Home in Chacala

The house sits in the jungle at Marina Chacala, the private community the locals call Chacalilla, on the edge of the fishing village of Chacala on the Nayarit coast. It’s the kind of setting where the plants grow right up to the walls and the birds start before you do. The beach is close enough that you can hear it, a one-minute walk down to the community’s private beach club, so the car can stay wherever you left it for the whole stay.

Life here turns around the pool. It’s a big one, ringed by garden, with a shallow end for small children and four fountains that keep a steady sound of water running under everything else. It can be heated on request for cooler months. One of the bedrooms opens directly onto it, which makes for very short walks to a morning swim.

Inside, around 420 square metres are given over to five bedrooms and the shared spaces between them. Each bedroom has a king bed plus a daybed, its own bathroom, air conditioning, ceiling fans, blackout shades and windows set for cross-ventilation, with local art and photography on the walls. The kitchen is built for real cooking, with a pantry, a second fridge and drinking water supplied, whether the group wants to cook for itself or bring in a chef. Nearby, the living and dining area has deep sofas, a 58-inch TV for movie nights and a table for up to ten. Starlink keeps the house connected, which matters in a place this tucked away.

A full-time house manager takes care of everything beyond the walls. That includes a private chef, massages at the house, yoga, airport transfers, and excursions out into the area, from fishing and snorkelling to hikes through the jungle and a trip to the petroglyphs in the hills behind the coast.

The beach club is reserved for residents and guests of the community. It has an infinity pool, a lap pool, a children’s pool and loungers on the sand, with food and drinks served at tables and on the beach. There are also tennis and pickleball courts, sand volleyball, and walking and hiking trails through the jungle. Boats for whale watching or fishing can be chartered and will collect you straight from the club. Chacala itself, with its palapa restaurants and easy village rhythm, is close by when you want a change of scene.