Special to the Mercury News
MAHAHUAL, Mexico - In the tiny beachside community of Mahahual, about 180 miles south of Cancún in what real estate developers are calling the Costa Maya, people are beginning to rebuild their lives.
Hurricane Dean bashed and slashed its way into town Aug. 21, taking with it the town's port - its largest source of revenue, which brought in up to three cruise ships per day - and nearly 80 percent of the buildings. At the height of the storm, much of Mahahual was underwater, and the day after many beachfront business owners had as much as three feet of sand in their buildings.
But this is hurricane alley. When a big brute like Dean rolls through, you wait out the storm and start rebuilding the very next day.Government representatives say that rebuilding the port and the town's beachfront walkway is a priority. Some estimates say it will be rebuilt in the next six to eight months, but many locals believe it will take up to two years.
To the amazement of many, the vast majority of the Yucatán's tourist areas were not badly damaged by the ninth-largest Atlantic hurricane on record, which made landfall as a Category 5.
But the Riviera Maya and Costa Maya coasts are still as lovely as ever. Unlike Hurricane Wilma, which devoured much of Cancún's powdered-sugar sand, Dean left the beaches intact. There was a bit of wind scour along the coast from Playa del Carmen south through Tulum and down to the state capital of Chetumal, with refuse piling up on the beach from the wave surge.
Some Mexican newspapers reported minor damage to the reefs near Akumal and the Banco Chinchorro (just outside Mahahual), but divers in the area have not verified that.
More:
Riviera Maya Hotels
Airport Transportation
Tours & Activities
Riviera Maya Guidebook
