Playa del Carmen to Invest 100 Million Pesos in Sargassum Fight

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Playa del Carmen will invest 100 million pesos in 2027 to combat sargassum, up from the 80 million pesos allocated this year, Mayor Estefanía Mercado Asencio announced.

In an interview with Rafael Cantón Martínez de Escobar, operational director of Grupo Cantón, Mercado said the municipal funds are separate from the budget recently announced by the federal government. The goal, she said, is to strengthen beach cleaning and conservation efforts at one of the region’s top tourist destinations.

The mayor also said the city will announce significant infrastructure spending next year, including park rehabilitation, the revitalization of downtown Playa del Carmen, street paving and repainting, projects in the Cristo Rey neighborhood, and road construction and improvements across the municipality.

Acknowledging that the current vacation season has been slow, Mercado attributed the downturn to international geopolitical tensions, the impact of sargassum, and the Soccer World Cup. She said she remained confident about the destination’s recovery.

“Playa del Carmen does not need a miracle to move forward; tourists know it is a wonderful place with plenty to offer,” she said.

In addition, Mercado said her administration will focus on regulating commerce in Puerto Aventuras and reinforcing security in the area, part of broader efforts to ensure orderly growth and support the local tourism economy.