Buying in Playa del Carmen

Buying in Playa del Carmen comes down to how the city is organized around three references: the coast, Fifth Avenue, and the roads toward the interior. Near the sea and close to Fifth Avenue, the city holds its oldest core, with smaller blocks and low-rise buildings. To the south, next to the ferry pier that connects to Cozumel, sits Playacar, a gated community with controlled access and its own golf course. Further inland, the city organizes more around wide avenues than around closeness to the sea. Foreign nationals buying in this coastal zone typically do so through a fideicomiso (bank trust), the structure used for that kind of transaction here.

What to consider before buying

The core near Fifth Avenue was built first, so buildings from different eras sit side by side within the same blocks; areas farther from downtown developed later, as the city grew with tourism starting in the 1980s. In Playacar, controlled access and the golf course are part of what sets the community apart from the rest of the city. Another option for houses outside the busiest core is properties for sale in Playacar Fase I.