Water Quality Assessment of the Punta Esmeralda Cenote in Playa del Carmen

The Punta Esmeralda cenote, one of the most popular beach resorts in Playa del Carmen, will remain closed for at least seven days to determine the quality of the water that recently became stagnant due to the clogging of the vein that fed it.

This is a body of water that has a current and is fed by an eye of water located to the west of this stretch of coastline with a Blue Flag certified beach. Suddenly it stopped being fed and the water became stagnant and took on a dark greenish color, which caused concern among the authorities.

Luceli Ramos Montejo, director of Sustainable Environment and Climate Change, mentioned that they are collaborating in the water quality study with other agencies to find out if it is viable for recreation.

"The cenote is being given a break, it was cordoned off by the Directorate of Federal Maritime Terrestrial Zone, since it is important to point out that it is a place where many people come and it is necessary to give it this rest, for the moment the cenote will be closed until it is determined to open it to the public since we have the part of the study process, not precisely the Directorate of Environment, but Zofemat," said Ramos Montejo.

Punta Esmeralda Cenote

The Punta Esmeralda cenote is very popular among the local population and tourists because it is located on the border of Colonia Luis Donaldo Colosio Murrieta and Nicte-Ha. The place has a very special natural wealth because it is one of the points where the impact of human activities has not been as intense as in the rest of the city.

"It will be closed for another week, we cannot give an exact date, we ask the citizens to respect the body of water, it also has its space, we have to let it rest, let us understand that it is a natural process of allowing the current to flow, that in the end, it will have oxygenation", mentioned Ramos Montejo.

So far, the causes of this problem faced by the body of water, visited by thousands of bathers, have not been determined. Punta Esmeralda not only presents this situation, but also the arrival of sargassum that currently impacts the place like the rest of the beaches of the Riviera Maya.