.gif&w=566&h=133&zc=1)
Why do tourists visit Cancun? Some like the nightlife, some like the world class spas, some like to relax with a book and others prefer to explore and be adventurous. The one thing that all visitors to Cancun have in common is a love for the beach. The soft white sands of the Mexican Caribbean lure millions of visitors each year. So what is Cancun to do when erosion starts to wash away it’s powdery shores? They bring in the experts to restore the beaches to their former glory.
In October 2005, Hurricane Wilma devastated the resort towns in the state of Quintana Roo, not only destroying buildings, but washing away the beaches with her powerful force. The government of Mexico spent millions of dollars to recover the beaches, but found that they quickly eroded when they did not follow through on a maintenance plan After several years of planning and discussion, the new beach recovery project is underway in Cancun, this time with a ten year plan to maintain the beaches they are working so hard to rebuild. The plan has faced controversy as environmental groups protest the dredging of sand from the delicate eco-system while the government insists that they are doing all they can to minimize the impact.
The beach recovery project officially began October 31st, 2009, with the first sands being pumped onto the shore behind the Sunset Hotel. There are two large dredging ships, bringing 5000 cubic meters of sand from a deposit near Isla Mujeres to the shores of Cancun. Smaller boats manipulate the large pipes that carry the sand from the ship to the shore and a small “panga” style boat controls a “fence” in the water to prevent the freshly blown sand from returning to sea. On shore, construction equipment and a large crew move the sand into position, creating a new beach of about 80 meters (with the expectation that there will indeed be a small amount of erosion during the process, the goal is to have at least 50 meters of new beach).
The project will cover the length of the east side of the hotel zone of Cancun, with an estimated three months for completion. Once the work in Cancun is complete, the crews will move to Isla Mujeres, then to Playa del Carmen and finally to Cozumel.
This morning I took a little trip to the hotel zone to see how things were progressing, have a peek at our Cancun beach recovery Flickr set and enjoy the views, the beaches are going to be spectacular! Cancun Travel will continue to provide updated photos of the project over the next few months. While we would love to be able to tell you when each hotel will be affected by the work, it’s just impossible, nobody knows for sure, but we’ll do our best to keep you posted with the information available to us. Viva Cancun, Viva la Playa!
Related posts:
you have to enjoy these beutiful and larges beaches….. dont miss this opportunity next season…
Hello
I am making my first trip to cancun with my hubby in January staying at the Grand Caribe Real. We are now worried as it seems the hotel beach is closed due to a dispute. Do you know if this is correct and will it spoil our holiday Are there other beaches nearby we can use. Your feedback would be most appreciated
Katty, they are moving quickly, the new year should reveal some spectacular new beach for all!
Bara, The Gran Caribe Real is in dispute but I know they are working quickly to try to resolve the situation. The news on the radio this morning stated they are in meetings and discussions today but they had no news about what was expected to happen. Will post a report early next week when I get a chance to have a look at the beaches, hopefully things will be resolved quickly and you’ll have a gorgeous stretch of sand for your trip. That said, there are several beaches that have public access, Chac Mool is directly across from Senor Frogs behind the Bay View Grand condos and Playa Marlin is behind Plaza Kukulkan. Chac Mool’s recovery is complete and the beach is gorgeous!
What’s up?. Thanks a bunch for the info. I’ve been digging around for info, but there is so much out there. Yahoo lead me here – good for you i guess! Keep up the good work. I will be popping back over in a couple of days to see if there is any more info.
Hi Tybee,
I went out to the beach this morning (Dec. 22) to see how things were going, will have a report up with new photos shortly! Thanks for stopping by.
WERE WILL THEY STOP THE BEACH RECOVERY, I HAVE A CONDO AT LAHIA IM TOLD THAT WE HAVE THE BEST BEACH OF ALL OF CANCUN IT WAS NOT HURT BUY ANY OF THE STORMS FOR SOME STRANGE REASON WILL THEY COME THAT FAR AND IF SO WHEN ???
WERE WILL THEY STOP THE BEACH RECOVERY,OR HOW FAR WILL IT GO????
WILL IT BE BY LAHIA AND IF SO WHEN????
I will be staying at the great parnassus in march 2010. will the beach restoration be done for that hotel?
Hi Kathy,
The project will be done by the time your trip arrives (barring any tragic weather). You should have some gorgeous beach to enjoy!
Hi Paul,
Very good question, I am not sure if they’re making the turn at the point or not! Let me investigate for you and get back to you.
The Lahia is “around the bend”, I have to investigate whether they are going that far or not. Will get back to you!
Does the Hyatt Regency now have a new beach or is it still waiting? Can you post some pics behind it?
My family will be at the JW Marriott the 3rd week in February 2010. Do you know if the beach by there will be open? And it is really noisy there??…
Hi Julie,
The JW Marriott beach reconstruction is complete and the project has moved on. Shouldn’t be any problems with noise at all! Happy vacation!
The Hyatt is complete, unfortunately I don’t have any photos. You can check out our beach recovery photos on flickr to get an idea of just how great the beaches look in the area…. http://www.flickr.com/photos/cancuntravel/
happy vacations!
Any information on the Ritz Carlton? We are going to be there for 2 weeks, starting Feb. 6. Thanks
Hi! We want go to barcelo costa cancun in Cancun (for sur) But I want to know if the ”construction” at the beach is complete… and if I go there for 15 january, it’s gona be complete… No noise, beautiful beach, tranquillity… (sorry, my english isn’t very good…
Thanks for reply!
