Pollution: The Hidden Side of Tulum (page 2 of 5)

Hi, Technically, in France, wastewater goes through treatment plants and purification stations before being discharged. European standards are pretty strict on this. ++ JP

Lionel, Don't paint such a bleak picture either 🙂 There’s so much to see and do, as I mentioned earlier. Now, it’s true that if you go in with the idea that your vacation will be ruined, it definitely will. It all depends on what kind of memories you want to bring back from there—aside from traveler’s diarrhea and other potential annoyances.

The figures mentioned are from 2015: There are 2,200,000 inhabitants in Yucatán. The population density is only 50-60 people per km², with many clustered in Mérida, compared to 120-130 in France. So, it’s actually quite low.

For Quintana Roo, the population density is 35-40 people per km², with many residents in Cancún, Playa del Carmen, and Chetumal.

The underground is like a giant Swiss cheese filled with fresh water. I’m not saying this excuses everything or that it’s a great argument, but it does help put the impact of your previous post into perspective regarding water pollution from various chemical or "animal" agents. We’re not there yet—but it could definitely get worse. Except, perhaps, in very localized spots around sewage outfalls into the sea.

The upside is that bottled water isn’t expensive—18-22 pesos for 10 liters in 2017—and at that price, you can use a bit for brushing your teeth or cooking pasta :)

Anyway, I still hope you’ll enjoy discovering the Riviera Maya and Yucatán. And, without any sarcasm, I hope you have an amazing trip. Best, Jp

Thanks. Do you know any beaches far from urbanization? I’ll fall back on sightseeing...

We should start by educating the younger generations, just like we do at home by raising awareness among children at school from a very young age. But even if they succeed, it would still take a few generations to see things really take shape and improve in a concrete way.

Hey, There’s gonna be a lot of work to do before we reach Switzerland’s level! I’m not familiar with the Italian part of Switzerland—have you noticed any difference in cleanliness and waste management compared to German-speaking Switzerland?

Hey,

Personally, we really loved Puerto Morelos—it’s equidistant from Cancún and Playa del Carmen. We often went to its beaches: beautiful, with fine white sand, crystal-clear water, and wildlife just a few meters in. Puerto Morelos is a "small town" compared to Cancún or Playa, with about 15,000–20,000 residents, many living in the Colonia that’s developed north of the Cancún-Chetumal highway.

But I’ve also been told to use Google Maps to find roads branching off the main Cancún-Chetumal highway that lead to the sea, kind of like in the photo I’m attaching. This spot is between Puerto Morelos and Cancún, heading toward Cancún. I haven’t had a chance to try it yet, though—a friend has done it a few times without Google Maps, and you never know if the road you take actually reaches the sea.



I’ve also heard good things about Xpu-Ha Beach, not too far from Akumal.

In Playa del Carmen: Head down to Calle 88 Norte and take the path that extends it to the sea. It’s a quiet beach, no hotels, no bars, mostly locals—really peaceful vibes. Compared to Playa’s main waterfront, it’s a bit farther toward Cancún.

Here you go :) The beach in question: Public beach, sometimes seaweed on the sand.



Sorry for the delayed reply—my PC crashed while capturing the image. Tough restart... JP freaked out :) ++ JP

Someone told me good things about Xpu Ha beach, not too far from Akumal.

I remember a gorgeous beach in a spot between Playa del Carmen and Xel-Há: Capitán Lafitte!

Thanks. Do you know any beaches far from urbanization? I’ll fall back on sightseeing...

I’ll mention two where you’ll be alone, all alone:

-Xkalak -Mahahual

Both are excellent for scuba diving and freediving. The sand is washed and whitened every morning.....

Far from Playa del Whatever and Gringoland....😛

I really hadn’t thought about that at all. Beyond traveler’s diarrhea, I’m especially worried about my kids—poor water quality can lead to ear infections. And yet, we’re not coming to Mexico this summer just to let them admire the sea and cenotes without enjoying them... We chose Mexico for its diverse activities and cultural appeal. But honestly, this isn’t exactly the dream...🤯

When you mention Metahual, wouldn’t it be Mahahual instead?

Anyway, after reading you a few times, I can’t help but think it’s not just traveler’s diarrhea that makes you sick—it’s condescension too... But hey, that’s one thing that can’t be cured...

