Ahead of the vacation season, Mexico’s Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks (Cofepris) announced that Puerto Escondido’s Main Beach in Oaxaca has been classified as unsafe for recreational use. Local authorities acknowledged the high levels of contamination affecting the bay.
As part of the Clean Beaches Program 2026, authorities collected and analyzed 2,279 seawater samples from 393 strategic monitoring points across the 17 coastal states of Mexico. The results identified Puerto Escondido’s Main Beach as unsuitable for recreational activities.
The report identified five beaches with bacterial concentrations exceeding the safety threshold established by the World Health Organization (WHO). These beaches recorded more than 200 enterococci per 100 milliliters of water, leading Cofepris to recommend that tourists avoid swimming or any direct contact with the water.
The five beaches identified are:
- Tijuana Beach, Tijuana, Baja California
- Cuale Beach, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco
- Bahía de Banderas Beach, Jalisco
- Main Beach, Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca
- José Martí Beach and Tumbao Beach, Veracruz
Following the health alert, the municipal authorities of Puerto Escondido acknowledged the high contamination levels and stated that they have repeatedly requested assistance from state authorities to clean the beach and prevent further pollution, but those requests have not been addressed.
“Since the beginning of this administration, we have continuously urged the competent agencies, including the State Water Commission for Well-Being (CEABIEN) and the Secretariat of Environment, Biodiversity, Energy, and Sustainable Development (SEMAEDESO), to intervene urgently in cleaning the beach and preventing contamination that threatens public health, the destination’s image, and tourism-related economic activity,” the municipal agency stated.
Local officials further reported that, despite repeated requests from both the Municipal Agency and tourism service providers, state government agencies have failed to act.
As a result, untreated wastewater continues to be discharged into several areas of the main bay, primarily due to the malfunctioning of wastewater pumping stations.
Puerto Escondido’s Main Bay is one of Oaxaca’s most visited beaches. According to Saymi Pineda Velasco, head of Oaxaca’s Secretariat of Tourism (Sectur), Puerto Escondido International Airport has become the driving force behind the destination’s international growth, describing it as Mexico’s fastest-growing beach airport.
Source: oaxaca.eluniversal
