Five beaches in Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, have been designated as Platinum beaches, the first in the country to obtain the certification under a new government program. 

Las Viudas, Acapulquito, Santa María, Palmilla and El Chileno were selected based on their “scenic beauty, environmental excellence, safety, facilities, signage with relevant information on each beach and universal accessibility,” the Platinum Beach program’s website reads.

“Tourist destinations can be measured by the arrival of tourists, by the average occupancy rate, but measuring the quality of a tourist destination is not easy and the best way to do so is to know how many certificates it has,” commented Tourism Deputy Minister Fernando Ojeda Aguilar at a ceremony announcing the designation.

“The work has been done, and will be ready for when it is time to restart economic activity,” said Los Cabos Mayor Armida Castro Guzmán. “I promised to promote and support [Los Cabos], and today we have one more bonus to offer the destination; the best beaches in the country are in Los Cabos!”

The mayor also praised the efforts of the federal office of maritime land zones (Zofemat) in obtaining the certification and maintaining the quality of municipal beaches, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Currently, all beaches in Los Cabos are limited to 30% capacity and are only open between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. All other beaches in Baja California Sur remain closed.

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, local officials say Los Cabos beaches received approximately 90,000 visitors a month, mainly tourists from the United States and Canada. 

All five Platinum beaches are also designated Blue Flag beaches and meet the Foundation for Environmental Education’s stringent environmental, educational, safety and access-related criteria.

Among other requirements, Blue Flag beaches must offer environmental education activities, display a code of conduct, and provide information about water quality. Garbage cans, water, and restrooms are required, and lifeguards and first aid services must also be in place.

Baja California Sur leads the nation with 23 of Mexico’s 63 Blue Flag beaches.

Source: El Universal (sp), El Sudcaliforniano (sp), Tribuna de Los Cabos (sp)