The town of Tulum, on Mexico’s Caribbean coast, has become a hugely popular tourist destination for “eco-chic” travelers seeking a boutique beach experience, according to a report by Oscar Lopez for Newsweek. But paradise comes at a price: As real estate values have soared, environmentalists and residents have been forced into battle against rich businessmen and powerful politicians who are seeking to develop the land by any means necessary.
[In photo, a worker cleans a stretch of Tulum’s beaches. Though Tulum looks pristine, the town’s infrastructure is foundering, with raw sewage spilling into one of the largest underground river systems in the world. Photo by Oscar Lopez.]
[Reporting sponsored by donations made through the Catalogue for Philanthropy.]