In its short history as an ultra-luxury resort, Casa Cuixmala has won acclaim as one of the finest hotels in Mexico, a best hotel for a dream wedding and an all-round utopia that immerses you in a pristine wilderness. This majestic 10,000-hectare estate has been a favourite for presidents, heads of states and VIPs from all fields, including Mick Jagger, Madonna and Bill Gates.
Above a three-kilometre stretch of private beach, Casa Cuixmala’s crowning glory is La Loma, a Moorish-inspired palace designed by Robert Couturier. Inside the sunshine-orange walls, topped with a chevron-tiled dome, the decor is sleek and white. Soaring ceilings and windows with intricate lacework create fountain courtyards and light-filled spaces where richly coloured textiles and have pride of place.
The main house is home to three Deluxe Suites, as well as the palatial Cuixmala Suite, with a terrace and a plunge pool-sized Jacuzzi overlooking the beach. A selection of bungalows and villas offers the ultimate in privacy for families and friends; Villa Playa is set on its own beach, embracing the ocean from stunning outdoor living spaces.
On the other side of the coconut plantation, a small community of casitas, ranging from one-bedroom to three, provides a more rustic take on tropical luxury without compromising on privacy. Each casita is a vibrant cottage nestled in a garden, putting the ecological wonders of Cuixmala right at guests’ doors.
WHERE NATURE COMES FIRST
Indeed, for all its grandeur, the aims of Casa Cuixmala are rather humbling. Goldsmith created the private estate, and helped establish the 13,412-hectare Chamela-Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve surrounding it, with the goal of protecting the many native species that call the Pacific Coast home. More than 270 types of birds, including the exotic roseate spoonbill, can be seen while roaming the estate, as well as wild boar, coati mundi, deer, foxes, crocodiles and even the endangered and elusive jaguar. Guests can witness the evening return to roost on an electric boat tour, marvelling at the extraordinary moment when thousands of birds flock to the lagoons by sunset.
The stables are a Cuixmala signature, offering numerous trails winding across the estate to explore on horseback (or mountain bikes), through hills and plantations, and perhaps encounter the introduced herds of zebra, eland and blackbuck along the way.
Down on the beach, the Turtle Protection Programme allows guests to assist biologists in their work; thus far, they have returned hundreds of thousands of baby turtles to the sea. In winter, whales migrate just off shore, and flocks of brown pelicans glide along the water’s edge. Halcyon days are lived out riding on horseback in the shallows of Playa Cuixmala, the main beach that curves beside the jungle-coated hills, the pristine saltwater pool at its centre an extension of the ocean.
Marine life below the waves is visible as you snorkel in Caleta Blanca, a calm bay for living out a castaway’s fantasy, while Playa Escondida is a rugged pirate’s beach, dotted with grottos for a secluded picnic. Surfing and scuba diving are available beyond the shore, or set sail aboard a 14-metre yacht to discover Mexico’s coastal beauty.
Although just 1 hour from Manzillo’s international airport, and two-and-a-half hours from Puerto Vallarta, otherworldly Cuixmala is far from the resort crowds, offering a pioneering natural escape that caters for every desire. Here is a fantasy come to life, just as Goldsmith intended.
This article appeared in Volume 21 of Signature Luxury Travel & Style Magazine
