Tulum, Q.R. — More than a dozen Tulum hotels and beach clubs have joined in the municipal beach battle against Jaguar Park. The hotels have agreed with municipal authorities to allow public beach access through their establishments and without access fees or minimum consumptions.
“Over the weekend we held roundtable discussions with several hoteliers. Fifteen hotels are joining the 8.5 kilometers of coastline, including the hotel zone, with no minimum consumption,” he said.
On Monday, Tulum Mayor Diego Castañón reported on the public beach access progress saying a total of 15 beach clubs and hotels have agreed to free public access (however, according to a list released by City Council, there are 13 hotels and three beach clubs listed for a total of 16 new points).
“I’m sharing some great news for Tulum: 15 hotels and beach clubs are opening their doors so everyone can access the beach with no entrance fee and no minimum consumption.
“This agreement with the private sector represents an important step for both residents and visitors to freely enjoy the best we have: our beaches. I appreciate the willingness of the entrepreneurs who joined, and I reiterate that we will continue to promote more actions that make Tulum a destination where the sea always belongs to everyone.”
The only time public access will be denied, he explained, is if the hotel is hosting a private event, otherwise, the hotels and beach clubs have established public access times.
At a press conference Monday, Mayor Diego Castañón reported that the establishments have joined the beach rescue effort and, after several rounds of work and coordination, have agreed to allow unrestricted access through their hotels from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., among others.
“The people are right and since this is a federal issue, hotels did their part. They said people could come in, they wouldn’t be charged, there were no minimums, and they could be on the beach.”
He clarified that the only reason access will be restricted is if the hotel is hosting a private event, however, there are still other access points. He said visitors must follow Zofemat guidelines and not bring coolers or food to cook.
Castañón recalled that a reform promoted by the City Council through the coordinator of the Morena party in the Chamber of Deputies, Ricardo Monreal, is being maintained in the Congress of the Union.
This will require the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (ANP) to exempt from collecting fees on Sundays, ensuring free access.
“We are still waiting for the initiative to move forward with Representative Ricardo Moreal. It will likely be approved this month. Our Governor, Mara Lezama, is also continuing with the negotiations regarding Jaguar Park. We are happy that the hoteliers are joining in, for the good of Tulum,” he said Monday.
The agreements with the Tulum establishments were made official Monday after months of ongoing problems with public beach access in Jaguar Park. While the park says they have agreed to allow municipal residents free beach access, people are still charged to enter the park itself. The excessive charges have been blamed as one of the reasons for a sharp decline in tourism this year, with some merchants calling the 2025 summer holidays worse than the pandemic.
Last week, municipal authorities announced the opening of another public beach point once it is cleaned up for public use. That beach access is located one kilometer past the Jaguar Park entrance and is expected to be ready in coming weeks.
