Inside the best new and noteworthy jungle resorts in Mexico

Travel

By Alexandra Kirkman 

May 24, 2023 | 6:06pm

Mexico isn’t just ocean resorts and pool parties — it’s a jungle out there.

Roughly 34.5% of the country is covered in forests. The area surrounding the Yucatan, down the Atlantic Coast, is famously dense, lush and animal-rich, helping to make Mexico one of the five most biodiverse countries on Earth.

But getting lost in the experience doesn’t require a machete. Experts say that today, the call of the jungle is just as much about health as adventure.

“It’s a chaotic, crazy world, and people are still seeking solace in the outdoors,” said Zach Rabinor, founder and CEO of Journey Mexico, a specialist in Mexican luxury travel with offices in Cancún, Mexico City and Puerto Vallarta. “Mexican jungle hotels are in harmony with the trends of mindfulness, wellness, work-life balance, and connecting with nature.”

Puerto Vallarta, the sparkling resort city on the Mexican Pacific in Jalisco state, is backed by the jungled mountains of the Sierra Madre. Home to 350 species of birds, along with monkeys, ocelots, armadillos and jaguars, it’s particularly popular with wellness-obsessed adventurers.

“With the rise of active tourism, a new set of luxe properties are stealing market share from perennial eco-destinations like Costa Rica and Belize,” said Jack Ezon, founder and managing partner of luxury travel advisory Embark Beyond.

Ready to swap the concrete jungle for the real thing? Here’s a look at the latest and greatest new and noteworthy resorts everyone is taco-ing about.

Better be-leaf it

The latest debut from the acclaimed Namron Hospitality group, adults-only escape La Valise Jungle Side is swathed by Tulum’s ubiquitous tropical jungle on the Riviera Maya. Every bit as chic and sultry as its sister property, La Valise Tulum, just across the road, five of its 11 suites feature king-size beds that roll out onto the terrace for a night under the stars (don’t forget the bug spray).

Meanwhile, the Oasis master suite overlooks the property’s private cenote. The quietly exotic décor — filled with beachy hues, luxury linens and show-stopping accent pieces bedecked with jaguar heads and other fanciful creatures, handwoven from river grass in the Mexican state of Michoacán — creates a cocooning ambience that lets the environs take center stage.

Excursions include a jungle hike through a lush reserve filled with howler and spider monkeys, snorkeling expeditions in a crystal-filled cave and exploring Mayan ruins by ATV. Guests also enjoy full access to La Valise Tulum’s picture-perfect beach and delightful al fresco restaurant, where simple, scrumptious lunches — like shrimp aguachile with fresh chili and creamy avocado, or tacos with local pork, bitter orange and pickled red onions — can easily spill over into happy hour, when the margaritas magnificas really start to flow (rooms from $290).

Action fig-ures

Spanning more than 80 acres of unspoiled nature, 45 minutes from Punta Mita on the red-hot Riviera Nayarit, the One&Only Mandarina destination resort has had Mexico aficionados buzzing since its November 2020 opening. Its 105 tree houses and villas, elevated in the tree canopy or perched on the emerald cliffside above the Pacific, are loaded with infinity pools, skylights and outdoor showers, as well as breathtaking views of the Pacific Coast and Sierra de Vallejo mountains.

The surrounding jungle is home to more than 50 species of ancient trees, most notably the revered higuera blanca (white fig), whose massive roots wend their way through the rainforest floor. Guests can hike to meet the grand dame of them all, La Abuela (the grandmother) — nearly 240 years old — with an expert naturalist for a crash course in the myriad species of endemic plants and birds. You can also saddle up at Mandarina Polo & Equestrian Club for a polo lesson, or amble on horseback along jungle trails to nearby waterfalls and freshwater swimming holes.

