🌴 Your Insider Update from the Riviera Maya - July 14

🌴 Good morning, Insiders!

The Feria del Carmen is drawing crowds this week with rides, concerts, and family fun, Sabor a Playa is celebrating the city's incredible food scene, and local events seem to be popping up everywhere. It's clear that while tourism may be having a quieter summer, the people who call the Riviera Maya home are making the most of it.

Sometimes the best reminder of why we live here isn't found on the beach—it's in the festivals, food, music, and neighbors who come together to celebrate.

In today’s email you will find:

All this and much more, plus the Riviera Maya Events Calendar are brought to you with support from our Featured Sponsor Timeless Beauty.

For the very best newsletter experience, choose the option above to Read Online.

— Michele Kinnon

GLP-1 medications have become one of the biggest topics in weight management, and they are increasingly available here in the Riviera Maya. Some people are already acquiring them at local pharmacies. But while these medications can be highly effective, they're not something to begin without a proper medical evaluation.

Successful weight loss isn't just about taking a prescription. It requires the right medication, the correct dosage, ongoing monitoring, and a plan that considers your age, overall health, nutrition, muscle mass, and long-term goals.

At Timeless Beauty, Dr. Luigi Palermo offers medically supervised GLP-1 weight management programs tailored to each patient. He works closely with patients throughout their journey, adjusting treatment as needed while helping them minimize common side effects—including the tell-tale loss of facial volume and changes in skin quality that can accompany rapid weight loss.

Talk to Dr. Luigi to set up a comprehensive medical evaluation and create your personalized treatment plan so you can safely carry on your weightloss journey with support for healthy, natural-looking results.

A personalized program can also incorporate collagen stimulation and regenerative treatments to help your skin adapt as your body transforms.

If you're considering GLP-1 medications—or simply want to learn whether they're appropriate for you—start with a conversation, not a pharmacy counter.

📅 Schedule your consultation with Dr. Luigi Palermo
📲 WhatsApp: +52 984 140 9337
🌐 https://timelessbeauty.com.mx
📧 [email protected]

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📸 Congratulations to the handful of readers who guessed that last week’s photo was taken at the town square in Puerto Morelos. The first reader to guess correctly was Mark R. reading from Beaumont Texas. Well done!

Where am I today? Reply back with your best guess. Be the first reader to guess correctly and look for your name in next week’s newsletter! If you are reading online, pop me a quick email!

🚗 Mexico’s Toll Roads Are Going Cashless
Mexico is gradually moving toward a “zero cash” toll-road system, and that could eventually affect Riviera Maya drivers heading to Mérida, Valladolid, Chichén Itzá, Cancún and beyond. There is no single cutoff date yet, and cash is still accepted on many routes, but electronic payment is clearly the future. For frequent travelers, now may be the time to look into a compatible TAG and make sure you are not caught at a toll booth without an accepted way to pay. Read more

🐾 Dr. Simi Pet Care Comes to Mérida. Can Quintana Roo Be Far Behind?
The same company that brought Mexico its famous low-cost “doc in a box” clinics is now doing the same for pets. SimiPet Care is coming to Mérida, offering walk-in veterinary consultations for just MX$75, plus affordable vaccines, deworming, sterilizations and pet medications. With plans for as many as 100 clinics nationwide, the obvious question for pet owners here is: when will Dr. Simi’s veterinary care make its way to Quintana Roo? Read more

🏗️ Big Plans in Puerto Aventuras
A major new hotel and residential project is being proposed for one of the last undeveloped waterfront parcels in Puerto Aventuras’ Fase 4. The 900-million-peso plan calls for 121 hotel rooms, 73 apartments, villas, pools and other amenities on 4.67 hectares of coastal land. But the site also includes a cenote, mangroves, coastal vegetation and an area previously sanctioned by environmental authorities, making the project one local residents will want to watch closely. Learn more

🏺 Xel Há Archaeological Zone Reopens
After months of conservation work, the Xel Há archaeological zone near Tulum has reopened to visitors, marking the completion of the PROMEZA restoration program across eleven Maya sites in Quintana Roo. The archaeological site offers a quieter look at the region’s pre-Hispanic past, with improved trails, signage and visitor facilities. Here’s what changed, what it costs to visit and why this lesser-known coastal Maya site may be worth adding to your list. Read more

