Mexico Blocks ‘Casa Xaak’ Construction in Protected Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve

Tulum, Quintana Roo — Mexico’s environmental agency has rejected a proposed tourist home project within the protected Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, citing unacceptable risks to the fragile ecosystem.

The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) announced on February 16, 2026, that it will not grant environmental authorization for “Casa Xaak,” a single-family home promoted by the company Propiedades Xaak within the reserve in Quintana Roo.

After more than two years of technical analysis that began when the project was submitted in October 2023, the agency concluded the area’s ecosystem is too fragile to permit construction. The project was planned for approximately one hectare in the Paso Juana area and intended as a second residence for tourism purposes, with an estimated investment of 25 million pesos.

SEMARNAT’s ruling states the construction would require additional infrastructure, including a wastewater treatment plant, concrete slab, and storage containers, which would increase the impact on the land. Additionally, the project’s location violates Rule 26 of the Reserve Management Program by being situated outside the middle third of the property, specifically in the northern strip.

The Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (PROFEPA) has reinforced surveillance in the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, applying closures and sanctions to developments attempted without proper permits. In the last four years, at least three similar projects have been rejected due to the risk they pose to this protected ecosystem, which UNESCO declared a World Heritage site in 1987 for its manglares, wetlands, forests, and reefs.