Picture it…
Turquoise waters lap the soft, white-sand beach as palm trees sway in the gentle breeze.
Gazing out over the waters of the Caribbean, you can just make out Cozumel in the distance—an island you’ll explore tomorrow.
It’s early afternoon and nearby Fifth Avenue is coming to life. You grab a mango gelato and stroll along the miles-long pedestrianized street, past boutique shops and high-end restaurants where enticing aromas fill the air…
Playa del Carmen’s white-sand beaches draw millions of visitors from around the world every year.
Tonight, you plan to laze in the infinity pool on the stunning rooftop of your condo community. But there’s so much you’d like to see and do before then.
You could explore ancient Mayan ruins. Take a dip in a freshwater cenote. Try a round of golf at a top-class course. Or visit one of the local art galleries like Gastón Charó, where stunning artworks by local talents sit alongside pieces from an array of international artists.
All of this and more is possible in Playa del Carmen, the booming, cosmopolitan city at the heart of Mexico’s Riviera Maya.
Playa is buzzing as always, evolving with each visit—more polished, more upmarket, yet still retaining its effortless charm and relaxed walkability.
Once a sleepy seaside village, Playa has transformed into a world-class tourist destination in a matter of decades. Today it’s hip and chic. And it’s maturing into a sophisticated, upscale destination increasingly drawing a well-heeled clientele with money to spend.
This makes it the most vibrant city on the Caribbean. And I’m about to bring a deal here to members of my Real Estate Trend Alert (RETA) group.
Tomorrow, the new RETA-only deal opens in Playa. This is a chance for members to own in a prime location in the heart of the city at off-market pricing and lock in expected gains of $201,600 five years after delivery and gross rental yields in excess of 13%. That deal opens at 1 p.m. ET tomorrow (Wednesday, March 12). Full details here.
Today, let’s take a journey through Playa del Carmen and the surrounding area…and explore why this city has such immense and enduring appeal.
With warm waters, tropical weather and powder-sand beaches, Playa is a beach-lover’s paradise.
A visitor’s first stop in Playa is often its glorious white-sand beaches, which draw millions of visitors from around the world every year. In Playa, you’re never very far from the stunning waters of the Caribbean.
The stunning beaches aside, Playa is best known for Fifth Avenue.
Stretching for three miles parallel to the Caribbean coastline, this pedestrianized street is the city’s cultural and commercial heart, lined with boutique shops, luxury brand stores, artisan markets, gourmet restaurants, lively bars, and trendy rooftop lounges.
By day, visitors browse handmade crafts and designer fashion while by night the avenue transforms into an energetic hub of live music, street performers, and bustling nightlife.
Playa’s 5th Avenue is about three miles long, a walking street of restaurants, cafés, bars, venues and stores a few blocks back from the Caribbean. The vibe is increasingly upmarket, with luxury boutiques and international cuisine.
As I say, Playa is moving upmarket, as evidenced by stunning amenities like its top-class golf courses.
Located a 20-minute drive north of Playa del Carmen, the Iberostar Golf Club Playa Paraíso is one of the premier golf courses on this stretch of coast, offering a par-72 course designed by P.B. Dye.
Playa is also home to an 18-hole Nick Price golf course, Gran Coyote. The course is in the 500-acre master-planned community of Corasol, where I’ve brought RETA members several deals.
A community called The Village sits amid the Gran Coyote golf course in Corasol in Playa del Carmen. In March 2022, RETA members could own two-bed, two-bath condos in The Village from $258,600. Those same condos now start at $351,961—an uplift of $93,361.
On the doorstep of Playa, you’ll find some of the region’s best attractions.
A 15-minute drive south of the Playa del Carmen is the theme park, resort and ecotourism development, Xcaret.
Xcaret is originally a sacred Maya trading port. Today, visitors can float through crystal-clear underground rivers, snorkel in natural pools, and swim with dolphins. At Xcaret’s petting zoo, visitors can get up close with native Mexican wildlife. And each evening a spectacular show brings Maya culture to life through traditional dance and ritual performances.
A 15-minute drive from Playa, the Xcaret theme park is an incredible place to interact with dolphins and explore the local pools and rivers.
This region of Mexico is famous for its cenotes—natural sinkholes filled with fresh, crystal-clear water, formed over thousands of years as rainwater gradually eroded the region’s limestone bedrock, creating underground rivers and stunning cave systems.
