Could Holbox, Felipe Carrillo Puerto and Puerto Morelos Become Pueblos Mágicos?

Chetumal, Quintana Roo — Three Quintana Roo destinations could seek one of Mexico’s best-known tourism designations if the federal government opens a new application round in 2027. For now, Holbox, Felipe Carrillo Puerto and Puerto Morelos are possible candidates, with no applications open and no designation awarded.

Federal Tourism Secretary Josefina Rodríguez Zamora said her department will first review the performance of the country’s 177 existing Pueblos Mágicos. That assessment will inform whether the government invites new applications and what applicants would need to demonstrate.

Quintana Roo already has four destinations in the program: Bacalar, Cozumel, Isla Mujeres and Tulum. The three places now being discussed offer very different reasons for a visitor to stay longer, spend locally and learn about the state.

What Does the Designation Mean?

Mexico’s Tourism Department describes a Pueblo Mágico as a community with a distinctive combination of history, traditions, cultural life and everyday character that visitors can experience. The program is intended to highlight places beyond the country’s best-known tourist centers.

For a local guide, restaurant or small hotel, recognition could bring more visibility. It could also encourage visitors to explore a town’s streets, food and history instead of treating it as a brief stop on the way elsewhere.

The title would not, by itself, build infrastructure or guarantee that more visitors spend money with local businesses. How a town prepares—and who benefits from its promotion—would matter as much as the designation.

Holbox: Tourism Within a Protected Landscape

Holbox already draws visitors for its beaches and natural setting. It is also part of the Yum Balam protected area, which includes mangroves, wetlands and important wildlife habitat.

A Pueblo Mágico application could highlight the island’s identity and support local guides and businesses. It would also bring attention to a familiar question for residents: how to welcome visitors while protecting the environment that sustains the destination. Any tourism plans would still have to respect Yum Balam’s existing conservation rules. A new tourism title would not replace them.

Holbox is a community in the municipality of Lázaro Cárdenas. That distinction matters when officials eventually set out who would apply and which area a potential designation would cover.

Felipe Carrillo Puerto: Living Maya History

Felipe Carrillo Puerto’s case rests on a different kind of heritage. Known historically as Santa Cruz, the city played a central role in Maya resistance during the nineteenth-century Caste War. Its historical museum tells that story while also presenting agricultural practices, art, religious traditions and the continuing life of Maya communities.

Recognition could bring more visitors interested in that history and create opportunities for guides, artisans, cooks and other local businesses. It would also raise the question of how the community wants its story told. The city’s heritage is lived and maintained by residents; a successful visitor experience would depend on their participation, not simply on promoting its historic sites.

Puerto Morelos: A Coastal Town With Its Own Identity

Puerto Morelos is often encountered as part of the busy corridor between Cancún and Playa del Carmen. Its town center, fishing community, leaning lighthouse and nearby cenotes give visitors reasons to spend time there rather than pass through.

Just offshore lies the Puerto Morelos Reef National Park, a protected marine area central to the town’s natural appeal. A designation could help draw attention to local restaurants, guides and cultural offerings. For residents, its value would depend on whether that attention supports local livelihoods while respecting the reef and the character of the town.

What Happens Next?

There is no new application form for these three destinations to complete today. Rodríguez Zamora said federal officials must assess the existing program before deciding whether to expand it and setting the next requirements.

That leaves time for local discussion about what each community would want from the title. More visitors could create business opportunities, but destinations would also need to consider how they manage public spaces, services, cultural heritage and protected natural areas.

For now, Holbox, Felipe Carrillo Puerto and Puerto Morelos remain prospective candidates. The decision that matters next is whether the federal Tourism Department opens a new round—and what it asks communities to show when it does.