Undiscovered Yucatán—Where You’ll Find Beachfront Homes for $65,000

Photo courtesy of Playa de Coco.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico

Read more about Mexico in International Living Postcards—your daily escape

My Yucatán is not the Yucatán of travel brochures and websites. It is not the Yucatán of rocky ruin-laden cliffs or palm trees drooping over turquoise Caribbean waters. There are no thumping seaside discos, no massive resorts with football-field-sized swimming pools and posh spas, no parasailing or jet-ski rental outfits. But go to any Internet search engine and type in “Yucatán” and those are the images you will find.

The name “Yucatán” comes from the Aztec word Yokatlān, meaning “place of richness.” Rich it is…and misunderstood, as the term “Yucatán” is used to refer to both a state and the entire thumb-shaped peninsula that juts upward from southern Mexico into the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.

The Yucatán Peninsula, in fact, comprises three states: Campeche to the southwest along the Gulf of Mexico, narrow Quintana Roo (with its famous Cancún and Playa del Carmen) on the Caribbean side, and the triangular-shaped Yucatán to the north.

Now that our little geography lesson is over, let me tell you more about “my Yucatán”—the state, that is—and its pretty, undiscovered beaches, tropical climate, easy accessibility, and affordable real estate. Driving north from my home in Mérida, the capital of Yucatán State and location of a first-rate international airport, I can be in the town of Puerto Progreso in about 30 minutes. This is the heart and center of the Yucatán coast, on the highway that runs through little fishing villages from Sisal in the west to Dzilam de Bravo to the east.

With the ocean to the north and estuary to the south, the vista here is flatter than western Kansas—not a hill anywhere. This makes the vibrancy of color of the big azure sky more marked. The gulf water appears richly emerald on the horizon, becoming a transparent seafoam green as it nears the pale cream-colored sand, and the rustling palm leaves on the tree-lined shore are darkly emerald again…

The beach and water quality here are somewhat like you find along the Texas Gulf Coast, but better­—the sand is whiter and softer, and the water is clearer, warmer, and more translucent because of its nearness to the Caribbean. Like the entire peninsula, this area sits on a limestone shelf that very gradually goes out to sea, so the water depth is shallow for miles out, a nice feature for skittish swimmers and children. Unless a strong wind is blowing from the north, there are rarely waves.

You won’t find posters of the Costa Flamingo on any travel agent’s wall, either. You may not even find it listed in many guidebooks. Sometimes called the Gulf Coast, the Emerald Coast, or, lately, the Riviera Flamingo because of the thousands of pink flamingos found here, this is a virtually undiscovered part of Mexico.

It’s true that Mérida residents have been building “weekend” homes on this stretch of coast for years. They use them mostly during Semana Santa (two weeks at Easter) and the summer months­ of July and August when the city is beastly hot and the kids are on vacation from school. The rest of the year, the homes are empty and these seasonal communities are eerily quiet.

Canadian and U.S. expats are coming here in growing numbers now, though, attracted by the accessibility to Mérida and its international airport, the tropical climate, pretty beaches and warm water, low population density, and low property prices.

Yes, prices have risen steadily from when I first started nosing around this area. Four years ago, prices were remarkably low, and today they are still very low, even with an appreciation rate in the last year of about 20%. You can still find beachfront lots here 35 feet wide and 400 feet deep priced from $40,000 and up.

In some places, you can find beachfront homes of about 1,700 square feet starting at about $65,000. These will most certainly require some updating. A larger, more luxurious remodeled home…say, 2,200 square feet…or a newly constructed one right on the beach and with a swimming pool may sell for $250,000. (You can find them for less, and you can also find a few million-dollar designer homes here.)

Construction costs are minimal here, should you decide to build your dream home. Expect to pay $50 to $100 per square foot, depending on the quality of finishings. The cost of living is low, too...there aren’t many places to spend money, after all. For most who choose to settle here, the solitude and lack of development is a plus.

For the big-spending disco-going tourists, there’s that “other Yucatán.” And for those in search of a place to while away several hours on the beach in peace and quiet, there’s “my Yucatán.”

Suzan Haskins
The Latin America Insider, International Living

P.S. I’ll admit that I do like the occasional party...and there’s nowhere better than Cancún for that. I can drive there from my home in Mérida in just four hours, and I’ll be doing just that in May for International Living’s Ultimate Event at the Hotel Fiesta Americana, May 28–31. I’ll be talking about the Yucatán coast and Mérida, about how to build or renovate a house in this part of the world, and more. If you’re interested in learning more about retiring, relocating, or investing overseas, I hope you’ll join me there.

Plus, if you register today, you can reserve a seat at my table at the optional dinner the night before the event begins. We can chat endlessly about Mexico or anywhere else in Latin America that you would like to know more about…and I’ll even cover the cost of your dinner. Simply call 1-866-381-8446 and say “dinner with Suzan”…but hurry, there are only seven places left at my table.

Read related articles:

- The Mexican Market That Rewards Gringos

- The Solution to Sky-high Taxes and Rocketing Health Care Costs

- Undiscovered Mexico—Where You Can Still Buy a 2-Bedroom Beachfront Home for $129,000