The beaches of Quintana Roo are facing, unlike any other time, an atypical amount of Sargassum a natural phenomenon that for years has been present in the Caribbean. Nonetheless, in recent years the situation has worsened, especially during Summer, creating discomfort among tourist and an inconvenience for the tourism and service sector of the Riviera Maya.
While this situation is completely beyond our control, there are alternative programs operating to deal with the matter. The State government via the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources amongst Tulum entrepreneurs, hoteliers and lots of concerned volunteers, have been working for months in a project that consists on the installation of containing barriers along the coast of Cancun and Riviera Maya to stop the sargassum from reaching the beaches where thousands of people swim and enjoy time on their vacation. The barriers are thought and designed to be non-polluting and resistant in order to prevent the degradation of the marine ecosystem.
The collection of sargassum does not only attend the matter of maintaining the beaches clean and attractive for tourists, but it also refers to a matter of preventing health risks for both visitors and locals.
There is a strong commitment both from the federal government and private companies from the area to keep fighting the sargassum situation in order to stop farther affectation for both the tourism industry and the ecosystem that, bottom line, is the principal attraction for travelers to the Mexican Caribbean.
It is important for you to know that the arrival of sargassum depends a lot on the sea currents so it's impossible to know whether you'll find it in a specific location (some days are worse than others and sometimes it just seems to vanish). What we're certain of is that it decreases during the fall and we're looking forward to seeing it diminish over the next weeks. While the beach is the biggest jewel of the crown, (and despite the problematic, it still remains gorgeous) keep in mind that Tulum and the Riviera Maya offer a lot of alternative things to do, like visiting cenotes, archaeological sites, amusing nightlife, and many more activities. In Maria del Mar boutique hotel, we'll always have the best recommendation and tips for you to enjoy a great vacation experience.
