Sedatu Invests 1.6B Pesos in Tulum Jaguar Park

TULUM, MX — The Ministry of Agrarian, Territorial and Urban Development (Sedatu) has submitted an Environmental Impact Statement (MIA) to the General Directorate of Environmental Impact and Risk for the project titled “Development of infrastructure for the Jaguar Park in the Protected Natural Areas of the Tulum National Park and the Flora and Fauna Protection Area of the region known as Jaguar.”

The authorization request is for the construction of complementary areas, such as interconnections, walkways, bike paths, service modules, and sanitation facilities. The project is intended to be completed within an 18-month timeframe; the operation and maintenance phase is requested for a duration of 99 years.

“The Jaguar Park project consists of the development of a master plan integrated by the following components: Southern access, service modules, and a bike path on Coba Avenue; trails and internal mobility in the southern zone; beach access points and facilities in the southern zone; a service center and facilities in the northern zone; trails and internal mobility in the northern zone; and perimeter walls,” specifies the request submitted to the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat).

The project has an estimated construction investment of 1.6 billion pesos, including taxes, which will be implemented through a conventional public works investment scheme.

Sedatu justifies that this investment in infrastructure and facilities represents an opportunity to protect the Mayan biocultural heritage and jaguar habitat, a heritage with high natural value due to the diversity of its ecosystems, safeguarding the migratory movements of endemic species. It is also described as a conservation mechanism to contain urban expansion into areas of environmental value, specifically targeting irregular settlements intended for tourism, mitigating the gradual privatization of beaches through public spaces, with a focus on sustainability and human rights.

Specifications

Broadly, the project groups its activities into three elements. The first is an access point on the south side, which is itself composed of three main architectural elements: a covered portico, open and semi-open according to the program, which extends along the two urban fronts of the property facing Coba Avenue and the Coastal Avenue, housing the majority of the built services. These porticos are located at the extremities of the property to minimize the impact of the built footprint within the project’s perimeter. The program services to be housed in this portico will include: ticket booths, information modules, commercial premises, operational offices, offices for the Navy and security, a first-aid station, public restrooms, family restrooms, lockers, water fountains, and commercial premises of various types.

The second element is a tower-viewpoint that functions as a landmark and an ascending gallery to identify the access to the Tulum National Park (PN Tulum); the viewpoint consists of five levels with views of the sea and the project area.

The third element is a large interior roof designed to provide cover and a waiting space for visitors. This roof is designed modularly to respect the passage of existing trees; thus, the space will generate a waiting area linked to the park’s biodiversity, while also creating the necessary clearing to accommodate the projected number of visitors in the long term. This space begins at the corner with the tower and culminates as a large open viewpoint facing the PN Tulum.

The construction of a segregated, unidirectional bike path on Coba Avenue (2.10 meters wide) is also considered, with 1.8 kilometers of cycling roadway, which will also include a pedestrian walkway (1.70 m wide) and a vegetation buffer zone (a 1.30 m wide planter). Furthermore, this work will include lighting and signage. This construction aims to generate a dignified urban space with functional circulation.