Tulum Man Wins 5-Year Battle to Reclaim Coastal Property

Tulum, Quintana Roo — After more than five years of litigation, Víctor Manuel Chávez de la Torre has finally regained ownership of Camping Chávez, his vacation campground located at kilometer 8.5 along Tulum’s coastal strip. The return followed a binding judgment from the Fifth District Court in Quintana Roo.

Legal Triumph After Years of Dispute

The restitution process was formally executed by prosecutors from the State Attorney General’s Office (FGE), fulfilling the court order that recognized Chávez as the lawful owner of parcel 1,780 on Tulum’s western shoreline. Previously, the land had been illegally occupied by Jorge Kahwagi Macari via a straw buyer—Miguel Aburto López—who failed to appear in court.

Chávez’s lawyer, Sergio Antonio Sulib Arceo, explained that the landmark ruling was first issued on November 28, 2023, after filing an amparo lawsuit (268/2020) with the Fifth District Court. The original verdict was appealed by the opposition, but the First Collegiate Circuit Court upheld it definitively on June 6, 2025, reinforcing the property owner’s federal legal protection.

“The First Collegiate Court once again granted amparo and protection to Víctor Manuel Chávez. The justice system recognizes him as the owner, and today the judicial order was finally enforced,” Sulib Arceo confirmed.

Emotional Restoration Amid Environmental Loss

Chávez expressed profound relief at the restitution. “After five years of legal battles, I finally got my home back. This is justice. […] With the arrival of the new attorney general, everything changed. He followed the judge’s orders to the letter,” Chávez said, giving praise to Attorney General Raciel López Salazar for observing the court’s decision.

Despite reclaiming the land, Chávez described deep environmental damage from the trespassers. Mangroves were uprooted, and wildlife—including monkeys, raccoons, and native cenote species—was disrupted.

“I wanted to keep this land untouched. There’s a cenote, monkeys, raccoons, so much biodiversity… but now everything is disrupted. They tried to take a piece of the original Tulum, and they nearly succeeded,” he lamented.

Tulum’s Troubled Coastline

The case is emblematic of wider land ownership conflicts and ecological threats in Tulum, where real estate speculation has surged alongside lax enforcement. In recent years, a wave of environmental degradation and contested land seizures has alarmed conservationists and residents alike. Disputes over property lines and communal lands—often involving powerful investors—have clogged courts and delayed or denied justice for original landowners.

The Mexican Center for Environmental Law (CEMDA) has documented numerous cases of irregular development in the region, warning that protected areas like mangrove forests and cenotes are routinely bulldozed in violation of environmental regulations. Meanwhile, the lucrative tourism economy has spurred demand for beachfront and jungle lots, fueling illegal occupations and “land grabbing” tactics similar to those experienced by Chávez.

Precedent for Coastal Property Rights

The recovery of parcel 1,780 sets a crucial legal precedent amid increasing real estate speculation and illegal land claims in Tulum’s coastal zone. It reinforces the judicial system’s willingness to enforce property rights and protect vulnerable ecological areas against unlawful development.

Chávez’s case highlights how coordinated legal efforts—backed by federal amparo decisions and determined prosecutors—can effectively challenge unauthorized occupation in one of Mexico’s most contested environmental and tourism frontiers. As legal pressure grows and public scrutiny intensifies, the outcome may serve as a turning point for property rights and environmental stewardship in Tulum.