Whenever we drive the narrow two-lane highway here we stop at the little red storefront in the heart of San Crisanto town for a cool, refreshing cremita, a creamy sliver of flan, or sweet crispy tortillas that ooze coconut. We drive this part of the coast north of Merida more often now.. .to visit our little patch of sand where we plan to build our beach house.Coconut Palms grow plentifully and naturally here along Mexico's Yucatan coast beaches, thriving on sandy soil, abundant sunlight, and regular rainfall. One grove that's particularly lush is between Telchac Puerto and San Crisanto. A realtor friend first took us here about four years ago. When his car became stuck in the sand we asked a family picnicking on the beach to help us dig it out. This was our first real glimpse of the Costa Flamingo in all its natural glory.. .and we were hooked. A year later, we returned to buy our own beachfront lots just a few miles further down the road. What struck us most is the natural beauty of the landscape. The farther you get from Puerto Progreso—the heart of this stretch of coastline—towns and development. ..and people, are few and far between. With the ocean to the north and the beach and estuary to the south, the vista is flatter than western Kansas—not a hill to be seen anywhere. This makes the vibrancy of color of the big azure sky more marked. The gulf water appears richly emerald on the horizon, the sand is a pale cream color, and the rustling palm leaves on the tree-lined shore are emerald again...Like all of the Yucatan Peninsula, this area sits on a limestone shelf that gradually goes out to sea, so the water depth is shallow for miles out, a nice feature for skittish swimmers and children. Unless a strong wind is blowing from the north, there are rarely waves to speak of.Still, you won't find posters of the Costa Flamingo on any travel agent's wall. You may not even find it listed in many guidebooks.

Real Estate Sometimes called the Gulf Coast, the Emerald Coast, or lately, the Riviera Flamingo for the thousands of pink flamingos found here, this is an as-yet mostly undiscovered part of Mexico.Surprisingly, it's not hard to get here. Puerto Progreso—the heart of this stretch of coastline—is just a 30-minute drive from the city of Merida and its international airport and sophisticated shopping centers. In the past, cruise ships only stopped at Progreso occasionally. But now, after Hurricane Dean destroyed the cruise ship pier at Mahahual on the Costa Maya last August, hundreds (over this past year) have been rerouted to Progreso. However, passengers commonly hop on a bus and dash off to tour Chichen Itza or Uxmal, two of the many (and the largest) nearby Mayan archeological sites. They rarely explore the beaches since there are no thumping seaside discos, no massive resorts with football-field-sized swimming pools and posh spas, no parasailing or jet-ski rental outfits.But that may change soon, and that's how we found ourselves parked on the narrow two-lane highway next to the same lush coconut grove we visited with our realtor four years ago, between the pueblos of Telchac Puerto and San Crisanto. These 40 acres are the future site of Playa de Coco, the first luxury beachfront residential resort complex to be built in the state of Yucatan, and the project that will certainly change both the personality and profile of the Costa Flamingo.Phase I, beachfront lots 65 feet by 525 feet, is sold out. A few lots are currently now on resale at $8,000 to $9,000 per linear meter. That's $160,000 to $180,000 per lot...not a bad price for an improved beachfront lot with all the promised amenities, including concierge services, a beach club and spa in Phase 2, and a hotel in Phase 3.Phase 2, selling now, consists of beachfront homes, second-row homes and, behind those, bungalows arranged around a labyrinth of manmade lagoons. The four-bedroom beachfront villas of 4,060 square feet come with all appliances, air conditioning units, and swimming pools. Prices start at $525,000. Second-row, three-bedroom homes range from 3,000 square feet to 4,090 square feet and prices run from $445,000 to $475,000. The two-bedroom, two-story 1,990-square-foot bungalows start at $235,000. As comparison, prices here, at $130 per square foot, are far below those of beachfront properties just a few hours away on the eastern Caribbean side of the Yucatan Peninsula at Cancun and Playa del Carmen—which are more than $500 per square foot. Those are world-renowned Caribbean tourist destinations, though.