9 ecotourism attractions in Quintana Roo

playa de carmen en la rivera maya en la peninsula de yucatan

The splendor that surrounds Quintana Roo is something extraordinary, from its white-sand beaches and turquoise sea to its significant cultural mosaic, biodiversity of flora and fauna, ancestral history, and ecotourism attractions.

Likewise, this paradise on earth holds the history of its Mayan ancestors. Memories that today are visible in its traditions, gastronomy, and archeology. So we can not fail to be amazed when visiting each of the eco-tourism attractions in Quintana Roo. To start this trip, we have a small guide about the must-see sites in this great state.

quintana roo snorkeling en los cenotes

Climate in Quintana Roo

The state has a warm sub-humid climate, which tends to be quite pleasant. However, it does not hurt to know the hottest and most incredible seasons in this place to know what to pack, wear, and enjoy the trip.

 

quintana roo weather

Ecotourism attractions in Quintana Roo: First stop Balam Nah “La Casa Del Jaguar.”

We begin our trip in a splendid place near the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, which offers dreamlike sunrises. Balam Nah is also full of nature and biodiversity that will fascinate us.

Activities include swimming in the lagoons and cenotes, bird watching, kayaking (during the rainy season), and camping on the shores of the Ocom Lagoon, where at night, you can enjoy a bonfire while witnessing a tremendous celestial vault.

atracciones ecoturisticasen quintana roo mexico balam_nah nado en las laguna ocom

Kantemó

Nearby is Kantemó, a small corner full of ecotourism attractions in Quintana Roo. This place is famous for the Cave of the Hanging Snakes, home to snakes that hunt bats in flight. An expert will accompany us to visit the cave to experience a unique spectacle.

serpiente culebra ratonera manchada colgando mientras come

Likewise, Kantemó is located in a privileged spot in the jungle where various endemic species of birds and reptiles live, next to the beautiful Chichankanab Lagoon. The activities that can be done in addition to those already mentioned are cycling and canoeing tours where you can watch crocodiles in their natural habitat. All this while relaxing in the middle of nature and enjoying dreamlike sunsets.

Rutopia Quintana Roo Kantemo Pasarela Laguna

Punta Allen

Next, we will arrive in Punta Allena paradise within the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, where you can take a boat tour and swim in its crystal clear waters. All this is surrounded by the incredible biodiversity of the place, with iguanas, coatis, raccoons, birds, and aquatic species.

In addition, this site is home to a warm community of fishermen who will be our guides on this journey through the trails of Sian Ka’an, its archaeological site, and activities such as cycling or kayaking.

sian kiann punta allen tortugasEnjoy a boat tour and discover the incredible biodiversity of Punta Allen!

U Belilek

After visiting Punta Allen, we will head to U Belilek, declared a zone of historical and artistic monuments. Here, you will live the Mayans culture’s cultural experiences of the Mayan civilization, all explained by an expert guide. This makes it the perfect place for history lovers.

Other activities at U Belilek include learning traditional medicine or cotton spinning and Mayan ceremonies.

tejido de algodon en u belilek quintana roo mexico

Puerto Morelos

Then towards the south of Mexico, a small town called Puerto Morelos is a vibrant paradise between two major tourist destinations: Cancun and Playa del Carmen. Due to its authenticity, calm, and turquoise waters, this charming fishing village is the perfect place for those looking for peace on a little-known beach.

puerto-morelos-mexicoSpend a super relaxing day in the beautiful waters of Puerto Morelos!

In addition to being a perfect place to relax, Puerto Morelos has an incredible coral reef that runs along the coast, protecting it from the impact of the waves. Likewise, this reef is the most beautiful and best-preserved in the Riviera Maya and the second largest in the world after the Australian Barrier Reef.

peces anaranjados y de colores nadando entre corales y arrecifes

Playa del Carmen

Next is Playa del Carmen, the heart of the Mayan Riviera, where families can enjoy the turquoise sea and calm waves of the Caribbean. Also, visit the archaeological site, taste typical dishes, learn scuba diving, and even explore the area with short trips.

large Snorkel Puerto Morelos 2

Moreover, Rutopia offers a series of unique activities such as hiking through Chemuyilbiking in the jungle ruins of Cobá,  or diving in the Two Eyes cenote.

cenotes en parque dos ojos quintana roo mexico

Ta’akbil-ja

Continuing is Ta’Akbil-Ja, a beautiful place that offers an authentic contact experience with nature. In addition, you can enjoy the canals and aquifers and a great variety of ecotourism attractions such as rappelling 30 meters from one of the most beautiful cenoteshiking, observation of endemic flora, and fauna.

Rappel to one of the most beautiful cenotes in Quintana Roo.

cenote en taakbil ja quintana roo

El Corchal

El Corchal is the entrance to a magical world full of trees covered with orchids, bromeliads, and ferns. These can be discovered through activities such as ATV rides, hiking, kayaking through the cork islets, etc.

el corchal en quintana roo mexico

Holbox Island

Finally, we ended our trip in Holboxan island with spectacular turquoise waters, white sand, and a calm sea, where families can contemplate some of the best sunsets and sunrises in the Caribbean.

