Mexican Army Builds in Protected Reserve

FELIPE CARRILLO PUERTO, Quintana Roo — Without environmental permits, the Mexican Army has been constructing a tourism project for the past two years within the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, a protected natural area in Quintana Roo. The works are currently halted following a blockade by local ejidatarios (communal landowners) in 2024, but authorities have stated they will be reactivated.

The project, officially named "Camino artesanal Puerta al Mar" (Artisanal Gateway to the Sea), carries a cost of 175 billion pesos. It encompasses not only a 54.6-kilometer highway that will cross the wetlands of Sian Ka'an, from the municipal seat of Felipe Carrillo Puerto to the Caribbean Sea, but also the construction of other infrastructures including a restaurant, a parking lot with commercial spaces, pedestrian walkways, and a pier with a lookout point. Furthermore, where mangroves currently exist, the Army plans to create an artificial beach with palapas and sunbeds.

The new tourism project is located along the route of the Tren Maya, relatively close to other works by the Secretariat of National Defense (Sedena): the Tren Maya station in Felipe Carrillo Puerto, the Tulum International Airport—which houses another train station and an Army hotel—and the Tren Maya Hotel of Tulum, situated within another military project, the Jaguar Park.

Vigilantes of the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve

The lobster fishers of Punta Allen, a community within the heart of the reserve, are proud of their sustainable practices: they do not work during closed seasons and return small or egg-bearing lobsters to the sea. This method ensures the crustacean's reproduction and guarantees the product does not run out, a stark contrast to other communities along the Mexican Caribbean.

"We in Punta Allen are the vigilantes of the reserve. If we were predators, we would have already finished off the lobsters, dolphins, sharks, turtles, and manatees, but we haven't: we have a beautiful place," said Víctor Manuel Barrera Córdoba, former president of the Vigía Chico fishers' cooperative.

The lobster fishers' concern is that an increase in boat traffic caused by the Army's tourism project will harm marine species. "The boat capacity in Sian Ka'an is already at its limit; no more can be added," asserted Mr. Víctor. The fishers also have economic concerns, as their traps are positioned opposite Vigía Chico, and they fear soldiers or tourists from the Puerta al Mar could steal their lobsters.

Tourism workers in Punta Allen also view the project unfavorably. "Here we are very conscious, and we are worried about the devastation of the jungle and the wetlands," said a woman who arrived in Punta Allen in the late 1970s. "I am also worried that it is an Army project, because people are afraid of the military and will stay quiet even if they don't agree with it," added the woman, who requested anonymity.

Concern Over the Entry of Mass Tourism into Sian Ka'an

Mr. Víctor learned of the Puerta al Mar construction in October 2023, when the Governor of Quintana Roo, Mara Lezama Espinosa, posted a video on her social media announcing a project for "social justice for the Maya zone." However, the inhabitants of Punta Allen or Felipe Carrillo Puerto were never consulted.

According to Governor Lezama, the project responds to "an old and legitimate demand" from the residents of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, who have lacked access to the coast for their own enjoyment and for tourism exploitation since 1986, when the area between the town and the Caribbean Sea was declared a biosphere reserve and considered a World Heritage site by UNESCO.

Some locals doubt the Army is building the Puerta al Mar for the benefit of the population. "I wonder, for whom and for what are they opening this road, and who will truly benefit?" said Wilma Esquivel Pat from the U Kúuchil K Chi’i’bal’on Community Center in Felipe Carrillo Puerto. The territorial defender's primary concern is that this road, once paved by Sedena, could facilitate the entry of other tourism megaprojects into Sian Ka'an.

Without Environmental Permits

The groundbreaking ceremony for Puerta al Mar took place in August 2023, despite the project lacking—and still lacking—the environmental permits required by law.

In March 2025, the municipal president of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Mary Hernández, claimed the work was 80% complete and recently assured it would be delivered within the year. However, a site visit in July confirmed that the paving of the highway—which Sedena defines as an "artisanal road" despite being made of hydraulic concrete—was not finished.

Of all the infrastructures contemplated for the project, which the Environmental Impact Statement (MIA)—still under evaluation—classifies as "low impact," only a mid-way "transfer station" has been built so far. In Vigía Chico, where the tourism complex is meant to arise, only the old lighthouse, a pedestrian walkway through the mangroves, and a pier with a lookout point exist. The site appears quiet and abandoned.

Beach in Place of Mangroves

The works at Puerta al Mar were suspended in November 2024 due to a blockade by ejidatarios from Felipe Carrillo Puerto. Earlier this year, Governor Mara Lezama announced they would be reactivated, but this has not yet occurred. The municipal president made the same promise on July 29 after a meeting with the Army, but work remains stalled, with rumors circulating about a budget problem.

A request for an interview with Sedena on the topic went unanswered by the time of publication.

Among the mangroves of Vigía Chico, sargassum accumulates and creates a foul odor. It is difficult to imagine that one day a 6,000-square-meter beach with sunbeds, palapas, and a restaurant will exist over this wetland. The impacts of the work are unknown, as the MIA does not provide details on how the beach will be created or where the sand will come from.

The project remains active and is slated for construction even as sargassum and insecurity are harming tourism in nearby Tulum, which recorded a hotel occupancy rate of just over 60% during the recent vacation season.