Fourth Cruise Pier Project in Cozumel Remains Active Despite Environmental Rejection

Cozumel, Quintana Roo — A controversial proposal to build a fourth cruise ship pier on this Caribbean island remains legally active despite environmental authorities definitively rejecting the project earlier this year, with the final decision now resting with federal judges.

The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) confirmed its rejection of the cruise pier project on February 26, 2026, following a reevaluation that identified significant risks to the area’s marine ecosystem. The decision was based on a review of the Environmental Impact Statement that revealed the presence of a coral reef system and seagrass beds not accounted for in the original study.

“There is a biodiverse coral reef, the Villa Blanca Reef, as well as a robust seagrass meadow in the area of the fourth pier, which were not disclosed in the Environmental Impact Statement,” technical arguments in the case file noted.

Despite the environmental rejection, the developer Muelles del Caribe S.A. de C.V. filed a legal challenge against the revocation of the environmental authorization originally granted in 2021 and subsequently annulled in September 2025.

According to the local organization “No al Cuarto Muelle” (No to the Fourth Pier), this legal action keeps the process open and transfers the controversy to the judicial arena, where the validity of the cancellation will be determined.

With the legal challenge underway, the case no longer depends on local or state authorities, and a federal judge will decide whether to maintain the revocation of environmental authorization or allow some change in the project’s status.

The judicial review will include examination of the environmental authority’s technical arguments as well as the legal resources promoted by the company.

The fourth pier project has generated debate since its proposal, primarily due to its location in an ecologically sensitive area of Cozumel. In September 2025, Semarnat annulled the environmental authorization after determining that the evaluation presented lacked sufficient elements to measure the impact on reefs and marine ecosystems.

The case file was subsequently subjected to a new review, which led to the confirmation of the definitive rejection in February of this year. While environmental authorities have established their position, the ongoing judicial process means the case has not concluded in legal terms.

The ruling issued by the Federal Judiciary will be decisive in defining the project’s future.