Progreso gets it right

This year, my beach getaway is Progreso, the largest town on Yucatan's Emerald Coast. 

I had known that Progreso is seeking Blue Flag certification, working toward "pure water, clean coasts, safety and access for all," but I had not realized the progress (no pun intended) that has been made.

I enjoyed Progreso the first time I visited in 2017, but it felt a tad scruffy in those days--dense crowds downtown, buildings in need of paint, insufficient signage (or perhaps just a confused tourist). Today, everything is spruced up, with the current mayor personally taking part in beach clean-ups, encouraging citizen participation, increasing environmental education, and stressing the empowerment of women in personal and civic life. (I had to throw that last one in because it was part of his election platform--and he is a member of the conservative party here!) And while some area beaches are trash-strewn, Progreso's beaches are the cleanest I have seen since my long-ago childhood on Florida's Gulf coast. Most of the beach entries have been made pedestrian-only, with trash cans to facilitate cleanup and seats to promote lingering.The malecon (boardwalk, even though it's actually a concrete path) is lined with seating, and swings have been placed at various points along the beach.

Public art is popular, some of it with a definite sense of humor,

and some of it carrying a serious message, like this mural near a children's play area

or this sculpture near the Peace Park.

The area called the International Malecon (and I have no idea why this one is more international than the other end, home to numerous shops and restaurants) boasts separate paved trails for bicyclists and joggers (though I saw many more walkers and strollers than joggers on Sunday morning, despite the triathlon event taking place beyond the pier). 

And it is not only the needs of bicyclists and joggers being considered here: the eastern edge of the malecon has been upgraded to be accessible to the mobility-impaired, creating a playa para todos, as the sign says.

Inclusion even includes a water wheelchair, something I had never seen before, free for borrowing.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about Progreso's beach from my perspective, however, is the serious effort at preservation. Not only are there sculptures and murals with a message, whole sections of the beach have been given over to native vegetation, with spaced walkways to allow beach access without damage to the dunes. 

This lovely thing is ciricote, which makes a tallish tree and produces edible fruit.

Even the tiny dinosaurs like this beach.

Progreso, you are officially one of my favorite places.