Review: Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort, Punta Mita, Mexico

Why book? Four Seasons has re-imagined the glamping experience and the brand’s approach to five-star service with this intimate adults-only, all-inclusive resort overlooking the Pacific. 

Set the scene Sporty couples in their 40s and 50s are up before dawn to join the ocean-obsessed GM for a sunrise paddleboard. Most have been regulars at neighboring Four Seasons Punta Mita Resort, but are now converts of this 15-suite, adults-only alternative. By day, it feels as if you have the resort to yourself as guests cocoon themselves in their futuristic safari tents or in one of the bamboo spa pods for transformational healing journeys. At night, couples swap stories over mezcal tastings and cooking lessons in the open-air restaurant.

The backstory An expansion of the existing Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, which opened in 1999, Naviva is the first all-inclusive offering from the luxury hotel brand. Luxury Frontiers, the award-winning design firm behind Amangiri’s Camp Sakiri in Utah, Nayara Tented Camp in Costa Rica, and many Instagram-sensation African safari lodges masterminded the unique look and sustainable, biophilic design of Naviva. The intimate size and focus on wellness, personal discovery, and unscripted experiences is a fresh approach to Four Seasons’ legendary white-glove hospitality.

The rooms Romantic couples will be forgiven if they don’t leave their palatial, safari-style tented suites. There are two categories of suites: Tents are 1,250 square feet and grand tents span 1,700 square feet. The latter have more spacious outdoor areas with two-tier decks, but both are over-the-top fabulous and boast indoor bathrooms with deep soaking tubs, outdoor showers, and private plunge pools with west-facing sunset views. The interiors feel truly rooted in place, decorated with local art, artisan textiles, custom furniture, and comfy robes sourced from Oaxaca. 

Food and drink The F&B team love educating curious guests and are happy to host mezcal tutorials, cocktail lessons, and cooking classes in the open-air restaurant, Copal Cocina. The small size of the property allows chef Sofía Mojica to do away with menus and customize meals, such as baby beets with burrata and candied pecans and the catch of the day over farmer’s greens. Wine nerds should explore the interesting Mexican varietals on the menu from producers such as Bruma in Valle de Guadalupe. Rooms are stocked with top-quality, locally-roasted coffee and an old-school cocktail trunk with artisanal mezcal. Take advantage of having breakfast served on your spacious terrace.

The spa Two futuristic spa pods each feature private, palm-shaded hot tubs and daybeds and offer transformational therapies informed by Mesoamerican traditions such as a Mayan mud massage and copal cleansing ritual. The temazcal, or sweat lodge experience, is led by a resident shaman and should not be missed.

The neighborhood/area Part of Punta Mita, a 1,500-acre private peninsula home to luxury resorts, high-end residences, and perfectly manicured golf courses, Naviva feels like an oasis tucked within an oasis. Naviva’s beachfront sister property, Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, sits just next door but feels worlds away. Guests can take a five-minute golf cart ride over if they want to use any of the amenities or take lessons with the resort’s partner surf school Tropic Surf.

The service You won’t find a traditional front desk or restaurant menus. And no transactions take place throughout the all-inclusive stay. The adventurous GM, Ronny Fernandez, promotes a more laid-back, fluid style of Four Seasons’ signature five-star service. He might join a guest paddleboarding or invite them for an impromptu coffee tasting if a regional coffee farmer drops by with a delivery. When I mentioned to the chef that I’d be traveling to Lima, Peru and she offered to share her restaurant blackbook with me. And one of the servers noticed I was chilly on a breezy evening and immediately brought me a shawl. Instead of butlers, each tent is assigned a personal guide who can help arrange reservations and immersive experiences like a private visit to an artist’s home studio seamlessly via WhatsApp.

For families The property is adult-only. Families are welcome next door at Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita.

Eco effort The development team surveyed the land and placed tents into the existing environment to minimize disruption of the forest. Light-on-earth, low-impact construction materials such as reclaimed wood, bamboo, and concrete were prioritized and the region’s winds made it possible to limit air conditioning in only the most essential space. To protect native wildlife, the team built new paths throughout the forest and used special lighting to limit light pollution. Naviva partnered with SOURCE Water to bottle all drinking water onsite using a technology that extracts water from the air. 

Anything left to mention? From late December through early March, you can often spot humpback whales from the deck of your tent. Fitness nerds can get their fix by hiking the property’s nature trails or lifting weights in the Flintstones-style outdoor gym. You are immersed in the forest so watch for the resident family of wild boar who occasionally come sniffing around the tents.