I’ve been to a lot of golf resorts over the last decade.
None of them were like the Four Seasons Punta Mita, located about 45 minutes outside of Puerto Vallarta.
I first heard about this resort about five years ago when a group of entrepreneurial friends were doing a retreat there.
All it took was one look at the website to become completely enamored. The location, the luxury, the golf – it’s seemingly a place that has it all.
And ever since then, I’d been wanting to visit.
I got close a couple years ago, and then well, we all know what happened.
Since then, my wife got pregnant, we had a baby girl, and she’s even had her first birthday.
Now that we’re (hopefully) coming out of pandemic times, it seemed like the perfect place to take our daughter Elliot on her first real vacation, and subsequently, her first flights.
So we planned a 4 night trip in early April.
But in the month leading up to it, I still had my doubts.
Would this resort really be accommodating for a family with a 1-year-old?
Are the golf courses going to be anything special?
Would the resort ever be able to live up to the extremely lofty expectations I had for it?
In this post, I’m going to tell you everything you need to know about the Four Seasons Punta Mita. I’m sharing all the details of our experience as a family there, to hopefully help you decide:
- If a trip to Punta Mita is right for you
- And if so, what you need to know while planning your trip.
There’s a lot to cover here, so let’s get going.
First Impressions of the Four Seasons Punta Mita
When we arrived at the Puerto Vallarta airport, it was a pretty chaotic scene.
We decided to visit on the tail end of Spring Break, and the airport was crowded.
But within 5 minutes of picking up our bags, we were being whisked away to the resort in a private shuttle that the hotel had helped us arrange.
The drive from PVR was an easy 45 minutes that passed through local towns and natural areas. Everything along the way was arid desert, that was still beautiful and a stark contrast to spring in the Pacific Northwest.
I’m told during the summer months (rainy season), everything turns a lush green within a couple weeks, and has a very different vibe.
Thr first thing you notice when arriving at the gates of Punta Mita is just how large it is.
The gated Punta Mita property is close to 2,000 acres and is home to both the Four Seasons and St. Regis, plenty of homes and condos, the Punta Mita Golf Club, a wonderful tennis facility, and a half dozen or so beach clubs.
Once you’re within the gates, you truly feel as though you’ve been transported to a tropical jungle oasis.
Arriving at the Four Seasons Punta Mita
The feeling is only heightened when you reach the entrance to the hotel. Cheerful bellmen are immediately helping escort you to check in and taking care of your luggage.
After waking up at 3:30am Portland time, for our flights, walking through those front doors and seeing the resort for the first time was one of the best experiences I’ve had in two years.
To know that our daughter made it through our flights, and to see the beautiful ocean and resort, it was nice to take a deep breathe and simply say “ahhhh, we’re here.”
And then they handed us a welcome cocktail featuring mango and tequila – and life got even better.
The lobby of the Four Seasons Punta Mita is beautiful, without being over the top.
There’s a panoramic view of the resort, plenty of seats to enjoy the view, and a cocktail bar for those wanting to linger a little longer with the view.
One of the first things I realized is just how big the Four Seasons is.
Nearly all of the main amenities are located in a central area of the resort, and then the rooms and villas expand out to either side of the main resort area.
After checking in, a golf cart whisked us over to our Garden Plunge Pool Suite in the Iguana building, which was less than a 2-minute ride from the lobby.
At any time you can order transport in the form of a golf cart ride to anywhere on the property.
Personally, we enjoyed the walk, and only used a golf cart on our first and last day to help with our bags. From our room, it was about a 5-minute stroll to the main pool and restaurant areas.
From the moment we got on that first cart though, we could tell we weren’t at your average Mexican resort.
The Four Seasons Punta Mita is more like a compound. Or a campus perhaps.
Everything is in pristine order. There are beautiful sculptures throughout the grounds. The walks never get old, because each one was just a reminder of what a special place we’d found ourselves in.
