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Beachfront Property
in Tankah Bay and Soliman
The reef runs a hundred metres off the shore and closes the bay, so the water stays shallow and calm and you swim straight out of the house. There are no towers here: what sells is villas and lots with beach frontage. These are the bays, what each type of property costs, and the two things we check before price.
Soliman Bay north · Soliman Bay south · Punta Solimán · Tankah II and III · Tankah IV · Casa Cenote
Why buy beachfront
in Tankah Bay and Soliman
Nobody ends up on these bays by accident. You come looking for calm water and a house on its own, and on this coast that fits in very few kilometres.
The reef closes the bay
Here the second-largest reef in the world runs about a hundred metres off the shore, and that changes everything: the swell breaks outside and inside you get shallow, warm, clear water. You swim, snorkel and launch a kayak from your own sand, without getting on a boat. It is what the open beaches of Tulum and Playa del Carmen do not have.
Houses, not buildings
There is not a single condo tower on these bays, and that is no accident: zoning and the coastal ordinance keep density low. The product is a three to six bedroom villa with beach frontage, a lot with sea frontage and the odd small low-rise complex. You buy a house on its own with neighbours at a distance, not a unit in a building.
Fresh water and salt water
At the south end of the bays, at Casa Cenote, a freshwater cenote system comes to the surface and runs into the sea. You can swim in clear fresh water and in the Caribbean on the same day, five minutes apart. It is one of the reasons people who buy here stay: the house sits in two ecosystems at once.
They sit north of Tulum, between Akumal and the town, and that location is half the argument: Tulum is close for dinner and for the new airport, and you do not live inside Tulum or its traffic.
The other half is what you accept in exchange. You come in on a dirt road, several bays have no grid water or power, there is no shop around the corner, and sargassum cleanup is organized by you or your manager, not a condo with a crew. Anyone coming from a building with a concierge needs to know this on day one, not at signing.
Real beachfront near Tulum is this. The Tulum beach road is hotel land.
That is why there is not, and will not be, a page of beachfront condos in Tulum: the product does not exist. When someone looks for residential first row in that area, the right answer is these bays.
Which bay is which, north to south
Six stretches along about twelve kilometres of coast, each with its own entry road, its own kind of shore and its own price. They are located by the federal highway kilometre, which is how people talk about this coast. The northern edge is Xcacel, a sea turtle sanctuary and protected area: there is not and will not be residential development there, and that matters, because it is the neighbour that will never be built.
North side
The most established stretch of all the bays, and where most of the large resale villas are. Sandy shore with patches of seagrass, very calm water and wide beach frontage. It is the first stop for almost every buyer who arrives looking for a villa.
South side
More enclosed and more private, with fewer houses and several on large lots. The shore changes from sand to rock depending on the stretch, so walking the property’s beach before deciding is essential here: two neighbouring lots can have very different entries into the water.
Punta Solimán
Very low density, with lots of generous frontage and the odd stand-alone project. The quietest of the six stretches and where the sense of a house on its own is most real. Also the one that depends most on the dirt road and on having your own systems.
Tankah II and III
The middle sections, with a mix of year-round homes, rental homes and lots to build. Different profiles share the same street, so ask who the neighbours are and what is being built next door before offering.
Tankah IV
The most developed section with the road in the best shape, home to most of the rental villas and a few small hotels. The stretch with the most services and also the busiest: the trade-off for the good road is that more people go by.
Casa Cenote
Where the freshwater cenote system reaches the sea, with the long-standing restaurant and the cave divers. It is the south end of the bays and the point where this coast ends and Tulum’s begins. A swim in fresh water and in the Caribbean on the same day.
Tankah Bay is NORTH of Tulum. We repeat it because it is constantly confused with the Tulum beach road, which lies to the south and is hotel land. They are two markets with different prices, products and rules, and mixing them up is the fastest way to compare badly.
What kind of beachfront property
is for sale in Tankah
Six different products on the same coast. We do not publish a list of named buildings here, and not out of discretion: there are no buildings.
How to read the figures. US dollars per square foot built, with the square metre below. The bays’ first row moves between 372 and 557, and what separates the low end from the high is the age and condition of the house, not the location: on the same beach, 650 feet apart, there is resale from the two thousands and new construction. Lots are not quoted per square foot but per linear metre of sea frontage, the local convention. September 2026 asking prices, not closings.
