Tulum Beaches Earn White Flag for Conservation

Tulum, Quintana Roo — The beaches of Santa Fe, Pescadores, and Maya in Tulum have recently been recognized with the NOM-120 "White Flag" certification in its conservation modality, a distinction that underscores their commitment to sustainability and environmental care, according to David Buchanan García, head of the local Federal Maritime Terrestrial Zone (Zofemat).

"We are very happy to be able to show off that we have just been awarded the 'White Flag' certification in the conservation modality, because the truth is that it has been a quite complicated and very methodical process," stated the official.

The NOM-120-SSA1-1994 certification evaluates strict criteria related to cleanliness, water quality, waste management, and environmental sustainability, making it one of the most rigorous of its kind. In this sense, Buchanan García recognized the effort of the certification team, which was responsible for meeting each of the required guidelines.

He reported that only four beaches in all of Quintana Roo had held this distinction until last year. With this new recognition, Tulum not only adds three more certified beaches, in addition to the platinum ones, but also becomes the only municipality in the state with beaches certified specifically in the conservation modality, which implies a focus on ecological preservation and the creation of a natural reserve.

"We are very proud because it has been a lot of work, especially on the issue of trash and sustainability. We can boast that we obtained a score of 100," added the interviewee, noting that the official award ceremony will be held in September, when it will be confirmed if more beaches are added to the list.

He explained that with this achievement, Tulum reaffirms its leadership in environmental care and the promotion of responsible tourism, setting a precedent for the rest of the state and the country.