboring country of Belize.