Meanwhile, the sprawling KidsOnly club — designed by Brigitte Broch, Academy Award-winning production designer of “Moulin Rouge” — takes kiddos on an action-packed journey of wide-eyed discovery with treehouses linked by suspended bridges, climbing walls, and a butterfly sanctuary, as well as an outdoor amphitheater and a cinema.

World-renowned Mexican Chef Enrique Olvera oversees the proceedings at cliffside fine-dining restaurant Carao, where he reinvents modern Mexican fare with dishes like horse mackerel ceviche with soybean germ, and cucumber and fish zarandeado-style, a regional technique using dried chile-paste marinade.

You can also lounge at the nearby, no-kids infinity pool and snack on octopus chicharrón tacos and squash blossom quesadillas, before beelining to the Treetop eatery to swill a Canalan — blanco tequila, pineapple juice, curacao, and coconut milk — as the sun sinks into the sea (rooms from $1,490).

Good in-tent

Unveiled in December, the Four Seasons Naviva is the brand’s first all-inclusive offering. The adults-only, luxury tented hideaway —tucked among 48 lush acres and neighboring its Punta Mita stalwart — features biophilic design and sustainable, low-impact construction materials.

The 15 safari-style, supersize tented suites usher the idyllic outdoors in with open-air living rooms, sliding glass walls, spacious decks and plunge pools, while custom furniture, artwork, and textiles exclusively by Mexican artisans add local flavor. Each tent has a personal guide who’s standing by to book reservations and experiences like guided star bathing, and a nature hike to the Aztatlán ruins.

A session in the “house of heat,” a temazcal experience led by a local shaman, is a must-do. You’ll sweat your way to self-improvement with focus areas including gratitude, devotion and rebirth. Other “Unscripted Naviva” moments spring up spontaneously, ranging from a pop-up picnic in the jungle to an exploration of small-batch Mexican wines.

Speaking of tipples, festive mezcal tastings and cocktail classes are hosted at Copal Cobina, the breezy al fresco restaurant, where Chef Sofía Mojica whips up meals of hyperlocal ingredients to satisfy guests’ cravings. You can also opt for a solo picnic lunch at La Solana, Naviva’s 575-foot stretch of private Pacific beachfront, nibble on light bites at the Selva pool, nestled deep in the jungle, or order up 24-hour in-tent dining.

Naviva guests can also enjoy the top-shelf amenities at the Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, a quick golf cart ride away, including two Jack Nicklaus-designed golf courses, 14 tennis courts and wellness experiences (rooms from $3,950).

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Green acres

Just getting to Verana is half the adventure: from Puerto Vallarta, you take a 45-minute cab ride to Boca de Tomatlan, hop the boat headed to the fishing village of Yelapa, and drift in to the hotel’s private pier, where the staff awaits with mules to carry the bags as you hike 15 minutes uphill through the jungle to this storied eco-retreat.

A literal handmade hotel, it’s the passion project of a former Hollywood set designer and interior designer who left Los Angeles in 1997 to build a house — bringing all materials in by boat and mule, high above Yelapa.

That modest aim evolved over time into this fabled escape, whose 10 unique rooms — think palapa-thatched roofs, polished concrete floors, raffia furniture and vibrant pops of bold, beautiful color — unfold over terraced levels.

The ocean views improve the further you climb.

Activities by sea include coastal sightseeing and snorkeling trips in search of whales and manta rays, and sunrise fishing for tuna and mahi mahi.

By land, try the “Yelapa Insider,” where you’ll hike to town — an organic sprawl of paths with no cars; just mules, horses, and the occasional ATV —stopping en route at a rosewood workshop to see how a family of artisans transforms the rare, protected species into art. Then follow a hidden trail through the jungle to a dazzling natural pool at the very top of the Yelapa’s “local” waterfall.

Back at the ranch, sample spa treatments like an antioxidant coffee scrub and a starlight aromatherapy bath. Full board includes breakfast goodies, lunch on the poolside terrace and a candle-lit al fresco dinner featuring fish ceviches, empanadas and enchiladas (rooms from $250).

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