May 25, 2010
Forget the crowded beaches of Cancun…the best beaches in Mexico are hiding just 65 miles down the coast on the southern edge of Mexico’s Riviera Maya.
These deserted beaches—dotted with coconut palm trees, populated by curious iguanas and sea birds, with azure blue water and total silence but for the roar of the surf—cannot be matched for tranquility and natural beauty.
The pristine stretch of white-powder beach at the Sian Ka’an Biosphere is considered the most secluded beach in Mexico. The Sian Ka’an Biosphere is a nature preserve just outside Tulum, a small town at the southernmost tip of Mexico’s Riviera Maya.
Surrounded by untamed jungle, ancient forest cities, the protected biosphere reserve, and the Caribbean Sea, Tulum’s beaches boast the same sugar-white powder sand and sparkling blue Caribbean waters as the biosphere.
As a member of Real Estate Trend Alert, you know I’m bullish on this area. This is where you’ll find developer Benjamin Beja’s Sian Ka’an Condo Hotel. Benjamin is getting ready to launch a new project (called Tao) also within the Gran Bahia Principe Resort.
While this opportunity will make a great retirement or second home—I also expect to see strong capital appreciation at this project. RETA members can get in pre-release at special member pricing and terms.
Mexico’s Riviera Maya runs south of Cancun to Tulum:
The sand is white…and the water, turquoise. The rich jungle interior reveals Mayan ruins and exotic wildlife. Offshore, the world’s second-longest coral reef, teeming with brightly-colored tropical fish, hugs the coastline.
Sterile, it ain’t. This region is rich in culture and history. For Mayan archaeology at its best, head to the ruins at Chichen Itza and Tulum. Eco-buffs can check out the biosphere at Sian Ka’an, or sample Xcaret’s mix of water sports and eco-park. The coral reef offshore attracts divers and snorkelers. Golf, hiking, pot holing in ancient caves…it’s all here.
Playa del Carmen, the jewel in the Riviera Maya, was a small village, with packed sand streets. In the last 10 years, it rapidly shed those fishing village roots, becoming a hip beach town. The streets are paved or cobbled now, and the stores more up market.
The main street, 5th Avenue, is a cool place to hang out in the evenings. The restaurants and cafes serve everything from traditional Mexican to Thai food. The shops sell a mix of luxury goods, handcrafts, jewelry and textiles.
You won’t see faceless chain hotels or mega-malls on Playa’s. Instead, you’ll find chic boutique hotels, and small family-run stores selling ornate silver jewelry, and locally-produced earthenware and crafts. You can listen to live jazz over brunch at one of the beachfront restaurants, or just doze in front of a chilled out beach bar at sunset.
Playa del Carmen has come a long way from a couple of dirt streets. If you bought here 10 years ago, you did well. Really well. Today, you will pay up to $600,000 for a 1,000-square-foot condo in Playa del Carmen.
That’s why now is the time to find the next Playa del Carmen.
Tulum is 40 minutes south of Playa. Today Tulum is like Playa del Carmen was 10 years ago. Tulum is, and will stay, boutique. This is where you’ll come for a yoga retreat, to learn a new skill, or just chill.
The Sian Ka’an biosphere means that much of the land is protected. Development will be low rise, and low density (where permitted).
Less than two hours on a modern highway from Cancun’s international airport, Tulum is already easily accessible.
A new fly-over road system at Playa del Carmen will make Tulum even more accessible to Cancun airport. Of course, getting to Tulum will soon become even easier—with its own airport.
Last year Mexico’s Riviera Maya greeted 2.9 million visitors. That’s a big number. A government plan calls for this number to increase to 11 million by 2025. An increase like this means a major infrastructure investment. Mexico’s president Felipe Calderon came to Tulum in late March. Accompanied by his Minister for Tourism and Infrastructure he officially kick started the Tulum airport project.
The president told a gathering of press and dignitaries that construction contracts would be awarded by the end of the year with construction to begin shortly afterward. The 1,500-hectare site (just outside Tulum) is “ready to go”. Once open the airport will accommodate three million visitors. Tao and The Gran Bahia Principe Resort is 15 minutes away from the site for the new airport.
This stunning resort boasts all the amenities you would expect from a resort of this quality and size including 2,700 hotel rooms, 11 gourmet restaurants and 21 bars. The Robert Trent Jones golf course opened late last year. I played the course with members of our little group when we visited in March. The course is truly world class.
This is cenote country. These natural wells have mythical associations for the Mayan people. Dotted throughout the course, Robert Trent Jones made the most of these mythical formations. The new 7,600-square-meter clubhouse is slated to open next month. Clubhouse amenities include tennis courts, a spa, and restaurants overlooking the cenotes and the golf course. A shuttle bus takes you to and from the beach and main hotel amenities every 10 minutes. Residents and visitors have full use of the entire resorts amenities…restaurants, the beach, the medical center, and the shops.
The Robert Trent Jones Golf course is absolutely world class. It weaves its way through natural limestone rock outcrops and thick jungle. In this video, the waters you see dotted along the course are natural cenotes:
The exterior of the clubhouse is complete. They are working on the interior fit out. The clubhouse is expected to open next month. Here we pass the clubhouse to our left at the beginning of this clip. You can see the standard of the building and the advanced state of the exterior:
Gran Bahia Principe is owned by Spanish company, Grupo Pinero. They also own Europe’s second biggest travel agency Soltour, which sells and runs 2.5 million vacations every year. They also own 18 other five-star resorts.
