Mexico’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) has opened a public comment period for the proposed Punta Colorada resort project on the East Cape of Los Cabos, giving residents and stakeholders until June 12 to weigh in on the environmental impact study.
The comment window opened May 18. The proposed development would cover 577,000 square meters of coastal land in La Ribera, a small community roughly 60 miles northeast of San José del Cabo along the Sea of Cortez. Developer ARTIBUS OPUS is behind the project, which carries an estimated investment of more than 855 million pesos (about $49.1 million USD).
What the Project Includes
According to the Environmental Impact Statement filed with Semarnat, Punta Colorada would be a low-density tourist and residential complex. Plans call for 222 single-family lots, a 60-room boutique hotel, and 40 villa units. The developer says 54% of the site would remain undeveloped.
Sustainability features listed in the proposal include solar panels and a closed-loop wastewater treatment plant. Construction is projected to run from September 2026 through September 2030, a five-year build-out window.
How to Submit Comments
Interested parties can review the full environmental impact study and submit written comments through Semarnat’s electronic transparency portal at gob.mx/semarnat. Comments can also be filed in person at Semarnat offices in Baja California Sur. The deadline is June 12, leaving just under two weeks from today.
Semarnat’s public consultation process allows citizens to propose additional prevention and mitigation measures beyond what the developer has included in the environmental filing.
East Cape Development in Context
La Ribera and the surrounding East Cape sit on one of the last relatively undeveloped stretches of coastline in the Los Cabos municipality. The area is popular with surfers, anglers, and off-grid expats who moved there precisely because of its quiet character. A project of this scale would bring new roads, utility demands, and construction traffic to a community with limited infrastructure.
Semarnat has rejected large coastal developments in Baja California Sur before. In January 2025, the agency denied the environmental permit for “Punta La Paz,” a separate resort project near La Paz, citing risks to protected ecosystems including mangroves and migratory bird habitat near the Balandra protected area.
The Punta Colorada consultation was first reported by El Imparcial on May 18.