Our workmate Brekke Fletcher, who’s the Director of Content at Lonely Planet, was excited when she got an invitation to visit Costa Careyes in Mexico. Here’s what happened during her trip.
Brekke had been wanting to go to Costa Careyes for a few years already, but she didn’t know what it would be like there. At Costa Careyes you can book villas such as Casa Nautilus and that’s where Brekke stayed!
Careyes is an incredible place located in Jalisco, Mexico, on the Pacific coast. It’s both a private hideaway and high-end resort (at pocket-friendly prices!), remarkable for its architecture and buzzing with creative energy. You’ve got to see it to believe it!
Last month, Kim Kessler invited me to visit a place called Careyes. The person behind this amazing destination is Gian Franco Brignone, who bought and developed the area in 1968. His sons, Filippo and Georgio now take care of Careyes. They are responsible for making sure everything runs smoothly and are the most important part of Careyes.
At Careyes Ocean Castles, there is an amazing pool at Sol de Oriente where you can easily play and swim. Let’s go!
Table of Contents
“360-Degree Views and Funiculars
13-year-olds can easily understand the important facts in this passage. The writing has been simplified so that they don’t get confused or overwhelmed by big words and complicated phrasing. All the main ideas are easy to comprehend, as long as someone takes their time to read it carefully.
On my last trip, I got the opportunity to stay at Playa Rosa Beach Club. There are three beachfront bungalows to choose from and some of the villas owned by the Brignone family that can be rented too. Among all of them, Sol de Oriente was the most amazing spot with an incredible 360-degree infinity pool and a funicular! I am definitely checking out El Careyes Club and Residences next time as they have five infinity pools altogether.
The inside of a place may be cozy and comfortable, and it might have lots of sunshine.
“A Morning at the Beach
I woke up early in the morning and headed straight for the beach. I felt like I was walking on a peaceful dream since there was nobody else, just me alone! Afterward, I went for a swim and then changed into something more suitable to visit Playa Rosa Beach Club which is only 35 steps away from my bungalow. They offered fantastic breakfast options that I definitely had to try out.
The Ocean Castle Sol de Oriente has an amazing pool that seems to go on forever. When I was a breakfast, I decided to be different by not choosing the usual avocado toast and went for chilaquiles instead. It turned out to be the best I ever had! I wish I could’ve had more but soon, I needed to get on a boat.
A Trip with Captain Crunchy
After having breakfast, I hopped on a small boat with my friend Kim. We went inside a sea cave which was full of beautiful rocks and bright green water. When we came out, I saw the ocean through the curved entrance of the cave and felt like crying because it was so beautiful. This trip with Captain Crunchy was going to be very emotional!
As we went along, our boat guided us through different rocky structures that were sticking out of the sea. We also passed by a canal named Piratas (which was named after pirates). We eventually stopped at a beach that wasn’t so secret anymore as we saw two boats coming and going. The water there was really green and clear, I could even see fish swimming around! I floated in the water and looked up to admire this blue sky, then suddenly a pelican dived into the ocean for its meal; which turns out, fresh fish was my lunch too. As we sat there on the beach sand, I realized there were no other footprints except for mine; it felt heavenly!
Crunchy took us to a beach that could only be reached by boat. He was sure there’d be some whales around, and he wasn’t wrong! A huge group of dolphins suddenly surrounded us and we all got really excited. I tried to take out my phone and film them but I realized it would ruin the moment so I quickly put it away.
We started to hear a whale’s tale from far away. As we got closer, the sound of its exhale was so loud and it was slapping the water with its huge tail! I was so happy I couldn’t contain my emotions, almost feeling like crying. This boat ride truly had all the feels!
We had to leave because the water was getting choppy with the blowing wind, so we returned to land. From here, we could view all of Careyes’ amazing buildings like castles, villas and small cottages set up along the coast – they were providing bright bursts of color around the cliffs. On another cliff near the south side, we found La Copa del Sol (the cup of the sun) which was built in 2006 on orders by Careyes’ founder Gian Franco Brignone. It looked truly gorgeous!
The Careyes Art Space is a place that displays art created by people living near there, as well as art made by students in schools.
“Unlock Success through Knowledge
It’s important to remember that knowledge is power. When you have more information and understanding about the world around you, it gives you a better chance of making smart decisions and achieving success. The more you learn, the easier it is to make good choices and figure out solutions to problems. Knowledge can give you confidence and help open up doors for new opportunities.
The Plaza de los Caballeros del Sol is a great spot to meet people in Costa Careyes. It has lots of exciting activities like weekly farmer’s markets, art galleries displaying the works of local artists and schoolchildren, shops, an indoor movie theater and an ice cream shop! Also, if you’re looking for delicious food nearby, go to Punto Como steakhouse for rib-eye steak (if you like grilled meats) or grab breakfast or lunch at La Coscolina. Both places have seating both inside and outside according to your preference.
I recently visited Careyes Foundation, which helps teach kids in neighboring areas. Sarah Lerman, the director of the foundation gave me a tour of the Careyes Art Space. This art space featured artwork from Oaxaca.
“A Vibrant and Rustic Destination
Head to La Copa del Sol and attend the sound healing with Niki Trosky – it’s amazing! The drive there will take around 10-15 minutes; you won’t have a smooth ride, but rather be bouncing all over because of the dirt roads. Remember to park next to the lighthouse and mind the dog nearby who doesn’t seem scared of cars. Then walk to your destination.
When you get inside the Copa through a small passageway and some stairs, you will be impressed with what you see. Even if you weren’t expecting to be so amazed, it’s truly unbelievable. This place is definitely worth checking out!
We drove to a relaxed and rustic place called Casa de Nada to see the sunset and have dinner. I had really yummy mini crab cakes with a special sauce and two glasses of wine since I was on vacation. The people at Costa Careyes invited Brekke, but they did not get anything free just for liking it.