San Carlos Malecón Moves Forward

Work is beginning on the first stage of the long-planned San Carlos Malecón, with heavy equipment now visible in the Playa San Francisco area.

The project announced by the Government of Sonora calls for a 2.4-kilometer malecón, together with a 1.66-kilometer eastern access boulevard. Plans include pedestrian areas, bicycle and public transportation lanes, viewpoints, an amphitheatre, ecological and children's areas, commercial spaces, parking, public bathrooms and other urban infrastructure.

The State originally announced a projected total investment of 550 million pesos. The first construction contracts, awarded in October 2025, total approximately 103 million pesos: 52.8 million pesos for the first stage of the malecón and 50.04 million pesos for the first stage of the eastern access boulevard. The State has subsequently reported that an additional 200 million pesos has been secured for a second stage.

An environmental impact study for the project was prepared and submitted to SEMARNAT. While the State has reported that the necessary environmental permits have been obtained, we have not yet been able to locate the resulting SEMARNAT authorization among the publicly accessible documents.

There is still much to learn, including the detailed alignment, timing and scope of the individual construction stages. We will continue to follow the project and share additional information as it becomes available.

Photo credit: Alfonso “RADA” Vásquez