Mexico’s First National Cenote Corridor Unveiled

Tulum, Quintana Roo — A new tourism vision is being developed from Playa del Carmen with a clear focus: to diversify the current offer and open the door to new market niches. This was announced by Estefanía Hernández, the municipal Secretary of Tourism, who revealed plans for the creation of Mexico's First Cenote Corridor, an inter-destination strategy seeking to position the region as a benchmark for nature and sustainable tourism.

“From Playa del Carmen, we have the vision of working on alternative tourism, which means diversified tourism that brings us new market niches and new tourist offerings,” stated Estefanía Hernández while explaining the foundations of this initiative.

She elaborated that as part of this project, invitations have been extended to Valladolid and Mérida, in Yucatán; and to Tulum, Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Puerto Morelos, and Cozumel, in Quintana Roo, to join this joint effort promoting the natural wealth of the peninsula, especially its cenotes.

The official acknowledged that one of the most important attractions of the Mexican Caribbean is its turquoise beaches, the reason millions of visitors arrive each year. However, she pointed out that the cenotes, unique formations in the world, represent a distinctive element on a peninsular level that can be key to tourism diversification.

“We are sure it will be our differentiator in terms of the tourist offering,” she asserted, adding that this project not only seeks to create a tourism campaign but also to develop a conservation and certification program for the cenotes, ensuring they meet criteria for tourist infrastructure and safety.

To achieve this, work is being coordinated with the Secretariats of the Environment of the different states, as well as with expert organizations like Cenotes Urbanos and Centinelas del Agua, in addition to conducting a regulatory analysis in the participating municipalities.

“We will conduct an evaluation of the minimum necessary criteria that each cenote must have for its opening, to belong to the Cenote Corridor of Mexico,” she specified.

The scale of the project is significant: there are over 10,000 cenotes on the peninsula, many still in a virgin state and others already exploited for tourism. “That is why what we want to do is ensure their preservation and conservation so that within this tourism promotion, it is sustainable tourism that can care for our ecosystems and give us this differentiator in tourist offerings,” she explained.

She indicated that the corridor is conceived as a long-term strategy, meant to transcend changes in administration. The goal is to consolidate it and present it jointly at the International Tourism Fair (Fitur) 2026 in Spain, as a solid and sustainable proposal from the eight involved destinations.

Furthermore, the secretary emphasized that this tourism product has high potential in emerging markets like Germany, Italy, and Spain, as well as Argentina, Colombia, and Brazil, which are showing great interest in nature tourism and ecotourism.

“Without a doubt, the cenotes, these crystalline bodies of water, are one of the main alternatives for the tourists who visit us and also for our inhabitants. Today they are not only a sample of our identity but of the great ecosystem we have,” she affirmed.

She recalled that the peninsula boasts the world's second-largest underwater cave and the largest subterranean rivers, which reinforces its natural and touristic value.

Finally, Estefanía Hernández invited the public to consult the website https://www.letsplaya.mx/es_mx, which features the municipality's tourist routes, such as the Wellness route, the Sea and Fishing route, and the Sea and Jungle route, in addition to the event calendar for the rest of the year and 2026.

“This is what we are working on for Playa del Carmen, for our present and for our future,” she concluded.