This resort/residential development occupies
the tip of a peninsula, 28 miles north of the Puerto Vallarta
airport 
and
adjacent to the fishing village of Punta de Mita on Banderas
Bay (Bahia de Banderas). White-sand beaches and rocky outcrops
line its nine miles of shoreline, which border turquoise
waters guarded by coral reefs, while the jungle-covered
Sierra Madre Mountains form a backdrop to the east. Within
its 2,700 acres are private residences and villas, two
Jack Nicklaus golf courses, a 10-court Punta Mita Tennis Club,
and two resort hotels—the 120-room St. Regis and a 173-room
Four Seasons—each with its own amenities. All of this is part of a stretch
of Mexico's Pacific Coast lately dubbed the Riviera Nayarit.
Since the tennis club is an amenity of the resort rather
than of one of the hotels 
(although
the Four Seasons does manage it), you can stay at either
or in a rental villa and enjoy the identical playing
privileges. The Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita was
the first to be built. It opened in 1999 with 173 rooms—32
of them suites—scattered across the property in tile-roofed
Mexican-style casitas behind a scalloped coast of white
sand and rock along the Pacific Ocean. All open out onto
furnished terraces or balconies and have the upscale amenities
you'd expect, including flatscreen TVs, high-speed (but costly)
Internet access, and soaking tubs and separate showers. Guests
further have access to the Four Seasons' Apuane Spa, three
pool complexes (one with a lazy river pool), a 3,000-square-foot
fitness center, and a staffed game room for kids. There are
also three restaurants at the Four Seasons.
The St. Regis Resort Punta Mita opened
in 2008 with 120 rooms, 31 of them suites. It fronts
a beach near the tip of the peninsula. Its rooms occupy tile-roofed two-story clusters,
decorated
in Mediterranean-Mexican style and all opening onto
a terrace or balcony with ocean or garden views. It
likewise has three swimming pools—an infinity
pool at the beach and one each for adults and families—and
a children's club for those ages 5 to 12. Its 10,000-square-foot
Remède Spa has 10 treatment rooms, while its
sun-drenched fitness center features Technogym equipment.
Dining options range from the casual beach club to
International fare at Carolina, The Signature Restaurant.
Pro Shop: + 52 329 291 60 65
The
tennis 
club consists of five hard and five artificial
grass courts under the direction
of Peter Burwash International's Christian Warnholtz. A native of Queretaro, Mexico, Warnholtz played for Limestone College in South Carolina and went on to rank in the top 40 on Mexico's professional circuit. Prior to coming to Punta Mita, he taught at the Four Seasons Resort Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt. At Punta Mita, his weekly roster
includes adult and junior clinics, a Cardio tennis
workout, game-matching services, and a round-robin
mixer.
Beach. With water on three sides of the peninsula, no guest is every very far from the beach and both resort hotels front their own stretches of sand, the Four Seasons on the Pacific, the St. Regis on the Bay of Banderas.
Golf Courses. Jack Nicklaus designed two courses for the resort:
Pacifico Course: This award-winning championship course concludes with an unusual 19th hole: a 199-yard, par 3 dubbed "Tail of the Whale" whose green sits atop a natural island out in the Pacific. At low tide it's possible to walk to the green; but at high tide, access requires the use of an aquatic vehicle stationed nearby. Par 72
Bahia Course: Nicklaus's second course here opened in late 2009. Six of its holes border the ocean, and all are characterized by challenging and undulating fairways. Par 72
Spa & Fitness Center. Four Seasons: its Apuane Spa borders a relaxation garden and offers a range of treatments using flora believed to have healing properties by the local Huichol Indians who named them. Among the options are Mexican green-coffee slimming wraps, warm stone therapy massages, the Margarita massage (utilizing tequila, sea salt, and lime juice). Manicures, pedicures, and salon service available as well. Within its walls is a generous fitness center with more than 20 piece of Technogym cardio equipment in a room with windows on three sides and views of the foliage outdoors as well as a full suite of Technogym strength stations supplemented by free weights, dumbbells and two Radiant wall stations.
And ... Four Seasons: the watersports palapa at Cuevas Beach has kayaks, snorkeling equipment, and sailboats. Snorkeling is as close as the waters off Cuevas Beach. There are also guided hikes into the surrounding hills, nature walks, yoga and water aerobics classes. Numerous off-property options are available as well including horseback riding on the beach, surfing (the nearby small town of Sayulita attracts surfers, thought there is also surfing at Punta de Mita), and scuba diving.
Four Seasons: Kids For All Seasons accepts children ages 4 to 12 in a complimentary all-day (9 a.m.-5 p.m.) program of activities, arts, crafts, video games.
For comparison's sake, also check out:
Punta Mita
Rates on request.
Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita
Rates on request.
The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort
Rates on request.
Seasons. Year-round.
Travel Instructions. By Air: The nearest air gateway is Gustavo Diaz Ordaz International Airport (PVR) in Puerto Vallarta, 28 miles to the south, about an hour's drive.
General Tourist Information. Visit the Riviera Nayarit Convention & Visitors Bureau web site or the Puerto Vallarta tourism web site for information about the region. For general information about travel to Mexico, visit the Mexico Tourism web site or phone toll-free 800-446-3942.