Los Cabos Government Takes Action To Restore This Popular Tourist Attraction 

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Last Updated 9 months ago

On January 15th The San José del Cabo Estuary was unfortunately severely damaged by a fire. 

The local government is now working to restore this area to its initial status to preserve its delicate ecosystem. 

But what happened exactly, and what measures will be put in place to achieve these results? 

The fire 

According to the SJC Fire Department, the fire started on Monday the 15th, around 1:00 PM, and lasted for about an hour. A total of 25 firemen and six fire extinguishing units promptly arrived on the site to douse the blaze. 

Despite the efforts, the consequences were severe, as 11.8 hectares of estuary were burned during the fire.  The responsible authorities immediately started an investigation to find and sanction those responsible.  

In the meanwhile, the local government began to work on a plan to restore the affected area. 

The restoration plan

Two initiatives have currently been proposed to restore this important area. A total of roughly 76 million pesos have been invested thanks to the Environmental Sanitation Trust.  

According to local news, the projects still have to be approved and in the upcoming days, the Technical Committee will meet with the Ecology management for this purpose. 

The Executive President of the Los Cabos Hotel Association, Lilzi Orcí Fregoso, stated that the projects will most likely be approved without any problem. 

“I am sure that these projects will be approved on the first try. I have been requesting a meeting to find out how we closed the year in terms of resources, to see the projections for the upcoming months, and to put together a list of works to prioritize.”

At the moment, it is still unclear how these two projects will positively affect the San José del Cabo estuary. Hopefully, more information will soon be disclosed to the public. 

But what exactly is the San José del Cabo estuary and why is it so popular among tourists? 

Everything you need to know about the San José del Cabos Estuary

Situated within walking distance from San José del Cabos city center, the San José del Cabos Estuary was declared a Natural Protected Area in 1994. 

Extending over a territory of roughly 125 acres, this is the largest body of freshwater in the state of Baja California Sur and it is here that the water from the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains meets the salty water of the Sea of Cortéz, in the creation of a unique ecosystem where a vast variety of animals, especially birds, have found their natural habitat. 

Not by chance, the San José del Cabos Estuary is one of Los Cabos’ most popular areas among bird watchers. 

With specimens ranging from gulls, egrets, herons, turkey vultures, red-tailed hawks, and pelicans, this area is considered by most a bird sanctuary. 

Everyone can visit this unique ecosystem. However, visitors are asked to follow a set of rules to avoid accidents that may damage the local flora and fauna. 

San José del Cabo Estuary Rules

As the last damaging fire taught us, whenever visiting a protected area such as the San José del Cabo Estuary, it is extremely important to follow local guidelines and rules to avoid causing damage to these delicate ecosystems. 

According to the coordinator of this protected area, Carlos Ruiz Botello, visitors should avoid the use of all inflammable material, including pyrotechnics, fireworks, and all kinds of explosives. “The use of fire is prohibited under any circumstances,” said Carlos Ruiz Botello.

He continued by stating that those who do not follow these rules will be severely penalized by law. Not by chance, surveillance cameras are located throughout the park to identify those responsible for such acts in case of accidents such as the recent fire. 

On top of this, visitors wanting to explore the San José del Cabo Estuary with their four-legged friends are asked to keep their dogs on the leash the whole time to prevent damage to the local flora and fauna.