Cancún Beaches Lose 10 Meters of Sand – What’s Causing It?

According to Danish researcher Per Möller Bruun's rule, the shoreline retreats between 10 and 50 times the sea level rise. This indicates that the sand loss can range from 1.50 to 12 meters. Beaches in Quintana Roo, including Cancún, are losing sand due to natural events such as rising sea levels, south winds, changes in marine currents, and waves caused by heavy rain. Global warming, human activity, and hydrometeorological events are the primary causes of this coastal erosion.

In the aftermath of the recent hurricane "Milton", the sea advanced approximately 10 meters, predominantly along the coasts of the Benito Juárez municipality. The Federal Maritime Land Zone (Zofemat) recorded a seven to 10 meter erosion on Cancún's beaches following the hurricane season's hydrometeorological events, which concludes on November 30th.

Justo Miranda Rocha, the director of Zofemat, stated that the sandy areas are expected to naturally recover by April 2025. He noted that it's typical for erosion to occur in sandy areas during tropical storms and hurricanes, largely due to high waves and strong winds.

Miranda also pointed out that all Cancún's beaches experienced some degree of damage following this season's weather events. He explained that the sand recovery on the beaches is a gradual, natural process that begins with the arrival of cold fronts during the year's final months.

He emphasized that sand recovery is somewhat slow, with the most noticeable changes occurring in the year's first few months. Therefore, by March or April at the latest, the beaches should have recovered to their pre-erosion state.