diff --git a/cf_xarray/accessor.py b/cf_xarray/accessor.py
index 52d525b5..8611c322 100644
--- a/cf_xarray/accessor.py
+++ b/cf_xarray/accessor.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import functools
+import importlib
 import inspect
 import itertools
 import re
@@ -48,6 +49,14 @@
     )
 
 
+if importlib.util.find_spec("cartopy"):
+    # pyproj is a dep of cartopy
+    import cartopy.crs
+    import pyproj
+else:
+    pyproj = None
+
+
 from . import parametric, sgrid
 from .criteria import (
     _DSG_ROLES,
@@ -76,6 +85,7 @@
     always_iterable,
     emit_user_level_warning,
     invert_mappings,
+    is_latitude_longitude,
     parse_cell_methods_attr,
     parse_cf_standard_name_table,
 )
@@ -1092,6 +1102,10 @@ def _plot_wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
                 func.__name__ == "wrapper"
                 and (kwargs.get("hue") or self._obj.ndim == 1)
             )
+            is_grid_plot = (func.__name__ in ["contour", "countourf", "pcolormsh"]) or (
+                func.__name__ == "wrapper"
+                and (self._obj.ndim - sum(["col" in kwargs, "row" in kwargs])) == 2
+            )
             if is_line_plot:
                 hue = kwargs.get("hue")
                 if "x" not in kwargs and "y" not in kwargs:
@@ -1101,6 +1115,20 @@ def _plot_wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
             else:
                 kwargs = self._process_x_or_y(kwargs, "x", skip=kwargs.get("y"))
                 kwargs = self._process_x_or_y(kwargs, "y", skip=kwargs.get("x"))
+            if is_grid_plot and pyproj is not None:
+                from cartopy.mpl.geoaxes import GeoAxes
+
+                ax = kwargs.get("ax")
+                if ax is None or isinstance(ax, GeoAxes):
+                    try:
+                        kwargs["transform"] = self._obj.cf.cartopy_crs
+                    except ValueError:
+                        pass
+                    else:
+                        if ax is None:
+                            kwargs.setdefault("subplot_kws", {}).setdefault(
+                                "projection", kwargs["transform"]
+                            )
 
             # Now set some nice properties
             kwargs = self._set_axis_props(kwargs, "x")
@@ -2745,6 +2773,24 @@ def grid_mapping_names(self) -> dict[str, list[str]]:
                 results[v].append(k)
         return results
 
+    @property
+    def cartopy_crs(self):
+        """Cartopy CRS of the dataset's grid mapping."""
+        if pyproj is None:
+            raise ImportError(
+                "`crs` accessor requires optional packages `pyproj` and `cartopy`."
+            )
+        gmaps = list(itertools.chain(*self.grid_mapping_names.values()))
+        if len(gmaps) > 1:
+            raise ValueError("Multiple grid mappings found.")
+        if len(gmaps) == 0:
+            if is_latitude_longitude(self._obj):
+                return cartopy.crs.PlateCarree()
+            raise ValueError(
+                "No grid mapping found and dataset guessed as not latitude_longitude."
+            )
+        return cartopy.crs.Projection(pyproj.CRS.from_cf(self._obj[gmaps[0]].attrs))
+
     def decode_vertical_coords(
         self, *, outnames: dict[str, str] | None = None, prefix: str | None = None
     ) -> None:
@@ -2899,6 +2945,21 @@ def formula_terms(self) -> dict[str, str]:  # numpydoc ignore=SS06
             terms[key] = value
         return terms
 
+    def _get_grid_mapping(self, ignore_missing=False) -> DataArray | None:
+        da = self._obj
+
+        attrs_or_encoding = ChainMap(da.attrs, da.encoding)
+        grid_mapping = attrs_or_encoding.get("grid_mapping", None)
+        if not grid_mapping:
+            if ignore_missing:
+                return None
+            raise ValueError("No 'grid_mapping' attribute present.")
+
+        if grid_mapping not in da._coords:
+            raise ValueError(f"Grid Mapping variable {grid_mapping} not present.")
+
+        return da[grid_mapping]
+
     @property
     def grid_mapping_name(self) -> str:
         """
@@ -2919,20 +2980,25 @@ def grid_mapping_name(self) -> str:
         >>> rotds.cf["temp"].cf.grid_mapping_name
         'rotated_latitude_longitude'
         """
+        grid_mapping_var = self._get_grid_mapping()
+        return grid_mapping_var.attrs["grid_mapping_name"]
 
-        da = self._obj
-
-        attrs_or_encoding = ChainMap(da.attrs, da.encoding)
-        grid_mapping = attrs_or_encoding.get("grid_mapping", None)
-        if not grid_mapping:
-            raise ValueError("No 'grid_mapping' attribute present.")
-
-        if grid_mapping not in da._coords:
-            raise ValueError(f"Grid Mapping variable {grid_mapping} not present.")
-
-        grid_mapping_var = da[grid_mapping]
+    @property
+    def cartopy_crs(self):
+        """Cartopy CRS of the dataset's grid mapping."""
+        if pyproj is None:
+            raise ImportError(
+                "`crs` accessor requires optional packages `pyproj` and `cartopy`."
+            )
 
