A proposed luxury real estate development on the Yucatan Peninsula has drawn protests from environmental activists who warn the project threatens protected coastal dunes, endangered wildlife and the surrounding community, Mexico News Daily reported on August 29.
The Las Dunas tourist complex, planned by developer Designia Desarrollos, would cover 92,000 square metres, more than 22 acres, of undeveloped beach in Chuburná, less than an hour’s drive from Mérida, the state capital of Yucatan. The project includes more than 70 apartments across six towers, according to Mexico News Daily.
Local environmental group Salvemos las Dunas said the development ignores existing infrastructure problems in the community. “In Chuburná, there are real needs, problems stemming from a lack of basic infrastructure and systematic neglect by the authorities,” the group said, cited by Mexico News Daily.
Mexico’s environment ministry, Semarnat, rejected the project’s initial proposal in December 2023 over concerns the site was highly vulnerable, before granting federal approval in April 2025 following revisions. A subsequent three-day inspection by the Federal Prosecutor’s Office for Environmental Protection, Profepa, in late July found multiple violations of federal regulations, some of which could carry criminal liability, Mexico News Daily reported.
Profepa and the Yucatan state government have since paused the project pending a compliance review. Governor Joaquín Díaz Mena said during an August press conference that protection of the state’s natural heritage would take precedence over any individual development, according to Mexico News Daily.
The Chuburná dunes are considered one of the best-preserved coastal ecosystems in Yucatan, providing habitat for the Mexican sheartail hummingbird and the Yucatecan wren, as well as nesting grounds for the hawksbill and green sea turtle, both classified as endangered. The dunes also serve as a natural barrier against hurricanes, storm surges and coastal erosion, Mexico News Daily reported.
A petition launched by Salvemos las Dunas calling for a halt to the project has gathered more than 140,000 signatures, and protesters gathered in Mérida in late July. Designia Desarrollos declined to comment on the ongoing proceedings, according to Mexico News Daily.
The Las Dunas dispute follows a similar case earlier this year in which Royal Caribbean withdrew its environmental assessment for a proposed amusement park near Mahahual in Quintana Roo, after Mexican authorities signalled they intended to deny the project.