Here’s What the Ultra-Rich Are Buying in Mexico’s Riviera Maya

For the past week, virtually my entire team has had boots on the ground in Mexico’s Riviera Maya.

We’re here for The Gathering XI…the annual meetup for Lifetime members of my Real Estate Trend Alert group that concluded today.

And we’ve been scouting the entire 80-mile coastline of the Riviera Maya, tracking a major transformation…

Thus far, my scouts have been to Puerto Cancun and the island of Cozumel…to the chic beach town of Tulum and the more laidback coastal communities of Akumal, Puerto Aventuras and Puerto Morelos.

And all of us have been using Playa del Carmen as our base, both because The Gathering XI is taking place here and because I’m about to bring a very special off-market deal here to my RETA group.

It’s a chance for RETA members to own incredible luxury condos…in a perfect location in booming, cosmopolitan Playa del Carmen…in an utterly unique best-in-class community with resort-level amenities on a scale unmatched…and see expected gains of $201,600 five years after delivery.

More on this later…

First, back to the transformation moving across the Riviera Maya.

Over the past week, my team has been talking with brokers, developers, rental managers, expats, and other insiders up and down this coast. And the huge takeaway from all this research and scouting is that the Riviera Maya is undergoing an evolution into a fully fledged luxury destination.

This trend is most obvious in the major destinations here—Playa del Carmen, at the heart of the Riviera Maya, and in Cancun and Tulum at either end. But even in smaller communities, like Akumal, there are hints of this transformation.

So today, I want to show you examples of what’s happening here by spotlighting what homes are now selling for at the very top end of the market in the destinations my team have been scouting in the Riviera Maya.

Let’s start in Cancun…

Puerto Cancun
Listing price: $1.34 million

Puerto Cancun is just beside Cancun’s hotel zone, with another entrance right out to the city—a city that’s grown to over a million people.

This is the elite community here. Fifteen years in the making, it’s a vast and luxurious mix of residential and commercial projects, with amenities completed and in the works that include a golf course designed by Tom Weiskopf, a 270-acre ecological reserve, a full-service marina, a club house with a spa, family areas, adult and children’s pools, and full beach access.

One of the most iconic communities here is Shark Tower. Here’s a photo my scout Eoin Bassett snapped of it earlier this week…

Here’s what it costs to own in Shark Tower…

My team found this listing for a two-bed, three-and-a-half bath condo spanning just over 2,000 square feet. Set on the 15th floor of the 20-story building, it has views of the ocean, beach, and golf course.

It’s listed at just under $1.34 million. Check out the listing here.

That’s a princely sum. But if you’re looking for a home on the beach in Cancun, you’ll need far deeper pockets.

My team also found this beachfront house on the market in the Hotel Zone.

The house has five bedrooms and five bathrooms and spans more than 9,000 square feet. It comes with private access to the beach, a cinema in the basement and an infinite pool overlooking the ocean, among other amenities. It’s on the market for $8.4 million. The listing is here.

Tankah Bay, Tulum
Listing Price: $4.89 million

When I first went to Tulum in 2004, it was one street and not much else. Today it’s booming into a small city. Here’s what my scout Ciaran Madden had to say when he visited last weekend…

“Tulum is alive…bustling… The roads, including the main avenue Coba, are constantly improving,” says Ciaran.

“The supermarkets have gone upmarket. And the demographics feel like they’re changing. There are more families. Young kids. Grandparents joining the kids with three generations traveling together. More Europeans as well, from Britain, Poland… The vibe here is relaxed, welcoming. It’s incredible to see how much Tulum has changed.”

What Ciaran found is a continuation of what I saw when I last put boots on the ground there. The transformation of Tulum into a true city is accelerating. And owning at the top of the market here will cost many millions.

Tankah Bay is to the east of Tulum’s beach road and its famous hotel zone. The pristine natural surroundings include white-sand beaches, turquoise waters, and a coral reef perfect for snorkeling and diving.

Unlike the busier beaches in the region, Tankah Bay is more secluded and serene, featuring boutique accommodations, private villas, and a strong focus on nature. The area is also home to crystal-clear cenotes, such as the Manatí Cenote, an ideal spot for swimming.

Located in the bay is this 8,611-square-foot frontline beachfront villa. The villa has five en-suite bedrooms and a penthouse-level retreat with ocean views, a spa-like bathroom, and a private kitchenette.

