Chetumal's standout sight is the Museo de la Cultura Maya, worth a half-day on its own. Add a slow walk along the Boulevard Bahía at sunset, a peek at the Maqueta Payo Obispo and a look at the murals inside the state Congress.
For a quieter morning, the Museo de la Ciudad fills in the city's own history. Trips out onto the Bahía de Chetumal from the suburb of Calderitas offer a chance to look for manatees — one of the few places in Mexico where they still feed in their natural habitat.