Mexico’s Free Beach Access Law Advances

Mexico City — The Tourism Commission of the Chamber of Deputies will this Tuesday discuss the draft of a reform that seeks to guarantee all people free and gratuitous access to the beaches and protected natural areas of Mexico at least one day per week, with preference for weekends or days of higher social attendance.

The proposal, presented by the Morena party coordinator, Ricardo Monreal Ávila, and also signed by Deputy Enrique Vázquez, seeks to modify the General Law of National Assets and the General Law of Ecological Equilibrium and Environmental Protection to put a stop to the fees and restrictions currently in effect at various points across the country.

The document argues that these mechanisms, such as the wristbands issued by the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (CONANP), constitute a form of indirect privatization of national assets, contrary to Article 4 of the Constitution, which recognizes the right of every person to a healthy environment.

Currently, access to beaches in tourist zones such as Tulum is conditioned on fees starting at 58 pesos per person, in addition to the "Digital Conservation Passport" which offers annual visits to all protected natural areas.

Furthermore, in December 2024, the group administered by the Secretariat of National Defense imposed fees on public beaches such as Santa Fe, Pescadores, and Paraíso, which triggered social protests and accusations of non-compliance with agreements from the mayor of Tulum himself, Diego Castañón.

In response to this scenario, the municipal president initiated procedures to guarantee free access and, as part of these measures, a new public passage to the coast is already being enabled, which will include basic services, security, and surveillance from Civil Protection.

According to reports, this space will be ready in approximately three weeks and seeks to reaffirm the right of the population and visitors to enjoy dignified beaches without restrictions or improper charges.

These cases have become a reference for the tension between the legal framework, which establishes that beaches are assets of the nation, and the practice, where local communities and tourists face restrictions on their enjoyment.

The draft recognizes that the reform could generate a budgetary impact in terms of revenue collection and warns of potential conflicts of jurisdiction. For this reason, the Tourism Commission proposes that the responsibility for guaranteeing access and basic services should not fall solely on the federal government, but should be shared with states and municipalities.

At the same time, it points out that not all protected natural areas are beaches, so it is not viable to establish free access to all these spaces in a general manner.

President Claudia Sheinbaum has endorsed the proposal, stating last August during a tour in Chetumal that "the beaches belong to the people, they belong to the public, and they cannot be privatized."

With this endorsement, the draft is expected to be approved in the commission on Tuesday and pass to the full Chamber of Deputies the following day, where legislators anticipate broad consensus.

If finalized, the reform would set a historic precedent in the defense of the public character of Mexican beaches, by recognizing in law that their enjoyment cannot be conditioned on payment nor fall under the control of private interests.