The Rooms at the Four Seasons Punta Mita
There’s a huge variety of room types at the Four Seasons Punta Mita.
You have everything from a standard resort hotel room, to rooms with your own private pool, to multi-bedroom oceanfront villas.
And being a Four Seasons, there’s a certain expectation of quality and luxury that comes along with that.
Fortunately, the rooms absolutely lived up to the Four Seasons name and brand.
The most important thing we wanted in a room was to have a separate space for Elliot’s crib.
We wanted to be able to put her to bed, and still stay up ourselves.
For us, this materialized in the form of a Garden Plunge Pool Suite.
When we first walked in, it took a second to pick up our jaws from the floor.
The room was stunning.
It featured a large living room (with a pull-out couch), a separate bedroom, two bathrooms, and a massive patio with its own plunge pool.
For me, the epitome of luxury and one of the most opulant experiences you can have when doing resort travel is to have your own private pool.
It never gets old. Is it necessary? Of course not. But does it make you feel like you’re someplace special? Most definitely.
One of the biggest surprises is that our “Garden View” room actually still had ocean views from the patio as well. It was off in the distance a bit, but considering “garden view” often means “no view” this was a welcome surprise.
Another big surprise when we first arrived was the welcome spread. Not for us, but for our daughter Elliot.
It included bath sponges that spelled her name, swim diapers, a baby toiletry kit, and a pillow.
I’ll go into this in more detail later in this review, but we were continually impressed by just how welcoming they were to her.
As parents who were concerned about taking a baby to a luxury resort? This was so important to us. It allowed us to enjoy the trip even more ourselves.
Shortly after arriving, we were greeted with in-room margaritas, chips, salsa, and guac. I was treated to a similar experience upon arriving at Pueblo Bonito on a Cabo trip a few months ago – and it really is a nice touch.
Oh, and Elliot got a personalized cookie with her name on it, and a box of chocolate milk 🙂
Four Seasons Room Amenities and Comfort
The Four Seasons Punta Mita opened in 1999, which might lead you to think that perhaps the resort has become a bit dated.
This is absolutely not the case.
The rooms felt as updated and as luxurious as any place I’ve stayed.
The pillowtop bed is one of the most comfortable I’ve ever slept on, and is reminiscent of the bed I experienced at the Four Seasons Atlanta a few month prior.
I described it to my wife like this: “Every time I roll or turn, it’s like the bed automatically puts me in the exact, most comfortable position I was looking for.”
The beds at the Four Seasons Punta Mita truly are among the most comfortable I’ve ever slept in. They were exceedingly soft, while still being firm enough to not totally wreck your back.
The bathrooms feature L’Occitane amenities which are very nice.
The bathrooms have all the little stuff covered too. From cotton swabs and rounds to a hair drier, to even having a bath bomb in the tub – it is very well appointed.
There are 65-inch screens in both the living room and bedroom, and a portable Bose Bluetooth speaker is also a wonderful addition for hanging out on the patio or in the pool.
One very nice feature is the streaming capabilities the TVs have. You simply download an app, plug in a code from your TV, and it immediately allows you to broadcast anything from a streaming service on your phone (Netflix, Hulu, Disney+ etc) straight to your TV.
No clunky menus. No searching for a movie or tv show on local TV that’s in English.
In seconds, you can watch whatever you want from your favorite services.
Upon crashing in bed after dinner and cocktails, this feels like one of those small luxuries that can often get overlooked.
Punta Mita Golf Club Courses
Since you’re reading this Four Seasons Punta Mita review on a golf blog, there’s a good chance that you’re hoping to play some golf on your vacation down to Mexico!
So you might be wondering, what’s the deal with the golf courses at Punta Mita? Are they any good? Worth visiting on vacation?
Yes, and yes.
Punta Mita Golf Club features two courses:
- The Pacifico Course is a Nicklaus Signature design that first opened in 1999, and received some restoration work in 2019.
- The Bahia course is also a Nicklaus Signature course, and was opened in 2009.
