Illegal Bonfires And Parties Threaten This Idyllic Island Near Los Cabos

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Last Updated 2 weeks ago

For many tourists, a trip to Los Cabos would be incomplete without a chance to interact with the unique nature of the Baja California region, both on land and in the sea.

The natural, unspoiled beauty of Isla Espiritu Santo transports visitors back to a time when nature controlled much of what we know today as the beach resort travel hotspot of Los Cabos and surrounding areas.

However, recent activity from some tourism providers is threatening that natural beauty and tourists are upset and are demanding action.

Yacht Crews Defacing Isla Espiritu Santo

Travelers heading out to Isla Espiritu Santo are unfortunately witnessing some actions by yacht tourist providers that are actually defacing the natural beauty and serenity of the island that travelers enjoy visiting.

Recently, they have been taking to social media to complain about bonfires and other parties that are endangering the fragile ecosystem of the popular tourist nature island.

“The yacht parties on Espiritu Santo Island are out of control. How sweet to be a millionaire and not have any rules apply to you in the park. This yacht had a big rave with everything and a bonfire so they could dance with everything,” wrote one visitor to Isla Espiritu Santo complaining about the activity on social media.

Investigations Underway

According to reports about the issue, private boats ae required to be approved and permitted by the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (CONANP) to visit the natural areas around Isla Espiritu Santo.

Because of this, officials are reviewing the information posted on social media, including images of the boats and the number of visitors, along with the time and date stamp information, to identify the boats.

They would then be checked to see if they had a permit to be in the area in the first place. After that step, they would consider if they were allowed on land and why the bonfires and parties were held.

Some local officials stated in published stories about the issue that the Management Plan for Protected Natural Areas specifically prohibits making bonfires on the beaches of Isla Espíritu Santo.

“In the Management Plan for Protected Natural Areas there are the rules about what can and cannot be done on many of the beaches. In Espíritu Santo we have three core areas, which is Barra de Bonanza, which covers a small piece of a beach, San Gabriel Bay, which is the entire bay and its entire beach, and the La Lobera area,” said Alberto Guillén Guadarrama, Citizen Observer Network operational director in La Paz.

What Tourists Need to Know

While social media accounts provide some important documentation of the illegal activities the tourism providers are doing to ruin the natural beauty of Isla Espiritu Santo, tourists are urged to follow up with a formal written complaint.

The action that the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (CONANP) and law enforcement can take regarding the activities is actually limited without the filing of a formal investigative report.

The National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (CONANP) is asking any visitors to Isla Espiritu Santo who witnessed the bonfire and party event held on the island by tourism yacht companies to come forward to help the agency enforce the rules through the filing of a formal complaint.

They can reach out to the Citizen Observer Network or municipal law enforcement in La Paz for assistance with filing the needed paperwork to move the complaint forward.

Local officials also want to remind tourists visiting Isla Espiritu Santo about the special and fragile natural ecosystem of the island, and please be respectful of nature when enjoying a boat tour of the area.