Cancun Reopens All Beaches After Coronavirus-Related Closures

Officials in Cancun announced that all beaches in the city have reopened to the public.

According to The Riviera Maya News, Cancun mayor Mara Lezama said that all beaches which remained closed due to coronavirus shutdowns would be accessible again after four areas reopened last week.

All tourists and locals arriving at the beaches in Cancun will be required to follow health and safety protocols. The final beaches to reopen are in Playas Ballenas, Coral and Marlin, with the latter having special restrictions due to turtle nesting season in the region.

Lezama is asking citizens and travelers visiting Playa Marlin to exercise an abundance of caution with the approximately 9,000 sea turtle eggs along the beach. While the region was not prepared for the high number of eggs, the mayor says the animals must be protected.

To help enforce the new coronavirus-related rules put in place on the beaches, Cancun has teamed with Zofemat, the Directorate of Ecology, Cancun firefighters and the Tourist Police to protect people and the animals inhabiting the newly reopened areas.

Lezama also said those using the beaches in the first week of reopening followed protocols and helped convince the government to continue the process of welcoming guests again. The mayor claims there were no reported health and safety violations on the beaches.

Cancun and other tourist-friendly destinations in Quintana Roo, Mexico, are poised to bounce back in the final third of 2020, according to the Tourism Promotion Council of Quintana Roo (CPTQ). Occupancy is expected to double and reach 60 percent by the end of the year, helping restore tourism jobs in the region.