The Mexican Congress has debated several hot topics this year. One of those issues is the whereabouts of the lost island of Bermejo. Mexican lawmakers have been seeking this island, but nobody can find it.

So why does this make a difference? It has to do with oil. The U.S. and Mexico are negotiating a new agreement on oil drilling rights in the Gulf of Mexico. If Bermejo Island actually exists, that would push Mexico’s territorial waters out farther, giving the country more of the western “Doughnut Hole,” a part of the Gulf believed to contain huge oil reserves.

Bermejo is said to be a low lying island located at 22.3 degrees north latitude and 91.22 degrees west longitude. That is about 100 miles northwest of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula.

The island has been mentioned in the nautical literature since the 1500s and has appeared on various nautical charts throughout the intervening centuries. It was Spanish territory, and then inherited by Mexico upon its’ independence.

In 1997, a Mexican navy expedition looked for, but did not find, Bermejo. Interest in both houses of the Mexican Congress has been expressed, especially with the bilateral agreement with the United States looming.

There are several explanations afoot to explain the island’s disappearance. One is that Bermejo was sunk by a seaquake or some kind of tectonic shift in the ocean floor. Then there’s the Al Gore explanation – it was sunk by global warming. A conspiracy theory advanced by others is that the island was intentionally blown up by the CIA, so the United States could drill more oil.

Another explanation is that the island simply never existed, that somebody mistook something else for an island back in the 1500s, and the maps just kept copying and recopying Bermejo Island through the centuries. That’s called a “phantom island” and it’s happened before.

The official version of the Mexican government is that the island sunk naturally due to climactic and tectonic factors. Naturally, this provides grist to the mill of the CIA conspiracy theory, that the Mexican government is in cahoots with the U.S. government.

Some in Mexico’s Congress (from both the right and the left) have called Mexican President Calderon to account for the lost island. One statement from certain senators implied that the island had been deliberately sunk: “a force of nature (able to sink an island) does not take place without anyone noticing and much less so when it is sitting in an area with more than 22 billion barrels of oil reserves.”

British maps, interestingly enough, have reported the sinking of the island since way back in 1844.

In 2009, at the behest of the Maritime Committee in the Mexican House of Representatives, an extensive search for the island was carried out by the UNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico).This expedition went to Bermejo’s supposed location, and searched by sea and air. Over 10,488 square kilometers were searched. Under the sea, soundings went down 1500 feet. The result – nothing. They just didn’t find Bermejo Island where it was supposed to be located.

Some mysterious things have been happening in the Gulf of Mexico: missing ships, missing planes and now a missing island. Could it be that Mexico has its own Bermuda Triangle?

Jorge Bautista

On June 10th , we had met one of Trans Caribbean’s sales rep’s in Cancun who told us about an area a couple of hours south of Playa Del Carmen that is known as Majahual, a small fishing village with a lot of charm. For a while now my wife Anna and I have been interested in purchasing an oceanfront lot for our retirement. After talking it over we decided to take the opportunity to go and see the lots.

Anna and I are keen divers, hence the idea of owning oceanfront in Mexico just seemed right. Martin had promised us that he would try to set up a diving excursion to Banco Chinchorro if we had the time, and to keep his word, he did just that! (Nice one Martin).

We decided that Martin would pick us up the next morning and we would go straight down to Majahual and spend some time mingling with the locals to get a feel for the area. After a short drive we had already passed Playa Del Carmen and were in Tulum having a coffee break. Martin had used this time to tell us the good news “I have successfully been able to get you on a trip out to the largest atoll in the northern hemisphere and we are going out there first thing in the morning!” To say the least, Anna and I were excited and couldn’t wait to get down to Majahual, unpack and take in the cool evening Caribbean breeze, while having a couple of cold beers and some “Ceviche”.

We were awakened at around 6.30 the next morning by Martin and his friend (diving guide) Enrique. We went to the dive gear shop to get fitted out and we were just about ready to board our dive boat at 7am. Enrique had prepared us one of the most amazing breakfasts we’ve ever had, with fresh fish he had caught. He grilled the fish with some local spices and before long we were eating freshly caught grilled fish called “Tikinchik” with homemade tortillas, as we were steadily cruising towards the great Banco Chinchorro.