Punta Mita Golf Club has a private membership, but the property is managed by the Four Seasons.
The Pacifico Course
The Pacifico course is the original design on the property, and it has a very fun routing that has a nice flow between ocean holes and inland holes.
By the 2nd hole, I knew I was going to like the Pacifico course.
A risk-reward par 5, staring straight out at the Ocean and the island green (more on that in a minute) – and I knew I was in for an enjoyable round.
The Pacifico is the more “resort” oriented course of the two. The bunkers aren’t quite as deep, and have slopes that feel like they’re meant to help keep you out of the bunkers rather than lead you into them.
The greens were completely redone in 2019 with zoysia turf – and they are beautiful.
The restoration of the greens is very well done. I was told that many of the originally designed elements didn’t quite make it into the final product in 1999 – resulting in some fairly flat and boring greens.
But the new greens have nice sweeping lines that are a joy to putt on. Nearly every green looked perfect, with the zoysia coming in very nicely. Speeds were in the 11 range on the stimp meter and rolled wonderfully.
There are still some spots on the course where they’re working on maintenance and upgrades, so I imagine it’ll be even better by next season. But honestly, I was very impressed with where it’s at and the course as a whole was fantastic.
Check out our full review of the Pacifico Course.
The “Tail of the Whale” Island Green
There’s a good chance if you’ve heard anything about the golf courses at Punta Mita, it’s the island green.
The Pacifico course features the world’s only natural island green.
Sure, Coeur d’Alene has a floating green.
But this is a legit rock, in the middle of the ocean, where they built a green.
Seriously. It’s one of the most impressive things I’ve ever seen on a golf course.
As it really is an island green in the middle of a rocky ocean full of waves, you can only play it at low tide.
The tide levels are changing daily, so you need to do your research to ensure you get a chance to experience it while you’re there. It truly one of the most unique bucket list experiences in golf.
The hole is considered “3B”.
There’s a sign that tells you if it’s open or not.
The good news is often if it’s closed when you start your round, it may be open by the time you’re done. And they’re pretty cool about allowing you to venture back out to play it after the fact.
While it’s a cool selling point, and a wonderful draw, the other 36 golf holes are very worthy of playing as well.
The Bahia Course
The Bahia course opened up about a decade after the original Pacifico course was built. It opened in tandem with the St. Regis resort which is the other main hotel within the Punta Mita community.
Both of these courses have a similar feel in the sense that you have a nice combination of inland and oceanfront holes, as well as the fact the land and setting is obviously identical.
But the way the courses play? Totally different.
If Pacifico is the more friendly resort experience, then the Bahia course is for the players out there.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s a fun course with some extremely memorable moments.
But it definitely provides more of a challenge than the Pacifico course.
For starters, the bunkering is deeper and more prevalent.
The greens are also significantly more undulating – so reading putts is much trickier here.
A handful of the greens also slope severely to the left and right. So if you find yourself missing your approach on either side, you’ll have your hands full getting back up on the green and holding a ball without it running off the side, or falling into another bunker.
The 17th is the signature hole of the Bahia Course at Punta Mita.
It wasn’t just my favorite hole at the resort, it’s one of my favorite holes of all time.
It’s a short par 4 that’s tucked into a little valley with the St. Regis up above it on the right, and the Pacific Ocean running parallel all along the left-hand side of the hole.
It truly is a dramatic setting, and one of the coolest golf holes I’ve ever played. I can imagine it’s even more spectacular playing it at high tide and sunset.
Check out our full review of the Bahia Course here.
Who Can Play the Golf Courses at Punta Mita?
Punta Mita Golf Club is a private club with an active membership.
My first round there, I actually got out just ahead of the final round of the Club Championship, so I was met with wonderful conditions and some tricky tucked pins.
As I understand it, not just anyone can play the Bahia or Pacifico Courses.
