Four Seasons is on a roll. Particularly along Mexico’s wild and beautiful west coast, where its much-loved resort in Punta Mita has recently been joined by two properties that have elevated the brand to new levels.
Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita
One of the first resorts to open within Riviera Nayarit’s 1,500-acre private peninsula estate, just an hour’s drive from Puerto Vallarta, Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita has, for over two decades, been the go-to destination for the well-heeled looking to escape the harsh northern hemisphere winters. Comprising a cluster of Mexican-style casitas, which tumble down towards a ribbon of pristine sands, the resort flies the Four Seasons flag with a series of restaurants, a sprawling spa and pools.
This is all set within buildings inspired by local palapa architecture, amid manicured gardens dotted with sculptures by Mexican artists. Spend lazy days under shaded cabanas on the beach, or sipping margaritas in the infinity pool during golden hour, before unhurried dinners at Dos Catrinas, which serves up a menu of authentic Mexican dishes, from tuna tlayuda to shrimp quesadillas, against the sound of crashing waves.
Four Seasons Resort Naviva
This sets the stage for a full Four Seasons Mexico experience, starting with Naviva. An extension of the mothership, located just a short drive down the road, the tented resort opened in December 2022, and is an intimate adults-only all-inclusive sanctuary – a first for the brand – that takes luxury to new heights with its personalised service and anything-goes approach. Surrounded by 48 acres of lush, untouched jungle, there are just 15 tents, all with panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean.
The design is the work of South African company Luxury Frontiers, whose former projects include Amangiri’s Camp Sarika in Utah and DumaTau in Botswana. The studio embraced the resort’s nature-focused concept with a biophilic creation that carefully slots within the land’s existing trees, using low-impact local materials such as reclaimed wood, stone from the region and woven bamboo.
The result sets the scene for a full nature immersion that continues with activities such as hiking, sound baths, free-diving breathwork, nocturnal forest bathing and meditation against the soundtrack of the crashing waves. If you can tear yourself away from your private plunge pool, there is a temazcal available for heated ceremonies, alongside two bamboo spa pods for massages, while sunset drinks around a fire pit overlooking the ocean is the perfect precursor to dinner in the restaurant, which serves a daily changing menu of Mexican specialities, and of course anything else your appetite desires.
Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo
After a few days at Naviva, hop onto the group’s private plane for a one-hour flight along the beautiful coastline to Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo (also opened in late 2022, and named best spot to catch April’s solar eclipse in the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2024). Located along the southern shores of Jalisco, amid a wild 3,000-acre private natural reserve of local flora and fauna, agave plantations, and endemic wildlife, from lilac-crowned parrots to iguanas, the resort is a brutalist dream, its sleek, bare concrete silhouette – in a custom ‘Tamarindo Orange’ palette - blending seamlessly into its surroundings.
The brilliant collaboration between five esteemed Mexican architects and designers is a barely-there resort that starts with an arrival at the open-air La Mansion, which frames dramatic views of the rugged coastline. The heart of the estate, it is here that you will find the main pools, and fitness centre – with a reformer pilates studio – alongside a clutch of restaurants that cascade towards the ocean. This includes Nacho, a laid-back taqueria, Sal, which serves freshly caught seafood against the best sunset views, and Coyul, where The World’s Best Female Chef of 2023, Elena Reygadas, sends out fresh, local and seasonal dishes, from plantain enmoladas to green mole with milpa vegetables.
Of course, with 157 exquisite rooms including a handful of cliffside suites – with their contemporary Mexican vibes of locally sourced wood, travertine, Mayan artwork and floor-to-ceiling windows that lead to private decks with hammocks and an infinity pool – you’ll be hard-pressed to leave. Unless, it’s to spend a day sunning yourself on the resort’s boat against the dramatic coastline, or to the spa, a peaceful sanctuary, where there is a temazcal, alongside a Jacuzzi, steam room, sauna, salon, and a bunch of treatment rooms where you can while away an afternoon indulging in treatments that use Copal oil, native to Mexico.
