Residents Call for Reforestation of Playa 72 Access in Colosio

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Residents of the Luis Donaldo Colosio neighborhood will hold a cleanup, reforestation and tree-planting event at the entrance to Playa 72 on Sunday, Aug. 2, as part of community efforts to recover and preserve the public space and bolster the defense of the Chenzubul lot.

Organized by neighborhood representatives alongside other Playa del Carmen residents, the initiative seeks to protect the mangrove located on the Chenzubul property and keep it as a protected area, in line with current legislation. Sonia López, a neighborhood representative, said those who founded the neighborhood have grown along with Playa del Carmen’s development, creating a collective commitment to safeguarding the area. “We will not allow real estate investors or any politician to destroy, for private interests, the natural treasure that belongs to all of us, along with the right to free access to Playa 72 in the Colosio neighborhood,” she said.

The day begins at 7 a.m. at the Playa 72 entrance. Organizers invited residents to take part by bringing shovels, picks, black soil, water buckets and native trees at least 1.5 meters tall.

During the event, volunteers will also continue collecting signatures in support of preserving the Chenzubul lot, which neighbors describe as one of Playa del Carmen’s main green lungs.

The event follows reported attempts by the company Derimaya to take over the property weeks ago, a situation that prompted residents to mobilize in defense of public beach access and the natural area. “This event is organized by the residents of the Colosio neighborhood and the citizens of Playa del Carmen in general, because after the acts carried out by the company Derimaya, which seeks to appropriate the land, the citizens found this alternative to continue caring for their access to the beach and the Chenzubul lot,” organizers said.

With this gathering, residents aim to turn the Playa 72 access into a greener, more functional space for neighborhood families, promoting civic participation and environmental care. Organizers renewed the invitation to the community to join from 7 a.m., with the motto: “Let’s take care of what is ours, plant the future. We are all part of this.”