Royal Caribbean faces renewed opposition over Mahahual “Perfect Day” tourism project

The environmental coalition Salvemos Mahahual warned that Royal Caribbean could attempt to revive its “Perfect Day” mega‑tourism development in Mahahual, Quintana Roo, even after the Mexican Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) publicly refused to authorize it. The project, which would combine a large water‑park, a private beach club and a cruise‑ship dock capable of serving up to 20,000 visitors daily, was rejected due to identified risks to mangroves, coral reefs, and aquifers.

Salvemos Mahahual said Royal Caribbean’s withdrawal of its Environmental Impact Manifest does not close the case, as the company could modify the plan and submit a new proposal. The group announced a series of actions: legal challenges to recent land‑use changes, demands for environmental sanctions from the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa), monitoring of any new permits, and a push for permanent protection of the Costa Maya region. They also accused the firm of fragmenting the project into separate components to evade a cumulative impact assessment, noting that Semarnat found multiple adverse references and technical inconsistencies.