When you talk about Metahual, wouldn’t it be Mahahual instead? It’s the same village..... When it comes to condescension, there are those who know and those who think they know.....😛

When I talk about condescension, this is what I mean:

""Here, no cenotes. No 'swimming' with dolphins or turtles, and certainly no Disneyland....😛 And the language everyone uses is Spanish.....😎 It's up to you, so-called backpacker-tourists who love this country, to learn their language.**

Good luck

** Because there's also cultural pollution🤪""

""Far from Playa del Whatsit and Gringoland....😛""

So, only your 'learned' vision of what tourism should be prevails? You lump together an entire part of the Mexican population who live there, work there—as you say—thanks to the wealth tourism brings to Mexico, and you look down on them just as much as you look down on the 'tourists' who don’t fit your vision by calling their city, the place they’ve spent their whole lives, Gringoland or Playa del Whatsit. Only you would be right, on the Pacific side of Mexico? These people and the places they’ve built their lives wouldn’t have any interest, nothing to share or show?

I read you because I make that effort, but what you write—I’ll say it again and stand by it—could easily have the same effect as Montezuma’s revenge.

And the worst part, in my opinion, is that your off-the-cuff, sweeping statements, along with your thousands of posts on the forum (which I’ll refrain from reading, by the way), strongly encourage readers to believe you, even though the reality is far more complex, shows many more facets, and is—for now at least—far less dire than what you describe. And that’s just intolerable to me. Because I deeply respect this country, its people, its culture, and the Riviera Maya has many strengths beyond just being some 'gringo-whatsit,' strengths that everyone should have the right to discover for themselves.

For Metahual, sorry for my ignorance—I searched last night on Gringogoogle, but found nothing relevant (a factory in Romania, dead links to anything but a beach...), which really surprised me since I’m also looking for nice beaches, and I’m naturally curious and don’t like leaving questions unanswered... But I’ll take your word for it when you say it’s the same village. I’m heading to Mahahual in May, so I’ll get the info on the spot. (Plus Bacalar, maybe Sian Ka’an, Chetumal, and why not a trip to Belize—we’ll see.)

For Lionel, sorry—I lost track in the post that you were focusing on Tulum, so Puerto Morelos and the nice beach in PdC would actually be a bit far, since you’ll have some great ones nearby.

Condescension comes from the certainties we build, forgetting along the way to step back and question ourselves.

For Metahual, sorry for my ignorance—I searched last night on Gringogoogle and found nothing relevant (a factory in Romania,

It’s a little hidden beach at the end of a dusty track, kind of like the one in Almuñécar in Andalusia! 😉 Not touristy at all. You’ll really have the place to yourselves! But with a nice water park (or "water thingy" for those in the know!) www.tripadvisor.ca/...catan_Peninsula.html www.google.fr/...imgrc=0XNoHen-JIV1FM:

Oh no, Mahahual—I know it well ;) It was Metahual, based on the advice of some "experts," that I couldn’t find on Google (which is pretty surprising). I discovered Mahahual through a Nat Geo TV documentary, and what I saw really appealed to me. I’ve done quite a bit of research on this town since then. So I’m going to check it out for myself. That way, I’ll know for sure :)

One of my French friends who owns a house in Mexico went there in October and found it pretty "concreted over." That’s not the impression I have, so before recommending this destination, I’ll go in May. Have a great day, Djalma. Cheers, JP

As I continue my research, I find that the water in 75% of the cenotes is contaminated by sewage. The following article shows a cenote with walls covered in fecal matter. https://sipse.com/novedades/drenajes-contaminan-el-agua-de-rios-y-cuevas-en-tulum-44603.html

The sea isn’t much better. I don’t see how anyone can still enjoy swimming in these conditions unless they’re reckless. I’m less inclined to blame the locals than the hotel owners and politicians. One of the articles I found in English describes Tulum as a paradise of corruption. I regret contributing to the wealth of such sharks.

Hey, Lionel, I totally get it. I’m telling you this without any malice, sarcasm, or provocation, but I really think you’re going to regret making the trip. Is cancellation really not an option? Either way, I still sincerely hope you enjoy this region and what it has to offer. Best, JP

Unfortunately not, I’d lose my flight and hotel. Last time with Expedia. I’ll do some archaeological sightseeing and gaze at the sea...

Unfortunately, I’m gonna pile on here... (for lovers of the Riviera Maya and especially Playa del )

Cancún, an ecological nightmare

Cancún, the city hosting the Global Climate Summit, is far from being a model in environmental protection. The city now has 36,000 hotel rooms, most of which are stacked on a narrow strip of sand between the lagoon and the Caribbean Sea. [...] The mangroves, natural barriers against hurricanes, have been 95% destroyed. [...] The most striking example is the Moon Palace site, where the Summit is being held. Dozens of hectares of concrete buildings and golf courses were carved out of the mangroves. These same golf courses are responsible for contaminating the groundwater with fertilizers. Another consequence of this intense tourist activity [...] is the record production of waste... Nearly 400 tons per day are dumped right in the middle of the city’s poor outskirts.

