Careyes, also called Costa Careyes, is a private, low-density community on Mexico’s Pacific coast, in the state of Jalisco. It sits on the stretch of shore known as the Costalegre, between Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo, where jungle-covered headlands drop to small bays. It has no high-rise hotels and no town centre in the usual sense. Instead there are brightly coloured villas, castles and casitas set into the cliffs, a polo club, a turtle sanctuary and a handful of beaches. Most visitors stay in a private villa, often with its own staff.
Where is Careyes?
Careyes is on Highway 200, the coast road between Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo; its entrance is at kilometre 53.5. The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Manzanillo (ZLO), about an hour and a half south by car. Puerto Vallarta (PVR) is about two and a half to three hours north. Our guide to getting to Costa Careyes covers flights, transfers and private airstrips in detail.
The surrounding coast is some of the least developed in Mexico, with long stretches of tropical dry forest and the Chamela-Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve nearby.
How Careyes began
Careyes was founded in 1968 by Gian Franco Brignone, an Italian banker and artist who bought a large stretch of this coast after flying over it. Local workers cut the first access road through the jungle by hand. His own house, Casa Mi Ojo, painted cobalt blue with an eye looking out to sea, set the style for everything that followed.
Brignone invited friends to build here, and the community grew slowly, house by house, with strict limits on density. He lived at Mi Ojo until his death in 2022, and his family continues to run Careyes today.
The name comes from the hawksbill turtle, carey in Spanish, which nests on these beaches.
The look of Careyes
Careyes architecture is easy to recognise: saturated colour against green jungle, thatched palapa roofs, open-sided living rooms, curved walls and pools cut into the cliff edge. Brignone favoured organic shapes and avoided straight lines wherever he could.
- The castles. Casa Mi Ojo is flanked by two clifftop houses, Sol de Oriente in yellow and Sol de Occidente in pale blue. Tigre del Mar, another of the founding houses, is known for its cobalt walls.
- La Copa del Sol. A monumental concrete bowl on a cliff above Playa Teopa, built from one of Brignone’s dreams. Visitors can climb to its rim, and it is used for sunset gatherings, meditation and sound baths.
- Plaza de los Caballeros del Sol. The small cultural centre of the community, used for markets, film nights and events.
The beaches
- Playa Rosa is the social beach, a sheltered cove with a beach club and restaurant, and the closest thing Careyes has to a gathering place.
- Playa Teopa is long and wild, home to the Careyes Foundation’s sea turtle sanctuary, with the Copa del Sol on the headland above.
- Playa Careyitos is a smaller bay within the community.
Pacific conditions change with the season and the tide, so ask locally before swimming, and choose a sheltered cove on rougher days.
Where to stay in Careyes
There is no large resort hotel in Careyes. The main options are:
- Private villas and castles. Clifftop houses from a few bedrooms to large estates, most with a pool and many with a cook or full staff. This is how most groups and families stay. Browse the Costa Careyes villa collection.
- Casitas de las Flores. A hillside village of colourful casitas above Playa Rosa, suited to couples and small groups.
- Playa Rosa Bungalows. A small number of bungalows close to the sand at Playa Rosa.
- El Careyes Club & Residences. A beachfront condominium resort with several pools and a restaurant.
For a family reunion, a milestone birthday or a small wedding, a villa is usually the right choice, because one house can hold everyone. Our guide to suite villas versus single-house estates explains how the two types of Careyes villa differ.
Things to do in Careyes
- Polo. The Careyes Polo Club, just south of the community, plays from November to April, with tournaments over Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year, and the Copa Agua Alta around Easter.
- Sea turtles. Join a hatchling release at the Playa Teopa sanctuary. Releases are usually best from October to March, in the afternoon.
- The coast by boat. Boat trips reach sea caves and beaches you cannot get to by road, with dolphins and, in winter, humpback whales.
- On the water. Snorkelling in the sheltered coves, kayaking, paddleboarding and sport fishing.
- Riding, walking and wellness. Horseback riding, jungle trails between the bays, yoga, and sound baths at the Copa del Sol.
- Festivals. Careyes hosts the Ondalinda festival in November and a Chinese New Year celebration in winter, among other events. Dates change each year; see when to visit Costa Careyes.
What to know before you go
- It is quiet by design. There is no strip of shops or nightlife. Most guests eat at the villa, with a few restaurants at the beach clubs for a night out.
- Groceries: there is no supermarket in Careyes. The nearby village of Zapata, about 20 minutes away, has well-stocked shops, and villa staff can usually stock the kitchen before you arrive.
- Getting around: local taxis are limited, especially in the evening. A private driver or a rental car makes it easier to explore the coast.
- When to go: the dry season, from November to May, is the most popular. Summer is hotter, rainier, greener and much quieter.
Is Careyes right for your trip?
Careyes suits travellers who want privacy, striking design and time together in one house, with the sea below and very little to organise. It suits milestone trips, multigenerational families and small celebrations well. It is not the place for big resort facilities, shopping or nightlife; for those, Puerto Vallarta is a few hours up the coast.
When you are ready to look at houses, browse the Costa Careyes villa collection or send us your dates and group size, and we will suggest the villas that fit.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Careyes, Mexico?
On the Pacific coast of Jalisco, on Highway 200 between Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo. It is about 1.5 hours by car from Manzanillo airport and 2.5 to 3 hours from Puerto Vallarta.
Is Careyes a resort?
Not in the usual sense. It is a private, low-density community of villas, castles and casitas founded in 1968, with a beach club, a condominium resort, a polo club and a few restaurants, but no large hotel.
What is the Copa del Sol?
A large concrete bowl on a cliff above Playa Teopa, designed by Careyes founder Gian Franco Brignone. Visitors climb to its rim for the view and the sunset, and it is used for meditation and sound baths.
What does Careyes mean?
The name comes from carey, the Spanish word for the hawksbill sea turtle, which nests on the local beaches. The Careyes Foundation runs a turtle sanctuary at Playa Teopa.
.jpg)
.jpg)