- 01
Beachfront villa, new construction
Soliman and Tankah IV · first rowThe most expensive product on the coast and the one that turns over least. A three to six bedroom house with its own beach frontage, pool, palapa and almost always solar and cistern built in from the design. Here the price per square foot reaches the top of the range because you are not paying for construction: you are paying for metres of sea frontage that can no longer be created.
USD/ft²$483 – 5575,200 – 6,000 USD/m²PriceOn requestasking price, not closingWhat it is3 to 6 BR villawith its own beach frontage - 02
Beachfront villa, resale from the two thousands
Soliman north and south · first rowSame beach, a lower price per square foot, and the difference is in the house, not the location. Well-built villas from fifteen or twenty years ago that need a roof, systems, a kitchen and sometimes the whole electrical setup. The number that matters here is not the asking price: it is the renovation budget, and on this coast materials come in on a dirt road.
USD/ft²$372 – 4464,000 – 4,800 USD/m²PriceOn requestasking price, not closingWhat it is3 to 5 BR villarenovation pending - 03
Second-row house, jungle side
Across the road · view or access to the bayOn the other side of the road, with walking access to the bay and no frontage of its own. The price per square foot drops noticeably and the land grows: here you buy large lots with jungle, and it is the real option when the budget does not reach the first row but the bay is still the point.
USD/ft²On requestquoted by propertyPriceOn requestasking price, not closingWhat it isHouse on a large lotbay access, no frontage - 04
Beachfront lot
Soliman, Punta Solimán and TankahQuoted per linear metre of sea frontage, not by area, and that local convention is the first thing to understand before comparing two lots. Then come depth, whether the parcel is one piece or the road cuts through it, and what zoning and the ecological ordinance allow to be built. A beautiful lot with an open chain of title is not an opportunity, it is a lawsuit.
USD/ft²On requestper metre of frontagePriceOn requestasking price, not closingWhat it isLandquoted per metre of frontage - 05
The few condominiums on the bay
Low-rise · a handful of unitsThere are no towers on these bays. What exists are small low-rise complexes with few units, almost always informally managed and without a maintenance crew like a Playa del Carmen building. When one comes up we review it like a house, plus the condominium regime, because in several cases it is only half registered.
USD/ft²On requestquoted by unitPriceOn requestasking price, not closingWhat it isSmall condoregime to verify - 06
Rental house already operating
First row · with a historyA villa already rented through a manager with a calendar. It is bought differently: besides the title and the house, we review the management contract, the year’s bookings, who keeps the high-season reservations and how sargassum cleanup is handled. The house sells with or without the operator, and that is negotiated, not inherited.
USD/ft²$372 – 5574,000 – 6,000 USD/m²PriceOn requestasking price, not closingWhat it isOperating villawith a management contract
The four numbers of a bay property
When someone asks us about a property on these bays, these four are what we ask for before giving an opinion. With them and the chain of title you know whether it is worth the asking price. Without them, the rest is photography.
Inventory on these bays is almost all off-portal: it sells through relationships, between brokers and owners who know each other. That means the public list you see is never the real list, and what matters is not filtering listings but knowing who is thinking of selling. Tell us what you want and we source it.
Living off the grid on the bays:
water, power and the road
This is the part that is almost never in the listing and the one that most changes daily life. On much of these bays the drinking water network does not arrive, and on several stretches neither does the power grid. It is not a defect of the property: it is how this coast works. But it sets what the house costs to run each month and what happens when a storm comes.
A cistern filled by tanker truck, or a private well with purification. We check the cistern’s capacity in litres, how often the truck comes and what it costs, and whether the well has a recent water test. A six-bedroom house rented full uses far more than the previous owner did living alone.
Solar panels with a battery bank, a backup generator, or both. We check the installed kilowatts, the age of the batteries, which is the big expense nobody mentions, and whether air conditioning in every bedroom fits the system or only in two. That is where most installations fall short.
A private septic system, and on this coast that is an environmental issue as well as a technical one: you sit on limestone with cenotes and groundwater that flows to the sea. We check what kind of system it is, when it was serviced and whether it meets the standard. A badly built septic is a liability, not a detail.
