Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, Mexico

Character and identity

Set on 52 beachfront acres of Riviera Nayarit's curving coast, this 173-key resort is a low-slung village of red-roofed casitas, suites, villas and beach homes done in sea-and-sand tones with Mexican art and louvered doors. The mood is barefoot-Pacific rather than urban-polished, with two Jack Nicklaus golf courses (one with the world's only natural island green), the indoor/outdoor Apuane Spa weaving in Huichol traditions, and a roster that includes Mexican kitchen Dos Catrinas and Pan-Asian Aramara. Two beaches, the adults-only Tamai pool and the infinity-edge Nuna pool anchor the days. Service is famously eager: waiters wade chest-deep into the surf to deliver drinks.

Who's it for

Bottom line

What sets this resort apart is the depth of the service culture layered over a genuinely Mexican sense of place, from tequila-infused spa rituals to the in-surf drinks runs. Spend the money if you want a multi-generational beach week with golf and spa anchoring the days; book a Nuna pool-side casita for the views, and target shoulder months for better rates and emptier fairways.