Mexico’s environmental authorities will not approve Royal Caribbean’s planned Perfect Day Mexico destination on the country’s Caribbean coast, blocking a project that was supposed to open in late 2027 in Mahahual. Environment Minister Alicia Bárcena announced the decision on May 19, ending a proposal that had drawn months of pushback from environmental advocates.
The project had been designed for more than 200 acres and would have featured a jaguar-shaped water slide tower, a combined lazy and crazy river, and more than 10 pools covering the size of four football fields. A Change.org petition with nearly 5 million signatures argued the development would threaten sea turtles, mangroves and other ecosystems, while also jeopardizing local access to the sea.
SEMARNAT said in a translated post on X that the protection of ecosystems will continue to be a priority for the ministry. Greenpeace Mexico called the decision a great victory for civil society in a translated post on X. Royal Caribbean Group said it was disappointed by SEMARNAT’s decision, but said it respects the role of Mexico’s environmental authorities and continues to believe in Mexico.
Mahahual is a small community with fewer than 3,000 people near the Mesoamerican Reef, the largest reef in the Western Hemisphere, and that location helped make the fight over the project especially sharp. Perfect Day Mexico was meant to build on Royal Caribbean’s Bahamas private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay, but in Mahahual the company faced a far different reception from residents and environmental groups concerned about the coastline’s fragility.
The company said it is optimistic about the potential to advance its investment responsibly and will re-engage stakeholders in the coming weeks. It said it wants to move forward in a way that delivers shared prosperity through environmental infrastructure, local jobs and community programs. For now, though, the answer from Mexico is clear: the project cannot go ahead as planned.
