After years of public debate and environmental protest, the La Paz municipality has officially declared the controversial El Saltito tourism project not viable. The decision follows a technical review that found significant deficiencies in environmental impact analysis, public service planning, and coastal access guarantees.
The project, which sought to clear 109 hectares of desert at El Saltito for a golf resort, hotel, artificial water features, and residential zones, has been in the works for nearly two decades. Last week, municipal authorities confirmed that the proposal failed to meet critical standards required for approval.
According to local reports, the municipality’s Dirección General de Gestión Integral de la Ciudad conducted the review through its Consejo de Cambio de Uso de Suelo. Among the issues identified: incomplete documentation on coastal dune boundaries, missing feasibility studies for public services and risk management, and unclear surface area calculations. The review also found no adequate guarantees to ensure free public access to the beach, a constitutional right that La Paz officials have taken increasing steps to enforce. The city recently approved fines up to $600 for blocking beach access, signaling a tougher stance on coastal privatization.
In parallel with the municipal rejection, project developers withdrew their federal Change of Use of Forest Land application from SEMARNAT, the federal environmental authority. That permit would have been required to authorize the removal of native vegetation across the site.
The El Saltito proposal attracted broad public resistance. More than 11,000 people signed a petition opposing the development, and nine environmental organizations submitted formal objections to SEMARNAT. Critics argued that the project represented only one fragment of a much larger planned development spanning more than 700 hectares, and that approving it piecemeal would obscure cumulative environmental impacts.
For La Paz residents, beachgoers, and eco-tourism operators, the decision removes a long-standing source of uncertainty. The El Saltito area, located northeast of La Paz in the subdelegation of La Fortuna, remains home to intact cardón cactus forest and coastal dune systems. Municipal authorities have stated that any future development proposals for the area will be required to meet updated environmental and urban planning standards, and that they will continue coordinating with state and federal agencies to ensure compliance.
The municipality has not indicated whether the developer intends to resubmit a revised proposal or abandon the project entirely. For now, El Saltito remains undeveloped, and public beach access along that stretch of coast remains open.
