I never found the idea of sleeping in a tent appealing. There are the adventure seekers that love the idea of camping surrounded by mountains and canyons, and there's the group of people that much prefer connecting to nature by lounging in their local park for an afternoon—I am a part of the latter group. Though, if there's one place that could get me to willingly sleep in a tent, it's Naviva.
Naviva, which opened in December of 2022, is an adults-only, tented resort set on nearly 50 lush acres overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Punta Mita, Mexico. It's the first all-inclusive offering from the Four Seasons—and possibly one of the most unique properties in the luxury hospitality brand's portfolio.
There's no formal desk where you check in, rather there's a breezy lounge canopied in woven bamboo with a waterfall cascading in the background. It was there that I was greeted by resort manager Ronny Fernández, who enthusiastically offered me a cold drink and began telling me about the happenings of the resort that day. The warm welcome set the tone for the entire experience I was about to have at Naviva.
One can expect world-class service when staying at a Four Seasons resort, but what makes Naviva special is that it takes a more relaxed approach, encouraging those who visit to move at a leisurely pace and disconnect from the outside world. Rather than a traditional butler service, each guest is assigned a guide who can make reservations (though, you are not required to make reservations for any of Naviva's offerings) and even help you book immersive activities like local artist workshops or stargazing hikes. Before settling into my tent, my guide took me on a tour of the property and pointed out the property's two beaches (one deemed a secret), a cliffside terrace that offered the bests views of the ocean, and the resort's laidback restaurant, Copal Cocina, where the kitchen staff didn't hesitate to make me a slow-roasted, pulled pork sandwich even though it was well after lunchtime.
The forest-lined walkways leading up to my tent gave a clue as to just how serene and peaceful my stay would be. The resort features only 15 safari-style tented suites that Luxury Frontiers, the architects behind Naviva, intentionally designed to connect guests with the natural world around them. Each tent features a robust outdoor area complete with an outdoor shower, private plunge pool, seating area, and a hammock—all directly facing the ocean.
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The interiors are dressed with local art and artisan textiles that are more muted yet still reflect traditional Mexican design. Even if you're laying in the bed or resting in the neighboring lounge, the large sliding glass doors make you feel as though you are sitting outside. The room is also fully stocked with local-roasted coffee and a cocktail trunk with everything you need to make a mezcal cocktail.
Naviva wants its guests to embrace spontaneity at every level while visiting. Instead of set menus, the food and beverage team, led by chef Sofía Mojica, whips up new creations every day, and they even let you in on the fun. One night I spent learning about mezcal and Mexico's burgeoning wine regions before getting behind the bar to make my own cocktail (If you are a spirits enthusiast, I highly recommend taking a golf cart over to the neighboring Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita to take a tequila blending class). The next day, I was making my own tortillas in the kitchen and discovering what makes the perfect ceviche. Each night was capped off with picturesque views of the ocean at sunset.
Naviva offers a range of activities from rejuvenating treatments in cocoon-like spa pods and an open-air gym to shoreline fishing and paddleboarding. Though, the resort leans into wellness-centric experiences, all rooted in local heritage and tradition. I decided to try out something called a "shamanic sound journey," which began with impeccable views of humpback whales dancing across the ocean, featured a traditional ceremony involving indigenous instruments and healing vibrations, and ended with another breathtaking sunset. Though it was a memorable experience, it wasn't quite as extraordinary as my time in the "house of heat."
The traditional temazcal (a type of sweat lodge that originated from indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica) was specifically designed for Naviva to allow guests to experience the traditional ceremony yet still make it customizable to their wellness needs. A temazcal ceremony is a type of cleansing ritual that touts spiritual and physical benefits, and the experience is grounded in the ideals of rebirth, gratitude, and devotion.
The first thing I saw when entering the area of the house of heat was a shaman praying in front of a fire stacked with lava rocks and the stone dome that would be my perch for the next two hours—and the nerves kicked in immediately. I am certain the shaman could sense my hesitation, because as soon as he saw me he immediately began introducing himself and asking me about myself. He then walked me through the entire process, explaining that hot stones would be placed in the center pit of the hut and water would be poured over them to produce steam. He also made it clear that the heat would get intense—more intense than any sauna—while we were in the stone lodge.
Here I was about to enter a sweat hut blind (quite literally, I am a glasses wearer and had to take them off) with someone I only met 10 minutes beforehand to experience a centuries-old ceremony that tests both your body and mind. Yes, the nerves were still there—but I was stubbornly determined to make it through the entire ceremony without a hitch. And, I did.
At the beginning of the ceremony, I understandably focused on how intense the heat was, but once I got past that, I could fully home in on what was happening around me. While my Spanish is mediocre at best, I was still able to understand that the shaman's chants and songs were about giving thanks to those that came before us and allowing ourselves to move forward in life without restraints. Did I feel necessarily reborn about my time in the house of heat? No, but I did feel a weight had been lifted after exiting the temazcal. After cooling off for a bit and thanking the shaman, I ended up by the three-tiered Selva pool with more ceviche and a hibiscus-forward cocktail, talking to the workers about life in Nayarit and taking in the scenes around me.
As a solo female traveler, I never felt more comfortable at a resort than I did at Naviva. The intimate, slow-paced style of the retreat allows you to fully immerse yourself in the nature, experiences, and people around you. Naviva has even made me ready to stay in a tent again—though it needs to come with views of the Pacific Ocean and a fully stocked old-school cocktail trunk.
Sarah DiMarco is the Assistant Editor at VERANDA, covering all things art, design, and travel, and she also manages social media for the brand.