Rutopia recommends bike or horseback tours in front of the sea and mangrove tours by kayak to see the crocodiles in their natural habitat and at night to enjoy the bioluminescence of the sea.

bioluminiscencia en las aguas de la isla holbox

A trip through Quintana Roo will always be full of adventure, unforgettable memories, dazzling landscapes, life, culture, and nature.

So tell us if you liked this guide or have already decided to visit Quintana Roo.

 

 

***

If you want to read more guides or discover unique places in Mexico, we recommend you:

Complete guide to visit Chiapas

The Ultimate Guide to Visit Mexico City

The Ultimate Guide to travel to Oaxaca

Ultimate Guide to Travel Mexico with Children

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Victoria O.

September, 2022
Two Weeks in Mexico
Seamless transfers, excellent hotels particularly in Mexico city and Puebla, combined with various cultural and food tours. Particular highlights were the cultural/food tours in Mexico city and Puebla (also including the anthropology museum in Mexico city), and the rural tours in Oaxaca where we visited textile workshops, mescal producers and participated in a cooking class using traditional equipment. Also, although we didn't need it, the on call remote assistance was reassuring. I would definitely recommend Rutopia.
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April, 2022
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Enjoyed using Rutopia (Marisol and Melina) to plan my trip to Mexico. Marisol helped me figure out the best options fand booked everything. Melina was my in country support. Rutopia (the company through Kim Kim) is great and would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to take the burden out of vacation planning. My son and I truly enjoyed the trip knowing everything was taken care of and we just had to have fun. Thanks!
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July, 2022
Adventures in the Yucatán!
Such an amazing time in the Yucatán! Between floating in the mangroves to visiting Chichén Itzá to spending a whole day on the beach in El Cuyo, I couldn’t have planned a better trip without their help. Thank you so much for an unforgettable birthday vacation!! Simply amazing! Don’t think twice about having them help you plan your next vacation!
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Cat839

April, 2022
Great experience with this agency, totally recommend!
Great experience with this agency. Our tour in Mexico was perfect and organised with great passion and precision. Special thanks to Mel (our direct contact during the trip) for being super responsive and to Jorge Barbosa (our tour guide in Mexico City). Totally recommend this tour operator!
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Sue G

June, 2022
Mayan Site Tour in Yucatan Penninsula Mexico
Rutopia did an outstanding job with the arrangement and execution of a 9 day tour of Mayan sites in the Yucatan peninsula. We provided Rutopia with the general parameters of the trip we wanted and they suggested an itinerary. After our approval, they set up the hotels, transportation within Mexico, and site tours. The hotels were good quality, and all of the drivers and tour guides showed up on time. We were very impressed with the quality of the tour guides and learned a lot on the trip. Jorge handled setting up the itinerary, and Melina handled the execution of the trip and was readily available via WhatsApp throughout the trip for any questions or issues. Melina was particularly helpful in changing our transportation arrangements to the airport at the last minute per our request. I would recommend Rutopia and would use them again for future trips.
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Varadarajan

July, 2022
Fantastic Will do it again
My wife and I had a fantastic holiday in Mexico thanks to Marisol, Ana, Teresa and their colleagues & partners. The entire itinerary and arrangements were put together in less than 4 days. What we really liked about Marisol & her team was that they were only a message or a phone call away for any query/suggestion, etc. The trip was bespoke to the extent that Rutopia had kept in mind about our interests, food habits & executed bookings, tours. They were also very flexible in catering to last minute changes/requests. The team took upon them to ensure that our entire trip was comfortable & safe by taking care of even small stuff that one normally finds out post getting to a place. We would definitely like to use their services again!!
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Elena R.

April, 2022
A literally perfect trip to the Yucatan peninsula
Tom and I knew we wanted to go to Mexico. We knew we wanted a little bit of culture, some wildlife, and maybe a splash in the ocean. That's it. With the vague and minimal information we gave them, Rutopia was able to put together a perfect trip for us. We had a flawless itinerary. It's so clear that Rutopia really cares about the communities (animals and humans) in Mexico. Everything we did and everywhere we stayed felt like they were helping us experience Mexico as authentically and respectfully as possible. It's almost impossible to pick a highlight, but top of the list has to be the day we shared with Enrique, a Mayan host who was unbelievably generous with us. He shared the community gardens, including history and background about the families that live in Nuevo Durango and other nearby communities. He showed us the neighborhood cenotes, Punta Laguna, Uma Nojoch Keej (a wildlife reserve), and more. We picked and prepared the plants as Enrique and his wife Blanca showed us the best way to cook them (and rescued us when we were pricked by the nopales!). We saw howler monkeys and spider monkeys in the wild which was very cool. That had to be the very best day, but every day was amazing. Sian Ka'an reserve was lovely, the Mayan ruins were spectacular, the snorkeling in Puerto Morelos was fabulous, the bicycle cenote tour was jaw'droppingly gorgeous. I'm waxing superlative but it really all was like a dream. Beyond the activities, the scheduling and pace was perfect for us. We felt like we really made the most of our six days, but with enough downtime to explore and enjoy at our leisure. From picking up our car at the airport to finding our accommodation, the logistics were very smooth at every interaction. Special shoutout to Melina who pretty much instantly helped us when we had any questions about the trip. We've never used a travel planning service like this before. But after this trip, we'll never go back to the old way!
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David

