With a project in Santa Elena, Yucatán, Xcaret Group aims to cause damage to the Yucatecan jungle and soil with the construction of a 36-meter-deep cathedral below ground level. The noise and vibrations from underground explosions for the construction of the Xibalbá park, located in Yalcobá, Valladolid municipality, have been recorded over 10 kilometers away, causing irreversible damage to the cenotes of Yucatán.
This year, Xcaret Group prepares to modify the climate, flora, and fauna of its second tourist complex in Santa Elena, despite national and international environmentalist groups’ calls for caution. The new investment project, worth a total of $400 million, will be located within the State protected area of the Biological and Cultural Reserve of Puuc, covering 746,770 square meters to sell residential lots.
Greenpeace has expressed concern about the new tourist project internationally, warning that it is incompatible with long-term environmental conservation policies, especially in the context of climate crisis. The international organization urged the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) to reject the request for a change of land use submitted by Xcaret Group through a testaferro company called Alto Comercializadora y Operadora Turística, which was formed legally in April.
Environmental groups argue that in addition to the risks and impacts identified in the Environmental Impact Statement (MIA), the implementation of the project would promote greater urbanization and speculation, harming the culture and biodiversity of the Maya jungle. The projected development designed by Xcaret Group is intended to receive 2.555 million visitors annually, exceeding Yucatán’s current population of 2.321 million.
The private mixed-use real estate project includes nine hotels and investment plots in Santa Elena, where 96% of the population identifies as Mayan. It is close to the Uxmal archaeological site. The new Xcaret complex aims to attract more customers, just like Chichén Itzá does. Its features include a recreational area with paths, walkways, artificial water bodies, and an structure called Catedral, which will be located 36 meters below ground level and feature an atrium and dome.
According to the MIA in the possession of SEMARNAT, the project includes an 18-story hotel with up to 300 rooms, each accommodating six people, totaling 1.800 guests. During peak season, this would represent 16.200 visitors, four times Santa Elena’s population of approximately 4.220 inhabitants according to the 2020 census.
The development will also include a waterfall and other artificial water bodies at 36 meters below ground level, with a depth of two meters and a cave-like tunnel for rappelling. Additionally, it will feature suspension bridges, slides, communication tunnels, and a train station on the Tren Maya line.
Xcaret Group has been criticized for causing irreversible environmental damage to the area, including accusations of ecocide by Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador last year. The company aims to promote large-scale adventure and nature tourism in the area, despite facing strong criticism over the project’s potential harm to the environment.
The MIA (number 31YU2024UD049) presented to SEMARNAT indicates that the land use needs to be changed from forest vegetation to accommodate this project, which will have a significant impact on the habitat of birds and other species endemic to Yucatán. The group estimates it will take four years to prepare the site and six years to build the project, with a projected duration of over 100 years.
Santa Elena, located 14 kilometers from Uxmal, is considered an excellent location for Xcaret Group’s new development, which they have been eyeing since 10 years ago. The MIA also notes that the area can be accessed through Federal Highway 261 from Mérida and Cancún and by the Tren Maya train line from Teya and Maxcanú stations.
Source: Por Esto
