Playa del Carmen Beachgoers Denounce Charges of Up to 800 Pesos for Umbrellas and Lounge Chairs

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Beachgoers say private vendors are charging up to 800 pesos to rent umbrellas, chairs and lounge chairs on the sands of Playa del Carmen, with the highest prices reported near Avenida Constituyentes, Playa 88 and Punta Esmeralda.

The complainants said the vendors do not hand out receipts and questioned the lack of oversight of commercial activity inside the Zona Federal Marítimo Terrestre (Zofemat), Mexico’s federally regulated coastal strip.

Juan Acuña, Nora Méndez and Jaime Tolosa all said the operators set their own rates and approach visitors as soon as they step onto the sand.

Acuña said he recently went to the shoreline near Avenida Constituyentes with relatives visiting from another state, where they were offered parasols for as much as 700 pesos.

Méndez said the renters do not provide receipts and argued there is no control over the coastline. She said rates reach about 700 pesos for a shade canopy and 150 pesos for each plastic chair for the full day.

She called on the authorities responsible for the Zofemat to review the activities at these sites and determine whether the operators hold the required permits.

Fernando Solís questioned charging for equipment placed in a public-access area. He said beaches should remain available to everyone and asked officials to clarify under what terms private parties may run commercial operations in these spaces.

Tolosa, a tourist from the region, said Mexican visitors and local residents are approached to rent umbrellas and other items. He asked who supervises these services and under what permits the private operators work.

Rigoberto Lara, a boat operator, said surveillance of commercial activity on the beaches needs to be strengthened to avoid harming the tourism industry. He said conditions on the beaches have improved since the months of heaviest sargassum, but problems that frustrate beachgoers persist.

Under Mexico’s General Law on National Assets, beaches are part of the public domain and are open to free access. The Zofemat covers a 20-meter strip of firm land that is passable and runs alongside the beach, measured from the maximum recorded tide.