Featured Stop: Punta Mita

On the west coast of Mexico, 45 minutes north or Puerto Vallarta, sits Punta Mita, a private peninsula of dimly lit paved roadways traveled by golf cart. They take you to and from the community’s four main attractions—two world-class resorts and two Jack Nicklaus-designed golf courses—and symbolize the easy-living vibes that this little slice of paradise is all about.

Here, you’ll have trouble getting too up in arms over chunked 6 irons or bladed wedges. The Pacifico course, opened in 1999, features one of the most unforgettable golf shots you’ll ever encounter. The Tail of the Whale is a 200-yard par 3 over choppy waters to an island green, which is only reachable by golf cart during low tide. The “19th hole”—although it lands during your round as hole 3B—acts as the exclamation point for the trip, but all the way through you’ll find scenic, fun, well-executed resort-style golf. That also goes for the Bahia course, which opened in 2008.

See it any time and you won’t be disappointed, but the property’s signature Gourmet & Golf event offers a little something extra. When your humble scribe visited on a work-funded golf trip several years ago, what played out was cut from an episode of Succession, a barrage of exceptional food and drink options that just seem to keep finding you, no matter where you happen to be on property. You could not play more than three holes, for example, without reaching a little stand serving the best taco or quesadilla or tostada of your life, until the next one a few holes later resets the bar all over. Sprinkle in a healthy dose of premium tequila tasting for good measure.

Beware: Budget-friendly golf travel this is not. The Four Seasons and St. Regis are your two options, and they don’t come cheap—about $1,100 per night minimum at the former, $600 at the latter—at least based on a quick search. Meanwhile, Gourmet & Golf goes for about $3,200 per person, including golf and a three-night stay. If you have the means or otherwise find yourself with the opportunity to live the good life in Punta Mita, don’t hesitate.

This piece originally ran in the GTG newsletter. Subscribe here and get the weekly featured stop—plus news on openings, redesigns, and more—in your inbox each Thursday afternoon.