Five Los Cabos beaches under black flag as crews clear over 25 tons of water hyacinth
Palmilla, Acapulquito, Costa Azul, La Playa and Las Palmas are closed to swimming; the hyacinth came out of the San José del Cabo estuary after its sandbar opened naturally.
Palmilla, Acapulquito, Costa Azul, La Playa and Las Palmas beaches in Los Cabos are flying the black flag because conditions are unsafe for swimming, the municipal government said on October 8, 2026. The Federal Maritime Terrestrial Zone office (ZOFEMAT) has deployed 120 workers and removed more than 25 tons of water hyacinth from the shoreline.
Where the hyacinth came from
According to the municipality, the buildup is linked to the recent natural opening of the sandbar at the San José del Cabo estuary, which left vegetation concentrated at several points of the ecosystem. Municipal cleaning crews, ZOFEMAT and ecology staff are working in the estuary.
That effort is coordinated by Jorge Armando López Espinoza, director general of Ecology and Environment, and Manuel Guerrero Cruz, municipal director of Natural Resources and Wildlife.
Where crews are working
Crews cover the coast from the La Playa community in San José del Cabo to the tourist corridor, using machinery and motorized units and prioritizing stretches with the heaviest accumulation.
"Estas acciones son permanentes y forman parte del compromiso del XV Ayuntamiento de Los Cabos con la conservación ambiental" ("These actions are permanent and part of the XV Los Cabos City Council's commitment to environmental conservation"), said Héctor Hugo Agúndez Cota, ZOFEMAT Los Cabos coordinator.
What the black flag means
In Mexico's beach flag system, black is the most restrictive: swimming is prohibited. It differs from red, which signals high danger, and yellow, which calls for caution.
The municipality has not given a date to lift the restriction; it depends on cleanup progress and sea conditions.
What to do
- Do not swim at the five listed beaches while the black flag is up, even if the water looks calm.
- Follow signage and instructions from lifeguards and authorities, as ZOFEMAT requested.
- Avoid walking on hyacinth piles and keep children and pets away from the vegetation.
- Before heading out this weekend, check which flag is flying or choose a beach without restrictions.
Related
The tropical storm is about 1,500 km west of Los Cabos and would near the peninsula's northern coast on Saturday. Simon, off Colima, has prompted a hurricane warning for Michoacán and Jalisco.
Published in Official Bulletin No. 37, the document coordinates the Search Commission, prosecutors, Civil Protection, the armed forces and police.
The city continues its preventive operation in Cabo San Lucas and urges residents not to cross arroyos or runoff channels on foot or by car.
Two shelters are in San José del Cabo and two in Cabo San Lucas. Families near the Salto Seco and Aguajito arroyos and in the Santa Rosa and El Zacatal neighborhoods are covered by the evacuation plan.