INVESTING IN COSTA MAYA

The Riviera Maya and CostaMaya are names that the East coast of the Yucatan Peninsula has recently acquired because of the rapid development of beach resorts. Geographically, the Riviera Maya stretches from Cancun southward to Tulum, along the coast of the Caribbean. Off the coast a few miles away lies the island of Cozumel. These areas are very popular for SCUBA diving and snorkeling, because of the beautiful clear waters of the Caribbean. Also the Mayan ruins and cenotes on the mainland coast are very interesting places for vacationers to visit. Costa Maya is the lower part of the coast from Placer down the coast to the small fishing village of Xcalak. Both parts of the Yucatan Peninsula are in the state of Quintana Roo, or by the abbreviation, Q. Roo. The state capital is Chetumal, but this is an inland city located on Chetumal Bay, just north of the border of Belize. The southernmost Mexican town on the Caribbean coast is Xcalak.

We should consider the East coast of the Yucatan in three sections.

A).-The Northern section, (inside QUINTANA ROO STATE):  Riviera Maya, from Cancun to Tulum has been under development for the past thirty six years, and has become a widely known resorts area. From a small village, Cancun developed into a large coastal city with hundreds of hotels, thousands of rooms, and hundreds of thousands of visitors per year. Just a few years ago, Playa del Carmen was a sleepy little village with a nice beach and the landing pier for the ferry to Cozumel. Now it has developed into a large resort area with luxurious hotels and resort type residential housing developments. A four lane freeway connects Cancun with both Tulum to the south and Merida city (YUCATAN STATE) to the west. Tourism has expanded greatly because of this freeway and more development is going further south because of it.

B).-The Center third of the Yucatan East coast has been reserved as a "Biosphere." There are two large bays, but development will be almost non existent by design, controlled by severe subdivision and building restrictions. It is good to keep this area of the coast reserved for the ecological benefit of this part of the Caribbean coast.

There are two other geographical features of great importance. One is the MESOAMERICAN BARRIER REEF that runs the entire length of the Yucatan East coast from Cancun all the way to Ambergris Cay, Belize. This is the second longest barrier reef in the world, and is invaluable for protecting the beaches in most areas from erosion. It also provides a convenient area for protecting boats at anchor, making harbors unnecessary.

The second is: BANCO CHINCHORRO, which is a very large reef located 18 miles offshore from Costa Maya. The reef is one of only four atolls located in the Caribbean. The significance of this reef should not be underestimated because of its size and ideal SCUBA and snorkeling conditions. The reef is larger than the island of Cozumel, being 28 miles long and 11 miles wide. The entire reef is about three to twelve feet below sea level, with three small, uninhabited points of land above water. The fact that Chinchorro offers pristine diving conditions is of great importance.  With the development of the dive industry along Costa Maya, Banco Chinchorro has been becoming rapidly on one of the most important dive sites in the Caribbean.