But these days, much of Playa del Carmen’s beaches have eroded to the point that they almost don’t exist anymore or are often so full of seaweed that getting into the ocean is not even an option. 

The shrinking coastline has been victim to natural disasters but environmental experts argue that corruption and a lack of planning are the true culprits. 

“We have had hurricanes in this part of the world since antiquity, it makes no sense to blame weather events. Let’s not fool ourselves, this problem is man-made, the obvious result of corruption and willful negligence,” says Guadalupe de la Rosa Villalba, of the Playa del Carmen-based environmental organization Moce Yax Cuxtal.

Though authorities refute this claim, Quintana Roo’s state government has reportedly authorized a campaign to extract and move thousands of metric tons of sand from other locations in an attempt to salvage Playa del Carmen’s reputation. 

“Visitors are starting to ask questions. Many of them have visited before and notice how bad the situation has become. For the sake of our community something has to be done,” reads a press statement from city hall. 

Moving sand to fix beaches, often called beach nourishment, has several drawbacks which include environmental damage to the areas targeted for extraction, and the fact that it is at best a temporary solution…