Tourism projects seeking to enter Cabo Pulmo remain unresolved

Gabriela Colín / El Sudcaliforniano

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However, it was not until the start of the term of Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, that the Environmental Impact Authorizations (EIA) were published on the official websites of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat).

In this context, civil associations warned of risks to Cabo Pulmo National Park due to the irregularities and lack of transparency with which these projects were given the “green light,” and proceeded to file motions for review with Semarnat’s central offices.

One year after this process began, CEMDA’s regional director, Mario Sánchez Castro, said that “La Abundancia” and “Baja Bay Club” are still under administrative review.

“They have not yet been resolved, but they do not have authorization because they are being challenged,” the specialist added.

Project characteristics

According to the Environmental Impact Statements (EIS), the developers of “La Abundancia” requested authorization from Semarnat to build a hotel, housing, a beach club, roadways, utilities, and a commercial area on 68.6 hectares.

Meanwhile, the promoters of “Baja Bay Club” seek to develop 600 hectares, constructing 422 villas, 275 hotel rooms, a beach club, infrastructure for boats, and a golf course.

Greenpeace previously stated that “La Abundancia” encroaches on 500 square meters of Cabo Pulmo’s coastal zone. The project also indicates plans to draw water from the community’s aquifer, despite the water scarcity faced by local residents.

These points were among those listed in the motions for review filed to revoke the authorizations.

Suspended since early 2025

Delegate Cristina González Rubio San Vicente recalled that since February 2025 a provisional suspension has been in place for both projects, meaning they cannot carry out any operations or construction in the area until a final decision is issued on the motions for review.

She explained that once the challenges were admitted, a legal review began to assess the legality of the administrative act.

In this scenario, she clarified that once the case files are compiled, the motions for review are re-evaluated by central legal offices in Mexico City. In other words, the responsibility for deciding the fate of these authorizations lies with higher-level authorities.

“Once the legal review concludes, our regional office will be informed of the next steps—whether the administrative act is reinstated or whether the authorization is revoked,” she said.

The delegate noted that the procedure is similar to a trial, first analyzing administrative and procedural aspects and then evaluating environmental-legal criteria.

Based on that, there is a feedback stage which, by law, is the developer’s right—an opportunity to argue for maintaining the authorization already granted by Semarnat.

“That is exactly where we are now. We have not yet been informed by central offices how the case is progressing, but it is in their hands. Of course we would like these matters to be resolved more quickly, but the process is ongoing,” she concluded.

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