You come in on a dirt road whose condition changes with the rainy season and with who maintains it, which is almost always the neighbours themselves by contribution. We ask who fixes it, what each house pays and whether there is a written agreement. It is the kind of thing you discover in September, with the house already bought.
Antenna or satellite, not fibre. For anyone working from the house it is a first-order question, and the answer changes bay by bay and sometimes house by house. Test the signal where the desk will go, not on the terrace.
It is seasonal, and in a reef-closed bay what comes in stays until it is removed. In your own house there is no building crew: you or your manager organize it. It is a predictable cost and belongs in the math from the start, especially if the house is rented.
None of this is an argument against buying here. It is the list of questions we ask before you make an offer, and the reason two houses with the same photo and the same price are not the same purchase. One has new solar, a tested well and a road with a signed agreement; the other has nine-year-old batteries and a water truck that comes when it can.
Chain of title on the Tankah coast:
what we check before we sell
On this coast the title review is not a closing formality: it is the most important part of the purchase, and the main reason a buyer’s broker pays for itself. Several stretches of this shoreline have ejido origins, so the question is not only who signs today, but how the property got to that signature.
- 01
The full chain, not the last deed
We review from the release of the ejido land to the current owner, deed by deed. A recent, clean deed can hang from a link that does not close, and that only shows when someone reads the whole sequence at the Public Registry.
- 02
Lien certificate, property tax and survey
A current certificate of no liens, property tax paid up, and measurements and boundaries that match what you see on site. On bay lots the real survey and the paper one are not always the same, and the metre of sea frontage is exactly what gets disputed.
- 03
ZOFEMAT and what can be built
The first twenty metres from high tide are federal and used under concession, which is reviewed and transferred. And before picturing the house: what zoning and the ecological ordinance allow on that parcel, which on this coast is more restrictive than in town.
It is not a marketing stance, it is the only way to work on a coast like this. We have walked away from deals because the file did not close, and at the time that cost money. The alternative is charging someone a commission for a three-year problem.
What we do is tell you exactly what is missing and what can be fixed, because sometimes it can. And when it cannot, we tell you with the document in hand.
The closing step by step, with the bank trust, the notario público and the costs, is in the closing guide. And if you buy from abroad, how the trust works is explained in the guide for foreign buyers.
Renting your house on the bays
the months you are not here
There will be months you are not here, and renting the house in those months is normal. Except that on these bays you do not rent a condo by the night: you rent the whole house, and the business works differently.
We are asked all the time, and the uncomfortable answer is that the number does not depend on the house: it depends on who runs it. The same villa, same beach, same square footage, handed to two managers, returns two different numbers. We do not depend on those numbers or earn anything on them, and we will not show you a house’s rental history as if it were a promise.
What we do know about this coast: long stays, groups and whole families, a high nightly rate and a very marked season. And an off-grid house rents well only if its systems hold up with the house full, not with the owner alone in it.
- 01
Who will run it
There is no condo management here: there are boutique operators who run houses in the area and know the guests. Choosing the operator well changes the result more than any remodel, and the contract is negotiated before buying, not after.
- 02
What the municipality asks for
Tulum has its own registration and the state charges a lodging tax. A predictable and minor cost, but one to have from the start rather than discover in year two.
- 03
If you buy with bookings inside
When the house already operates, it comes with bookings made and deposits collected. We review the calendar, who keeps the high-season deposits and on what terms they transfer. It is one of the things that causes the most disputes and one of the easiest to put in writing.
Frequently asked questions about buying
beachfront in Tankah and Soliman
How much does beachfront property in Tankah Bay cost?
The bays’ first row prices between 372 and 557 dollars per square foot built, and the difference between the low and high end is almost never location: it is the age and condition of the house. An unrenovated villa from the two thousands and a new build can sit on the same beach, 650 feet apart, at two prices that look nothing alike.
What exactly is for sale in Tankah and Soliman?
Houses. There are no condo towers here: the product is the beachfront villa, usually three to six bedrooms, plus lots with beach frontage and a few small low-rise condos. If someone offers you a new-build beachfront condo on these bays, the first thing to check is the parcel’s zoning.
Why is the water so calm on these bays?
Because the reef runs very close to shore and closes the bay. That leaves shallow, calm, clear water where you swim and snorkel straight from the house. It is why this coast exists as a market and what cannot be replicated further north.