You can play the courses if:
- You’re a guest of the Four Seasons Punta Mita
- You’re a guest of the St. Regis Punta Mita
- You’re renting a house within the Punta Mita community that has golf privileges (the owner needs to be a member).
- You’re a member or the guest of a member
The easiest way for the average person to play is simply to stay at the Four Seasons. They manage the courses, and their concierge can easily help you arrange a tee time.
The golf club is about a 10-minute shuttle ride from the hotel and very easy to access.
Related: If you’re looking to stay in the States, you can get a very similar golf and resort experience by visiting Hualalai Golf Course at the Four Seasons Hualalai in Kona, Hawai’i.
The Pools and Beaches at the Four Seasons Punta Mita
Obviously one of the biggest draws to any resort is going to be the pool.
Or in the case of the Four Seasons Punta Mita, the pools.
There are 3 primary pools at the resort, and each one provides a very different experience.
The Nuna Pool
On our first night we were walking back to our room from dinner, and strolled by the Nuna pool.
It’s a spectacular infinity pool located in the heart of the resort, and is truly one of the most impressive pools I’ve ever seen.
Tate says “oh man, that must be the adults-only pool?”
“Nope, I’m pretty sure that’s the main pool that everyone can go to.”
“Wait! So we get to hang out there?! With Elliot?!”
“Yep!”
And sure enough the next day we found ourselves lounging poolside with margaritas, a baby, and one of the best views you’ll ever see.
At first glance, the pool doesn’t seem that big, but once you’re in it, you realize just how large it is.
Its curved design makes it feel more intimate than it’s size suggests, and we never found it to be overly crowded.
You can reserve your chairs ahead of time, and if you want that primo spot for the perfect Instagram photo, your best bet is to plan ahead.
That said, we never did that, and always found a great spot to enjoy the pool, sun, food, and drinks.
The Tamai Pool
The Tamai pool is a much larger than expected complex of pools and is the adults-only pool at the resort.
As I’ve alluded to, and I’ll write more about below, the Four Seasons Punta Mita is unbelievably family-friendly.
But that doesn’t mean it also isn’t a great escape for a romantic getaway.
The Tamai Pool is an oasis for adults that features multiple pools and hot tubs, as well as private cabanas you can rent.
We didn’t get to spend much time here for obvious reasons, but it certainly doesn’t seem like a bad place to relax and get away from, well, everything.
The Lazy River
“There’s a lazy river?!?”
This was basically all of my wife’s vacation dreams come true when she found out about this.
And sure enough, the Lazy River proved to be a family favorite for us.
It is located in the back half of the resort, just a few steps away from our room.
The lazy river never proved to be very crowded, so we were always able to get chairs right on the river, and have ample space to spread out with a 14-month-old that doesn’t know how to sit still.
There are a variety of innertubes and rafts provided, but we planned ahead and brought Elliot her own little baby floatie – and it’s safe to say she loved it.
The lazy river itself is much bigger than I expected it to be, and truly provided a nice escape for when you just wanted to float through the jungle in solitude – or also entertain your kid in an area with fewer people than other areas of the resort.
Cuevas Beach
Cuevas Beach is the main beach at the Four Seasons. It sits directly below the Nuna Pool and the Bahia restaurant spills right out onto the beach.
If beach and ocean is more preferable to you than pools, then this is your spot.
There’s a full bar and food service, a fire pit in the evenings, hammocks, plenty of chairs, and cabanas available for right on the beach.
We got a cabana one afternoon, and aside from the fact Elliot decided she wanted to try eating sand for the first time – it was great.
It only felt right to order a shrimp cocktail and some ceviche and both were fantastic.
Unlike some other resorts I’ve been to with killer riptides, you can usually swim in the ocean here. They have a sign indicating how rough the water is and how safe it is to go in.
We ventured in briefly, but a wave snuck up on us, and deterred Elliot from wanting to experience it further.
We walked back up to the Nuna pool for a few where she was offered a free tasty strawberry popsicle from one of the pool workers. A small, but nice touch for the kids.