After a short boat ride over the clearest ocean we had ever seen, the boat started to slow. As the sun broke on the distant horizon the water glistened like a shattered mirror. The air felt like clouds of warm mist passing over our skin. Enrique had a proud grin on his face that morning, as if he were taking us to some ethereal paradise.

Anna and I didn’t waste much time once we got to Chinchorro. We dove straight in over a shallow part of the Atoll into what seemed like another world filled with schools of multi-colored tropical fish. The underwater world seemed to stretch for as far as the eye could see. In the distant gloom an old ancient ship wreck began to appear that was alive with coral and sea life. The whole diving experience seemed to remind us of when we used to talk about owning an oceanfront lot in Mexico years ago, and being able to dive as we pleased.

After a great morning of diving we headed back toward town where we sat down to enjoy a quiet lunch. We were excited to see the lots and wasted no time as the weather was beautiful and the warm Caribbean breeze just felt amazing. We had previously spoken about a couple of lots that Martin had listed. A short drive from Majahual and we had arrived. The tall palms, clear water and seclusion surpassed our expectations. Martin explained that the area where we were is protected and there will never be any high rise developments for neighbors.

That night Anna and I talked back at the little boutique hotel where we were staying in Majahual. Listing the pros and cons, Martin explained that it was natural to ask the same set of questions most of his clients ask. He explained that one of the main reasons people invest in Majahual is to get that secluded feeling. Chetumal, the capital, about an hour away has all the amenities and stores we needed. Most people make a monthly shopping trip to Chetumal. Fresh fish, fruit, vegetables and other staples are available in Majahual. We finally agreed that we would take the plunge and that is exactly what we did. We decided to put in an offer which was accepted. Thirty days and a cold bottle of Champagne later, it was ours. We call it “Paradise Found”.

We spent a few more days in Mexico setting off on our own Mexican adventure of Mayan Ruins, Pyramids and Cenotes. We made a few good contacts in the area, Martin was right, the longer we stayed and the more people we met, made us feel more confident that we had made the right decision. Anna was laughing, I know I had the same smirk on my face that Enrique had while we were cruising that June morning out to Banco Chinchorro.


-Allen and Anna Johnson.

A short boat ride offshore from Majahual, the southernmost cruise ship port in the Mexican Caribbean, lays the largest coral atoll in the northern hemisphere: The legendary Banco Chinchorro. A common question among divers who frequent the Caribbean coast of Mexico is, “Have you ever been to Chinchorro?” And a common answer would be, “No, but a friend of a friend dove there last year and found a sunken German U boat.” It is extremely rare to meet a real live diver who’s actually made the trip yet everybody has heard the stories.

Banco Chinchorro was named a Biosphere Reserve, the highest level of ecological protection offered by the Mexican government. It is next to impossible for a dive operator to acquire a permit to take divers to Chinchorro. On top of that there are no permanent settlements on the atoll, which covers 308 sq. miles but less than 1% of that area is above sea level. The lack of accommodations for tourists on the atoll means that the only way to get to Chinchorro is to take a day trip with a dive operator who has permission to conduct diving on the atoll. Most dive operators require a minimum number of divers to conduct a trip. Due to the increase of tourism on the Costa Maya, it’s now fairly easy to get together with a group of divers for a day trip.

Replete with Spanish galleons, sunken treasure and 17th century ship wrecks, Chinchorro is truly the stuff of legends. Tourists are allowed to snorkel at the 40 Cannons wreck site. You can see the huge anchor that this Dutch galleon used over 250 years ago to try to keep off the reef. While snorkeling in shallow water you can see her mighty cannons laying on the sea floor.

Recently listed, Trans Caribbean is now pleased to offer 3 spectacular ocean front lots on a secluded road with a direct view to the Banco Chinchorro Atoll. If you are looking for someplace special-this might be your Shangri-La. Only $149.000.