Is there grid water and power in Tankah?
On much of the bays, no. Many properties run off the grid: solar panels with a battery bank or a generator, a cistern filled by truck or a well with purification, and a private septic system. It is not a defect, it is how this coast works, but it changes running costs and it is the first thing we check along with the title.
How do you get there and how far is Tulum?
By federal highway 307 and then dirt roads toward the sea. From the turnoff to the house is five to fifteen minutes depending on the bay and the road. Tulum town is about fifteen to twenty minutes away, and Tulum airport about thirty.
Is Tankah Bay north or south of Tulum?
North. Tankah and Soliman sit between Akumal and Tulum, not on the Tulum beach road. The distinction matters because they are two different markets: the Tulum hotel zone is hotel land with almost no residential first row, which is why real beachfront near Tulum is here.
What is the difference between Soliman Bay and Tankah?
Soliman is the more open bay with the most established homes, with north and south sides quite different from each other. Punta Solimán is the arm that separates them, with very low density. Tankah divides into numbered sections, and Tankah IV is the most developed with the best road. Casa Cenote, where the freshwater cenote meets the sea, is on that stretch.
Can a foreigner buy beachfront here?
Yes, through a bank trust (fideicomiso) or a Mexican corporation, because the whole coast is inside the restricted zone. You hold every right: use, rent, mortgage, sell and leave it to your heirs. On the first row we also check the ZOFEMAT concession, the first 20 metres from high tide, which belong to no one: they are used under federal concession with an annual fee.
Is it true there are title problems on this coast?
Several stretches have ejido origins, which is why the chain of title review here is not a formality: it is the most important part of the purchase. We review from the release of the ejido land to today, with a certificate of no liens, property tax status and surveys. When the chain does not close, we do not sell.
How is a beachfront lot in Tankah priced?
Per linear metre of sea frontage, not by area, and that local convention needs to be understood before comparing. Two lots with the same area and different frontage are worth different things. Then we check depth, whether the lot is one piece or crossed by the road, and what can be built under zoning and the ecological ordinance.
Does sargassum reach these bays?
Yes, seasonally, and in a reef-closed bay the sargassum that comes in stays until it is removed. In your own house cleanup is on you or your manager, not a condo with a crew. It is a predictable cost to ask about in writing when the property already rents.
Does a house in Tankah rent well?
The product is whole-house rental, with longer stays and a high nightly rate, not condo rental by the night. A boutique manager runs it and the result depends far more on who runs it than on the house. The same villa with two managers returns two different numbers, and we do not sell a yield: we make sure you do not pay above market.
What are closing costs?
Between 7 and 10 percent of the price, and on the coast you add the bank trust: acquisition tax, notario público fees, appraisal, certificates, Public Registry recording and the Foreign Affairs permit plus year one of the trust. The step by step is in the closing guide.
More answers in the buyer FAQ · Meet the team
Tell us which bay you like.
We source the property.
- Off-portal inventoryWe bring you what is not publishedOn these bays the public list is never the real list: it sells through relationships. Tell us frontage, bedrooms and budget, and we search among local owners and brokers for what fits, with price and metres of sea frontage in writing.
- The review before you offerA licensed advisor reviews the fileChain of title from the ejido, certificate of no liens, property tax, survey, ZOFEMAT concession, zoning, and the house’s water, power and sewage systems. If the chain does not close, we tell you and we stop.
Choosing a bay is only the start. Our job is that you understand what you are buying before you commit.
We tell you which property fits you.
And which one to stay away from.
Twelve kilometres of bays, six stretches and almost all the inventory off-portal. Every beach frontage has its own shore, its own systems and its own chain of title.
Licensed real estate advisors in Quintana Roo · We do not represent developers
Karina D. Sayed, CPA · CEO, Broker and Owner · Playa Realtors
I have lived on this coast since 2001 and Playa Realtors has represented buyers here since 2008. The ranges and prices on this page come from inventory for sale on the Tankah and Soliman bays, from our own comparables and from the title documents we read in legal review, not from a listing description.
Licensed brokerage in Quintana Roo · License 1917120B0FBGMR008000735 · AMPI · SEDETUS · NAR REALTOR® 61235866
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Last reviewed September 2026
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