Monica Hernandez and her husband Anibal Gonzalez are selling their restored 140-hectare El Cuyo coastal estate on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula for approximately $118 million.
The price tag makes the development the most expensive real estate listing in Mexican history. The couple, who are now at an advanced age, decided to pass the property to a younger owner capable of managing its next phase of development.
Three decades ago, the site in El Cuyo was merely the remains of an abandoned coconut plantation. An aggressive plant disease swept across the Yucatan Peninsula during the 1990s, damaging millions of coconut palms and leaving agricultural plots looking nearly empty. The trees on the property fell ill and stopped producing fruit.
Hernandez and Gonzalez, who works as an architect and artist, stepped in to save the degraded plot and its unique natural ecosystem, the Times of India reported. Over 30 years, they successfully restored the native vegetation across the coastal grounds, which feature 6 kilometers of coastline along the Gulf of Mexico.
Wildlife Haven and Eco Resort Plans
The restored grounds transformed into a sanctuary for local wildlife, where animals have become a regular part of the surrounding landscape. Sea turtles, dolphins, and pink flamingos now inhabit the coastal area alongside roseate spoonbills, wading birds native to Yucatan's coastal wetlands.
Hernandez said that dolphins appear during specific seasons of the year, making them a pleasant sight for observers. The surrounding clear waters have helped define the experience at El Cuyo, where wealthy visitors occasionally arrive on yachts and sail to the white sand beaches.
The couple also developed plans for an eco-conscious residential complex. They obtained official approval from the Mexican government for the development in El Cuyo on the condition that the project satisfies strict environmental requirements.
The proposed resort plan relies on renewable energy and natural resources. It includes 64 luxury villas with access to a private beach, each featuring four or five bedrooms built in traditional Maya architectural style. Hernandez and Gonzalez plan to sell the luxury homes while retaining a small share of the property for themselves.
Similar Estate Conversions
The transformation mirrors other high-profile ecological land restorations, such as a project in France where land buyer Alix Delvaux purchased a 3-hectare estate near a lake in the Lot-et-Garonne department for 370,000 euros. Delvaux converted the tranquil lakeside property into a tourism destination featuring floating rental cabins on the water.