Visitors can explore a number of cenotes near Playa.
For example, the spectacular Dos Ojos cenote system is just 15 minutes north of Playa del Carmen. Dos Ojos means two eyes…the circular pools of the two cenotes are said to look like a pair of blue eyes peering up from the jungle floor.
The crystal-clear water at the Dos Ojos cenote system has to be seen to be believed
The stunning island of Cozumel lies just a 45-minute ferry ride from Playa del Carmen.
It’s Mexico’s largest island, at nine miles wide and 31 miles long, and boasts stunning white-sand beaches and glistening turquoise waters.
This island is a hugely popular destination for cruise ships. Last year, the Port of Cozumel welcomed 3.72 million passengers, making it the fourth-busiest cruise ship port in the world.
A 45-minute ferry ride from Playa del Carmen’s pier lies the island of Cozumel.
Cozumel is famed as a top diving destination. On the western side of Cozumel, the seafloor plunges dramatically. The shallow coral gardens quickly give way to the deep blue Caribbean, where the Mesoamerican Reef (the world’s second-largest barrier reef system) stretches like an underwater mountain range.
Also in Cozumel are the ancient Mayan ruins of San Gevasio. The site was a sacred sanctuary dedicated to Ixchel, the Maya goddess of fertility and midwifery. Women would come here from across the Yucatán to make offerings at her shrine.
The ancient ruins of San Gevasio on Cozumel island—this was once a sacred site devoted to the Mayan goddess Ixchel.
After a long day exploring, you might want to return to the beach to kick back and relax.
Mamitas Beach Club is a well-known spot in downtown Playa del Carmen. Located on a stretch of white-sand beach with turquoise waters, just a short walk from Fifth Avenue, Mamitas offers a luxurious and lively atmosphere.
Visitors can relax in plush lounge chairs, indulge in fresh seafood, gourmet cuisine, and expertly crafted cocktails, while enjoying ocean views. Mamitas Beach Club is also known for frequently hosting live DJs, music festivals, and exclusive beachfront events.
Mamitas Beach Club offers beachfront service and live music. The ferry terminal serving Cozumel departs from is visible in the background.
Here we have only scratched the surface of things to do and see in Playa and the surrounding area. That just shows what a vibrant place this is.
And tomorrow the new RETA deal in Playa opens, offering members the chance to own in this incredible destination.
A brief breakdown on this RETA member-only opportunity…
- This is an exclusive deal to own stunning condos in a community called The Landmark right in the heart of Playa del Carmen, a short walk to the beach, the dining, the shows, gyms, stores…
- This community will be next-level, with a half acre rooftop amenity area called The Sky Club. This will be unique in Playa del Carmen. A half-acre of lushly landscaped luxury, with a sauna, infinity pool, gym, restaurant and Caribbean views. Resort-level amenities like this in Playa are a major premium, but nowhere has a rooftop amenities area as expansive and devoted to quiet luxury as Landmark.
- I expect gains of $201,600 five years after delivery and red-hot rental income—I’d say an annual gross yield of 13%.
- Prices to own in similar high-end communities in downtown Playa run in the mid-$400,000s and even $500,000s. For instance, some people will pay $485,000 for a 731-square-foot two-bed condo three blocks from Playa del Carmen’s famed 5th Avenue and farther again from the ocean.
- Yet the exclusive, RETA-only price is from just $318,400 for a luxury two-bed condo in The Landmark, in the heart of everything with that huge rooftop of resort-level luxury.
The Sky Club at The Landmark will include a gym, yoga area, and a sauna and steam room too. Renders shouldn’t be considered final but give you a great idea of what to expect.
Tomorrow (Wednesday, March 12) at 1 p.m. ET, this deal opens. Remember, it’s exclusive to RETA members.
To get a full briefing on this opportunity, go here now.
Wishing you good real estate investing,
P.S. Take a short tour of The Landmark using the developer’s renders. While renders shouldn’t be considered final they give you a great idea.
Take a tour of The Landmark. The half-acre of resort-level amenities will be a huge draw for renters. Playa is a red-hot rental market where occupancy in premium buildings can get near 100%. With The Landmark. I figure on a gross rental income of over 13%. Full details coming tomorrow…
