Playa del Carmen faces new hotel development and beach access disputes

A Mexico City-based company is seeking to develop the Hazul project, a large-scale tourism and residential complex located on the former San Francisco quarry site north of Playa del Carmen. The proposal involves transforming 424 hectares of land, previously used by Tricoblocks for limestone extraction, into a nine-stage development. The plan includes a 280-room hotel, commercial areas, green spaces, and an artificial beach that would utilize existing lagoons formed by previous mining activities.

Separately, local citizens have filed complaints against the Playa del Carmen hotel (formerly Alambra) regarding a platform built on the Maritime Terrestrial Federal Zone (Zofemat). Residents claim the structure obstructs public passage along the coast, particularly during high tides and heavy swells. They have called on federal authorities to investigate whether the installation violates legislation governing public federal lands, which are intended to remain accessible to the public.