🌳 Quintana Roo’s Losing Forest at Record Pace
Quintana Roo lost an estimated 130,000 hectares of mature tropical forest between 2002 and 2025, according to Global Forest Watch. Environmental groups warn that rapid, poorly regulated development is putting increasing pressure on the Maya Forest, wildlife habitat, water systems, and coastal ecosystems. The debate is not about stopping growth, but whether Quintana Roo can continue developing without destroying the natural landscapes that made it valuable in the first place. Learn more

🌿 A Fight Over the Future of Punta Venado
A growing citizen campaign is calling for the cancellation of two major tourism developments planned between Punta Venado and Paamul, one of the Riviera Maya’s remaining relatively undeveloped coastal stretches. Together, the projects would add at least 587 hotel rooms and suites, 33 private residences, roads and extensive supporting infrastructure. Local residents warn of habitat loss, pressure on protected areas and the cumulative transformation of a coastline that still looks very different from Cancún, Playa del Carmen and Tulum. Read more

🐢 Too Hot to Hatch?
Mexico is home to six of the world’s seven sea turtle species, but rising temperatures are changing conditions beneath the sand. Warmer nests can produce dramatically fewer male hatchlings. Erosion, coastal development, storms, and pollution are shrinking and damaging critical nesting beaches. Here in Quintana Roo, where sea turtles are an important part of our coastal ecosystem, the warning hits especially close to home. Protecting the turtles also means protecting the beaches they depend on for survival. Learn more

Governor races. Senate runoffs. Billboard charts. Celebrity news. Real money on all of it. Kalshi is the federally regulated prediction market where your opinions pay off. Trade what you know.

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Puerto Aventuras has lost two more restaurants.

Papacitos has announced that it is closing… for now. I spoke with the owner who said he was taking some time to rethink, regroup and hopefully reopen in some form. TierRa, the upscale marina restaurant with a second location on Playa del Carmen’s Fifth Avenue, has also closed its Puerto Aventuras location.

Taken alone, either closure might not seem especially alarming. Restaurants come and go. Concepts change. Businesses relocate. But taken together with the string of closures we have seen over the past year or so, a pattern is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

Los Aguachiles, a popular and successful brand with locations in Playa del Carmen and Tulum, closed its Puerto Aventuras restaurant. Casa Sofia, which continues to operate successful locations in Playa del Carmen, also left. Tuk Tuk, Brasa Nova, El Pancracio, Pampa and Pineapple all disappeared from the Central Marina. Pelican Point, an iconic Puerto Aventuras eatery, closed its doors as well.

Today, Central Park can sometimes feel almost like a ghost town, with Pippo’s, Ushi Sushi and Lu Lu Gelateria among the few businesses still holding on.

So what does this say about the business climate in Puerto Aventuras?

It would be easy to blame individual restaurants, poor management, high prices or changing tastes. In some cases, those things may certainly play a role. But when established operators and proven concepts repeatedly fail in the same small community, it is reasonable to ask whether something larger is happening.

Are rents and maintenance fees too high? Is foot traffic too low? Are residents spending less? Are visitors staying inside resorts or vacation rentals instead of exploring the marina? Has Puerto Aventuras simply become too difficult a place for independent businesses to survive?

And perhaps the more important question is this: what happens to the community when restaurants, shops and gathering places continue to disappear?

Local businesses give Puerto Aventuras much of its character. They create jobs, provide places to meet friends and neighbors, and make the community more attractive to residents, visitors and property owners alike. Their success benefits everyone.

Supporting these restaurants does not require grand gestures. It can be as simple as choosing dinner on the marina instead of driving to Playa, stopping for coffee locally, recommending a favorite restaurant to visitors, attending special events like Taste Puerto Aventuras or simply remembering that every peso spent inside Puerto Aventuras helps keep the community alive.

But residents and business owners cannot carry that responsibility alone. Restricted access at the gates has undoubtedly made it harder for restaurants and shops to attract customers from outside the community, cutting off a valuable source of foot traffic. At the same time, many local business owners would likely welcome more visible, coordinated support from those responsible for managing and promoting Puerto Aventuras as a destination.

If Puerto Aventuras wants a vibrant marina, lively public spaces and a healthy mix of restaurants and shops, then supporting local businesses cannot be treated as an afterthought. It has to be part of the larger vision for the community.

Because once these businesses are gone, bringing that energy back may be much harder than we think.

Did you have a banger day deep-sea fishing? Wondering if you can bring some of that beautiful mahi-mahi, wahoo or yellowfin tuna back home with you? In many cases, yes.

