Today’s update comes from an office overlooking the whitest-sand beach in the world.
Here’s a photo I snapped…
Palm trees, white sands, and turquoise Caribbean waters… not a bad place to catch up on some work.
Step outside and the views get even better.
Here’s the beach in its full glory…
This beach beat out others in the Seychelles, Greece, and the Bahamas to take the accolade for whitest-sand beach in the world.
I’m in Tulum, the famed chic beach town on Mexico’s Caribbean coast.
Earlier this year, researchers from luxury travel agency CV Villas carried out a study of over 200 beaches around the world, and using screenshots from Google Maps, they identified the sands’ RGB color code and compared this with the world’s purest shade of white.
Tulum Beach claimed the top spot by far, with its sand being just 1.4 points off the whitest shade in the world.
This will be of little surprise to the millions who flock to Tulum every year…
A photo I snapped…the beaches here are among the most breathtaking I’ve seen anywhere in the world.
I’m back in Tulum to scout the continued rise of this destination…
I first came to Tulum way back in 2004. Back then, this small beach town on Mexico’s Caribbean coast was barely on the map. The road into town had potholes as big as cars. There was only one ATM in Tulum…and it was regularly out of order.
But what Tulum lacked in amenities, it made up for in astonishing natural beauty…
Incredible turquoise Caribbean waters…miles of deserted, palm tree-fringed coastline…those pristine white-sand beaches…
I knew this was a special place.
And I knew the opportunity would be incredible as it was discovered…
Tulum started out as a stop on the backpacker trail. Back in the 1970s and ’80s, it was a favorite of hippies and the like. This was a place to “drop out.”
By the early 2000s, when I visited, it had been discovered by hipsters and fashionistas from Manhattan and elsewhere who wanted to lounge in a beach bed all day, maybe do a bit of yoga, dance the night away at parties in the jungle…and get up and do it all again the next day. In 2004, The New York Times declared Tulum a “counterculture haven” in a story about a pioneering San Diego resident who opened a yoga retreat center here.
As time has gone on, Tulum has grown more and more popular. Today, it has entered the mainstream. It’s well-known to all sorts of people, from all walks of life. Couples young and old, retirees, snowbirds, families, remote workers…they are all coming to Tulum.
This was all made possible by an incredible “Path of Progress” along this coast…one that continues to accelerate…
Tulum is now a global destination and at the beginning of its next major phase of transformation. But its renowned white-sand beach is carefully protected and still as beautiful as ever.
A Path of Progress is one of the key things I look for when scouting overseas. This refers to anything that makes a place easier to get to (like new roads, bridges, or airports) or more desirable (like a 5-star resort where previously there were only hostels and cheap hotels).
For decades, a massive Path of Progress has been pushing south on the Riviera Maya from Cancun, transforming towns and cities along this coast. The scale of the transformation in Tulum has been astonishing. Here’s a snapshot of what’s happening here today…
- Tulum International Airport
A brand-new international airport opened in Tulum in November 2023, and it has far exceeded expectations. Initial projections of 700,000 annual passengers have been dramatically revised upward to 1.2 to 1.3 million passengers by the end of 2024.
- Tulum’s New Jaguar Park
The newly established Jaguar Park is a vast 7,000-acre reserve, combining two protected areas: Tulum National Park and the Protection of Flora and Fauna Jaguar Preserve. This parkland encompasses the area’s iconic Mayan ruins and beachfront, with plans underway for enhanced beach access, jungle hiking trails, and improved visitor facilities.
- The Maya Train
The plan is for nearly 1,000 miles of rail across southern Mexico connecting five states: Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo. That latter state is where you’ll find the Riviera Maya. The first phase of the train network is now operational, with services running since December last year. A station is due to open in Tulum soon. This will connect the town with Playa del Carmen and Cancun.
As you can see, Tulum is on a trajectory to becoming a true city.
I’m here to review the latest progress on this. I also wanted to scout the communities where I’ve brought RETA members incredible, off-market deals…
My wife snapped these photos this week at the brand-new Tulum international airport. A huge Path of Progress is transforming this town.
Because I’ve been putting boots on the ground here for two decades, my Real Estate Trend Alert group has been ahead of the mind-blowing transformation here. And we’ve had some killer deals…
- In October 2017, I brought RETA members the chance to own in Tao Tulum from $154,500 for a two-bedroom condo. I bought one of those condos and sold it in 2020 for $225,000. In October 2022, premium penthouses that RETA members could buy in Tao Tulum in 2017 for $225,555 were listed at $377,000 to $417,000.
Tao Tulum has been the site of big uplifts for RETA members who have bought here in the past few years.
- Uplift of $100,400—In October 2021, RETA members could buy luxury two-bed condos in a stunning, best-in-class called Samsara from $198,600. In July 2022 the remaining units went retail. A mezzanine unit that RETA members could buy for $212,300 was listed at $298,200…$85,900 more. In October 2022, two-bed mezzanine condos that RETA members could buy for $232,400 were listing retail at $332,800, a $100,400 uplift.
- $234,900 More—In 2019, I brought RETA members a deal here in a community called Gran Tulum. Members could own two-bed condos here from just $175,000. Two-bed condos later listed at retail for $409,900.
In both Samsara and Gran Tulum, RETA members are now taking delivery of their condos and the communities look stunning, as you can see below…
The Samsara community is now being delivered…and it looks incredible.
It’s remarkable to think that there was nothing in Tulum 50 years ago…even when I first visited in 2004, it was small and undeveloped. Today, this is one of the most desirable destinations in Mexico and throughout the Caribbean. And my RETA members have gotten in on the ground floor of this incredible transformation.
I’m constantly looking for new opportunities around Tulum. I’m also here to scout another destination along this coast…a place to the south that some are calling “the next Tulum.” I’ll let you know if it cuts muster.
Stay tuned for the details on that…
Ronan McMahon, Founder, Overseas Dream Home & Real Estate Trend Alert
P.S. Have a question for me while I’ve got boots on the ground on the Riviera Maya? I’d love to hear it. Share your comments and questions here.
Here’s some feedback I got from an Overseas Dream Home reader after my recent visit to Puerto Escondido on Mexico’s southern Pacific coast. (You can read an update from Puerto Escondido here.)
Rick G. says: Ronan, Get in here [Puerto Escondido] sooner than later. After PE was featured on the world surfing tour a couple of seasons ago, everyone wants a piece.
Have you seen figures on average net worth of southern California surfers? Over $1.5 million for those over 35 years old, and over $2.5 million over 45 years of age.
This culture doesn’t want condos, however, at least not boxy modern high-rise style. A development of townhouse-style, one- and two-story homes can work for the lower price levels, and very nice single families for the upper price level market. A development like Playa Colorado in Nicaragua (Pacific Ocean side) is on the right track. But with condos, it’s always tough fitting your board into an elevator or taking it down staircases. 😊 And unlike skiing, surfers don’t want to part with their boards at an overnight valet drop.
Ronan says: Huge thanks for sending in this feedback, Rick. It’s much appreciated. I agree that Puerto Escondido is a special place. I think I’m closing in on something special here for Real Estate Trend Alert members. I will have more on that if and when a deal comes together.
