Mexico’s Teacapan, billed as the next Cancun, faces challenges
Construction commenced last month on Mexico’s purported next big draw: a large-scale tourist resort in the state of Sinaloa. Teacapan, 75 miles south of the nearest tourist hub of Mazatlan, is a Pacific beach resort that will be twice as large as Cancun if all goes according to plan. It will encompass over seven miles of beach and two marinas, and it is estimated to see over 3 million visitors annually, according to the Associated Press article “Mexico announces creation of new tourist resort.”
Mexico’s president, Felipe Calderon, called the Sinaloa development “the most relevant project boosted by the public sector, the most important in the last 25 years and the most important in the first two decades of the 21st century,” according to Earthtimes. The plan calls for around $470 million of public investment and ultimately over $6.2 billion of private investment.
It’s probably not a stretch to predict that finances, in these unsteady times, will be a challenge for this mega-resort, but I suspect that other challenges lay ahead as well. Sinaloa has seen more than its share of tragic violence related to drug cartels, so potential visitors to the state will need some reassuring that this put-your-feet-up-poolside paradise will be a safe one. Surely, resort planners and the Mexican government are hoping to keep any riffraff (i.e., cartels) at bay. Mazatlan to the north is no stranger to crime either, but it has seemed to maintain its tourist-friendly reputation.
On another note, do you think there’s a demand among tourists for another Mexican resort town? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
— Susan Derby, Special to the Los Angeles Times
[Photo: Teacapan, Mexico fishing boats / molly_miller_denver on Flickr]
11 Comments on “Mexico’s Teacapan, billed as the next Cancun, faces challenges”
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October 8th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
I have had the privilege of visiting a number of Mexico’s beach towns and I love them all. We have been aficionados of Puerto Penasco for many years going back to the 1950’s and have purchased a condo there. I think Puerto Vallarta is great.I like Mazatlan…even been to Melaque in the old days and I assume it has changed somewhat. We’ve stayed in La Paz and visited Cabo while on a cruise. Now we are going down to Cancun to spend a week at one of the Mayan resorts. I love Mexico. I love the people. I think it’s fun to speak my version of Spanish when I’m there…and I’m 85.
October 9th, 2008 at 9:24 am
Where the mega tourist resort is planned near Teacapan will be like an all-inclusive resort. There are no tourist type towns near Teacapan like Cancun. Going to Cancun is like going to Mazatlan, Ocean City, Maryland or Miami. The Teacapan resort would be considerably upscale from Cancun and there are not enough tourist will and/or able to support that type of vacation resort.
October 9th, 2008 at 9:25 am
We have bought property (in an ungated community) in Mazatlan and south of mazatlan in a gated community called Estancia straight west of Roseria. Our friends who live in Mazatlan don’t worry about the slayings as life there is much the same as in canada or the states. We have people go missing, wrong house being fire bombed and people run over on the streets and the driver doesn’t stop. You know I could go on and on but as I lived in Mazatlan in Sabalo country club and watched the star choice news on edmonton I was thinking if people were to watch the news about Edmonton who in their right mindwould want to visit that place. I could go on but I think you get the picture.
October 9th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
I have been going to the Cancun area of Mexico for 16 years. It’s more crowded now and has real rush hours. A much larger percentage of the people i meet in the airport now are going South of Cancun. Is another Mega resort needed? I hope this is another Build it and they will come story. Time will tell.
October 9th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
I wrote a book on the history of Teacapán (Apuntes para la historia de Teacapán, Sinaloa, El Colegio de Sinaloa, Culiacán 2002).
The so called CIP (spanish acronym for Integrally Planned Center)is not in Teacapán but in “Las Cabras” cattle ranch located about 5 miles from the City of Escuinapa. Teacapán is 20 miles further down in an island once owned by Marquis Vizcarra, a rich miner from El Rosario. This is not the first attempt to take over the name of Teacapán for commercial purposes. Good luck to them but I doubt that the environment would sustain or even allow such a grand scale tourist resort since is barely 3 feet over sea level at its highest point. Teacapan like San Blas, also suffers of the same problem to succeed as a resort: Mosquitoes. In order to eliminate them, they would have to eliminate the mangrove first.
Joaquín López, Cronista de Teacapán.
October 18th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
I guess this is good news for us. We bought a beautiful home outside Teacapan a couple years ago. We’ve heard about this project and it’s nice to hear it’s starting.
October 24th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
I can’t imagine that we need another Cancun. Also I can’t help but wonder why do we want to turn an eco-center into a resort. Haven’t we placed enough concrete over the planet.I strongly oppose continuing down this path of paving paradise and putting in a parking lots.
November 20th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
I have lived in Teacapan for the past two years, not as a tourist but a member of the community. I have yet to meet a single person in this incredibly small town of Teacapan who shows excitement for this project. The dynamic that is created when tourists who don’t speak the language, don’t understand the culture, and don’t interact with the people is devastating. Rather than worrying about providing self-sustainable jobs for these people Calderon is more worried about making a profit off of them. The Malecon that has been built has ruined and continues to ruin the once beautiful beach. I have always dreaded this day, but never EVER did I expect it would come. What a tradegy. I wish there was another way to go about improving the lives for these people. Hopefully with the job losses in the U.S and the War on Drugs being such immediate threats the Mexican Government will decide that we don’t need another crappy tourist resort in these god forsaken times.
January 14th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
doug batchelder - with all due respect, your ’statement’ is filled with falsehoods. I doubt you have any property in the area. Speaking not only to the OWNER of the Playa as well as about 50 other people during the xmas season, nothing of the sort has gone on in your area… UNLESS you are a part of the drug cartel. They do not rip anyone off the streets, run people down or firebomb homes… UNLESS you are into the illegal drug scene. SO not unlike Edmonton (www.Deadmonton.ca), you can get killed anywhere including Canada. It is very frustrating with the likes of people like you spreading falsehoods and making it sound like the gringos are the target when they are NEVER the target. Yes, an occasional tourist gets killed in Mexico and when that story comes up, ALL the past stories come up making it sound horrific. Tourists get killed equal amounds in America and Canada but that NEVER makes the news. Get your story straight or sell your home and go back to Canada. Where we live with our YOUNG children is beautiful, the people are fun & friendly and much nicer place to be than Canada ever was. Good day and for the intelligent people, read up on the ‘truths’ of mexico, the deaths and the troubles. It has nothing to do with the tourists.
January 14th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
my home in Teacapan area has nearly tripled in value already. Its happening. And to Lily, yes the locals have not a clue what is about to occur to their ‘culture’ and lifestyle. Prices have gone up tremendously already but the locals wages have not followed. It’s a mixed blessing. I for one will be selling and finding yet another hidden getaway that is unspoiled to the American culture.
April 18th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
To Carol I was not careful about how I worded my response. I ment that the bad incidences were in Edmonton while we wintered in Mazatlan. Our home towns up north are just as bad as some of the maybe worse stuff that happens here in Maz. The mexicans are wonderfull people and we very much enjoy Maz and feel very safe here.