The High Life in Punta Mita and Nuevo Vallarta

My day began with Lobster Benedict and a formal tour of the St. Regis Punta Mita (above, excuse the grainy cell phone picture). Suites and saunas and playrooms, oh my!

I got a rare look at the underground tunnels (very clean) and the back of the house — or as they call it, the “heart of the house.” Here are the maintenance guys in their shop:

After the tour, I got into the van with my guide and drove to Taheima, a wellness resort and spa in Nuevo Vallarta. Through the lobby I went, and I was greeted with this sight:

What?? Let’s look at it from a suite on the third floor.

So … basically, Taheima is really cool-looking. If it appears a little empty, that’s because this is June, it’s only been open since April, and every guest has their own plunge pool in their room.

Children are permitted on an “if they behave themselves” basis, cell phones are discouraged, and no alcohol is served until 5 PM. You can go to Taheima to take yoga or dance, learn art, or even just chill out and do no activities at all.

If you fall in love with Taheima, Nuevo Vallarta, and the close proximity to everything you could possibly need in nearby Puerto Vallarta, you can purchase a condo there and return yearly to this architecturally dumbfounding resort.

Also, you can take cooking classes. I did. They were kind enough to embroider me my very own chef’s … robe … jacket? … obviously I’m not much of a chef if I can’t even name the garment. Anyway, it looks pretty funny, as I’m wearing shorts. And those shoes I told you I was bringing.

The group cooking class starts from $1,600 per couple and is taught by Taheima’s Chef Laurent. Here’s an action shot which looks really posed but actually wasn’t (I swear):

After class and a lovely lunch, we headed back to Punta Mita to The Four Seasons.

I love The Four Seasons Punta Mita.

There are so many interesting and unusual features at this resort. There’s a golf hole, for example, which is out on an island you can only walk to during low tide:

If the tide is much higher, you have to ride in an amphibious vehicle to get to the green.

Also, you’ll notice that the above is part of an infinity pool — it’s one of the finest I’ve ever seen. It’s not necessarily the prettiest, but it really creates the illusion of extending right into the ocean. I almost never see an infinity pool which accomplishes that job so simply and well.

Here’s the lazy river, where every day around 3 PM the staff passes out mini frappuccinos to tubers.

There’s a traditional palapa roof on the lobby at The Four Seasons, and it has to be replaced every eight years. Here, you can see the men hand-weaving the new roof:

Later on in the tour, when I arrived in an oceanfront suite, a masseuse was waiting for me there — one of those moments when I love my job.

She rubbed me all over with moisture-increasing nopales (cactus paddles) about the size of a hand:

After the massage, I was transported by golf cart down to the beachfront restaurant for a lovely dinner with the General Manager. Here’s my delicious Tamarind Margarita:

We dined and chatted and watched the sun go down.

On the way back to my room (back at the St. Regis), I stopped in for a peek at Carolina, their fine dining restaurant. The chairs are upholstered with authentic mariachi suits. Cool!

After another very long day, I collapsed into bed and dreamt of cacti and turtles.

This trip was hosted by the Riviera Nayarit CVB.