When North Americans and Europeans visit Mexico they are given six months to explore and enjoy the Latin American country, no questions asked. But, what happens when you fall in love with Playa del Carmen and the rest of the Riviera Maya and you suddenly realize your tourist card (aka FMT) is about to expire? Of course, the easy way out is to grab the next flight out of Mexico from the Cancun International Airport and make a quick visit with family and friends back home. Cancun and a handful of other idyllic beach destinations along the Mayan Riviera have become a Caribbean hotspot for Westerners, so jetting in and out of the modern airport is a breeze. But, those looking for a bit more adventure… should consider a quick escape to the keys of Belize! The border of Belize rests just about four and a half hours from Playa del Carmen (six hours from Cancun).
Getting to the Border
Chetumal, Mexico, the “gateway to the Costa Maya” is the last major Mexican city located on the Yucatan Peninsula before you get to Belize and it is a great jumping point for leaving Mexico and entering the Central American country. The easiest way to get from Mexico to Belize is to pass customs and enter Belize by water, taking a ferry from Chetumal. The San Pedro Jet Express runs from Chetumal to San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize ($35 US one way) or Caye Caulker ($40 US one way), Belize at 3:00 PM daily. Please note that the water taxi from San Pedro to Chetumal runs at 8:00 AM daily, so you’ll have to get up early to catch the ferry back!
If you don’t make it to Chetumal in time to catch the water taxi not to worry. The land border crossing to Belize lies about 25 minutes south.
- By Car: Getting to Chetumal by car is easy. Hop on the Carreterra Federal (Mexico 307) and drive south. Just before you reach Chetumal the highway will bank left (East) and turn into Carreterra Federal 186. You can choose to drive in and visit Chetumal on the coast before heading for the Belize border. But, if you’re antsy to get across, exit Carreterra Federal 186 and head south again just before the highway splits off and continues as Insurgentes and you’ll reach the Belize border crossing. The roadside officials at the border don’t necessarily direct you through customs so be sure you actually stop and pass through customs to get your passport marked. The same applies for your return to Mexico. If you end up leaving or entering Mexico without your stamp, it could cause problems when you try to leave again later.
- By Bus: If you want to sit back, relax and watch movies take the bus, the main bus transport company ADO is a comfortable way to go. For $340 pesos (about $30 US), ADO will take you from Playa del Carmen straight to Corozal, Belize – a small, rustic town that rests on the shores of Corozal Bay, 20 to 25 minutes from the Belize border. ADO will guide you through customs, making your transit between the two countries easy and smooth. But, the route only departs at night. If you want to travel during daylight hours, ADO offers several trips to Chetumal each day for $230 pesos (about $20 US) . We suggest grabbing a morning departure so you can make it in time to a) take the ferry from Chetumal to Belize or b) cross the land border and reach Corozal, Belize before sunset (look for the 9:20 AM, 10:50 AM or 11:50 AM departures). Arriving in Chetumal, grab a taxi just outside the bus station and ask for San Pedro Jet Express if you plan to take the water taxi at 3:00 PM. If you missed the afternoon ferry though, direct your taxi driver to “Mercado Nuevo” ($20 pesos). From “Mercado Nuevo”, take a rugged, old school bus (they’re painted green) to Corozal, Belize. The bus will wait for you to go through customs and cross the border. This trip should cost you $1 Belize dollar ($1 US = $2 Belize, $6 pesos = $1 Belize). At this point, you should be able to speak English with those directing you in transportation. Due to its British colonial heritage, the official language of Belize is English though Spanish and Creole (a mixture of English and African descent languages) are largely spoken.
Congratulations! You’ve made it to Belize!
If you’re looking to simply turn around at the border, it can be done but expect some corrupt bribery attempts from the border officials. (Of course, this means you don’t get back on the green bus. You’ll have to walk around to re-enter customs and leave Belize). We recommend that upon leaving Mexico and entering Belize you simply state you’re traveling to Belize as a tourist and you plan to visit the keys. If you mention “border run” the border officials will most likely try to pull a fast one. Mexican border officials have been known to tell fibs. Some travelers report that they were told that Belize required a minimum stay of three days. To avoid the “three-day stay”, the border official might offer a stamp back into Mexico with a new 6-month tourist card for as much as $1,500 pesos (apparently saving you the hassle of going into Belize). Just say no. At the Belize border, the officers might give the same “three-day stay” spiel but then offer a “special in-and-out pass” to Belize. Belize officials have been known to ask for up to $100 US in bribes. Again, just say no. Travelers have confirmed leaving Mexico, entering Belize and then leaving Belize and successfully entering Mexico with a fresh new stamp and another six months on an FMT tourist card the very next day. Thus, we can confidently confirm that the tall tales of the border officials are bogus! There is no three day requirement. Although, when you attempt to re-enter Mexico after such a short stay in Belize, you might get a hefty lecture about how you really need to apply for an FM2 or FM3 visa if you plan to stay more than six months in Mexico. Keeping a friendly tone and explaining that you hadn’t expected such a long stay in Mexico will work though. The agent might ask for a bribe, or make you wait simply hoping for a bribe… But, don’t pay and don’t offer one. It’s not necessary to pay a bribe for another six-month tourist card in the paradise of the Mexican Caribbean!
For information on how to visit the northern keys of Belize, visit our post Belize and Back in One Day.
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