Costa Careyes? Costa Careyes!

The world seems entirely different here. On a 4,000 acre property surrounded by the 32,000 acre Chamela-Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve, is an ultra-exclusive resort community of 52 castles, villas and casitas called Costa Careyes. 

The lifestyle and community of this curated destination has been nurtured and cultivated by the Brignone family for the past 45 years. 

Just to purchase a castle or villa or even a piece of property in Costa Careyes, you first have to meet 27 requirements that range from “To appreciate the music of sky, earth and sea…” to “having committed most of the seven deadly sins.” And only when you get to number 26 do you have to consider whether you can “…find the financial means to acquire a home.” 

It is not about the money and here lies the charm; it is about being part of a very unique community and from the beginning, we feel included, as if we are a part of Careyes. 

We stay in one of the smaller villas, Nido de Amor, a three bedroom home-away from-home, terraced on a dramatic, rocky bank, offering incredible privacy, extraordinary views and deep pacific vistas from every room. As we enter the first level, I am immediately impressed by the sophisticated simplicity of the white on white rooms with warm touches of natural, exotic woods. With a wrap around veranda and outdoor patio, Nido’s master suite is a very spacious nest but, as we soon discover, Careyes does one thing possibly better than most; in Careyes, they don’t bring the outdoors in, they bring the indoors out.

We quickly make our way to our outdoor living room for a delicious and much welcome margarita. The living room is a large patio with deep, built-in seating areas; oversized cushions make this area cushy and comfortable yet still tailored and chic. Open on three sides, the living room is protected from the elements by a huge thatched palapa, and is the perfect place to savor our margaritas as the sun lingers on the horizon in a swath of pink and gold. Once the sun sets, we move upstairs to our outdoor dining room for a wonderfully prepared meal created especially for us. The dining room is again completely open except for the protection of the grand palapa and would be perfect for entertaining a large group but Nido de Amor is about romantic indulgences.  

Careyes is a place that will move you if you are at all fond of sensuous luxury, fanciful architecture and leaving the world as you know it behind.  There is wonderfully little to do in Careyes. It feels as if you might wish to throw your smart phone in the teal blue waves; it's restful, unspoiled and mysterious.

At Playa Rosa, the social heart of Careyes, visitors and residents from all over the world, stroll between beach and table to mingle over tequila and classic Mexican and Italian dishes. Most of the people we meet return to Careyes year after year. It is high society at its most authentic. 

For those of us who like to experience everything, there is a lot more to Careyes than looking fabulously fabulous and sipping icy drinks. On our first morning, we meet at the sleepy Playa Rosa and hop on a boat to explore the 9 miles of Costa Careyes coast. If you don’t get an ocean view of the villas, you are missing out on something spectacular. On the land, cobble stone lanes disappear into beautifully landscaped gardens, with only a distinctive swatch of Mediterranean color or a ubiquitous tower visible to the passerby; from the ocean the cliff-side castles and villas of Careyes emerge one after another, as if turning the pages of your favorite posh architectural magazine. Many properties have casitas or towers that cascade colorfully down the hill from the main house toward the waves.

In the late afternoon we return to take a tour of sprawling castles and sun-drenched villas, some for sale, some for rent. All are the rustic, modern, chic of Careyes; bright Mediterranean colors, primitive ethnic artifacts, rich grained parota wood furniture, magnificent strangler fig logs that support the palapas - art is everywhere. As we explore each villa, little surprises tell a story of architectural playfulness; expansive views and spectacular sunsets, the focal point of every villa, seem made to order for painters, poets and lovers.

This area of the Mexican Pacific Coast has a micro climate all its own, a wild but hospitable coastline that, thanks to the environmental stewardship of the Brignone family, will remain mostly unchanged for decades to come. Our boat passes Bird Island, home to many of the 270 species of birds in the area, and we find ourselves in a quiet cove where we swim from our little boat to a sandy beach drenched in warm sunshine and protected by tall, swaying palm trees; the perfect place to spend the afternoon in rare and precious privacy.  We see a few other boaters, but there are many private beaches in Careyes so they move on. 

There are constant reminders that we are far from the chaos and intensity of a large Mexican city. Not far from the striking cliffs and secluded beaches, rustic fishing villages dot the shoreline, all of which have been positively impacted by the many philanthropic programs undertaken by the Careyes Foundation, which supports, among other things, sustainable local development. 

The next morning, we take our coffee poolside and lounge in chairs strategically placed to enjoy the morning sun as it slowly caresses the hills and finds its way into our own secret cove. Today is the day I have been most looking forward to since we arranged this trip. We are going for a polo lesson! 

Polo is said to be both the “Game of Kings” and the “King of Games” because it is costly and requires multiple skills. As a spectator, I have always respected the extreme level of horsemanship required as riders thunder past, a tightly packed group of competitors, mallets aloft, causing the ground to shake under foot. So needless to say, I was extremely excited when we were offered the opportunity to give polo a go. With two well-trained polo ponies and a couple of mallets we set out onto the field.  I’ve ridden all my life but polo is a unique talent so, as a complete novice, it took me some time to get my timing right. Once I did, the fun of cantering down the field, following a ball that is propelled forward by the resounding crack of my mallet is ridiculously exhilarating. 

Costa Careyes is recognized as one of the premier Polo facilities in Mexico. 275 teams competed at last years Easter Polo Tournament. There is talk of expanding the equestrian program to include cross-country or endurance and plans are already underway to develop an equestrian community...buy a villa...by the stable…in the jungle…by the beach… so Careyes?!

While the Careyes lifestyle is restful, lavish and exciting all at once, it is the Brignone’s dedication to helping the communities around Careyes that most impress me.  The Careyes Foundation was created to help the local communities, including programs providing the children with an early start in English and Math, surfing and bicycle polo to encourage an active lifestyle, and famous artists in residence to inspire local artists. There is also an innovative agriculture program which is designed to teach the children to grow their own vegetables, making the community more sustainable, and bringing pride back to farming with the hopes of fighting the loss of youth that all rural communities face.

During our trip, we have the enviable opportunity to become involved with another one of these programs, the Careyes Foundation’s turtle preservation program. We receive a call that some newly hatched baby turtles are ready to be released. The Brignone family is justifiably proud of their program. In 1983, only 11 turtles returned to the beach to lay their eggs; thirty years later in the 2012/2013 over 1900 turtles nest have been protected with 170,000 hatchings released. 

We arrive at the turtle nursery and are instantly blown away by the size of the facility. In three fenced compounds, row upon row of catalogued turtle nests lie completely protected from natural predators. From the beginning of the season, staff and volunteers work 24/7 to collect the eggs within 4 hours of their being buried in the sand by the giant female turtles. The eggs are moved immediately to their new nests to incubate in safety. This afternoon, the hatchlings of two nests are ready to be released; 115 baby turtles in total. As our turtle guru uncovers each nest, a dark mass of flippers and shells started to move instinctively toward the water. We gather up the determined babies and head proudly to the beach. After a brief delay as we wait for the dreaded frigate birds to turn in for the night, we let our babies go, and it is with a maternal/paternal mixture of pride and angst that we watch our turtles scuttle bravely into the crashing waves, not to return for another 20 years. Soon nothing is left but their tiny tracks in the sand. What an amazingly emotional experience. 

The next day we leave knowing one thing for certain; unlike the turtles, we will not wait another 20 years for our return visit to Costa Careyes.