Mexico: "Riviera Maya," Caribbean Coast, Quintana Roo
Score: 44

"Beautiful beaches obscured by miles of hotels," which threaten freshwater resources, coral reefs, mangroves, and the relaxed atmosphere. It's still possible to find "authentic natural and cultural tourism."

Here is a representative sampling of additional anonymous comments from the panelists. They are not necessarily the views of the National Geographic Society:

"Once a low-key, charming alternative to the generic mega-development in Cancún. Now all that has changed. From Cancún to Tulum the coast is just one gated resort after another. The two-lane coastal highway has been replaced with a 4-to-6-lane, billboard-lined expressway. Fast-food franchises have replaced the locally owned eateries. Playa del Carmen, once the charming heart of the region, is now filled with wet-T-shirt contests and bad Mexican food. The sea is still beautiful and the ruins, Tulum, and Coba are still worth a visit, but expect huge crowds."

"Major risks to environment, culture, landscape, and authenticity. Mexico has exceptional environmental regulations on the books; the problems are enforcement and corruption, which allow illegal or quasi-legal development. The area is fascinating and beautiful and could be saved, but depends largely on larger institutional cultural shifts (with regard to corruption) and enforcement of regulations and laws."

"Growing awareness, particularly south of Playa del Carmen, of the social and environmental consequences of "Cancunization." Cozumel has become the most frequently visited destination in the Caribbean for cruise ships, and reef deterioration has accelerated due to the overload of newbie snorkelers and inexperienced divers. Dive and snorkel operators and the cruise ships are working together to implement the Mesoamerican Reef standards."

"The overbuilt, phony, high-rise Maya architecture resorts, the 26 kilometers of wall-to-wall hotels in Cancún, the Wal-Marts and Home Depots, the crowds at the Maya site of Tulum, make this area more Disneyland than Mexico."

Mexico: Cabo San Lucas Region
Score: 37

Sleepy fishing villages have been transformed into places "where drinking tequila shots upside down is the number one tourist attraction and gated communities are the main economic activity."

Here is a representative sampling of additional anonymous comments from the panelists. They are not necessarily the views of the National Geographic Society:

"A tourism catastrophe. Total focus on money, lack of environmental attention, lack of local benefit except in menial jobs. Entire coast bought up by developers destroying turtle beaches and places that should remain natural and protected. Very little authentic local culture presented."

"Suffering under unregulated mega-development and all of the related environmental, cultural, and geographic impacts. This being said, the East Cape extending up to La Paz and the Pacific coastline up to Todos Santos are exceptional and relatively authentic and unspoiled. Due to the limited supply of water in these areas, it is likely to stay this way, although cheaper desalination could change this in the mid- to long-term."

"This can only really be seen as an extension of the United States, and not even its more admirable parts. Although not quite to the same level of Cancún, it's still terribly gringofied and bears little resemblance to the rest of the wonderful country."

"Cabo San Lucas and the Corridor are tourist playgrounds, but Cabo Pulmo around the bend on the Sea of Cortez is wonderful (if a little touristy)."