Quintana Roo Flags 18 More Isla Mujeres Developments Sold Without Permits

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Illegal clearing of jungle to subdivide and sell new real estate projects continues to rise in Quintana Roo, with state officials announcing another 18 developments being marketed in the continental zone of Isla Mujeres without permits, certificates or authorizations.

The Quintana Roo state government issued the notice in coordination with the Isla Mujeres municipal government. The projects are the latest additions to a public alert list kept by the state’s Sustainable Urban Territorial Development Department, known as Sedetus.

The problem is far from isolated. Sedetus launched its public lookup portal in mid-2025 to curb the sale of subdivisions lacking legal certainty. At the start of this year the site already listed 118 developments in the same situation, and by October it had passed 120 cases statewide.

The department has run this public naming strategy since 2023. The highest concentration of cases is in Benito Juárez, Tulum and Isla Mujeres, where real estate pressure has driven the sale of lots with no utilities.

The 18 developments flagged

• Gran Ciudad Mujeres, in several of its phases
• Gran Isla Continental
• Costa Continental
• Isla Continental
• Bahía Continental
• Casa Continental
• Bugambilias Continental
• Fraccionamiento Yahweh
• Hacienda La Esperanza
• Colonia Altamar
• Valles del Ramal
• Los Sauces
• Jardines Pandora
• Villa Maryvalle
• Privada El Diamante

All are located on parcels in the continental zone bordering Cancún. According to the department, they are promoted on social media and at sales booths as if they were authorized projects.

None holds the documentation required under the Human Settlements, Territorial Planning and Urban Development Act, the Urban Actions Act, the Condominium Property Act, the State Urban Development Program or municipal regulations.

Against that backdrop, the State Prosecutor’s Office reports around 1,000 open investigation files for real estate fraud so far in 2026, with the most cases in Playa del Carmen, Cancún and Tulum.

Sedetus urged people to avoid any purchase, sale, promise of sale or rental involving the 18 developments, and to verify the legal status of any project through its official portal at desarrollo.sedetus.gob.mx/consultaDesarrollos.

The department warned that taking part in such transactions can constitute crimes against urban development and put a family’s savings at risk. Without permits, the lots cannot be properly titled and carry no guarantee of drinking water, sewerage, electricity or paved roads.