TULUM | If you’re on the hunt for your next watering hole or in pursuit of a beach club on Tulum’s beachfront anytime soon, it might be worth noting a couple of things before heading there. The Santa Fe Beach Club, located in Tulum’s National Park in the state of Quintana Roo, has recently been placed under custody by The National Guard. Federal authorities carried out a search of the beach club, which is popular with tourists.
The Attorney General of the Republic reported that this happened on Thursday, February 16. In a statement, they said, “[the club causes] damage to the biodiversity and environment, due to the removal of vegetation, as well as the use of non-forest land,” and because of this, the property has been left in the hands of The National Guard.
What Was Damaged?
It is reported that there have been damages to the coastal dune. During the search, fourteen platforms for cabins, three water collectors, and four excavations for cisterns, amongst other things, such as artificial water collectors, industrial electrical power transformers, three vehicles, and fourteen cubic meters of wood, were found.
Agents from the Federal Ministerial Police, and the Federal Public Ministry, with experts in architecture, photography, and biodiversity, were all on the scene, including some of the state police, plus the members of the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas.
Thanks to the testimonies of 22 workers at ‘Sante Fe’, authorities have gathered information and narrowed it down to two of the alleged perpetrators, one of which has already been detained by the Federal Public Ministry.
This is the second time the National Guard have visited the popular beach club and bar; they were also under fire in December of last year after the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources closed Santa Fe for construction in the area without any prior notice or authorization.
What Happens Next?
It’s suggested that this protected natural area will be under surveillance as The Attorney’s General Office has stated – “Surveillance will be maintained within and in the vicinity of this Protected Natural Area, to prevent the construction of infrastructure that is intended to be carried out illegally,”
What Efforts Are In Place To Prevent This?
The good news is that Mexico is pledging to turn lots of its land into reserves. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has recently announced he’s signed an agreement to convert around 15,000 hectares of land (some of which is in Quintana Roo) of The National Fund for Tourism Promotion into Protected Natural Areas. One of the benefits of this action is that it will allow for many public beaches and ultimately protect them from privatization, which is great news for tourists and also residents!
Despite the alleged environmental damage at Santa Fe Beach Club, Tulum continues to be a shining beacon in its efforts to minimalize damage to the biodiversity and environment to preserve its natural wildlife and habitat for tourists and locals to enjoy for years to come. Sitting beautifully on the Caribbean coast in the Yucatan Peninsula, the area’s biodiversity is protected both internationally and nationally.
It is surrounded by four federally protected natural areas – the UNESCO world heritage site of Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, rich with lagoons, a vast range of wildlife, and mangroves which are recognized by the Ramsar Convention as wetlands of international importance. You also have the beautiful Tulum National Park, the Arrecifes (Coral Reefs) of Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, and the Mexican Caribbean Biosphere Reserve – not to mention the world’s second-largest great barrier reef, and Riviera Maya’s renowned stunning freshwater cenotes, which are also linked to the traditions and legends of the Mayan people.
Anyone that has visited the eco-chic town of Tulum knows that businesses there are aiming to be as eco-focused and develop sustainably as possible, it’s a delicate biosphere, and steps must be taken to ensure the protection of its natural habitat.
Developers take extreme care in making changes to their design and infrastructure of properties, by using more curved structures and using 55 square meters of green space per resident, in turn, blending seamlessly into the jungle, and foliage, bamboo, and local woods are also used to reduce waste.