After 18-Year Wait, Playa del Carmen Secures Donation of Punta Esmeralda Access Road

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — After 18 years of negotiations, the municipality of Solidaridad has finalized the donation of the access road to Punta Esmeralda, a popular public beach in Playa del Carmen, clearing the way for a 23 million peso ($1.15 million) rehabilitation project this year.

Municipal Planning Secretary Mario Méndez Navarro confirmed the investment, which will be used to upgrade the beachfront area located at the end of the Luis Donaldo Colosio neighborhood.

Because the road was not municipal property, authorities had been unable to spend public funds on its maintenance. The previous administration pushed the residential and tourism complex Corasol — formerly known as Grand Coral — to complete the donation of the road and other areas.

According to the Municipal Gazette, the City Council approved the donation of four lots by the company Proyectos y Desarrollos Hispanomexicanos during an ordinary session on October 2, 2025.

The donation agreement dates back to March 31, 2008, when the company signed a covenant recognizing its obligation to donate the land to the then-Solidaridad municipality.

In early 2025, the Secretariat of Territorial Planning handed over the donation file to the City Council’s Finance, Heritage and Accounts Commission, led by municipal trustee José Agustín Aguilar Méndez. In October, the council approved the donation of three roadways and one plot of land.

With the donation finalized, the municipality’s Annual Operating Program now includes the rehabilitation of Punta Esmeralda, accessed via Calle Punta Esmeralda, which is now part of the municipal heritage.

Additionally, in December 2014, the Federal Official Gazette published an agreement allocating 3,724.58 square meters of federal maritime-terrestrial zone at Punta Esmeralda to the municipality for tourism security, first aid, tourist information, children’s playgrounds, and a gym.

Officials said the combination of the federal agreement and the road donation guarantees public access to the beach and prevents any private investor from appropriating the area.