Manzanillas Beach
While Cuevas Beach is right in the heart of everything, Manzanillas Beach feels a little more removed and remote.
There’s a big peninsula right at the center of the resort to the left of Cuevas Beach, which not only provides beautiful views, but also is home to private dinners and events.
But just on the opposite side of this peninsula sits Manzanillas beach.
It’s very close to Cuevas and the resort, but it has an entirely different vibe and feels much further away than it is.
The first time we approached it, we came from a path from within the resort that led to the far end of the beach.
Walking up to the beach it felt like I was back in Thailand.
It has a more remote vibe, and if you’re looking for a little more privacy, or to not feel like you’re at a resort – this is a great option.
It’s also only about a 10-minute walk down the beach to reach the “Tail of the Whale” green. So if you’re interested in seeing it, but don’t want to play a round of golf? This is the best way to do it.
Of course, Manzanillas Beach still has amenities you’d expect from a resort, like food and drink service, cabanas, and so on.
This is a great example of one of the many things that make the Four Seasons Punta Mita so special: it’s variety.
Whether it’s a pool or beach experience, dining, golf, or other activities – each thing is unique. It never feels like you’re repeating the same thing.
Many resorts have a variety of pools and restaurants that feel like carbon copies of themselves.
Each thing here feels thoughtful and different – which is why you could easily spend a week or more here, and not feel like you’re just doing the same things over and over again.
Four Seasons Punta Mita Restaurants
Again, when you’re staying at a property of Four Seasons caliber, you expect a certain level of quality across every aspect of the resort.
But expectations are especially high when it comes to food and drinks.
When we think of a Mexican resort vacation by default many of us immediately go to all-inclusive. Where the food can often be good, but not necessarily great.
The good news is that dining at the Four Seasons Punta Mita is a wonderful experience, with some delicious and diverse options.
Aramara: One of the Best Restaurants in Mexico
Aramara is one of the three primary restaurants open for dinner at the Four Seasons Punta Mita. It’s an Asian restaurant located on the lower level of the main hotel building, beneath the lobby.
It was also listed among the 250 greatest restaurants in Mexico for 2022.
There’s a beautiful square bar, indoor seating, and a covered patio area as well.
There are some nice resort and ocean views, but being set back up the hill, they aren’t quite as dramatic as the two other restaurants Bahia and Dos Catrinas.
We ate at Aramara on both our first and our last night there, and were incredibly impressed both times.
You don’t expect to find world-class Asian flavors in the heart of Mexican resort country.
The Torched Salmon and Angry Tuna rolls were phenomenal, and on par with other inventive sushi rolls I’ve had at highly regarded sushi restaurants.
Their signature “hot rock” appetizer allows you to cook your own thinly sliced strips of NY strip steak on a searing, well, hot rock.
Being both interactive, and delicious – it was a highlight while visiting.
The Wok Fried Beef Tenderloin was a highlight entree, with extremely tender pieces of beef served among delicious Yakimeshi rice.
The chocolate souffle dessert is also worth the extra calories to finish.
Despite being a very nice restaurant, the dress code is casual at Aramara. When you’re at a beachfront resort, I always appreciate this.
If you want to dress up? Great, dress up. If you’re rocking shorts and sandals – sweet! It’s a beach, you should be comfortable.
We never saw a single person who looked like they just rolled off the beach here, guests are very respectful. But it was just nice to not feel like you had to get super gussied up if you didn’t want to.
Bahia by Richard Sandoval: Right on the Beach
Speaking of dress code, the dress code at our second restaurant, Bahia, is Resort Casual. It was slightly more formal than Aramara, but I went in a polo and shorts, and no one gave me a second look.
So across the board, the dress code at the resort is pretty flexible. Although more often than not you saw collared shirts and nice Bermuda shorts in the evenings.
Bahia provides a cool experience as it’s the restaurant option that’s closest to the beach. It’s just steps away from Cuevas Beach and is a wonderful place to enjoy the sunset.
