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Sargassum has become the main concern faced by travelers during their vacations in Cancun and the Mexican Caribbean.
Several popular Cancun resorts have decided to take matters into their own hands, announcing new programs to eliminate the foul-smelling seaweed from their beaches.
Melía, Riu, and Barceló are some of the latest hospitality chains to enact a comprehensive sargassum plan to keep beaches in top-notch condition this summer as millions of travelers flock to the city’s beaches.
Here’s the latest on Cancun’s record-breaking sargassum season:
Resorts To Implement Own Sargassum Plans Amid Record Seaweed Levels
Cancun and the Mexican Caribbean are facing some of the highest sargassum levels on record as climate change warms up the world’s oceans, leading to huge quantities of the macroalgae.
While Cancun officials have created one of the most forward-looking and innovative approaches to cleaning sargassum, some resorts have decided to take matters into their own hands in an effort to stem the issue.
Several of Cancun’s most popular resort brands are increasing cleaning resources to keep sargassum at bay. Meliá, Riu, and Barceló are among the latest to reveal more details about what they’re doing to ensure spotless beaches for travelers to enjoy this summer.
Paradisus Cancún, Hotel Riu Cancun, and Occidental Costa Cancún are some of the top-rated beachside resorts owned and operated by the Spanish hospitality firms, and travelers can expect to find cleaner and relatively sargassum-free beaches there this summer.
The resorts have announced a long list of measures they hope will stop sargassum seaweed from tarnishing travelers’ tropical getaway to Cancun’s spectacular Blue-Flag beaches.
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The new sargassum action plan is designed to work in tandem with the Mexican Caribbean government’s enhanced seaweed policies, including the deployment of vessels that collect sargassum kilometers before it washes up on shores.
What Are Resorts Doing to Stop Sargassum?
According to media reports, a growing number of Cancun resorts are purchasing new heavy-duty machinery to remove sargassum from private beaches during the night time.
Additionally, high-end proprieties have hired more cleaning personnel compared to previous years, who work tirelessly around the clock to keep beaches impeccable.
While many resorts have deployed sargassum barriers out at sea, executives say the measure won’t be enough to fully stop the seaweed. As a result, travelers might spot large sargassum containers where the foul-smelling seaweed is stored before ultimately being removed.
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The sargassum situation can change drastically from one week to another, and its intensity largely deepens on several geographical factors.
Fortunately, Cancun is relatively well-positioned to deal with sargassum when compared to resort hotspots in the Riviera Maya, such as Playa del Carmen.
Riu and Barceló are among the largest Spanish-owned hospitality firms in the Mexican Caribbean, operating a handful of luxury all-inclusives in the Playa del Carmen area. According to executives from the hospitality chains, the Riviera Maya destination is being plagued by an unprecedented quantity of sargassum.
“The main issues are being reported in the south of Quintana Roo, especially in Playa del Carmen, whereas the situation in Cancun and Costa Mujeres is more favorable”, a Riu executive said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Barceló resorts have deployed specialized sargassum machinery in Playa del Carmen together with storage units.
Meliá, one of the largest hospitality firms in the area, has plans to open several new resorts in the area over the following three years, including Paradisus Playa Mujeres and the firm has said it will be incorporating anti-sargassum technology to shield its future properties from the smelly seaweed.
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