Grand Costa Maya In contrast to the north, the southern part of the state opens its doors to alternative tourism. There are still Mayan communities that preserve their ancient traditions. The south is also home to fascinating archeological sites such as Kuhunlich, Dzibanche, Chakanbakan and Chichanha. Neverthels it has been growing and developing its infrastructure with new highways, wharves, hotels and restaurants. Following the highway south to through the Mexican Caribbean, one comes to Chetumal, the state capital, and the town of Bacalar. Chetumal has 42 hotels as well as restaurants and all kinds of tourist services. In addition it possesses an interesting history and monuments, museums and buildings well worth visiting. Geographically, the capital city is located in the shores of the bay of the same name, near to the borders of the neighboring state of Campeche, and the countries of Belize and Guatemala. The beautiful town of Bacalar, known for the famous 42 km long “lake of the seven colors”, played an important role during the War of the Castes, which took place in the 19th century. It is an intriguing place, full of both colonial history and pirate legend. One of the representative structures is San Felipe fort, constructed in the 18th century, which now houses the Museum of Regional History. Another place to visit is Majahual, a tourist hotspot initially designed for low density occupation, but which has become an important cruise ship port. Majahual attract the diving, water sports, and adventure travel markets. Nearby is Chinchorro Bank, a spectacular coral reef which is home to 2,500 species of live coral with a wide variety of forms and colors, as well as the Xcalac reef, in whose crystalline waters swim an infinite variety of turtles, manta-rays and much more. Today, many Mayan traditions still survive, along with the descendants of this noble civilization. Today, they exist side by side with people from all over the world who come to visit us in order to enjoy the ancient grandeur of the region, to benefit from the amazing tourism development and high quality of services, and to appreciate all the remains exactly as it was in the time of the ancient Maya: the turquoise blue sea, the lush jungle, the cultural richness and cultural wonders.
