VILLA LA JOYA
SEA TURTLE SANCTUARY
Our Story
Villa la Joya is located in the heart of the Riviera Maya in a beautiful residential and tourist area called Playa Paraiso. This extraordinary place, far from the city, is set on a tranquil bay where sea turtles come year after year to lay their eggs on the beaches.
As we are fortunate enough to enjoy the wonders of the Mexican Caribbean coast, we feel responsible for protecting our little part of it. One of the main goals of Villa La Joya is to promote sustainable development in perfect harmony with the environment, and thus the Villa la Joya Sea Turtle Conservation Sanctuary project was born.
In 2011, we first requested the support of the federal authorities to manage the protection of the sea turtle nests in the area. We take this responsibility very seriously and launched the project with much love and the support of a wonderful group of friends and neighbors.
In 2017, Villa la Joya Sea Turtle Sanctuary led the first sea turtle camp with enthusiasm, passion, and gusto. We are grateful for the involvement of the local authorities who fully recognize and support our project. This is a community effort, and we thank ALL who get involved.
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Year after year, we actively participate in the training and education of volunteers, residents, visitors, and future generations. It’s our way to show love and respect to this ancient species that were here long before us and will continue to be here when we go.
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Special thanks to our dedicated team: Domingo, Irma, Marcial, Bernardino, Eduardo, Carmen, Rosario, Adriana, Eric, Michael, Gary S., Enrique, Carlos, Hilda, Nancy, Alberto, Celso, Olga, Roberto, Juan Pablo and hopefully many more to come ... Click on the videos below to hear the words from our team:
Our Mission
"Our mission is to ensure the survival of sea turtles that nest on the shores of Playa del Carmen; we take action to protect the species by safeguarding their nesting areas, facilitating their return to the sea, and educating our guests about sea turtle conservation."
PROTECT
Protect nesting sea turtles in Playa del Carmen.
During the sea turtle nesting season, we actively patrol the shore seeking out nesting mothers and ensuring they have a clear path to and from the sea and are not disturbed while laying their eggs.
FACILITATE
Facilitate nesting and the baby turtle’s return to the sea.
Once the mother turtle has laid her eggs, we move the nests to our protected hatchery where they will be safe from beach traffic and predators. When the baby sea turtles have hatched, we facilitate their return to the ocean with a clear path to the water and protection from natural predators like birds and cats.
EDUCATE
Educate communities near & far about the importance of sea turtle conservation.
Local efforts include outreach in schools and to our neighbors in Playa Paraiso through conferences, festivals and in our daily conversations. Globally, we share our vision and our efforts with the international visitors to Villa la Joya and through our digital networks.
Get involved! How you can contribute to the protection of sea turtles
You don’t need to live anywhere near the Playa Paraiso sea turtle nesting sites to make a difference. The most important thing you can do is eliminate plastic waste in your day-to-day life, plastic is the number one danger faced by endangered sea turtles today. Reduce, reuse, recycle, it’s more than just a turn of phrase, it’s a lifestyle that can change the world and is a matter of life and death for sea turtles!
Sponsor a sea turtle nest or donate to the Villa la Joya Sea Turtle Sanctuary in Playa Paraiso. Contact us today to find out how you can contribute, we are grateful for all donations that assist us in continuing our conservation efforts.
Volunteer! If you live along a coast that welcomes nesting sea turtles, find a local organization of volunteers and get involved with sea turtle patrol, join in beach clean-up days and investigate opportunities to educate and inspire with the message of conservation.
