Playa del Carmen Says Punta Esmeralda Access Will Stay Open as Fencing Is Called Temporary

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — The rehabilitation of the access to Punta Esmeralda beach will not include gates, opening hours or any restrictions on visitors, according to Dorys Aké Sierra, Playa del Carmen’s secretary of Infrastructure and Public Works. She said the structures currently in place are temporary and are meant to prevent accidents while the work is carried out.

Aké Sierra said the project calls only for the construction of an arch to mark the start of the work zone, and that it will not function as a gate or include any mechanism for closing the entrance. Once the work is finished, she said, people will be able to keep entering the public beach freely.

Fencing to Remain Only During Construction

The secretary explained that the mesh fencing now surrounding part of the area was installed as a safety measure after some people continued to enter on motorcycles, scooters and other vehicles while crews were working. She said the fencing will be removed as the rehabilitation progresses and safe conditions allow.

The project also includes rebuilding the access road with a material capable of withstanding heavy vehicle traffic, particularly the trucks used to remove sargassum seaweed. Crews will additionally build a marked pedestrian crossing with handrails, tactile paving to help people with disabilities get around, and a parking area.

Aké Sierra repeated that the fencing currently visible is not part of the final design for the access, and rejected suggestions that the work is intended to establish controls on entry to Punta Esmeralda. Amid questions raised by the construction, she encouraged residents to request details about the project directly from the Infrastructure and Public Works Department.