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There’s no question that one of the main concerns that have been raised regarding the Maya Train project has been the effects it can have on the environment. Recently the president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador visited the construction site. In this particular trip the president inspected the construction of the track that will run from Cancun to Tulum. On his social media he talked about the fact that the administration is well aware of the negative impact on the environment that the building of the train can bring.
To counteract this negative impact president López Obrador announced the creation of 3 natural parks. According to his calculations the train project is only set to cause major damage to about 250 acres of land in the jungle areas near Cancun. The entire track is set to run about 932 miles.
Apparently most of that land isn’t necessarily within the jungle region. The President mentioned that there is currently a reforestation project in the region. He committed to restoring almost 500 thousand acres of land. This is potentially where he plans to establish what he called natural parks.
What Are These Natural Parks Going To Mean For The Region?
At this point the creation of these natural parks is still clouded in a bit of mystery. As is often on brand with Mexico’s president the project was announced without much of a background to fall back on. However, as an idea, creating natural parks that folks could visit along with a trip on a train could certainly benefit tourism in the region. The Cancun-Tulum corridor is already home to quite a few spots that tourists are able to enjoy. Currently, the trip takes almost two hours by car. The train route could certainly help improve on that.
The road from Cancun to Tulum already has its fair share of amenities as previously mentioned. It currently houses the Xel-Ha park. One of the most visited parks in the region. This particular park is run by a private company and charges fees to tourists who want to visit. It’s unclear whether similar parks will be developed along the train Maya route.
A couple of miles from there tourists can enjoy a round of golf at a PGA Tour certified course. With this in mind the Tren Maya, which according to president López Obrador will run parallel to the road in some spots, can provide a more effective way to transit through the region.
Cenote Tourism Could Really Pick Up With The Right Train Route
Other than the creation of natural parks another “industry” that would be set to pick up with the right train route could be cenote tourism. Along the current Cancun-Tulum road lie at least 6 important cenotes in the region. Some of these cenotes aren’t necessarily located directly road side. Naturally access to these areas is harder. A combination of the creation of these natural parks that the president is promising, and the right train track route could be very beneficial to cenote tourism.
A couple of miles from the Xel-Ha park lies Avenida Las Palmas. Which is essentially a road that leads inland from the Cancun-Tulum highway that runs along the coastline. That area is filled with cenotes. As is to be expected different lodging options have popped up in the region. Most of these lodging options feature some type of camping experience for guests. The president’s idea to create these natural parks could bring with it other similar spots. Certainly more information on how these natural parks could be built needs to see the light of day. To be able to make more accurate assumptions on what things would look like.
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Eric Leeper
Thursday 10th of March 2022
Thank you for the nice update and photos. Unfortunately the link to Avenida Las Palmas actually links to an article about the Aloft Hotel. Thanks again.