Playa del Carmen, Q.R. — Playa El Recodo in central Playa del Carmen could be the city’s first designated pet friendly beach. Lourdez Varguez, the Secretary of the Environment, said that location could be the beach area the city chooses.
In recent months, the beach has undergone a sandbank recovery process, which could make it ideal for a pet beach. Varguez mentioned that El Recodo is being looked at as the most viable for this purpose since it has recovered its sandbanks.
Earlier this month, a group made another public request to have a beach area designated for dogs. The request was made since, for many years, it has been illegal to have pets on beaches in the state of Quintana Roo.
The demand for the pet friendly beach could be answered within a month, Varguez said.
Last week, the group met with authorities to analyze the possibilities of allocating the beach for this purpose, but some people also spoke out against it. For this reason, a citizen consultation was agreed upon so that the majority would decide whether or not to allow dogs on that beach.
Varguez said that the agency has received letters both in favor of and against the idea, “so the decision will not be in the hands of the authorities, but in the hands of the population. Let the people decide what is needed,” she said.
“We have assessed that one of the beaches, the most viable for this purpose, would be El Recodo which has been fully recovered for more than a year. It has a little more than 20 meters of beach that was recovered from the sargassum,” she explained.
“It is not a beach that is being occupied for tourist purposes. We talked with the local fishermen and they are in favor of it. They are excited about the idea of being able to provide a sales service for some items for pets,” she saying clarifying that as for a designated pet friendly beach, “it is not yet a fact.”
There are already several pet friendly beaches around the state but not any in Playa del Carmen. Currently, Playa Coral (El Mirador II) in Cancun is a Blue Flag pet friendly beach. Isla Blanca on the mainland of Isla Mujeres has a pet friendly beach area for dogs.
The is also Punta Nizuc at kilometer 32 of the Cancun Hotel Zone and on Isla Mujeres (the island), Kilometer One of the Carribean Sea highway. There are also numerous hotels and private land owners along the coast that offer pet friendly beach clubs for a fee.