Hi there,
The Barcelo Costa Cancun is on the north side of Cancun island and is not receiving the beach treatment, only the beaches on the east side are being replenished. No problem with the project interfering with your plans! Have a great trip! (And your English was just fine, no apologies necessary!)
Hi Lyn M,My family and I will be going to Royal Solaris Cancun. We stayed there last year and we decided to come back as we really liked it. . We were set to leave on January 13 till January 27. ? How long does it take to do one hotel beach? Do you think it will be ready for our arrival? Please reply.
M from Canada
Do you have any information on when the Great parnassus will be restored? Is there a timeline available to view for when they expect to finish at each hotel?
Hi Lyn,
I will be staying at the Omni Jan 23-27. I read on some review sites that the beach is complete there. Can you confirm? Thanks!
Hi Lynn,
Would like to know if the beach reconstruction is completed at the golden parnassus being that I will be there around valentines day. Can you please let me know. Thank you very much.
Word on the street is that the project will completed in about ten days time so you should have a fantastic stretch of beach if all goes well!
It appears that the project will be finished in Cancun in about ten days time (this is from an unofficial source) so you should have some beautiful beaches to play on and lay on! Have a great trip.
Hi there,
Yes, the Omni beach is complete and huge! Have a terrific trip.
Hi Nicole,
There is no public timeline, but “the grapevine” suggests that the whole project will be completed in about ten days time, so by the last week of January everyone should be enjoying the new beaches.
Hi any word on if the Dreams beach is done? we will be there 3rd week of January.
Hi Kaitie,
The work started up near Dreams and has moved south, the beach should be fabulous.
Will be a Royal Solaris from the 24th – 31st … just wondering (praying) if we will be affected by the resoration?
Hi Steve,
Word is that the project should be completed this week in Cancun, they are at the Solaris now. Hope it’s going to be beautiful for you!
You made my day … thanks!
stayed at the Grand Oasis Cancun a few weeks ago (jan 10-15) and the beach was beautiful and restored. Seemed like the project was moving south so you can use this as a benchmark. The only thing was that there is a drop off from the sand to the water. You have to find a nearby spot where the sand was already “trampled down”. Then you had access to an approximate 10 foot deep area to walk in the surf and get in the water.
My family and I are planning a trip for the week of March 27-April 3. We are looking at the Iberostar Tucan. Anyone know if that beach would be completed by then?
Hi Ker,
As far as I know, Playacar (the area where the Iberostar Tucan is located) should be receiving the beach reconstruction treatment this week. All should be fabulous in time for your trip! Happy travels!
Hi. My husband and I will be in Cancun for our anniversary in June. We will be staying at either the Sun Palace or the Ritz Carlton. Will the beach be ok then?
Can you tell me where the beach will be ready with some waves to play in? I have been to Cancun since 1986.
How are the resort beaches in Tulum? The Dreams Tulum Resort and Spa is another place we will be strongly considering. Thanks for all your help. This site is GREAT!
Hi,
My family and I are looking forward to the Iberostar Tucan on Feb.17th. Will the beach reconstruction be done at that time?
I, too am considering the Iberostar Tucan for late June 2010. I have been following the beach erosion problem carefully for the past year. Your thoughts please.
We are planning a trip to Iberostar Tucan Feb 27th -March 6th. Will the construction be completed?
I’m traveling to Tulum this coming Monday Feb. 8th. Do you know if there is a scheduled beach restoration around that area? Or do you know where I can find out?
Thanks!
Hi Lyn,
Can’t find a blog as friendly as yours regarding Playa del Carmen. We will be arriving at the Riu Yukatan on March 6th hoping to experience those beautiful white beaches we’ve always heard about. Just saw a comment about beach reconstruction starting last week at the Riu and have no idea about how long such a thing takes – will we encounter closed beaches in March?
Any info you can provide is greatly appreciated!
Thx, Cheryl G (Canada)
We are planning to be at the Riu Palace Riviera Maya from March 3-10, 2010. I see the beach restoration is working its way down from Cancun. Any idea about the progress by that time.
Also, does anyone have any idea about renting beach wheelchairs in that area?
I’m getting married at Playacar Palace in July. Do you have any idea if this resort is included in the beach restoration project in Playa Del Carmen?
Hi everyone….We’re travelling to Excellence Playa Mujeres just north of Cancun next week. Do you know if the beaches in that area are in good shape?
Thanks very much.
Hi Kathy,
Playa Mujeres is beautiful, it wasn’t part of the reconstruction as it really didn’t need it. Hope you have a wonderful trip.
Hi CC,
Congrats on the upcoming wedding! Yes, Playacar is getting the full treatment, I believe they have already done a lot of work there. I’m sure your wedding will be gorgeous!
Hi Paula,
The work should be done by March, I believe they have already finished that area. In terms of wheelchairs, I would contact the hotel directly, they’ll be able to offer you assistance. Have a great trip!
Hi Cheryl!
They’re working in Playa right now and the pictures I’ve seen are gorgeous. The work should be done in March! I haven’t been down to Playa myself (I’m in Cancun) so no first hand reports, sorry! I think you should be just fine. Happy vacation!