Casa Ô

Out past the town, where the coast road gives way to La Barra and the beach runs wide and empty, this house sits just behind the sand. The architecture is unmistakably Mexican: warm terracotta tones, open-air living spaces and a layout built around a central courtyard pool. Everything faces outward, toward the light and the breeze. The pace here is slow, and the house is designed to keep it that way.

The courtyard pool anchors the ground floor, with shaded places to sit around it and living areas that open straight onto the water. It’s where days tend to gather, between a swim, a long lunch and an afternoon under the palapa.

Four bedrooms sleep up to eight guests, which makes the house an easy fit for families or a group of friends travelling together.

Up on the roof there’s a second, smaller pool. The plunge pool looks out over the Pacific, and at the end of the day the sun drops into the sea right in front of it. Most evenings finish up here.

The whole house is private for the length of the stay, apart from a few storage, laundry and maintenance areas kept for staff. Housekeeping is included six days a week, and the house, pool and garden teams come through during a set window, generally between 9am and 11am, so the rest of the day is left undisturbed. This is a tropical setting, and insects, mosquitoes and the odd gecko come with it, though the property is treated regularly. Neither pool has a child safety barrier, so children need adult supervision around the water and on the rooftop. Parties and events aren’t permitted, and quiet hours run from 10pm to 10am. Power and internet in Puerto Escondido can cut out now and then, usually only briefly. The house can recommend trusted private chefs and other providers, and anyone from outside needs approval before arriving.