When Life Gives Us Sargassum, We Make Biofuel — Welcome to Puerto Morelos!

In Puerto Morelos, we believe in turning challenges into opportunities. The saying goes, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” Here in Mexico, when life gives us sargassum, we’re working on making biofuel!

Worker removes sargassum seaweed from a beach in Puerto Morelos, Mexico.
A dedicated worker clears sargassum from the shores of Puerto Morelos, ensuring visitors can enjoy clean, beautiful beaches even during summer months.

Thanks to offshore barriers, daily cleanup brigades, and high-tech monitoring systems, our beaches stay relatively clean—even in summer, when sargassum usually arrives. So if you’re planning your Puerto Morelos vacation, you can still count on beautiful sands and clear Caribbean waters.

More Than Beaches: Science and Ingenuity Tackle Sargassum


And there’s much more to our region than beaches and tequila. Quintana Roo is home to brilliant scientists and engineers tackling sargassum as an opportunity rather than just a problem.

A new Comprehensive Sargassum Sanitation and Circular Economy Centre has been announced for Cancun. This visionary project will transform seaweed into biofuel and biomethane, protecting our coasts and supporting local families who depend on tourism.

Governor Mara Lezama made the announcement with Alicia Bárcena Ibarra, the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources of Mexico.
Governor Mara Lezama of Quintana Roo and Alicia Bárcena Ibarra, Mexico’s Secretary of Environment, showcase plans for the new Comprehensive Sargassum Sanitation and Circular Economy Centre aimed at transforming seaweed into biofuel.

A Dutch consortium, including Dutch Clean Tech and the engineering firm Oceanus International, will handle the financing, design, construction, and operation of the Sargassum Center. They plan to combine cutting-edge Dutch and Mexican technology for the biodigestion of sargassum and organic waste, producing valuable biomethane in the process.

Quintana Roo Leads with Cutting-Edge Sargassum Research

Their work is grounded in research. A study on sargassum, sludge, and EMR valorization—endorsed by Aenor-Mexico—is guiding the development of the Center, with results due in November. According to Quintana Roo’s Minister of Ecology and Environment, Óscar Rébora, this new facility is set to become a benchmark for research, innovation, and coordinated action to solve the sargassum challenge efficiently and sustainably.

Scientists monitor sargassum movement on screens at the Sargassum Monitoring Centre in Quintana Roo.


Using European satellite technology, experts now predict sargassum’s arrival, allowing crews to intercept it before it reaches shore. It’s Mexican ingenuity in action—science, sustainability, and community working together.


More Than a Destination: A Community Working Together

At Abbey del Sol, we’re proud to be part of a community that doesn’t just wait for solutions but creates them. 

Officials and naval crew stand together in front of a sargassum-collecting vessel in Puerto Morelos, Mexico.
Governor Mara Lezama, Secretary Alicia Bárcena, Mayor Blanca Merari Tziu, naval officers, and environmental teams gather by the sargassum-collecting vessel Natans in Puerto Morelos, working together to protect the coast and tourism economy.

From the scientists tracking ocean currents to the workers clearing beaches each morning, there’s a spirit of ingenuity and quiet determination behind the scenes here in Puerto Morelos. It’s that same spirit we bring to our work every day, making sure that those who choose Puerto Morelos vacation rentals experience not just beautiful beaches, but a place where people care deeply about protecting this coast—for locals and visitors alike.