There’s a vibrant bar, an open kitchen, and the whole place exudes great energy.
As far as cuisine, think classic surf and turf options. Tons of local seafood, and fantastic steaks among other meat selections.
Tate had a passionfruit caipirinha cocktail, that we went back for a second time on our last evening there.
Our tuna crudo appetizer was world-class, and exactly the kind of thing you feel like you should be eating when you’re sitting next to an ocean.
Unfortunately, the night we ate here, our daughter decided she didn’t want to wait for our food to arrive.
Between our appetizer and main courses, a meltdown ensued and forced us to resort to plan B.
We got our entrees to go, and while Tate went back and put Elliot to bed, I swung by the bar in the lobby for a couple cocktails and Coronas, and took our meal back to enjoy on our patio.
And honestly? Despite the inconvenience, it ended up being one of the most fun meals of the trip. Having such nice outdoor space in your room truly was a joy to experience.
Tate had beef tenderloin with “the best mashed potatoes I’ve ever had in my life.”
I had the special of “Zarandeado” Mahi Mahi, which was also fantastic.
Dos Catrinas: A Personal Favorite of Ours
Dos Catrinas serves as double-duty at the Four Seasons Punta Mita as it’s the primary breakfast spot, as well as a wonderful dinner location as well.
The breakfasts were truly a highlight of our trip.
The restaurant is located right up the hill from Bahia, so you still get access to wonderful ocean views.
The buffet has literally just about anything you could want for breakfast.
Pancakes, waffles, omelet bar, local Mexican fare, smoked salmon, a plethora of fruits and pastries – the list goes on.
They also had a special juice bar list, with some fantastic fresh-squeezed juices.
Dinner at Dos Catrinas, surprisingly, proved to be the biggest culinary surprise of the trip.
Whether valid or not, I often think of the “all-day dining” restaurant to be lesser-than when compared to dedicated dinner restaurants at a resort.
We ate at Dos Catrinas after we tried Aramara and Bahia, and honestly?
We enjoyed the food during our meal there the most out of all of them!
It’s kind of a modern take on traditional Mexican food, and it was fantastic.
The Chorizo queso was world-class, and the corn ribs were a unique take on corn-on-the-cob, that we’re legit already planning to figure out how to make at home.
The cocktails were arguably the best at the resort, considering cocktail bar “Mez” is located directly above it (more on that in a minute).
Tate had perfectly cooked carne asada. I had a special of called quesabirria, and it wonderful.
The Corn Cake sounded kind of weird, but was far and away the best dessert we had at the resort.
Finishing it off with a couple churros from the cart outside – and it was truly a delicious meal.
I was pleased with how well the ambiance evolved from morning to night. I wouldn’t say it’s as intimate or romantic as the other two – but it was still a great experience.
Mez
So if you’re new to Breaking Eighty (and me), you may not know that along with my quest to play the best golf courses in the world, we also set out on a quest to visit the top 100 bars in the world.
We’d gotten as far as 59/100 on the 2017 list before COVID hit and we had a baby.
But suffice it to say, we know a thing or two about cocktails, and it’s always a highlight of our travels.
As such, we were stoked to discover Mez.
It’s a large cocktail bar located directly above Dos Catrinas.
First off, the view is spectacular. You’ve got insane 270 degree views of the entire resort and the ocean, and is one of the most underrated spots at the resort.
They specialize in mezcal with over 60 different bottles.
We did a Mexican spirits tasting there that was a huge surprise, and is something I’d highly recommend doing if you’re into that sort of thing. We tasted 6 different types of Mexican spirits – of which only one was tequila and one was mezcal. The rest were more unique, and provided a cool opportunity to taste the local flavors.
I’ll do a more detailed review of that experience, and update this here when it’s done.
The cocktails were very good, although I’d love to see them (or any restaurant at the resort) embrace the big ice cube for drinks like an old fashioned or negroni.
But Mez is the ultimate spot to enjoy a happy hour cocktail while playing cards or just soak in the view.
