Paradise Lost?: The Unsettling Truth About Greenwashing in Tulum

Tulum has become the hot destination in Mexico. Tourists, expats, and digital nomads alike flock to the jungle beach town for it’s exquisite nature, rich history, and eco-chic hotels and restaurants.

You can nosh on raw smoothie bowls after yoga flows on the white sand beach. Or maybe explore the coral reefs and cenotes via scuba diving and snorkeling. Adrenalin junkies can get their rush with wild ATV excursions through the jungle. Interested in history? There are dozens of Ancient Mayan ruins to explore. Or just relax! Lounge around your sustainable treehouse bungalow then treat yourself to a spa day. Follow it up with a gourmet dinner at one of the many top-notch restaurants. And don’t forget to hit the boutiques for comfy flowy linen ensembles. While I’m more of a get up at 5am than go to sleep at 5am gal, Tulum also has a buzzing party scene. You can dance the night away if you so wish. Maybe even go to a secret jungle party.

All the pieces of the Tulum equation seem perfect.

Beaches, jungle, good food, relaxation, and adventure? What’s not to love!

Jeremy and I planned on spending just a few days in Tulum. But some gnarly stomach sicknesses led us to extend out stay by a week. (I had a parasite and salmonella, Jeremy had a parasite and bacterial infection. It was as fun as it sounds– click HERE for the full story.) As we were on the mend thanks to the powers of modern medicine, we did less adventuring, and more easy wandering.

And that’s when I began to notice certain things about Tulum that just felt… off.

Why were there gas generators humming at “sustainable” venues? What was up with the piles of garbage lining the back roads? There are dozens of vegan and vegetarian restaurants, yet there are stray dogs on the brink of death roaming around everywhere.

What really got the red flag waving was stumbling upon big stretch of local housing. Dozens, maybe a hundred, run down shacks were piled next to each other. Likely no electricity, likely no water. The complex was surrounded by a chain link fence. Opposite of the rusty fence, there was a pristine row of luxury condos with lush landscaping and modern architecture.

Seeing extreme income inequality and poverty always makes my heart ache and brain tick. But seeing it exist in a place built around the messages of self-improvement, love, sustainability, and connecting with nature signaled that there’s some rotten lurking under Tulum’s beautiful facade.

I dived in, and this “eco-paradise” isn’t was it seems. Greenwashing in Tulum is a serious problem, and one that needs to be talked about.

A massive boom in population and tourism without the infrastructure, construction regulations, and waste management to support it is flat out destroying paradise.

In the 1990s, Tulum was a small village with 3,000 residents and just a handful of tourists. The infrastructure was designed to support 7,000 people. Which was reasonable at the time. The population tripled to 10,000 residents in 2008, and has been exploding ever since, with nearly 50,000 residents in 2020. Tack on 15,000-20,000 floating residents on top of a whopping 2 million tourists a year, and you’ve got some major problems.

The first piece of the puzzle is the lack of infrastructure.

Loads of people cause loads of waste. Tulum doesn’t have proper waste management, water treatment, or drainage systems to accommodate the population. In fact, only 20% of hotels in Tulum have proper water treatment processes. The majority of the waste water is dumped into the swamps or the ocean, and a bulk of the trash ends up in open aired landfills (pictured in the google image search screenshot below). Said trash proceeds to decay, rot, and seep into the ground water. Plus, they are on top of sand dunes, which are crucial for preventing erosion.

Not only are beach front hotels ill-equipped to handle waste, but they also run on diesel generators because there is no electricity along the beach. Tulum gets hot, and visitors likely want AC. ACs use loads of electricity, which translates to hundreds of gallons of fuel across the hotel zone as well as noise pollution.

The second piece of the puzzle is the massive construction boom to profit from the demand.

New hotels, restaurants, and amenities are being built to keep up with tourism. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Real estate developers have been rapidly building living complexes with numerous units for sale to appeal to expats and real estate investors. There are advertisements for “Luxury Condos with Pool starting at $120,000USD” everywhere with the sounds of new construction projects ringing trough the air.

New hotels and buildings are putting further strains on the already lacking infrastructure. And the construction waste itself only exacerbates the problem. While there are environmental regulations and restrictions put in place, corruption fueled by dollar signs often wins. Developers are finding ways to build on protected land. While some have been shut down, it poses a serious problem to Tulum’s ecosystem. MayaZama, a Mexican real estate company, is playing a particularly destructive role. Check out THIS article for an unsettling look into Tulum’s real estate corruption.

Continuing to build without addressing the failing infrastructure is destroying the very thing that led to Tulum’s boom in the first place: it’s rich natural beauty.

Casualty number one is the cenotes. The Yucatan is home to the largest underground fresh water system in the world, and cenotes are the natural sinkholes that form along them. Mayans used to rely on cenotes for fresh water while revering them as a connection to the underworld. Today, they are popular for swimming and connecting with nature.

But you might want to second guess taking a dip…

According to Mexico’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, 80% of the 6,000 cenotes across the Yucatan are polluted. A study by the United Nations University found that the pollutants include illicit drugs, pharmaceutical chemicals, personal care products, and pesticides. Pit latrines, septic tanks, and leaking sewer lines combined with limited wastewater treatment systems are one piece of the puzzle. Another is the destruction of mangroves, which are nature’s filtration system.

