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Mahahual, La Costa Maya, Mexico

Not too many years ago Mahahual (also spelled Majahual) was nothing more than a few palapas on the beach and an outpost for the Mexican Navy. Then the cruise ship industry took an interest in Mahahual's undeveloped coastline and built a deep water pier for their boats. It didn't take long for an entire town to spring up. Then came Hurricane Dean in 2007, a devastating blow that has taken two years overcome. Now Mahahual is on the move again with a much improved beach front, a new malecón paved pedestrian walkway for strolls right in front of the beach, and a totally improved tourist zone that still retains the flavor of its Mexican Caribbean roots. The center of town is actually quite small but beaches stretch north to the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve and south to the coastal town of Xcalak, last stop before Belize, C.A. Real estate is booming as the first wave of investors sells off their land to an increasing number of people who want to build their tropical dream home or investment property on the beach. Prices are generally lower than the Riviera Maya; up north between Cancun and Tulum.

Fishing, birdwatching & Mayan ruins

So many great sites are in La Costa Maya nearby Mahahual. The coastal lands between Tulum and Xcalak are essentially an explorers domain, mostly within the confines of the Sian Ka'an Reserve. Unspoiled mangrove estuaries and marshlands located just off the beach are hatcheries for hundreds of species of fish. They provide world class saltwater flats fishing to anglers and fertile feeding grounds for migratory birds who fly between the United States and Central & South America. To access southern Quintana Roo's seldom seen Mayan ruins there is a road just north of Mahahual town center that goes west into the interior of the peninsula and intersects with Highway 307. The Mayan ruins of Chacchoben are very near the town of Limones and a bit farther south are the ruins of Kohunlich and Dzibanche.