Most common sport fish are not a problem, but protected species, seasonal closures and catch limits can complicate things so be sure to check with your charter captain before deciding what goes into the cooler. When returning to the United States, legally caught recreational fish from Mexico can generally be brought in for personal consumption, but it must be declared to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Canada has its own import rules and personal-use limits, which can vary by species and product, so Canadian travelers should check current requirements before packing their catch.

For the smoothest trip, have your catch cleaned, portioned, vacuum-sealed and frozen solid before you fly. Pack it securely in a leakproof hard-sided cooler or insulated container with frozen gel packs. Airline rules vary when it comes to coolers, baggage weight and frozen contents, so it is worth checking with your carrier before heading to the airport.

It is also smart to keep your charter information and any receipts from the fishing trip or fish-processing service handy. While you may never be asked for them, they can help establish where and how the fish was caught if questions come up.

Bringing home part of your Riviera Maya fishing adventure is completely doable. Just freeze it well, pack it properly, declare it honestly and double check the rules before you fly.

For homeowners in Playa del Carmen who have fallen behind on their property taxes, the municipality’s new summer discount program may be worth a closer look.

From July 1 through August 31, 2026, the city is offering a series of tax incentives under a campaign called El Calor de los Descuentos 2026, designed to help residents and businesses clear outstanding municipal debts and regularize paperwork.

The headline benefit for homeowners is a 100 percent waiver of surcharges on overdue property tax payments from 2023 through 2025. That does not mean the original property tax debt disappears. You still owe the tax itself, but the accumulated late-payment surcharges may be forgiven. For someone who has been putting off paying for several years, that could make a meaningful difference.

The city is also offering 100 percent off surcharges on commercial garbage collection debts, plus discounts of up to 75 percent or 50 percent on certain fines, licenses, permits, regularization procedures, and other municipal transactions.

These broader discounts may be especially useful if you own a rental property, operate a local business, have an overdue permit or license, or have been postponing a municipal paperwork issue because of accumulated penalties.

A practical note for property owners: Playa del Carmen’s official property-tax service states that payment can be made at municipal cashier offices, with immediate issuance of a receipt, while online payments may take three to five business days to process.

My advice? If you know you owe back taxes, don’t wait until the end of August. Ask the municipal treasury for an updated account statement showing the original tax due, the surcharges being waived, and the final amount payable under the program. That way, you know exactly what you are saving before you pay.

When an injured wild animal turns up in Puerto Aventuras, there is a good chance that Cindi Adams is the person who gets the call.

Cindi serves as the community's unofficial wildlife rehabilitation specialist, taking in everything from raccoons, coatis, possums and porcupines to snakes, birds, iguanas and, most recently, one tiny creature that apparently looks a bit like a sugar glider.

Whether the call comes through Colonos or directly from a concerned resident, Cindi steps in. She picks up the injured animal, arranges veterinary care and then provides the round-the-clock attention needed until, whenever possible, it can safely be released back into the wild.

Her husband, Mark, has also become part of the operation, building cages and enclosures for the animals. Together, they are currently working on a larger outdoor structure to give recovering wildlife even more appropriate space.

What many people may not realize is that Cindi receives no funding from the local government, environmental NGOs or the Puerto Aventuras residents association for her efforts. Veterinary bills, food, medicine and other supplies are largely paid out of pocket, with occasional donations from people who know what she does.

For those looking for a very local way to make a difference, helping Cindi continue this work is certainly one worth considering. She welcome donations via Paypal and Venmo. You can reach her via Whatsapp +1 303 808 8076 or email [email protected].

🌟 Thank you to Debbie Walsh for submitting Cindi Adams for DO GOOD RIVIERA MAYA. Do you have someone special in your community doing something good? Let me know!

Meet Curtis, an 18-month-old bundle of fun who’s always up for an adventure. Whether it’s heading out for a walk, exploring new places, or curling up for a cuddle afterward, Curtis is happiest when he’s spending time with his people. Friendly, affectionate, and full of youthful enthusiasm, he’s sure to bring plenty of smiles to his forever family.

Curtis is neutered, fully vaccinated, parasite-free, and up to date on all his monthly preventatives, so he’s healthy and ready to go home. If you think Curtis could be the perfect addition to your family, email [email protected] to learn more.

This is just a small selection of the events and fun activities going on in Playa del Carmen, Puerto Aventuras and all along the Riviera Maya this month! You can find the entire interactive events calendar by clicking any on the listings below.

To access the full list of Riviera Maya events and happenings for this week and beyond, click on the link below!

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