8 Cancún Beaches Closed Due to Strong Waves and Red Flags

Cancún, Mexico — Authorities in Cancún have prohibited access to eight of the city’s 11 public beaches due to adverse weather conditions creating dangerous swimming environments. The affected beaches are: Delfines, Ballenas, Marlín, Chac-Mool, Gaviota Azul, Langosta, Tortugas, and Caracol.

Antonio Riverol Ribbon, head of Civil Protection for Benito Juárez, determined that 73% of the city’s public beaches have swimming bans in place due to rip currents, intense winds, and strong waves. “These restrictions are implemented to guarantee the safety of visitors and avoid incidents related to rip currents,” Riverol Ribbon stated.

The red flag designation means access to the water is strictly prohibited for swimmers. Two beaches—Pez Volador and Del Niño—have yellow flags, indicating they can be enjoyed with precautions. Only Las Perlas beach currently has a green flag, meaning conditions are safe for swimming.

Authorities from the Quintana Roo State Civil Protection Coordination (Coeproc) reported that moisture continues to enter the Yucatán Peninsula from the Caribbean Sea. Additionally, a low-pressure system and trough will create partly to mostly cloudy skies throughout the day, with intervals of showers and locally heavy rainfall (accumulations of 25 to 50 mm).

The weather forecast also predicts hot conditions during the day and mild temperatures at dawn, along with wind gusts up to 50 km/h and fog banks in rural areas, urban zones, and highway sections.

The Andrade family from Monterrey commented on their experience: “We’ve been having fun in Cancún since our arrival five days ago, although we regret that the water conditions in the sea only allowed us to walk along the shoreline. As an alternative, we enjoyed the pools at the hotel where we’re staying.”

Civil Protection authorities in Benito Juárez have deployed 45 lifeguards at public beaches—30 from the department and 15 more from the Fire Department. The rescuers cover shifts from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.