Cozumel’s Coral Reefs: How A Community Saved Its Last Public Beach
The fight continues, but the community secured a victory
Cozumel’s locals have prevented the construction of a fourth pier that would have destroyed a fragile ecosystem. The largest Mexican island in the Caribbean, Cozumel is home to many endangered species. You can find the pygmy raccoon on this island, which is not the same as the common American raccoon, but other rare birds, plants, and trees also seek sanctuary here.
On July 17, 2025, the Mayor of Cozumel refused to allow construction on this pier, citing that the island should focus on sustainable building. Mayor José Luis Chacón Méndez also refused to support building a private club, Cabo Mantarraya, on public beach land and cutting off local access to the ocean. The mayor asserts that the company behind the behind, Muelles del Caribe, has not provided sufficient evidence that their projects would focus on sustainability.
The last public beach on Cozumel has protected species like mangroves, pygmy raccoons, and coral reefs. Many more exist on the beach and ocean forests, with volunteers planting coral as part of a decades-long restoration project. Scientists and volunteers have visited this island to focus on species preservation and research; the Cozumel Coral Reef Restoration Program even offers scuba diving courses in tandem with planting. The area is home to one of these restoration sites.
What Do You Need to Know About Pier 4?
Cozumel has three ports open to cruise lines. The fourth pier, approved in 2019, would allow for cruise ships with deep drafts — that is a larger portion of the boat that goes below the sea line — to port closer. This construction would not just destroy the mangrove forests on the beach but also the Villa Blanca Reef.
Locals reacted quickly, receiving an injunction to stall construction in 2022. When a new government in Mexico invalidated the injunction in early 2025, activists staged two protests, one on land and one on sea. They also quickly posted a petition in Spring 2025 to ask international tourists and citizens to speak out against the construction. One activist group delivered 150,000 signatures to the federal authorities that approved this contract.
This victory is heartening, though Muelles del Caribe has claimed to “suspend” construction rather than end it completely. If activists on one Caribbean island can speak up and prevent harm, so can we Americans. And speak up we will.
Why Do Cruise Companies Want to Ruin Beaches?
It sounds counterintuitive. If tourists are traveling to see beaches and beautiful oceans, destroying them in favor of a port and private club would give no incentive for boat passengers to hit the dock and run for the sand. They would stay on the boat and enjoy the deck luxuries. Not to mention that being responsible for potentially rendering multiple species extinct isn’t a good look.
The Mexican government also claimed that they gave no permits for construction. If this is true, starting surveying on the water would be illegal. Mangroves are also a protected species in Mexico, so leveling them would open up Muelles del Caribe to many lawsuits and possible prosecution.
The truth is harsh: enough cruise companies do not care about preserving an environmental legacy. Nor do they care about the law if they feel they can sufficiently get away with their crimes. They only care about the revenue they will get in the here and now. If there are no public beaches on Cozumel, locals and tourists have no choice but to conform with private interests for a day on the water. They also have to put up with the pollution, garbage and erosion that comes from more cruise ships docking at Cozumel.
From the East Coast in the States, we send our support. If more people internationally speak up about the construction plans for this pier, it is less likely to proceed. Keep the heat on Muelles del Caribe and focus on sustainable construction that does not threaten endangered species.
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