Quintana Roo is a state of Mexico, on the eastern part of the Yucatán Peninsula. It borders the states of Yucatán and Campeche to the north and west, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the nation of Belize to the south.  The capital of Quintana Roo is the city of Chetumal. Quintana Roo also contains the resort city of Cancún, the islands of Cozumel and Isla Mujeres, the towns of Bacalar, Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Juárez, Akumal, and Puerto Morelos, as well as the ancient Maya ruins of Chacchoben, Chakanbakán, Chamax, Coba, Dzibanché, El Meco, Ichpaatán, Kohunlich, Muyil, Oxtankah, Tancah, Tulum, Tupak, Xel-Há, and Xcaret. The Sian Ka'an national park is also in Quintana Roo.

History

The area that makes up modern Quintana Roo was long part of Yucatán, sharing its history. With the Caste War of Yucatán starting in the 1840s, all non-natives were driven from the region and the independent Maya nation of Chan Santa Cruz was centered on what is now the town of Felipe Carrillo Puerto.

Quintana Roo was made a territory of Mexico by decree of President Porfirio Díaz on November 24, 1902. It was named after an early patriot of the Mexican Republic, Andrés Quintana Roo. The Mexican army succeeded in defeating most of the Maya population of the region during the 1910s, and in 1915 the area was again declared to legally be part of the state of Yucatán. In 1931 the territory of Quintana Roo was again separated from Yucatán.

Quintana Roo was granted statehood within the United Mexican States on October 8, 1974. It is the Mexican Republic's youngest state. In that same time Cancun was developed as a Tourist destination, while Isla Mujeres and Cozumel also were designed as Tourist destinations, by that same time.

During the 1990s, Quintana Roo was governed by Mario E. Villanueva Madrid. His administration was alleged to be so corrupt it developed relations with drug traffickers in Colombia. By 1998 the state had become the first "Narco-Political Subdivision" in Mexico. Villanueva was such a problem for Mexican-American relations that the Mexican Government of Ernesto Zedillo began seeking indictments against Villanueva once the governor left office in 1999. Villanueva fled the country but was finally arrested and returned to Mexican soil to face justice in 2001. Since that time Quintana Roo has recovered and has become an ever more popular tourist destination.

Climate

The climate is predominantly tropical with rain in the summer months except in the south-east and south-west with intense temperatures and intense periods of rain with a relatively dry winter in the north. The average annual temperature is 26ºC. The dryer season is between February and May and the wetter season between May and October although January often sees high levels of rainfall in the north of the province...  read more on Wikipedia

In Cancún there are about 140 hotels with 24,000 rooms and 380 restaurants. Four million visitors arrive each year in an average of 190 flights daily. The hotel zone is one of the most exclusive internationally, with upmarket restaurants, bars, and the like which have catered for quite a number of the rich and famous. The hotel zone tends to be rather expensive as it is aimed at visitors and relies on the all inclusive hotels to keep them all in this area allowing prices to soar. Downtown is home to less expensive places to shop like Walmart, Comercial Mexicana and Soriana, not to mention several flea markets like the one in the hotel zone. 

Nightlife

Most clubs normally sell a wrist band ticket for entry inclusive of "free drinks", however to get "free drinks" requires tipping the waiters regularly. The main large clubs in the Hotel Zone include "The City", "Daddyo's" and Coco Bongo. Mexican Independence Day will offer distinct entertainment throughout Mexico and this extends to Cancun, night clubs will provide live entertainment such as traditional Spanish guitar players, cock fighting etc.

Downtown Cancún offers a more cultural aspect, there are cuban/salsa type bars/restaurants. There are also many clubs for all types of people, including gay clubs like Karamba or Glow, but the hotels are more accessible to all types of travellers, including some with lower rates. International brands in Downtown area include Radisson Hacienda Cancún, Best Western Plaza Caribe, Oasis America.

Marine life

There are many opportunities and organised trips for speed boating, scuba diving etc. Cancun hosts many geological parks with lush marine life. Cancún's hotel zone also has an interactive aquarium where visitors can see the marine diversity of the area. There are also a variety of locations where visitors can "swim with dolphins" and feed sharks. †

Weather

The temperature of the city is warm, moderated by the marine breeze which circulates through its avenues. The temperatures are typically between 26°C and 36°C (78.8°F and 96.8°F) all year round. Hotel rooms with air conditioning are essential. Terrific lightning illuminates the night sky and hurricanes remain a rare hazard.

Ancient Mayan Ruins

There are some (relatively) small ruins of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization in Cancún. There are also nearby larger Mayan sites including a three hour drive to Chichen Itza, two hours to Tulum and two hours to Coba.... read more on Wikipedia

Originally a small fishing town, tourism to Playa del Carmen began with the passenger ferry service to Cozumel, an island across the Cozumel Channel and world-famous scuba diving destination. While passing through, many people realized that it was a nice place to relax away from the crowds of Cancún but with the same quality beaches and turquoise waters. While not as incredible as Cozumel, Playa del Carmen's coast offers some good scuba diving opportunities, as well as cenote diving for the more adventurous.

Today Playa del Carmen, or just 'Playa' as it is colloquially referred to, is the centre of the Riviera Maya concept, which covers from Cancún to Tulum and the Sian Ka'an biosphere reserve. Playa is a stop for several cruise ships, which dock at the nearby Calica quarry docks, about six miles south of the city. 

Elements within the Playa Del Carmen local community and government have attempted to retain Playa del Carmen's reputation and charm as a small fishing village and artists' colony, without becoming as large or tourist-dependent as Cancún. To this end, the city passed an ordinance by which all buildings, no matter what, have a limit of three stories, although a few four-storey buildings were built before the ordinance.

There is a significant European influence in Playa, with a number of local business proprietors drawn from the European expatriate community....  read more on Wikipedia