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Local time in Quintana Roo (UTC-5)
Quintana Roo runs down Mexico’s Caribbean coast from Cancún through Playa del Carmen and Tulum to the Belize border. Nearly all of it sits inside the restricted zone for foreign property ownership, and it is the one Mexican state that refused to go back on daylight saving.
Key facts
| Capital | Chetumal, though Cancún is far larger |
| Travel advisory | Level 2, exercise increased caution |
| Time zone | Eastern, UTC-5 year round, one hour ahead of most of Mexico |
| Property | Entirely within the restricted coastal zone, so foreigners buy via fideicomiso |
| Main centers | Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Cozumel |
| Checked | August 2026 |
An hour ahead of the rest of Mexico
Quintana Roo moved to permanent UTC-5 in 2015, an hour ahead of the Central zone that covers most of the country. Mexico then abolished daylight saving nationally in 2022, keeping it only in municipalities along the United States border, so nothing shifts seasonally any more. Cancún is simply one hour ahead of Mexico City, all year. It still catches people out, and it is why every place on this site carries its own timezone rather than inheriting one.
Property and the restricted zone
The whole coast lies within 50 kilometers of the sea, which places it in the zona restringida where foreigners cannot hold direct title. Purchases run through a fideicomiso, a bank trust giving full rights of use, sale and inheritance, with an annual fee that buyers routinely leave out of their budgets. See the Mexico guide for how the restriction works.
