Punta Esmeralda Access to Close for Three Months for Rehabilitation Works

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Access to the public beach at Punta Esmeralda will close for approximately three months starting Aug. 31 while crews rehabilitate the entrance road and facilities, city officials said.

Doris Ake Sierra, secretary of infrastructure and public works, said the project will cover the entire access road, currently unpaved, and include pedestrian improvements and upgrades to existing facilities. The investment totals about 23 million pesos.

One of the main interventions will be the access road, which has deteriorated under constant use by vehicles and heavy machinery that haul away sargassum from the shoreline.

“What will cost the most is the access, the change of access, because as you can see, the dirt access is in very bad shape,” Ake Sierra said.

The project also includes a pedestrian zone with tactile paving and handrails to make the beach more accessible for people with disabilities, as well as maintenance of bathrooms and other installations on the beach.

During construction, the entrance will be completely closed. Residents and visitors who usually go to Punta Esmeralda are advised to use other beach areas, such as Playa 88.

Work is scheduled to begin Aug. 31, after the main summer vacation period, and is expected to run through September, October and November. City officials have set mid-December as a buffer in case of weather delays, with the goal of reopening the beach before the peak holiday tourist season.