Posted on January 28, 2025
Playa del Carmen was once known as one of Mexico’s most stunning beach destinations, with miles upon miles of pristine coastlines, white sand, and the turquoise ocean the Caribbean is famous for.
But these days, much of Playa del Carmen’s beaches have eroded to the point that they almost don’t exist anymore or are often so full of seaweed that getting into the ocean is not even an option.
The shrinking coastline has been victim to natural disasters but environmental experts argue that corruption and a lack of planning are the true culprits.
“We have had hurricanes in this part of the world since antiquity, it makes no sense to blame weather events. Let’s not fool ourselves, this problem is man-made, the obvious result of corruption and willful negligence,” says Guadalupe de la Rosa Villalba, of the Playa del Carmen-based environmental organization Moce Yax Cuxtal.
Though authorities refute this claim, Quintana Roo’s state government has reportedly authorized a campaign to extract and move thousands of metric tons of sand from other locations in an attempt to salvage Playa del Carmen’s reputation.

Playa del Carmen in the year 2000 with pristine beaches the resort town was known for.
“Visitors are starting to ask questions. Many of them have visited before and notice how bad the situation has become. For the sake of our community something has to be done,” reads a press statement from city hall.
Moving sand to fix beaches, often called beach nourishment, has several drawbacks which include environmental damage to the areas targeted for extraction, and the fact that it is at best a temporary solution.
This is because without a healthy marine ecosystem made up of coral reefs and mangroves, newly dumped sand waves and storms (not to mention hurricanes) will eventually erode the added sand, requiring repeated and costly replenishment.
One of the areas approved for sand removal is the Caribbean facing side of Cozumel, a fact that has brought much distress to locals of the island.
During a recent town hall meeting in Playa del Carmen, residents argued that despite the cost, in the long term it would actually be cheaper and more responsible to demolish hotels and other constructions in particularly problematic locations.
There has also been growing pressure on the government of Quintana Roo to be more transparent with the MX$32.57 (roughly US$2) daily environmental sanitation tax paid daily by every visitor to the state staying at a hotel, hostel or rental property.