July, 2022
Journey to Mexico City, Cholula and Cuetzalan
We had a wonderful time. We started out in Mexico City with a 2 day tour filled with museums, food, and beautiful sights. We then went on to Cholula to experience the culture in a smaller town, see a local market, and eat traditional food. We finished the tour in a small town called Cuetzalan, where most people speak an indigenous language. All of our guides were great. Thank you for a memorable vacation!
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DaniEla

March, 2022
Just wonderful!
We had an amazing trip excellent organized by Jorge and supervised by Melina from Rutopia. We spent 10 days in Mexico, starting in Ciudad de Mexico where we visited the amazing Teotihuacan and then we flew to Yucatan for the amazing sites of Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Ek Balam, Tulum, Merida, Valladolid and the great Island Holbox. The trip was perfectly organized, the hotels were very good, and the guides were carefully chosen. We highly recommend Rutopia and especially Jorge!
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November, 2021
Chiapas, Neri and her family
I traveled to Chiapas for an ecotourism experience with Rutopia and I liked it very much, the team responds very quickly to all questions and accompany the traveler throughout the experience, I missed my flight and they were very flexible to accommodate the entire itinerary, My destination was the lakes of Tziscao, where I was received by Neri with his family in very nice cabins next to a lake with incredible views and a magnificent tranquility, with them you make experiences of beekeeping and coffee and tours to nearby lakes, Montebello is a must! 100% recommended.
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Alexhcros1500

March, 2021
Super local agency
We have worked with Rutopia for several tours in Mexico in the Yucatán and Chiapas and we have never been disappointed. Authentic experiences, with locals, in magical places and off the beaten tourist track. Our contact Marisol was always super available and responsive, understanding and anticipating our desires. And she speaks very good French. I highly recommend Rutopia!
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Mikel D

April, 2021
The best moment lived in Mexico
We were traveling as a group of friends with nothing organized. We like to improvise and be able to find alternative plans to the conventional tourist routes. We arrived in Puerto Escondido - Mexico's paradise - and started looking for options. A Mexican friend recommended us to contact Rutopia and we did. We explained our way of traveling - which they quickly understood - and in a few hours they came to us with a perfect selection of activities. We chose one of them and the next day we found ourselves galloping through beautiful hills, crossing a small lagoon in canoes, bathing on an unspoiled beach at sunset and sipping freshly picked coconuts with some mezcal. We had dinner in the only hut on the beach, eating fish that had been caught that day from the lagoon. Then we went to see the luminescence of the placton with paddle canoes until we were surprised by one of the biggest and reddest moons I have ever seen in my life. We ended up sleeping in bamboo huts a few meters from the waves. There were no more than 5 huts on the miles of beach that we could see. And at ALL times with an exquisite treatment - sympathy, kindness and attention. This is just one of the plans we booked with Rutopia, which definitely changed the course of our trip. Without a doubt, I would repeat this experience in any place I would like to visit in Mexico. Viva Mexico!
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Claudia A

September, 2020
Super organization, great accommodations and nice team
The trip was perfectly organized, we were always exclusive or in very small groups and had freedom to do our own activities. All accommodations were fantastic and sustainable, the food almost always local and very good, we could always fill our Rutopia water bottles and travel as plastic free as possible. We were met at the airport and had assistance getting a rental car. After that, we traveled independently but had our fixed dates and reservations with Rutopia. It was the perfect mix!
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pascalrichard0304

March, 2020
Circuit in Yucatan
Discovering wonderful and surprising sites, Mayan communities with an unforgettable welcome, breathtaking landscapes, a very pleasant climate in the middle of March...and smiling people! A big thank you to Rutopia and his team for the elaboration of this ideal circuit, alternating nature, city life, simplicity and comfort. Thanks to Mélina for the follow-up during our trip. We don't speak Spanish well enough, and we appreciated having a French-speaking contact person who could be reached if necessary. We still have a lot to discover and hope to come back very soon, and with Rutopia without hesitation!
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Sabrina N

March, 2020
Perfect
For those who don't like to manage logistics like hotels, rental cars, activities. And above all, to have someone who speaks fluent French that we can reach at any time for the unexpected... You are in the right place! Thank you to Chloe for the preparation of our trip, to Melina our Ariadne's thread and Teresa for her welcome and help at the arrival and departure. A big thank you to Enrique and Blanca from Nuevo-Durango for their welcome, their smiles, their family, a lot of emotions at the time to leave you. Thanks to Mémo for your teaching of Mexican customs (Sian Ka'an) The Yucatan is a magnificent region. And the population is very pleasant. Only downside Holbox... Too much dust, too much smell of fuel oil, too much tourist. I will keep in memory these wonderful moments!
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