Also if you’re looking for a spot to catch a game, this is the place to do it. It was packed during the Duke-UNC game one of the nights we were there.
Dining with Kids at the Four Seasons Punta Mita
When you visit a luxury hotel, rarely is “kid-friendly” the first thing to come to mind.
This was one of our biggest concerns before coming here, “how would our 1 year old do at nice meals?”
From the very first meal at Aramara all of our concerns were put to rest.
Every single dining experience with Elliot was incredible.
The staff was unbelievably welcoming, and all of the other guests (many of which had kids of all ages of their own), had zero issues about kids being around.
On the night at Bahia that Elliot melted down, the only people that seemed to care were her parents (aka, us).
If you’re considering visiting Punta Mita as a romantic getaway – this might give you cause for concern.
But it shouldn’t.
Yes, the Four Seasons is unbelievably kid and family-friendly.
But if you’re looking to get away?
I’d just book your dinner reservations a little bit on the later side. If you don’t sit down until 8 or 830, by then, most guests with small children were gone.
We became friendly with one couple on their honeymoon who did just that, and raved just as much about the resort as we did.
All that to say, it’s one of the few places where I feel like I was able to really enjoy a high-end restaurant meal with our daughter in tow – while not being judged or having to feel nervous about what other people might think.
And that is a huge selling point.
Apuane Spa at the Four Seasons
For many guests, a resort vacation is synonymous with time at the spa. Fortunately, there’s a lot to look forward to at the Four Seasons, as the Apuane spa is fantastic.
There’s a massive gym as part of the complex, that’s one of the largest I’ve seen at a hotel. So if you’re concerned about not being able to keep up with your workout routine – don’t be.
And if you’re on the opposite end of the spectrum and you’re just looking to relax, then Apuane has you covered as well.
The locker room is very nicely appointed and features a whirlpool, sauna, and steam room.
There’s a relaxation room you can use before heading in for any treatments, and after your treatment, there’s a nice private courtyard where you can relax after your massage or facial.
Their signature treatment is the 80-minute Tequila Stone massage – and this is what I received.
More often than not, resort massages can be a little lacking on the pressure. Even if you say you want it “deep,” there’s a good chance you’ll get moderate pressure at best.
I can safely say this was one of, if not the best, massages I’ve ever had.
Considering I sit at a laptop most of the day, and hadn’t had a massage in months, I was excited when things got borderline painful at times as she worked through all the knots in my back.
The combination of tequila and sage is a unique touch, and the hot stones felt great.
I got my treatment on my last full day there, and not only did it give me something to look forward to, it was the perfect way to relax before our journey home the next day.
Other Activities at Four Seasons Punta Mita
With our relatively quick 3 day trip, there’s a lot we simply didn’t have time for.
One of the great things about a vacation here is that you can make it whatever you want to be.
Just want to golf and enjoy time with your friends? Great.
Prefer to sit by the pool and enjoy the beaches? Easy.
Prefer to be more active with classes and excursions? You can do that too.
Here’s just a shortlist of some of the different organized activities and amenities you can do here:
- Tennis (their tennis facilities are phenomenal)
- Pickleball
- Yoga
- Spin
- HITT classes
- Meditation
- Reiki
- Private romantic dinner (there are a couple amazing spots on the property where they do these. This is similar to the Dine by Design experience we had on our honeymoon at the Shangri-La Villingili.
- Sunset cruise
- Sea foraging
- Octopus “catch and cook” experience
- Fishing
- Workshops teaching local traditions (chocolate, tequila, bead making, dreamcatchers, and more)
- Sea turtle release
- Spanish lessons
- Whale watching
- Horseback riding
- ATV tours
- Ziplining
- Scuba Diving
- Eco Tour
This is just a taste of all the possibilities for what you can do at the Four Seasons Punta Mita.
It truly is the kind of place where you can make your trip exactly the way you want it to be.
