A Punta de Mita citizens committee said it will brief the public in the next few days on the Playa Las Cocinas dispute, a beach-access case now drawing attention across Bahía de Banderas.
The Committee of Punta de Mita is also preparing a community meeting this weekend. It said it will continue pursuing legal follow-up related to open investigations and pending arrest warrants.
Committee says public briefing is coming
The committee said the press conference will share recent developments and outline the next steps for the citizens’ movement. It also framed the case as a question of memory, organization, and defense of local territory.
For Puerto Vallarta readers, this is not a faraway Nayarit land fight. Punta de Mita sits just up the coast from the Bay. Many Vallarta residents, part-time residents, and frequent visitors use the Riviera Nayarit corridor for beaches, restaurants, surf spots, and day trips.
The issue is also familiar on the Jalisco side of the bay. Vallarta Daily recently reported on how Puerto Vallarta updated its federal beach-zone maps to clarify concessions, boundaries, and fee collection tied to ZOFEMAT.
Beach access and federal-zone questions remain
At the center of the Las Cocinas dispute is the Zona Federal Marítimo Terrestre, or ZOFEMAT. It is the federally regulated strip next to the beach.
Mexico’s federal beach-access rules state that access to maritime beaches and the adjoining federal zone cannot be blocked, restricted, or conditioned except under specific legal provisions.
That legal point is why this case has become larger than one project. In earlier coverage, Vallarta Daily reported that a Punta de Mita blockade exposed wider tensions over access, coastal construction, water pressure, and development around Las Cocinas.
Residents and defenders have argued that the project affects a public coastal area. The developer side has defended the work and said it has permits.
Grupo Dine previously said, in comments reported by El País, that “the beach belongs to everyone and will continue to.” The company also said its concession is “not property, but a responsibility.”
Community members have not accepted that answer. Efraín López, one of the local defenders quoted by El País, put the residents’ position bluntly: “The law is not negotiable.”
The federal government has already said it would seek to guarantee public access to Playa Las Cocinas under the law. That statement came after protests raised pressure in late April. A statement from the Secretaría de Gobernación said that the dialogue would include the community, authorities, and the company involved.
Vallarta Daily has followed the Las Cocinas conflict through reported concerns about arrest warrants, permit questions, and the broader pressure campaign. The committee’s next update should show whether the case is moving toward a legal resolution, another public mobilization, or another round of stalled talks.
