Cancún’s Playa Delfines Dune Reforestation Boosts Ecosystem

Cancún, Mexico — In coordination with federal authorities, private initiative, and civil organizations, Municipal President Ana Paty Peralta led the reforestation of 500 riñonina plants on the coastal dune of the Playa Delfines Protected Natural Area in Cancún.

This activity corresponds to the first stage of an ecological restoration process aimed at mitigating erosion and strengthening ecosystem resilience, according to the Benito Juárez City Council.

The mayor emphasized the importance of caring for this emblematic site, frequently visited by residents, national visitors, and international tourists.

“Our dunes are fundamental for conserving our beaches… These are actions related to environmental care,” Peralta stated, according to the official report.

How was the reforestation carried out?

More than 80 volunteers participated in the event, coming from municipal departments such as Ecology and ZOFEMAT, as well as from CONANP, Public Services, Palace Foundation, PROREST monitors, and CAFU Gym.

The specimens were planted with a spacing of 20 centimeters and oriented towards the sea, in addition to demarcating the area to prevent people from passing through during their growth.

Biologist Antonio Ortiz Hernández, environmental manager of Palace Foundation, explained that riñonina is a creeping plant that will serve as a base for future restoration, as it creates a vegetative “carpet” that reduces solar irradiation and prevents dune erosion.

Why is this action important?

The Director of Municipal Ecology, Fernando Haro Salinas, recalled that Playa Delfines was declared a Protected Natural Area by the Government of Mexico in 2023 and that, since then, the PROREST Program has been applied for the conservation of priority ecosystems.

For his part, the head of the Nichupté Mangrove Protection Area, José Arturo González González, highlighted the tourist and environmental relevance of the site, making it essential to strengthen its resilience.

The Municipal President reiterated that the “Arboriza Cancún” program continues, whose goal is to plant more than 11,000 specimens during the administration to reinforce the city’s environmental protection.