Fishermen in Todos Santos Assail Development of New 'Mindful Living' Resort Noah Feldman - Delmarva Public Radio
go to original July 31, 2016

Aerial view of the development site at Punta Lobos beach, Todos Santos (Salvemos Punta Lobos/Facebook)

Todos Santos is just 50 miles north of the fancy hotels and gated resorts in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Same glittering turquoise Pacific coastline, fewer golf courses. But construction is underway on a mega resort called Tres Santos that bills itself as local-friendly. And blending in hasn’t exactly been easy.

The promo video for Tres Santos sells a free range, locally sourced lifestyle. Bronze-skinned yogis salute the sun at the water’s edge; families sample fresh tomatoes off the vine.

Tres Santos 'Mindful Living' Community in Baja Promo (TresSantosBaja.com)

“Our goal is to give people a really authentic experience. And so we’re gonna do something that kind of blends in with the community,” said Shannon Gillespie, the company’s sales executive.

Funded by Colorado’s Black Creek Group, Tres Santos has permits to build more than 4,000 new homes. So far, a handful of houses are for sale in the $200,000 to $400,000 range. Down at the town beach, a 32-room boutique hotel is under construction. But it’s practically on top of the area where the town’s fishermen have been working for generations.



Twice now, members of one fishing co-operative have blocked the road to the beach to protest the project. Tres Santos said it wants the fishermen to stay, but protest organizers like activist Ricardo Madrazo are skeptical.

“I think they envision that instead of the 40 or 50 boats that are operating right now, maybe they’ll just have four or five,” he said. “And they can show some of the visitors how we catch this fish, or we’ll take you out and you snorkel with the sea lions.”

John Moreno, the fishermen’s lawyer, said he’s not opposed to progress, but that in a town of 5,000 people, where it’s hot and dry, it’s a matter of scale.

Read the rest at Delmarva Public Radio

Related: The Dark Side of the 'Mindfulness' Eco-Tourism Development in Todos Santos (The Ecologist)

Related: Is This Sprawling Baja Resort Sustainable? It Depends on Whom You Ask (New York Times)

Related: Fishermen Carry on in Isla Mujeres But They’re Fewer Now (Mexico News Daily)

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