Quintana Roo, State on the eastern coast of Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico.
Quintana Roo stretches along the eastern shore of the Yucatan Peninsula, covering Caribbean coastline, tropical rainforest, mangroves, and shallow lagoons. The landscape features pale sand beaches, a long coral reef running offshore, and underground rivers flowing through limestone caverns beneath the surface.
The region was separated from Yucatan in 1902 to create a federal territory, bringing order to remote eastern areas that remained isolated. It gained full statehood in 1974 after decades of road construction and the development of new coastal towns.
Families in small towns away from the coast still speak Maya at home and prepare meals using recipes passed through many generations. Traditional ceremonies take place in village centers, where visitors can sense how deeply local communities remain connected to their ancestral roots.
Cancun airport in the north offers international connections and serves as a gateway for travel to all parts of the region. Highway routes run south along the coast and inland toward archaeological sites and remote communities.
The Sian Ka'an biosphere south of Tulum protects vast wetlands where manatees and crocodiles live in the wild. Visitors can navigate narrow channels lined with mangroves by small boat, watching waterbirds and other wildlife in their natural setting.
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