Grupo Xcaret’s Dark Side: Eco Harm & Worker Exploitation

Playa del Carmen, Mexico — Under the slogan "All-Fun Inclusive," Grupo Xcaret markets itself as a paradise where everything—food, entertainment, and nature—is included. However, behind this facade lies a pattern of systematic ecological destruction, fatal accidents, labor abuses, and tourist complaints, according to investigations and federal records.

With annual profits exceeding $750 million, Grupo Xcaret stands accused of being one of the primary predators of ecosystems in Quintana Roo and Yucatán. Despite promoting sustainable tourism, the company’s operations have led to irreversible damage to cenotes, jungles, and water systems.

A Trail of Environmental Violations

Over the past decade, federal authorities have documented at least 13 administrative proceedings against Grupo Xcaret for environmental violations across the Yucatán Peninsula. These sanctions, however, have done little to curb the company’s expansion.

One of the most egregious cases involves the Xibalbá park in Valladolid. In 2022, Mexico’s Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) shut down construction after discovering unauthorized drilling into cenotes, modification of underground rivers, and alteration of the water table. Despite the closure order, Grupo Xcaret continued work unabated.

The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) later deemed the project’s environmental assessment invalid and partially suspended it, citing illegal vegetation removal, unauthorized tunneling in cenotes, and deforestation spanning over 33,000 square meters. The company later submitted an out-of-time environmental impact statement, allowing operations to resume.

In December 2023, Grupo Xcaret faced another sanction for beginning construction on a luxury hotel in Playa del Carmen without permits, clearing 111 hectares of jungle. By 2024, the company abandoned plans for a nine-hotel megaproject in Santa Elena, Yucatán, after Semarnat rejected the proposal following outcry from environmental groups like Greenpeace.

Most recently, in the first half of 2025, authorities shut down operations in Quintana Roo due to illegal deforestation across 1,300 hectares.

Labor Abuses and Worker Exploitation

Beyond environmental violations, Grupo Xcaret has been accused of mistreating employees. In 2021, 70 waitstaff were allegedly fired unjustly after protesting excessive workloads. Former employees claim they were blacklisted by the union, making it difficult to find new jobs.

In 2024, the closure of two parks left 400 workers unemployed, with opaque severance packages and no guarantees. Former staff describe a workplace culture of harassment, surveillance, and precarious labor conditions.

Fatal Accidents and Tourist Safety Failures

Grupo Xcaret’s safety record has also come under scrutiny. In March 2021, a 13-year-old boy drowned in the Xenses park after being sucked into a poorly installed filtration pump in an artificial river. The victim’s father later accused park officials of pressuring him to sign a "forgiveness letter" in exchange for his son’s body.

In January 2022, a shooting inside the Hotel Xcaret México left one Canadian tourist dead and two others injured. The company dismissed the incident as a "private dispute," but it raised concerns about security lapses.

Another tourist, an American, died in 2024 under unclear circumstances at one of the company’s hotels. Most recently, in June 2025, over 50 visitors were stranded inside a cave at the Xplor park, requiring rescue by municipal civil protection authorities. Some suffered injuries during the evacuation.

A Business Model Built on Impunity

Critics argue that Grupo Xcaret’s "sustainability" claims are merely a marketing strategy. The company has repeatedly flouted regulations, delayed permit applications, dismissed labor rights, and downplayed tragedies while generating hundreds of millions in revenue.

Behind the folkloric dances and eco-tourism branding, Grupo Xcaret stands accused of operating a predatory business model—one that thrives on deforested jungles, altered cenotes, exploited workers, and institutional silence. In Mexico’s Caribbean, the company’s profits have come at the cost of one of the country’s most fragile ecosystems.