Sargassum Collection Drops in Playa del Carmen as Season Winds Down

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Sargassum collection on Playa del Carmen’s beaches has fallen to a maximum of 30 tons per day after crews removed more than 28,000 tons since January, prompting an official to predict the peak of the seaweed season on the Riviera Maya is coming to an end.

Irving Madrigal, director of the Federal Maritime Terrestrial Zone (Zofemat), said during a ride aboard a Mexican Navy sargassum boat that the algae’s arrival has been decreasing for several weeks. He said that lull, along with containment and cleanup efforts by all three levels of government, has helped keep the sands in better shape for residents and tourists.

Madrigal said Punta Esmeralda remains open, despite ongoing work on its access road and bathroom and shower facilities. He indicated that access structures for people with disabilities are also being updated. He asked beachgoers for patience and said the work is expected to be finished by the winter season.

With fewer sargassum landings, Zofemat believes the season is wrapping up, though monitoring and beach-cleaning efforts will continue. Officials hope the beaches will reach winter — one of Playa del Carmen’s busiest tourism periods — in good condition.