With the winter holiday season now in effect and old man winter’s icy blast coming down from the north, thoughts of travelers may be beyond sugar plums and instead towards somewhere warm and tropical. As you plan ahead for your warm weather vacation in the Mexican Caribbean with your feet in the sand and a …
Mexico
For most travelers to Cozumel island in the Mexican Caribbean, seaweed is an annoying part of a beach vacation getaway. It washes up on the shore and if not removed in a short period of time becomes a stinky unsightly coastal invader. Even the hotels and local authorities hate the presence of sargassum in the …
Riviera Maya hoteliers have confirmed that $300 million in financing has been secured from international funds and the European Union to help address the significant financial and environmental impacts caused by sargassum across Quintana Roo. These resources will support research projects and companies developing commercial products to make use of the algae and potentially generate …
A few weeks ago, the Municipal President of Solidaridad, Estefanía Mercado, acknowledged the serious consequences that worsening beach erosion in the region—exacerbated by sargassum collection—could have on the tourism sector. Despite recognizing the vital role beaches play in driving tourism, the official stated that the city council lacked the financial resources to tackle the problem …
While the 2024 sargassum season has officially ended, small patches of seaweed continue to wash up on Quintana Roo’s shorelines here and there. Nothing to be worried about—the algae has been a natural part of the sea for centuries and, in low amounts, it even benefits marine ecosystems. Recently, favorable weather conditions in the Atlantic …
Over the past three years, the Mexican government and private sector have been supporting and funding both commercial and academic projects aiming at finding innovative solutions to mitigate the sargassum problem in Quintana Roo. This November, BBVA’s National Sustainability Challenge, in collaboration with the Riviera Maya Hotel Association (AHRM), will recognize three standout projects that …
The 2024 sargassum season in Mexico brought significantly less seaweed than predicted. Could this be a sign that 2025 might also be “good” for tourism? Data collected over the last four weeks confirms that the unwelcome sargassum season in the Mexican Caribbean has officially ended, leaving considerable losses, particularly in the tourism and fishing industries, …
According to satellite observations, sargassum season in the Mexican Caribbean has officially come to an end, thanks to a drop in water temperatures, authorities stated. Esteban Amaro Mauricio, a hydrobiologist and Director of the Sargassum Monitoring Network, said that based on the last four weeks of satellite data, it is safe to say that the …
Category 5 Hurricane Milton left a trail of destruction as it swept through Quinta Roo, including the island of Cozumel. Torrential rains, powerful winds reaching up to 196 mph, and high waves caused beach erosion and damaged infrastructure along the coastline. In response, a robust government-led cleanup campaign quickly tacked the removal of sargassum, debris …
As sargassum seaweed becomes a bigger issue around the globe due to the warming seas and more active ocean currents, tourist destinations around the world are facing the challenges of what to do with all of it that washes up on local beaches. Muluk Spa at Hotel Xcaret Arte in Cancún is one of tourism …