Surrounded by the Pacific Ocean on three sides, Punta Mita has drawn a well-heeled clientele ever since the Four Seasons opened there in 1999, putting this once-sleepy corner of Mexico on the luxury travel map. The strikingly beautiful peninsula has since become a regular beachside escape of mine. Getting there is easy: Numerous nonstop flights connect the United States to Puerto Vallarta, about 45 minutes east of Punta Mita. (As of this writing, Puerto Vallarta has returned to its usual state of calm.)

The peninsula is a wonderful place to simply relax, but I also appreciate its numerous diversions, including seasonal whale watching, snorkeling and superlative golf — the Pacifico Course is famous for having the world’s only green on a natural island. Although the private peninsula and the adjacent stretches of coast have several impressive resorts, Four Seasons saw room for something even more exclusive. The brand unveiled its first all-inclusive property in Punta Mita in 2022, and it may well be Mexico’s most expensive hideaway. It looked irresistible, as did a nearby Auberge Collection resort I’d never reviewed. I promptly booked us a flight south.

Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort

You’d be forgiven for avoiding all-inclusive hotels, associating them more with buffet lines and watered-down drinks than fine service. But Four Seasons has turned the idea on its head, taking it from the bottom to the top. Its new 15-bungalow Naviva is an retreat that tailors a stay to each guest (ages 16 and up). There are no transactions and no restaurant menus. A prearrival video call with a guide helped introduce the concept. Aside from spa arrangements, we would be unburdened by appointment times. We could make Naviva whatever we wanted: an eco-resort, a wellness sanctuary, a beachfront hideaway, an adventure base or all of the above.

On arrival, the resort manager, Eduardo, welcomed us like old friends, and the operations manager, Miguel, asked for neither a passport nor a credit card (everything had been handled by the Travel Office already). He just handed us drinks and ushered us into a buggy for a tour of the 48-acre property. Along the way, Miguel emphasized the resort’s sustainable ethos: water harvested on-site, no single-use plastics and no landscaping chemicals.

From our lunch table at Cocina Copal and from a cabana bed on the white-sand beach, we saw massive humpbacks breaching. I could have happily whale-spotted my day away, watermelon granita in hand, but I was eager to see our room. En route, we met Tony Brown, a spearfisher with an Instagram following, showing off a colorful catch of parrotfish and snapper destined for the kitchen.

Like all accommodations, our hillside Ocean-View Bungalow was secluded by lush vegetation, with views of the ocean from the screened-in living room and king bed. Our bath featured a skylit walk-in shower, a soaking tub and an outdoor shower. But we rarely strayed from our scenic deck, reading beside its plunge pool and fire pit and watching birds flit through the trees.

EDITOR PHOTOS (slideshow below)

Naviva is pricey — five-figures-for-two-nights pricey — but improbable though it may sound, the many complimentary activities and the ultraexclusive service justify the rates. We took pleasure in tasting Mexican wines and agave spirits, going on a guided nocturnal forest walk, snorkeling off the beach and indulging in massages (one per person is included in the rate) before soaking in a wooden hot tub. One morning, after mentioning that bedside lights had disrupted our sleep, the issue was resolved before we returned from breakfast.

Surprisingly, our dinners at Copal were uneven. While we could order anything we wanted, waitstaff steered us toward the chef specials. “Italian Night” featured flaccid pasta and tough shrimp in watery butter sauce, and the chewy cornmeal-crusted calamari became a jaw workout. The following night was more successful, with Tony’s fresh mahi-mahi and pineapple old-fashioneds from the bartender, who remembered my fondness for extra añejo tequila.

We also visited the nearby Four Seasons, two minutes away, where we had privileges. It was large and immaculate, with numerous bars and restaurants — and 300 conference attendees overtaking the lawn. Back at Naviva, sitting under the stars beside our fire pit, contentment washed over us.

​Susurros del Corazón, Auberge Collection

Our last editorial visit to this area was in 2022, regrettably just before the opening of Susurros del Corazón. This 82-room property appeared to occupy an appealing middle ground between our nearby recommendations with fewer than 20 accommodations and the much larger 177-key Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita. My stay confirmed that Auberge has settled nicely into this niche.

A free transfer from Naviva took just 15 minutes, and soon we were being welcomed with tepache, a fermented pineapple drink, and an offering to spike it with tequila. Yes, please! A member of the Cuates team (cuates means “buddies”) took us on a walking tour of the property, and I noted all the places I wanted to revisit: La Boquita for a drink on its open-air terrace, Casamilpa for breakfast and dinner overlooking the ocean, the boutique for a shopping break and, of course, the three terraced pools at the property’s center.

Receiving an upgrade caused us quite the problem. We were torn between taking advantage of all the amenities and luxuriating in our room all day (you can send sympathy cards to the Travel Office address). Instead of a ground-floor Garden Casita, we checked into a second-floor Oceanview Suite, which had a massive breezy terrace surveying the palm-dotted property all the way down to the ocean. Inside, the 1,500-square-foot suite was a study in tropical minimalism, with chic neutral tones and organic touches like a wooden headboard, a stone wall and locally made sculptures. Our bath was sizable, with a walk-in closet and a pebble-floored shower room with stand-alone tub, but as is so often the case, the vanity needed brighter lighting.

EDITOR PHOTOS (slideshow below)

In planning for our stay, the resort was reluctant to share information about the schedule of complimentary experiences with our travel advisor, and finding information online was a chore. Ultimately, not much was available besides a 30-minute movement class, a beach bonfire and a relaxing but short sound bath at the spa. When I had to cancel a raicilla-tasting reservation, I was informed via the Auberge app that I’d be charged in full — even though we were well outside the penalty window. I quoted the hotel’s own fine print and received an apology. Before our salsa lesson, a complimentary raicilla cocktail was thoughtfully delivered to the dance floor, and our enthusiastic teacher had us loose and in the rhythm in no time.

The food at Susurros never disappointed. From the vibrant, fresh Mexican dishes at La Boquita to the varied offerings at Casamilpa — having a menu was an unexpected relief — every meal was a delight. Our final evening was unforgettable: Savoring a rustic kale salad and a luxuriously rich lobster tagliatelle, we hummed along to 1970s standards played live by a four-piece band on the sand as the sun slipped below the horizon.