The residents of Telchac Puerto see how in recent years the presence of oceanfront tourist-real estate projects has increased: apartments, private clubs and, recently, a luxury hotel and a water park have been planned.
This trend is observed between 2018 and 2025. Researchers agree that Yucatán has established itself as an attractive destination for investment, triggering an accelerated expansion in this southeastern municipality.
José Inés Loria Palma, director and founder of the civil association Ejido San Crisanto, pointed out that in the coastal area it is not customary to make citizen inquiries before it is built in their territory.
“We are concerned about the growth that has been noticed in recent years. Suddenly we see that the constructions begin and we don't even know when they were authorized. This impacts people's local lives, it also affects the entire environment of our habitat,” he said.
Part of the impacts are due to the mismanagement of garbage and wastewater, which become a concern.
Silvia Moreno Uc, a resident of Telchac Puerto, considered that after the recognition of the site as Playa Platino, a certification that brings together the government, companies and individuals to serve the beaches, by local and state authorities evidenced the intention to open the territory to luxury tourism.
“We know that the authorities are very excited that the beaches have these international awards, but for us it doesn't mean the same thing, because then the big hotels start to arrive, which are the ones that will receive a direct economic benefit,” he said.
The beaches of Yucatán are currently an attraction for the hotel sector. Source: Itzel Chan.
Life in Telchac Puerto has traditionally been quiet and communal, but the new projects attract exclusive tourism that requires luxury services, the interviewee recalled.
“Our places have always been magical by nature and currently the authorities have kept us in helplessness and neglect, but now that they can take advantage of it, they are focusing on giving hoteliers permission to come and settle in,” he added.
Local residents see an increase in the sale of land, the closure of small restaurants due to rising rents and the arrival of boutique businesses. On the contrary, deficiencies in public services, such as paving and public lighting, persist on the streets of the community.
“We noticed that yes, more and more are coming from different parts of Mexico, and that's not bad, but we wouldn't want them to take away the identity of what we are,” he shared.
A latent threat
Among the pressures facing the Yucatecan coast, the intention of the Mayakuná Luxury Group and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts chains to establish themselves in Telchac Puerto stands out.
During a public event on August 28, 2025, an alliance was announced to position Yucatán as a new “premium” oceanfront destination, according to the national newspaper El Financiero . The purpose is to consolidate a world-class “Yucatecan Riviera”, with investment and luxury hospitality.
The Mayakuná group presented the Wyndham Telchac Kokai project, which includes a luxury oceanfront hotel, a beach club and an “Adventure Park” with zip lines, trails and water sports. The complex includes more than 50 beachfront suites, with panoramic rooftops, infinity pools, spa, gourmet restaurants and exclusive services.
The Yucatecan coast is being promoted as Mexico's new Riviera. Source: Itzel Chan.
A membership scheme (Amber, Jade and Onyx) was also launched for investors and future guests, offering everything from preferential access and complimentary accommodations, to private transportation and personalized concierge.
Although the developments are expected to come into operation around 2029, so far there is no record of them having an Environmental Impact Statement (MIA) before Semarnat. Causa Natura Media requested interviews with companies and with the Yucatán Secretariat for Sustainable Development (SDS) to know the status of the projects, but at the close of the edition of this article there was no response.
Meanwhile, the Government of the State of Yucatán has openly promoted coastal tourism development. During the six-year term of then-governor Rolando Zapata Bello (2012—2018), the idea of a “Yucatecan Riviera Maya” was promoted, a vision that was continued by his successor Mauricio Vila (2018—2024) and is currently maintained with Joaquín Díaz Mena, under the names of “Yucatecan Riviera” or “Emerald Coast”.
In Yucatán, years ago it was not common to see this type of building on the coast. Source: Itzel Chan.
Land use planning and environmental damage
The beaches of Yucatán are distinguished by their beauty and tranquility. This same quality arouses the interest of real estate and hotel companies. Currently, there are 293 concessions granted for various projects on the coast, according to Semarnat.
During tours of the Causa Natura Media team, it was found that Telchac Puerto and Dzemul stand out for their high number of concessions on the north central coast, where private beach houses and new tourist resorts proliferate, as well as Celestún and Sisal, on the western coast, with a clear tourist vocation.
On October 1, 2025, the State Government published in the Official Gazette of the State of Yucatán the Medium-Term Program 2025—2030: Territorial Planning and Urban Development (IMDUT), which identifies Telchac Puerto as one of the municipalities with the greatest environmental impacts.
“One of the most devastating effects are the dynamics of urban expansion in areas of high ecological value such as wetlands, coastal dunes and mangroves, mainly in the coastal strip formed by Sinanché, San Felipe, Rio Lagartos, Tizimín, Ixil, Hunucmán, Dzilam de Bravo, Progreso, Dzidzantún, Dzemul, Celestún, Yobaín and Telchac Puerto,” the document reads.
There are more and more beachfront buildings in Yucatán. Source: Itzel Chan.
Despite the increase in real estate developments, Telchac Puerto was identified as one of the municipalities with a “very high level of housing backwardness”, contrary to the establishment of hotels and summer houses. The state report itself recognizes uncontrolled deforestation, loss of biodiversity and pollution of coasts and aquifers, factors that increase vulnerability to hydrometeorological phenomena and climate change.
“There was evidence of the loss of 1,477 hectares of mangrove vegetation in the municipalities located in the coastal strip and its area of influence, causing fragmentation of ecosystems and reducing connectivity between them,” concludes the Program.
Urban architect Juan Carlos Rojo Carrascal considered that in Telchac there is a lack of regulation and that urban planning plans are insufficient.
“In rural areas there must be very specific urban development conditions and there are none. This causes loss of ecosystems just by changing land use. We need very strict regulatory instruments that delimit growth, but that also induce orderly urban development,” said Rojo.
He also warned that building without considering environmental pressure has consequences: “If we deforest as is done in the coastal area, we limit natural flows and this is an attack on the environment. Nature reacts, as we have already seen, with higher waves, beach erosion and other effects. Yucatán has high pressure on its coasts.”
*This article was written by Itzel Chan, who covers coastal communities thanks to the support of the Report for the World program.
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