Playa Viva brings sustainable luxury living to the western coast of Mexico. By Melissa Gillespie
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Combining simple elegance with natural beauty and a commitment to improving the environment, Playa Viva is a sustainable boutique hotel located on the western coast of Mexico. Nestled between the sparkling waters of the Pacific Ocean and the majestic Sierra Madre Mountains near the village of Juluchuca, Playa Viva is situated on a mile of private beach.
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Guests will soon be able to enjoy the rugged, unspoiled beauty of Mexico from the comfort of Playa Viva’s new eco casitas. As part of a funding partnership with Conservation International’s Verde Ventures fund, Playa Viva is adding three new eco casitas. These casitas will retain the current style of open-air cabanas—powered by off-grid solar and utilizing a waste-water-management system.
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The new casitas will have 350 square feet of indoor living space, plus an extra 150 square feet in terrace space. Each eco casita has one bedroom and a private bathroom with floor-to-ceiling sliding doors that open up to unobstructed ocean views. The accommodations will be built with sustainably harvested local “bocote” and palm timber, and finished with granite sinks from Cuernavaca, handmade brass fittings from San Miguel de Allende, copper light fixtures from Santa Clara del Cobre, and other locally sourced fixtures and design elements.
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Playa VivaÂ’s nearly 200 acres includes an estuary, an Aztec archeological site, a turtle sanctuary, and a coastal forest and mangrove ecosystem, which supports an array of stunning wildlife. The new casitas are scheduled for completion in October 2011. Existing all-inclusive accommodations range from $195-795 per night. playaviva.com.