For those seeking a quiet beach lifestyle off the beaten path, Mahahual provides real estate buyers with an affordable opportunity to own property on one of the most beautiful stretches of the Mexican coast. With a newly built seaside boardwalk and other urban development projects underway, some experts believe that Mahahual and other areas of Costa Maya may be the next coastal real estate markets poised for growth. See the following article from International Living for more on this.
One of the prettiest stretches of coast on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula is the Costa Maya. This lies on the Caribbean and runs roughly from the Belize border north to the little town of Mahahual. On the Costa Maya the waters are turquoise, the beaches are fine white sand, and you find some of the best snorkeling and diving around.
In fact, if you’re a water sports fanatic this area is near heaven. Swimming, kayaking, fishing, and nearly every other sport that you can do in or on the water is possible here. But don’t expect a posh resort area. The Costa Maya is still blissfully off the beaten path, and life here is all about the beach.
Most of the area is “off the grid”—without public water or electricity lines. You won’t find high-end restaurants, name-brand stores, or much shopping beyond the basics. There are relatively few hotels. And the only town of any size is Mahahual, with a population of a few hundred people.
This life seems to suit the expats who have settled here. Many are adventure lovers: outdoor types or those who seek the independence and quiet of a life in this part of the Mundo Maya. (It means “Maya World” and describes a wide swath in Mexico, Belize, and other countries that once were the Maya kingdoms.) But I have wondered how the Costa Maya may change as expats and investors look beyond the Riviera Maya at this southern piece of coast.
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I therefore visited Mahahual recently to see how it was faring. Hurricane Dean, which roared through the Costa Maya in August 2007, literally flattened the town. Served lemons, the locals decided to make lemonade: They’ve rebuilt Mahahual with the type of city planning it didn’t get the first time around.
Today there’s a newly-built malecón—a seaside boardwalk—that runs the length of the city. On one side are Mahahual’s shops and restaurants; on the other is a broad stretch of beach where many restaurants set up tables. The cruise ship pier at one end of town has been repaired and is back in operation. And everywhere you look—for two and three rows back from the malecón—you see construction under way.
This isn’t surprising. Though side streets in Mahahual are still dirt and sand, this town has electricity, city water, and other amenities. Those seeking urban living on the Costa Maya find it here. Also not surprisingly, prices in and around Mahahual are slightly higher than elsewhere along this coast.
Lots on the Costa Maya—and in most cases we are talking lots rather than finished homes—generally run between $150,000 and $200,000 depending on size and the quality of the beach. From a cursory look, the distance from Mahahual also may be a factor.
One project in Mahahual that I especially wanted to see is a condominium building under construction, the first on Mahahual’s malecón. It advertises that all condos will have panoramic ocean views, and from what I could tell from construction this is indeed true. The building is right on the malecón and offers secure parking on the ground floor. All but one of the condos, a two-bedroom unit, have already sold. The price is listed as $175,000—not bad for the first-line beach in an unspoiled area.
I also saw at least four other buildings—houses from the look of them—under construction within a few blocks of the condo building.
For anyone looking for property in an area that may be poised for growth, the Costa Maya is worth a look. At very least, you can enjoy the sun and surf in an area that is still rather wild and untouched.
This article has been republished from International Living.
