Playa del Carmen Keeps Tourist Complex Extension Closed After Illegal Seal Removal

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — A tourist complex extension under construction in Xcalacoco remains closed after unidentified individuals removed official seals placed by municipal inspectors, prompting authorities to reaffirm the closure and launch an investigation.

The city’s Secretary of Sustainable Environment and Climate Change, Kandy Mendoza, confirmed that the administrative closure is still in effect and that seals were reinstalled at the property’s entrances. Inspectors had detected construction work within the coastal strip under municipal observation.

Mendoza explained that the intervention occurred after municipal inspectors visited the site to verify activities related to the ongoing construction of a tourist complex extension along the northern coastline of Playa del Carmen, an area under surveillance for potential environmental impacts.

The removal of the seals was not carried out by government personnel, Mendoza said, and is being treated as a separate violation of the administrative procedure imposed by the authorities.

“We want to clarify that the authorities did not remove the seals,” she said, responding to public outcry after reports circulated that the official notices had disappeared.

The temporary absence of the seals sparked questions from residents and beachgoers, who demanded an explanation about the status of the construction and compliance with measures in an environmentally sensitive area.

Mendoza noted that the irregular removal could lead to additional penalties, as the closure was still active when the seals were taken. She confirmed coordination with the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa), which is also conducting inquiries at the site.

Federal personnel are reviewing the area to integrate their own observations into the ongoing process, she added.

The municipality is maintaining permanent surveillance of the property and will not allow work to resume until the administrative and environmental procedures are completed, Mendoza said.

While acknowledging the importance of tourism in Xcalacoco, she insisted that any expansion or intervention must comply with environmental criteria and proper permits.

“We are in favor of growth, but in a responsible manner,” she said.

The case adds to recent reviews of developments along Playa del Carmen’s coastal strip, where the municipality has intensified inspections following complaints about sand movement, temporary structures, and modifications near the federal maritime-terrestrial zone.

For now, the tourist complex extension remains halted as investigations continue to determine the conditions under which the work was carried out and the identity of those who removed the seals that triggered public protest.