-        return grid_mapping_var.attrs["grid_mapping_name"]
+        grid_mapping_var = self._get_grid_mapping(ignore_missing=True)
+        if grid_mapping_var is None:
+            if is_latitude_longitude(self._obj):
+                return cartopy.crs.PlateCarree()
+            raise ValueError(
+                "No grid mapping found and dataset guesses as not latitude_longitude."
+            )
+        return cartopy.crs.Projection(pyproj.CRS.from_cf(grid_mapping_var.attrs))
 
     def __getitem__(self, key: Hashable | Iterable[Hashable]) -> DataArray:
         """
diff --git a/cf_xarray/tests/__init__.py b/cf_xarray/tests/__init__.py
index 8c83df3a..8665233e 100644
--- a/cf_xarray/tests/__init__.py
+++ b/cf_xarray/tests/__init__.py
@@ -69,3 +69,4 @@ def LooseVersion(vstring):
 has_pooch, requires_pooch = _importorskip("pooch")
 _, requires_rich = _importorskip("rich")
 has_regex, requires_regex = _importorskip("regex")
+has_cartopy, requires_cartopy = _importorskip("cartopy")
diff --git a/cf_xarray/tests/test_accessor.py b/cf_xarray/tests/test_accessor.py
index c3f7005a..3cf02cb0 100644
--- a/cf_xarray/tests/test_accessor.py
+++ b/cf_xarray/tests/test_accessor.py
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 )
 from . import (
     raise_if_dask_computes,
+    requires_cartopy,
     requires_cftime,
     requires_pint,
     requires_pooch,
@@ -1084,6 +1085,34 @@ def test_bad_grid_mapping_attribute():
         ds.cf.get_associated_variable_names("temp", error=False)
 
 
+@requires_cartopy
+def test_crs() -> None:
+    import cartopy.crs as ccrs
+    from pyproj import CRS
+
+    # Dataset with explicit grid mapping
+    # ccrs.RotatedPole is not the same as CRS.from_cf(rotated_pole)...
+    # They are equivalent though, but specified differently
+    exp = ccrs.Projection(CRS.from_cf(rotds.rotated_pole.attrs))
+    assert rotds.cf.crs == exp
+    with pytest.raises(
+        ValueError, match="Grid Mapping variable rotated_pole not present"
+    ):
+        rotds.temp.cf.crs
+    assert rotds.set_coords("rotated_pole").temp.cf.crs == exp
+
+    # Dataset with regular latlon (no grid mapping )
+    exp = ccrs.PlateCarree()
+    assert forecast.cf.crs == exp
+    assert forecast.sst.cf.crs == exp
+
+    # Dataset with no grid mapping specified but not on latlon (error)
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="No grid mapping found"):
+        mollwds.cf.crs
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="No grid mapping found"):
+        mollwds.lon_bounds.cf.crs
+
+
 def test_docstring() -> None:
     assert "One of ('X'" in airds.cf.groupby.__doc__
     assert "Time variable accessor e.g. 'T.month'" in airds.cf.groupby.__doc__
diff --git a/cf_xarray/utils.py b/cf_xarray/utils.py
index bdc2605e..e4292b24 100644
--- a/cf_xarray/utils.py
+++ b/cf_xarray/utils.py
@@ -193,3 +193,18 @@ def emit_user_level_warning(message, category=None):
     """Emit a warning at the user level by inspecting the stack trace."""
     stacklevel = find_stack_level()
     warnings.warn(message, category=category, stacklevel=stacklevel)
+
+
+def is_latitude_longitude(ds):
+    """
+    A dataset is probably using the latitude_longitude grid mapping implicitly if
+    - it has both longitude and latitude coordinates
+    - they are 1D (so either a list of points or a regular grid)
+    """
+    coords = ds.cf.coordinates
+    return (
+        "longitude" in coords
+        and "latitude" in coords
+        and ds[coords["longitude"][0]].ndim == 1
+        and ds[coords["latitude"][0]].ndim == 1
+    )
diff --git a/ci/environment.yml b/ci/environment.yml
index bcfb0780..83f13c93 100644
--- a/ci/environment.yml
+++ b/ci/environment.yml
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ dependencies:
   - pytest
   - pytest-xdist
   - dask
+  - cartopy
   - flox
   - lxml
   - matplotlib-base
@@ -13,6 +14,7 @@ dependencies:
   - pandas
   - pint
   - pooch
+  - pyproj
   - regex
   - rich
   - pooch
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 2269b133..93a470d1 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ enable_error_code = ["ignore-without-code", "redundant-expr", "truthy-bool"]
 
 [[tool.mypy.overrides]]
 module=[
+    "cartopy",
     "cftime",
     "pandas",
     "pooch",