Second homes: Coastline, culture and condos in the Mayan Riviera

— -- A handful of international destinations such as Dubai, Macao and Mexico's Mayan Riviera stand out as the hottest of the hot spots for recent tourism and development. Only the latter is an easy flight from most of the USA, offers reasonable prices, and boasts attractions found nowhere else.

The Mayan Riviera is generally defined as an 80-mile stretch of coastline on the Yucatán Peninsula, beginning just below Cancun, near Puerto Morelos, and extending south to Tulum. Visitors will encounter new hotels and resorts, from bargain-priced all-inclusives to global luxury brands such as Mandarin Oriental, Rosewood and Fairmont.

A major attraction is 70 miles of nearly continuous beaches, all protected by the world's second-longest barrier reef. It's a world-class destination for divers, and not just offshore; the limestone peninsula is laced with more than 100 cenotes, large holes filled with fresh water, connected by underground caves.

Inland, adventure offerings include canopy zip-line tours, jungle expeditions and six eco-culture theme parks. Golf, too, has boomed in the past few years with new courses by big-name designers.

But the attraction that sets the region apart from other beach destinations is its namesake Mayan culture, with more than a dozen ruin sites, including ancient cities boasting pyramids. The best-known are Cobá, Chichen Itza and Tulum.

The largest town is Playa del Carmen (population: about 100,000), halfway down the coast. Pedestrian-only Fifth Avenue is lined with shops and restaurants, a major draw for some home buyers. Hundreds of condos in developments are along the entire length of the coast.

"The starting price is about $180,000 for a condo," says Laura Zapata, owner of Seaview Properties in Playa del Carmen and president of the region's real estate board. "Most properties are three-story condo buildings, and it has become very popular for the top floor to have a rooftop deck with a grill or hot tub."

A look at three Mayan Riviera neighborhoods: