Although a wide reactivation of tourism in the main beaches is expected for this Easter period, the seasonal advance of sargassum has begun in part of the Mexican Caribbean, which could hinder the experience of travelers in some points.
According to information from the Secretary of the Navy (Semar) of Quintana Roo, there are currently 11 sargassum-free beaches in the Cancun and Riviera Maya region among a sample of 48 beaches of interest.
Beaches without sargassum in Cancun
In the municipality of Benito Juárez, where the Cancun hotel zone is located and which has been classified by Semar with a moderate sargassum condition, the algae-free beaches until today April 13 are Niño, Perlas, Chacmol and Marlín. Similarly, in Solidaridad the beaches without sargassum are Calle 6 and 38, while in Cozumel there is only one beach, Mirador Chumul.
In Isla Mujeres, the only municipality with a low sargassum condition, the clean beaches are North and Center. On the other hand, in Tulum – which reports a high presence of algae – the free beaches are Pescadores and Maya.
“According to current and wind models, easterly wind conditions are expected to continue, generating excessive amounts of sargassum along the entire coastline from Xcalak to nearby Sian Ka’an and Cancun, as well as east and south of Isla de Cozumel”, indicates the Semar report.
Despite the presence of sargassum, Cancun and Riviera Maya expect hotel occupancies of around 90% , while rates of around 85% are expected in Cozumel, says Pablo Aguilar, representative of the Quintana Roo Tourism Promotion Council (CPTQ) in Cozumel.
Regarding the management of sargassum, he says that hotel complexes are usually in charge of cleaning it, so even on beaches with moderate problems there are conditions for tourists to visit.
“This varies since many service providers keep their beaches in optimal conditions. An example is Punta Morena, which is in a super complicated area, but they leave their beach excellent”, explains Aguilar.
Although the sargassum problem for Easter is moderate, towards the summer it is expected to increase.
According to a report from the Optical Oceanography Laboratory of the University of South Florida, the movement of algae to the west of the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean is expected to continue this month. “More sargassum will reach the western Caribbean, and part of the Gulf of Mexico in April,” he reported.