This group is strong and solid. They have invested tens of millions in the golf course and infrastructure in this part of the resort. You can see the quality and the investment.
We don’t need to rely on the developer’s promises to build the roads or infrastructure. It’s already there. Construction and investment has been to the highest standard so it will stay there for a very long time.
Benjamin is a serial developer and entrepreneur. He studied law in Mexico before completing Harvard’s prestigious MBA program. Over the last 10 years, he has sold and/or developed more than 1,000 homes (mostly targeted at the North American market) in Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta, Riviera Nayarit, and Riviera Maya. He has brought this experience together in his new project at Tao.
Benjamin’s vision for Tao is a community where residents will engage with their neighbors and stay mentally and physically active. Construction and fit out standards won’t be compromised but the price point will be kept affordable.
The centre piece of the Tao project is the health and wellness centre. This will be tastefully constructed within a jungle site adjacent to one of the most challenging and visually appealing par fours. This is the most peaceful and enchanting place in all of Tao.
Tao is right on the Robert Trend Jones II course…like an island surrounded by the front nine. Today it’s a blank canvas of jungle and cenotes. The site runs along this fairway:
At the Tao center residents will do yoga and Pilates on specially constructed glass platforms over caves…swim in the lap pools that weave their way through Tao… work out in the gym. A full time nutritionist will be onsite to help if you need to shave a couple of inches of your waist line or just increase energy levels. In the evenings there will be cooking lessons.
The Tao center will be as much about keeping your mind in shape as keeping your body in shape. Class, activities, and guest speakers will see to that.
Benjamin outlined his vision for Tao when I sat down with him in Quito in February:
The Gran Bahia Principe Resort is dotted with multi-million dollar homes. The finishes and materials are high-end. At Tao you won’t sacrifice any of this luxury. Your home will cost a fraction of the price your neighbors have paid. Smaller homes, higher density, and clever use of outside space have allowed Benjamin to do this without sacrificing on high-end finishes.
You don’t have to worry about maintenance of the communal gardens. This is all taken care of. You can just lock the door and leave…hassle-free. Perfect for “simplifying your life” without compromising on those comforts!
Benjamin has nailed the concept. Today’s buyer is looking for something more. They expect their dollars to go further without sacrificing on quality. They want to be able to “lock and leave” headache free. They want to have flexibility to travel and earn rental income when they aren’t using their home.
The Opportunity
Tao will be composed of condos, townhomes and residences. This is the view from the back garden of a town home:
Including exterior space these homes come in at 969-, 2,100- and 2,433-square-feet sizes.
At a pre-release price to RETA members of $259,000 the townhomes represent incredible value. If these units were launched three years ago at the height of the boom I expect they would have been priced in the region of $450,000. This gives scope for upside potential as the market recovers and as this area realizes its potential.
Construction quality and finishes will be on a par with the multi-million dollar homes nearby. As I said Benjamin has nailed the concept. These are just the type of units, in the right resort, in the right area, today’s market demands.
As for the special member terms: prices start at $259,000.
1. Cash buyers in the first phase of townhomes can avail of a 10% discount.
2. Alternatively you can lock down a unit today for delivery in four years time. That breaks down as a $20,000 down payment, $1,250/month for 48 months, four balloon payments of $13,500 on a 48-month plan. The balance is due at closing. Mortgage finance is available in Mexico.
I expect prices to rise rapidly once these units are released. Last year, members of our group bought penthouses at Benjamin’s condo hotel in the same resort for $199,000. Ten months later they were selling for $249,000. This is a similar early-in type deal. Benjamin is using our group to build sales momentum. In return we get special pricing and terms. Once these units go on general release prices will begin rising rapidly.
Tao: An Income Opportunity
Right now, there is a shortage of rentals in the Gran Bahia Principe resort….a shortage even before the new airport lands three million visitors a year in the area. This resort is operating at 96% occupancy this year. The resort frequently has overflow. I expect the rental market will be extremely strong for the Tao properties. Perfect if you want to rent your home for part of the year…maybe while you travel.
A Personal Invitation From Benjamin
Benjamin’s team is standing by to send you a full information pack (including floor plans and renderings) and answer any questions you may have: donna@mexicoalive.com. The team will be delighted to schedule a one-on-one conversation to talk you through the opportunity. I strongly urge you to get in touch today. This offer is valid until July 1.
Visit and see this opportunity with your own eyes and meet the team behind the project. Benjamin believes in his project. He’s willing to put his money where his mouth is.
He asked me to pass on to you an invitation to visit the property for a weekend—all expenses paid. This is the same invitation I personally received when Benjamin first offered to show me the development. It’s the same invitation I took Benjamin up on recently. In other words, most visitors won’t receive this level of attention. This is a RETA Members-only VIP Chill Invite.
Just get to the Cancun airport, and Benjamin will take care of the rest (you will need to cover the cost of you transfer to the airport on departure)…not only the logistics, but he’ll also pick up the tab. Remember, all you are risking is a weekend of your time along the stunning Riviera Maya and an airfare. This is an exclusive invite extended to members of Real Estate Trend Alert.
Contact Donna today: donna@mexicoalive.com to find out more about the member-only price, terms, and Chill offer. I expect prices will rise rapidly so there is an opportunity for investors. If you are looking for a second or retirement home I don’t think you’ll do better. Visit and see for yourself. You’ll have a ball. I know I did.
Wishing you good real estate investing,
Ronan McMahon
