Seventy pesos for a single 355-milliliter can of water—such was the price that sparked indignation among a group of tourists visiting the beaches managed by Jaguar Park in Tulum. The visitors, hailing from Querétaro, had arrived hoping to enjoy a peaceful day by the sea. Instead, they found themselves discouraged by what they perceived as exploitative pricing for something as essential and fundamental as drinking water.
While traveling with her children and niece, Monserrat Reyes Palacios recounted when she realized the cost of a single can of commercial-brand water at Playa Santa Fe. “It was upsetting,” she said, describing the experience as an unpleasant surprise. While another beach within the park offered the same product for 50 pesos, the discrepancy only added to her discomfort. For families, especially those with children, staying hydrated under the sun quickly becomes unsustainable, particularly when each person might need to consume at least two liters daily in high temperatures.
The apparent lack of alternatives troubled Reyes Palacios and her group even more. According to her, water fountains at the park’s beach entrances were out of service. This detail led them to believe that the absence of functional drinking stations could be intentional—a calculated move by those managing the park to funnel visitors toward purchasing expensive bottled water from on-site vendors and restaurants. “It felt like a setup,” she reflected, voicing what she saw as an orchestrated arrangement between administrators and commercial operators.
The family’s concerns were not limited to pricing. They recalled visiting the same coastal area two years earlier and experiencing a more welcoming environment. Back then, the beach felt accessible, and costs were manageable. The stark change, they noted, seemed to coincide with the area’s transition to management under Jaguar Park.
To be clear, the group said they support environmental initiatives, including restrictions on single-use plastic bottles. “We agree with that,” Reyes Palacios explained. “Protecting the environment is important, and we viewed that policy positively.” However, she added, the issue arose when eco-consciousness was used as a pretext for inflated pricing, particularly when basic public amenities—like water fountains—were left nonfunctional.
Disillusioned by the experience, the family left and traveled to Playa del Carmen instead. There, they found food and beverages offered at more reasonable rates and said the overall experience was less commercialized and more welcoming. Reyes Palacios was candid in her conclusion: “We won’t be coming back here. Not like this.”
While local tourism continues to draw travelers from across the country and worldwide, stories like this offer essential insights into how visitors perceive their experiences. Pricing, transparency, and access to basic amenities are crucial factors in maintaining a destination’s reputation for international guests and domestic tourists who form the backbone of year-round travel.
At a time when sustainability is rightly becoming central to tourism policies, environmental goals mustn’t become entangled with business strategies that alienate the very people they aim to serve. Fair access and honest pricing can—and must—coexist with conservation efforts if trust is to be maintained.
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