Earth Festival in Playa del Carmen Unites Over 60 Organizations to Protect Chen Zubul

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — More than 60 local organizations will participate in the third Earth Festival in Playa del Carmen, culminating in a human chain to defend what activists describe as the city’s last major natural space: Chen Zubul.

Festival founder Daniela Jáuregui announced that the volunteer-run event, focused on education, science, culture, art, and environmental research, will take place from April 18 to 25. Activities will be streamed online through the festival’s digital platforms, the Playa del Carmen Citizen Council for Science, Culture and Art, and the Jaguar Negro collective.

35 Green Points and International Collaborations

Jáuregui said the festival will feature more than 35 “Green Points” across the city, where workshops, talks, cleanups, and cultural events will be held. Participants can access locations and schedules through a Google Maps platform via QR code.

The event also includes around 20 international collaborations, reinforcing its role as a growing platform for environmental awareness and community organization. According to Jáuregui, the broader goal is to “reforest the city through culture,” reconnecting residents with disappearing green spaces.

She noted that many of these Green Points have been lost over the years due to a combination of factors, including lack of funding, limited institutional support, weak coordination between organizations, and increasing insecurity in some areas.

A City Losing Its Green Space

The urgency behind the festival is tied to a broader transformation of Playa del Carmen over the past two decades. Once a small coastal town surrounded by dense jungle, the city has experienced rapid urban expansion driven by tourism and real estate development.

As a result, much of the original vegetation has been cleared, leaving only fragmented pockets of natural habitat within the urban area. Environmental groups say Chen Zubul represents one of the last significant remaining coastal forest zones within city limits—making it both ecologically and symbolically important.

The Conflict Over Chen Zubul

Chen Zubul, located near Playa 72 on the northern edge of the city, has been at the center of years of legal disputes, land claims, and development pressure. The area sits on highly valuable beachfront property, which has attracted interest from private developers seeking to build residential or tourism projects.

However, ownership of the land has long been contested, with overlapping claims involving private entities, historical ejido lands, and unresolved legal proceedings. This ambiguity has contributed to repeated tensions, including attempts to fence or secure the land, as well as reports over the years of questionable land sales to buyers unaware of the ongoing disputes.

Community groups have consistently pushed back, organizing cleanups, protests, and legal actions aimed at preserving public access and preventing development. The area has also been the focus of environmental concerns, as it plays a key role in protecting dunes, reducing coastal erosion, and supporting local biodiversity.

Nearby cases, such as Playa Pelícanos—where construction too close to the shoreline has contributed to severe beach erosion—are often cited as warnings of what could happen if Chen Zubul is developed.

Human Chain for Chen Zubul

To close the festival, Jáuregui called on residents to form a human chain on April 25 at 4:30 p.m. in peaceful defense of Chen Zubul.

She described the area as “the last natural space within the city that belongs to Playa del Carmen and its inhabitants,” emphasizing both its environmental value and its importance as a shared public space.

The demonstration is intended not only as a symbolic act of unity, but also as a statement against ongoing development pressures and the gradual loss of green areas across the city.

A Growing Movement

Beyond a single event, organizers say the Earth Festival reflects a broader shift in Playa del Carmen. As the city continues to grow, more residents—both longtime locals and newer arrivals—are becoming involved in efforts to protect what remains of its natural environment.

For many, the defense of Chen Zubul has become a focal point in a larger conversation about the future of the city: how to balance economic growth with environmental preservation, and who ultimately has a say in how that future is shaped.