It’s listed for $4.89 million and you can check the full listing here.

Akumal
Listing price: $1.5 million

Akumal is a small beach town between Playa del Carmen and Tulum on Mexico’s Riviera Maya.

To the Maya, Akumal was the “Place of the Turtle.” For decades, enthusiasts have gone there to swim with sea turtles: green turtles, hawksbills, and giant loggerheads. They’re easy to spot in the clear warm waters.

The stunning natural beauty and wildlife deserves preservation. Planning permission is very hard to get. Rightly so. This has kept Akumal slower and sleepier than places like Tulum and Playa del Carmen. Even so, changes are evident here…

After scouting Tulum, Ciaran stopped in Akumal on his way to Playa.

Ciaran says, “The transformation we’re seeing across the Riviera Maya is subtler here, but it’s still evident. In Akumal, it was apparent in the types of people visiting to stay in the resorts and swim with turtles. I spotted not just locals and folks from the U.S. and Canada, but lots of European tourists. There were French couples, German families. People from around the world. And they appeared affluent.”

You’ll find luxury homes in Akumal to serve the affluent set. Here’s one my team found…

This home is a two-story, four-bed villa in a gated community nearby the lagoon in the heart of Akumal.

Spanning over 4,000 square feet, this villa features floor-to-ceiling windows, a pool, patio, garden area, gym, jacuzzi, and rooftop terrace. Listing here.

Corasol, Playa del Carmen
Listing Price: $3 million

Playa del Carmen is the booming, cosmopolitan city at the heart of the Riviera Maya and it’s fast becoming a destination of the discerning and wealthy.

Here, in Playa, is the near 500-acre master-planned community of Corasol. It’s home to a well-regarded 18-hole Nick Price golf course, a secluded beach that is only easily accessible to residents, and a beach club, among many other next-level amenities.

Costa Residences is a new ultra-luxury preconstruction project in Corasol comprising vast condos that are frontline to the beach. Prices in Costa Residences start at $1.5 million. At the higher-end, they reach $4.2 million.

Here’s what $3 million gets you there…

Set within this community is this six-bed, eight-bath two-level penthouse. It has views of the golf course and occupies a full floor of the building. The main level is home to the chef’s kitchen, bedrooms and living areas, while the rooftop level offers a private pool, jacuzzi, outdoor kitchen and lounge area.

The Costa community in Corasol demonstrates just how high-end Playa del Carmen is becoming. It also spotlights how incredible RETA’s off-market deals are.

I’ve brought RETA members several deals in Corasol.

For instance, in March 2022, RETA members could own two-bed, two-bath condos in a community there called The Village from $258,600. The same condos RETA members could buy from $258,600 now start at $351,961—an uplift of $93,361.

That’s an incredible uplift. And it’s far from the only one we’ve had in Playa…

Here’s some deals we’ve had in downtown Playa del Carmen…

• $259,533 More—In 2017 in Playa del Carmen I brought RETA members a deal in Siempre Playa, close to 5th Avenue and the beach. A two-bed condo available to RETA members for $264,400, was listed in 2023 for $523,933. That’s a price uplift of $259,533.
• Uplift of $309,018—We had another RETA deal in a stunning community called Singular Dream at the heart of Playa del Carmen in 2021. Our RETA price was from $265,304. In 2024, a two-bed condo there was listing for $574,322. That’s $309,018

Now, I’m about to bring my group a new deal here…

During The Gathering XI, I offered a sneak peek of this blockbuster new RETA deal.

This is our chance to own in a perfect location in the heart of Playa del Carmen…in an utterly unique best-in-class community with resort-level amenities on a scale unmatched…and see expected gains of $201,600 five years after delivery.

I’ll have more on this and our scouting on the Riviera Maya in the days ahead…

Wishing you good real estate investing,

Ronan McMahon
Founder, Overseas Dream Home & Real Estate Trend Alert

P.S. Check out the image below. In the foreground you can see the stunning Singular Dream community, where RETA members have seen incredible, six-figure uplifts. Now we’re set to have a brand-new deal in downtown Playa del Carmen. More soon…

P.P.S. If you’re interested in any of these listings above, you should hire an attorney and do your own due diligence. I haven’t visited these properties in person or done any due diligence on them.