From snorkeling and deep sea fishing to pure relaxation and indulgence, Punta de Mita is fast becoming one of Mexico’s most popular beach escapes. Yet, the destination is far more laidback, with fewer tourists and reduced crowds compared to more well-trodden hot spots such as Cancun or Cabo, or even the adjacent Puerto Vallarta. That makes it a prime candidate for a blissful sunny escape, with the luxury hotels to match.
Before discovering the best choices for where to stay, it’s worth a quick diversion to explain the verbiage of Punta de Mita versus Punta Mita. The two names are often used interchangeably, however, there’s a specific if subtle difference. “Punta Mita” refers to a 1,500-acre developed resort and residential community that’s home to several hotels, a golf club, and miles of pristine shoreline. “Punta de Mita” refers to the adjacent area and village beyond that cordoned-off community, and is also home to a number of hotels in addition to restaurants, shops, and tour operators.
Whether you stay in the cordoned-off, purpose-built Punta Mita, or the larger encompassing area of Punta de Mita, you’ll be flying into the Puerto Vallarta airport. A short ride northwest around the coastline takes you outside the state of Jalisco and just across into Nayarit, where you’ll find this beautiful tip of land now bustling with high-end resorts and hotels.
Best Hotel for a Secluded, Super-Luxe Stay: Naviva

When Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort, opened in December 2022, it brought an entirely different approach to the Mexican beach getaway. The resort features just 15 tented villas spread across its lush 48 acres. The architecture of each room opens up its interior to the sounds of the surrounding jungle and ocean, while still keeping you safely ensconced within its air-conditioned enclosure featuring floor-to-ceiling windows looking to the oceans, local artisan crafts, and expansive bathrooms with soaking tubs as well as indoor and outdoor showers.
Villas offer incredible views and total seclusion with standout amenities including enormous terraces with plunge pools and a screened-in area with couch seating to escape the sun. The whole setup is a bit akin to what you’d expect from safari-style accommodations, only in this case dropped onto a stunning oceanfront locale on the Mexican Pacific.
Naviva offers an as-you-please, anything-you-want ethos to activities, tailoring a bespoke lineup to suit your interests of being as active or low-key as you’d like, as well as all-inclusive food and beverage. Don’t be turned off by that idea, either; chef Sofia Mojica delivers vibrant and inventive gourmet daily menus, and the bar is stocked with top-shelf spirits. Ask to sample from their house-exclusive raicilla for a special treat, and perhaps parlay that into an in-depth agave tasting.The property is an offshoot adjacent to the main Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita within the resort community, and guests can make use of the larger hotel’s amenities. While you may want to pop over for the gym, it’s likely that you won’t want to leave your villa’s comfortable confines at all.
Best Combo of Big Resort Amenities with a Swanky Side: St. Regis Punta Mita

The St. Regis Punta Mita is also found within the Punta Mita development, and features 120 rooms, suites, and villas within a series of low-slung buildings spaced out across its 22-acre grounds. Accommodations feature terracotta tile flooring and exposed wooden beam ceilings, natural textiles and fabrics, private terraces, and bathrooms with soaking tubs, walk-in showers, and separate outdoor showers. Each accommodations feature meticulously crafted design elements and curated artwork from esteemed Mexican artists such as textiles from Caralarga, ceramic pieces from Encrudo and Perla Valtierra as well as functional, sculpture-like furnishings from Casa Bobadilla.
The showpiece of the resort is its intricate, sleek, multi-tiered pool which runs down the center of the property beneath the lobby and extends towards the beach. There’s a multitude of different areas to post up for some sunshine, including the beach club Sea Breeze, as well as adults-only and family-friendly pools.
Half a dozen on-site dining venues are headlined by Carolina, serving contemporary Mexican tasting menus delivering avant-garde technique paired with traditional flavors. More casual beachfront options, and cuisine ranging from sushi to Mediterranean are on offer as well, while drink highlights include comprehensive tequila tastings with matching food pairings at the St. Regis Bar, proudly showcasing a curated lineup of several dozen agave spirits. When it’s time to sweat some of that out, head to The St. Regis Spa, offering a fleet of private spa cabins and suites, indigenous treatments and ingredients, and signature rituals such as a Temazcal.
The property boasts the familiar St. Regis touch points that fans of the brand know and love, such as on-demand butler service and complimentary nightly Champagne sabrage. Relishing that level of hospitality while also making the most of the vast array of experiences that a large-scale resort can deliver makes this a best of both worlds option, whether you’re seeking a romantic escape or want to bring the entire family along for a multi-generational trip.
Best for a Stylish, Party-Centric Vibe: W Punta de Mita

Head beyond the enclosed community to Punta de Mita proper for a stay at the W Punta de Mita along the Riviera Nayarit. Walk into the property and your attention will immediately be captured by an entrancing mosaic path with vivid blues and greens extending from the lobby, through the main bar area, and outside onto an elevated walkway above the pool and beach. Known as the Camino Huichol, the project represents elements of the Wixarika culture and includes a staggering assortment of more than 750,000 individual mosaic tiles.
Rooms are scattered in different positions around the property, either beachfront or immersed into the lush environs of the surrounding jungle. The latest remodeled rooms feature stone floors and neutral colors, huge showers with twin rainfall shower heads, and a showstopping bathtub enclosed inside an open-air, glass-walled atrium accessed from the shower. Private plunge pools and fire pits abound, with guests in ground-level rooms having walk-out access from their patios to the main pool and beach.
The crowd of couples and groups of friends found here is inclined to alternate between wellness offerings and surfing during the day with energetic, late nights. For the former, reserve some time at the Away Spa, with a full outdoor hydrotherapy circuit and traditional offerings such as peyote wraps in addition to massages and beauty services. For the latter, there’s a range of dining and drinking options, topped off by Mesa 1, a private tasting menu experience for small groups. You don’t need to wait until the sun goes down to get the party started, though. The main Wet pool deck features live DJ music, while the adults-only Wet Too area looks down upon the beach from a setting that encourages revelers to get the vibes going early.
Featured image courtesy of W Punta de Mita; We may earn a commission from links on this page