In 1968, an Italian banker and businessman named Gian Franco Brignone flew over a remote stretch of Pacific coastline south of Puerto Vallarta and bought 20,000 acres sight unseen.
The goal: to create a Mexican sanctuary for himself and a coterie of like-minded bon vivants who preferred their luxury untamed and their rules optional. Thus began the swashbuckling origin story of Careyes, Mexico.
Brignone hired local workers to hack through dense jungle, then enlisted Mexican and Italian architects to build a free-spirited oasis where guests could express joie de vivre however they saw fit, or not at all. Clothing, schedules, and expectations were all negotiable.
Five decades later, Brignone’s vision of a non-conformist refuge bordered by jungle and ocean includes nine miles of beaches spread between craggy outcrops. There are now 40 casitas and 65 villas, many of which are open to the air under soaring palapa roofs, including his own home, Mi Ojo, or My Eye in English.
The seclusion of Careyes has made it a magnet for A-listers seeking privacy, including Mick Jagger, Audrey Tautou, and Kylie Jenner. Seal and Heidi Klum were married on the beach a long time ago, and Richard Gere was rumored to be lurking during my stay. Sadly, I didn’t see him.
Families and couples are frequent guests, too, and when my husband and I arrived at the beachfront El Careyes Club & Residences, kids were splashing happily in the infinity pool.
Finding the “?!”
I’m not going to lie, it’s work to get to Careyes, which I suppose was Brignone’s intention too.
On the three-hour drive from Puerto Vallarta, there were places to stop for leg stretches and roadside tacos, which made it an adventure of sorts. Eventually, around kilometer 53, we spotted the unassuming sign: Careyes ?! FYI, that punctuation isn’t a typo. “?!” is the Careyes logo, which I translated as Curiosity (?) and Wow (!).
I was spot on.
Turning off Highway dusty 200 and into the lush jungle and gardens was like finally entering Oz after leaving Kansas. After miles and miles of burnt sienna and sepia-toned landscapes, life suddenly hummed in technicolor again.
Careyes Curious
Use the “r-word” around Careyes, and they’re quick to correct.
“Careyes is not a resort, it’s a community.”
Okay, so this non-resort community has pools, beaches, rooms, and restaurants, but it’s a delightful pivot from unimaginative elbow-to-elbow compounds you might find in other beach locales. It’s just big enough to have options but off-the-beaten-path enough to feel like you’re a part of something special.
About 50 creatives, professionals, and wellness gurus actually live here full-time (see my Local Voices section to read about one of them), while other property owners from around the world rotate in and out for the quirky annual events, including Ondalinda, an art and music festival that blends the mystery of Venice carnival with the unbridled debauchery of Burning Man.
Professional polo matches run from late November through the end of April, including the world-renowned Agua Alta Cup, held during Easter week.
Au Natural
Careyes sits amid about 36,000 nature-forward acres, where only 3% of the land is developed. Wander around, and you’ll find prehistoric-looking iguanas and raccoon-like tejones scurrying up trees and crossing the sand.
Meanwhile, four species of sea turtles lay eggs on the beaches of Careyes. In fact, the name Careyes means tortoiseshell in Spanish, and the cute-as-can-be creatures are protected by the active Careyes Foundation. Since 1983, they have helped more than 1.7 million just-hatched baby sea turtles shuffle their way to the ocean.
The Careyes Foundation is an integral part of the community, and visitors can stop by the headquarters in the Pueblo Plaza to see the works of international artists-in-residence and schoolchildren in the area. Travelers can also arrange to visit some of the surrounding villages that benefit from the foundation’s community empowerment programs.
Primative Luxury
Brignone died a few years ago at the age of 96, but his children continue to propel his vision forward, part of which is a cheeky set of rules for those who want to live or visit Careyes.
“Speak more than one language” makes the list, as does “Have will, love, and fantasy in your life.”
Check! Check! And check!
I met one of Brignone’s sons, Giorgio, at his home, Mi Ojo. Our encounter was brief, but he called Careyes “Primitive luxury,” a great descriptor.
I found my primitive luxury at the Copa del Sol, the cup of the sun, yet another quirky whim of Brignone’s. He built the 88-foot-wide cement bowl perched on a cliff overlooking the sea as an ode to a woman.
I climbed in at sunset and lay still on my back for an hour, eyes closed, while a sound healer worked her magic. Unusual? Yes! Luxurious? Absolutely!
That luxury isn’t defined by Michelin stars, Instagram collabs, and 24/7 room service is precisely the point. Here, in a visionary’s paradise hewn from the Mexican jungle, the ultimate luxury is that it’s yours to define and create any way you want.
And there’s nothing more “?!” than that.
Where to Stay & Dine in Careyes?
You don’t have to own a home here to enjoy it, and many are rented out, and appropriate for families, such as the one-bedroom casitas . Careyes has gob smacking clifftop castles with moat-like infinity pools and half-walls to tumble over, which doesn’t make them safe for very small children or intoxicated adults.
Most appropriate for families, couples, and groups are the El Careyes Club & Residences, a gorgeous collection of private condo-like residences from 1-bedroom suites to 4-bedroom penthouses, all with fully-equipped kitchens and dining areas. Most of the residences have outdoor living space, too.
There are a total of five year-round restaurants, found either on the beachside or in ‘the pueblo’, a five-minute drive (or a walk through the jungle and across the road) from the El Careyes Club & residence.
What to Do in Careyes?
Beach front El Careyes Club & Residences has five infinity pools.
Join a yoga class taught by world-renowned yogis who swoop in and out of the community year-round, or by Careyes resident Kim Kessler, who teaches regularly.
Water activities include renting a captained boat for a day of swimming in private turquoise coves. Surfing in Barra de Navidad is perfect for all levels. Beginners can take lessons while pros can catch wave their own waves.
Visit the Careyes Foundation HQ and art gallery, and arrange to release sea turtles during the season, which runs from October through January.
Wellness seekers should not miss a sound healing session at a La Copa del Sol.
Take a guided walking, running, or biking trail tour, or explore on your own.
You’ll find tennis courts here, but the closest golf course is at Four Seasons Tamarindo, about a 45-minute drive away.
In season (September to January) don’t miss the opportunity to release baby turtles on the beach.
Travel Tips
Having a car makes things a lot easier. But transfers can be arranged, and taxis from nearby villages can be ordered.
WestJet, United, AeroMexico and Alaska Airlines fly into Manzanillo Airport, 90 minutes south of Careyes.
Puerto Vallarta airport is about 3.5 north.
Private charter flights also operate between Puerto Vallarta and a grass airstrip in Chamela, 20 minutes away.
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