You can learn more about all of the different activities, classes, and excursions right here.
Kids for All Seasons
It’s also worth noting that there’s an entire program devoted to kids called Kids for All Seasons.
Elliot was a little young for this, but you can sign your kids up for a huge variety of different classes and activities – similar to what I mentioned above, but just for your kids!
We saw one group going on a bird-watching walk, for instance.
There’s also a large arcade and game room at the resort located near the Bahia restaurant, and entire compound for older kids called “The Container” which turned old shipping containers into a cool spot for kids to hang out.
There’s a full basketball/sport court here as well.
Who Should Visit the Four Seasons Punta Mita?
So through all of this, the question remains: who should visit the Four Seasons Punta Mita?
Well, let’s get one thing out of the way.
As you may have gathered, this is a high-end luxury resort.
It’s expensive. Plain and simple.
In peak season you can expect to be rooms to be over $1k a night, and meals for the 3 of us hovered in the $150-300 range depending on what it was.
But assuming you’re ok with the cost, you’ll be treated to one of the best resort experiences you’ll have anywhere on the planet – seriously.
It didn’t take long before we started noticing a trend with the people we’d talked to around the property:
Rarely, was it their first time here.
“We come here for a week every year.”
“This is our 2nd time in 12 months.”
“The kids love it, we have a photo of our daughter when she was Elliot’s age in that cabana right over there.”
It’s one of those places that is so special, people come back year after year. And that says a lot about a place.
Coming with Your Family
As you’ve likely gathered, the biggest and most welcome surprise of the trip was just how family-friendly it is.
Whether you have a newborn, toddler, kid, tween, teenager – it doesn’t matter.
Everything about the resort makes it welcoming to your entire family, and there are a limitless number of things for the younger members of your family to do while you’re here.
In fact, it was such a good experience that I just wish Elliot were a little older so that she’d remember our time here.
Guess that means we’ll just have to come back 🙂
Coming for a Romantic Getaway
Because of the family-friendly nature, you may find yourself concerned about taking a romantic getaway for a honeymoon, or perhaps to get away from the kids.
Don’t be.
It was impressive to me how one resort is able to cater itself to both of these types of guests so well.
If you’re coming on a romantic trip, I’d just encourage you to shift your schedule so that you’re eating a little bit later around dinner time. Not that kids were ever an impediment to enjoying a romantic dinner, but the later you make your reservations, the fewer big families will be around.
Make time for the spa. For the Tamai pool. A cabana on the beach. A fun excursion.
I wouldn’t hesitate for a second about coming here without kids.
Final Thoughts on the Four Seasons Punta Mita
When we booked this trip, I knew it would be a special place.
I knew we’d have a good time, and that we’d be treated to a little luxury for a few days.
But I truly wasn’t prepared for just how special it would be.
How many great people we’d meet.
How good the golf courses would be.
How diverse all aspects of the property would be.
How luxurious our room, and our private plunge pool would feel.
I’ve traveled to a lot of places in my life, and visited a lot of golf resorts.
This ranks among the very best experiences I’ve ever had.
This is in large part because it ticks all the boxes. Some places will have good food, but the golf is mediocre.
Others will have a nice pool, but it’s too crowded.
You get the idea.
But in our experience, nothing was lacking.
I tried hard to come up with some constructive critiques.
Here they are:
- Our Nanit baby monitor didn’t work with the hotel wifi network
- I would have liked to see some big ice cubes in certain cocktails
- We ordered some milk from room service for Elliot one night, and it took about half an hour longer than they said it would for it to show up.
- We ran into a couple situations, where housekeeping was in our room right as we made it back for naptime.
Seriously. That’s it.
Every meal was great. Every person we interacted with was friendly and helpful. Every golf shot…ok, not every golf shot was good, but both rounds were wonderful experiences 🙂
Bottom line, if you’re looking to splurge on a luxury resort golf vacation, then the Four Seasons Punta Mita should be counted among the very best destinations in the world.