Léonore Mahieux, Le Journal du dimanche, November 28, 2010.

P.S.: Cancún was developed to relieve congestion in Acapulco... Mission accomplished, but at what cost?

Unfortunately, I’m going to pile on even more... (for lovers of the Riviera Maya and especially Playa del )

Cancún, an ecological nightmare

Cancún, the city hosting the Global Climate Summit, is far from being a model in environmental protection. Today, the city has 36,000 hotel rooms, most of which are stacked on a narrow strip of sand between the lagoon and the Caribbean Sea. [...] The mangroves, natural barriers against hurricanes, have been 95% destroyed. [...] The most striking example is the Moon Palace site, where the Summit is held. Dozens of hectares of concrete buildings and golf courses were carved out of the mangroves. These same golf courses are responsible for contaminating groundwater with fertilizers. Another consequence of this intense tourist activity [...] is the record production of waste—nearly 400 tons per day are dumped right in the middle of the city’s poor outskirts.

Léonore Mahieux, Le Journal du dimanche, November 28, 2010.

P.S.; Cancún was developed to relieve congestion in Acapulco... Mission accomplished, but at what cost?

My dear Memphré, Add as many layers as you want—I’m well aware of the problem and didn’t need your vast 2010 knowledge to realize it. But good for you, you set up three trash cans and saved the Pacific coast, respect. Meanwhile, I love this part of Mexico—not for its hotels, which I don’t stay in, or its theme parks, which I haven’t visited yet (though I plan to check out at least one). And I’m not dismissing an entire region, its people, or its culture just because I don’t like concrete. I know how to separate the good from the bad, something you’ve clearly lost sight of given the state of your convictions. And there’s little hope things will improve. Still, if you had even an ounce of honesty in your comments, you’d be a little more objective instead of constantly turning people off based on your personal experience.

That’s my last layer—I’ll avoid you in the future, just like everything that pollutes the cenotes. Respectfully, though.

What saddens me a little about what you're saying is that it's the "resident tourist" who takes the initiative to clean up. And never the local person who lives here. And I've seen this in many countries—it's always or almost always foreigners who raise awareness. I just can't understand why the sense of cleanliness doesn't reach the average Latino. And I'll conclude with the example of where I am at Parque Urubui in Presidente Figueiredo: despite the trash cans, people just toss everything on the ground.

I couldn't say if this is widespread or not... I'm only mentioning Lo de Marcos, where I am now. We started by putting pressure on the municipality to install trash cans, which they did... and little by little, the population became aware of the right thing to do... Now we're moving on to a completely different stage: sterilizing dogs😛 There are so many, and many without owners... You always have to struggle between what's culturally acceptable and what isn't (for them—for us). Always keep in mind that this is their home. Explain and raise awareness, but absolutely avoid imposing anything... In 25 years, everything has changed in Mexico. Starting with the emergence of a growing middle class, following Vicente Fox's credit liberalization measures.

Thanks for your post, even if it’s not exactly what I wanted to hear. Like many others, I bought into the dream-vacation image to escape my hectic year-round pace . But I’m less upset than you because I’d rather know—especially for my kids—and adjust our plans. I think there’s still plenty to do in the region, and there must be some dream beaches less affected by this issue.

When it comes to cenotes, though, it gets more complicated! I’ve been researching mostly in English because in French, all I find are glowing posts about cenotes and those dreamy photos that make you want to go right away!!

But on the English version of TripAdvisor, there are quite a few questions about cenotes and the health risks of swimming in them. Basically, there’s info about very serious risks (like skin cancer), but are these claims really scientifically reliable??? Or less severe but still vacation-ruining issues, like stomach troubles or ear infections. It’s strongly advised not to swallow any water (which seems impossible with kids), and to rinse your ears after every swim for at least 3 minutes with a half-vinegar, half-alcohol solution (info from divers, but I’ll ask my son’s ENT for their opinion). With 70 to 80% of cenotes contaminated by bacteria from various sources, it seems impossible to know which ones are safe to swim in...

I’ll keep researching, but I think we’ll skip the cenote tour (we’d planned to visit several) and maybe limit ourselves to just one—definitely not one in Tulum!! My husband might not go diving in any of them (and definitely not my daughter, as originally planned). I’ll note the beaches you recommended, and instead of Cuzuma, we’ll head to Mérida, which I hadn’t included in my itinerary due to lack of time...