Jeremy and I visited two cenotes, and the next day was when we both became super sick. Correlation? Causation? After this research, I’m guessing the latter.

Casualty number two is the ocean and reefs. As mentioned earlier, 80% of beachfront hotels don’t have proper sewage and water treatment systems. Some of the waste is dumped into the ocean. Some is left to seep through the ground, into the water supply, which in turn ends of up in the ocean. The coral reefs in the Riviera Maya have declined by 80% in the last 30 years, and will only decline further if left unaddressed.

Casualty number three is the wildlife and plants. Flora and fauna are suffering from increased pollution, and their natural habitats are being torn down with each new construction project. Animals like jaguars and monkeys will completely lose their homes if regulations aren’t policed and enforced.

The environment isn’t the only thing suffering. Locals are feeling strains as well.

While a boom in tourism is creating jobs and opportunity, the working conditions aren’t improving to match the influx of wealth. Construction sites can be unsafe, and migrant workers who come in for the projects aren’t paid fairly. Javier Peralta, president of the local NGO Contraloría Ciudadana, adds that hotel staff are usually hired through intermediary agencies, which prevent workers from unionizing and demanding better working conditions. 

I couldn’t find reliable information on exact wages in Tulum, but here are some key  statistics to consider:

• The minimum daily  wage in Mexico is $172.87 MXn, which is $8.25USD. A 9% increase from 2021.
• According to DataMexico, the average monthly salary of formal employees in Quintana Roo was 7350mxn ($351usd) for the second quarter of 2021.
• The average monthly salary of informal employees (ie construction workers) was $4330mxn ($207usd) for the second quarter of 2021
• The average cost of a hotel room per night in Tulum is $152usd a night. (Options in the city are cheaper. Options along the beach front can be $500+ a night)

While there is a lack of reliable data on tourism revenue in Tulum, evidence and trends strongly suggest that wealth generated by tourism is not proportionately going back into the local economy. It’s quite frankly shocking that some beach front hotels are charging upwards of $500usd a night while paying workers as little as $8.25usd/day without doing anything to improve the local infrastructure to preserve Tulum’s nature that drives tourists in the first place.

Another problem locals are facing is that the growing party scene is luring in the drug cartels. An increase in drug related violence is already being seen in Tulum as cartels vie for the territory. Jungle raves may make for good travel stories. But the local population will be left to deal with the crime and turf wars.

Yikes!!!

Doing this deep dive into greenwashing in Tulum got my blood boiling. I too was duped by Tulum’s eco-friendly guise.

Here’s the thing, this type of tourism-fueled ecological destruction isn’t limited to Tulum. It exists throughout Mexico, as well as across the globe. But what makes Tulum fascinating is the fact that it’s specifically marketed as a sustainable haven for travelers to connect with nature and discover themselves.

But there’s good news! While tourism is the problem, it can also be the solution.

If consumers change their demands and refuse to spend dollars at greenwashed businesses and hotels, supply will follow.

Distinguishing the good from the bad is easier said than done. I have a lot to learn about sustainability, and what “eco-friendly” really means. But here are some tips to help us both.

When choosing a hotel, research and investigate the following things:

• Sewage: Are there compost toilets? Is there an on-site filtration system? Ask questions. And if they can’t answer them, don’t stay there.
• Electricity: Are generators powered by solar and wind energy? If not, are there at least limits on daily electricity usage?  Limited AC may be uncomfortable at times, but it’s a good thing for the environment and a signal that the hotel cares.
• Water: is there a purification system? If not, do they at least hire potable water trucks that they bring in?
• Get more good tips HERE.

Here are some hotels that I’ve seen on various sustainable travel sites, but PLEASE do your own research.

• Prana Boutique Hotel
• Papaya Play Project
• Ahau
• Sanara
• Casa Xixim
• Olas

Accommodation choice is the big one, but here are other tips for helping, rather than hurting Tulum:

• Get a reusable water bottle and one of the giant 10L or 20L bottles for refills. (Tap water is not safe to drink in Mexico,)
• Choose to eat at local restaurants and shop at local businesses.
• Limit your consumption of single use plastics as best you can. Check out No Mas Plastik for good information on recycling efforts in the area. Although, the programs are an uphill battle with limited government support.
• Consider donating or volunteering for Help Tulum Dogs. (Check out a fellow blogger’s experience HERE)
• Never buy drugs. Putting personal risk factors aside, choosing to buy drugs on the streets fuels turf wars and cartel crime.
• Tip!!!! Remember that some people are making $8usd a day. A small amount to you is meaningful for someone else.

Final Thoughts on Greenwashing in Tulum

The environmental devastation of overtourism and construction in Tulum is heart breaking. And the greenwashed businesses claiming to be sustainable only twist the dagger further. Knowledge is power, and being aware of the problem at hand is the first step in creating change.

The case of Tulum is an important lesson in awareness, mindfulness, and being intentional in how you spend your money.

It certainly has made me reflect on my travel choices and examine how I can lower my impact on the places I’m visiting.

I can choose locally owned hotels and AirBnbs. I can opt for street food carts and local restaurants over international chains. I can switch off the AC and open a window. I can be more mindful about the single use plastics I use. And I can continue questioning what’s happening around me and what I’m consuming to become a better, more informed citizen of the world.