El Tezcalame brings a new spotlight to Costalegre’s future

A caller master-planned assemblage is taking basal connected Jalisco’s Costalegre, 1 of Mexico’s past remaining stretches of undeveloped Pacific coastline. El Tezcalame, developed by Grupo Favier with GND Properties and anchored by a Chablé hotel, promises a blend of ultra-luxury surviving and large-scale conservation. It is besides the latest successful a drawstring of high-profile projects that are transforming the seashore surrounding Puerto Vallarta into 1 of the country’s astir concentrated corridors of master-planned communities (MPCs).

New improvement successful Tomatlán

Located adjacent Tomatlán, Tezcalame spans 430 hectares, astir fractional of which — 211 hectares — volition beryllium designated arsenic a protected reserve. The task includes a Chablé edifice scheduled to unfastened successful 2027, alongside backstage residences launching income aboriginal this year.

Beyond accepted amenities, the assemblage volition diagnostic a butterfly sanctuary, a raicilla distillery, an eco-nautical club, farm-to-table dining, and biology acquisition camps. According to Diego Gutierrez, CEO of GND Properties, the task is intended to “redefine luxury arsenic harmony, balancing hospitality, ecological stewardship, and taste immersion.”

A portion for MPCs

While El Tezcalame carries its ain vision, it is portion of a broader inclination on the Puerto Vallarta–Costalegre corridor. In Nayarit, Punta Mita, Mandarina, and the upcoming Nauka assemblage person reshaped Riviera Nayarit into an planetary luxury hub. South of Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco’s coastline has Careyes and Xala, some emphasizing art, conservation, and low-density tourism.

Together, these projects marque the Vallarta–Costalegre portion 1 of the astir concentrated clusters of luxury MPCs successful Mexico. Yet paradoxically, their shared selling constituent is seclusion: low-density, high-value communities promising immersion successful untouched landscapes.

Infrastructure and access

The caller airdrome successful Chalacatepec is inactive immoderate region from completion. (AMPI)

Historically, Costalegre’s remoteness has constricted development. Reaching the coastline requires a two-and-a-half-hour thrust from Puerto Vallarta. Meanwhile, a caller airdrome adjacent Chalacatepec is nether construction, but it is presently designed to grip lone backstage planes.

For developers, infrastructure improvements are important to unlocking the region’s potential. Highway expansions into and astir Puerto Vallarta person already reduced question times, and the airdrome promises greater connectivity successful the years ahead. But officials accidental that maturation indispensable beryllium managed carefully.

“We are alert that the airdrome needs to beryllium managed with a batch of care,” said Michelle Fridman, tourism caput of Jalisco. “After all, you’re conscionable opening different doorway for radical to arrive, and that is simply a risky equilibrium betwixt processing and not developing.”

Keeping Costalegre an oasis

Fridman acknowledges the anticipation that Costalegre volition stay a exemplary for sustainable luxury. “Costalegre has remained this oasis of luxury successful a sustainable move,” she said. “The existent luxury of Costalegre is wrong the quality of Costalegre, hardly touched by humans. We privation it to stay similar that.”

She added that fewer places on the Pacific, from Alaska to Chile, inactive connection well-preserved coastlines. “As agelong arsenic we tin win successful processing responsibly, not monolithic projects, but those that blend luxury with preservation, Costalegre volition stay unique.”

Jalisco’s Costalegre is 1 of Mexico’s sleepier, less-developed formation destinations. (Wikivoyage CC BY-SA 4.0)

Why Jalisco, wherefore now?

Developers and officials accidental Jalisco is particularly well-positioned for this caller question of investment. The authorities has immoderate of the champion connectivity successful Mexico, with Puerto Vallarta International Airport among the country’s busiest and Guadalajara, a hub for some home and planetary flights.

Fridman noted that Jalisco “has everything investors look for: qualified radical with decades of tourism experience, earthy landscapes that stay unspoiled, and an individuality that embodies Mexico’s civilization and flavors.” She emphasized that the government’s contiguous extremity is to make a 20-year maestro program for Costalegre, ensuring maturation is guided by sustainability, inclusivity, and collaboration betwixt investors and section communities.

Concerns implicit growth

Still, questions loom astir whether the region’s infrastructure tin support pace. Puerto Vallarta, a metropolis of astir fractional a cardinal people, has already seen h2o shortages tied to accelerated growth. Repairs person near much than 100 neighborhoods without work astatine times, prompting protests implicit shortages and concerns that resources whitethorn beryllium redirected to tourer zones during highest holidays.

While Costalegre and Riviera Nayarit stay acold little densely populated, their maturation trajectory mirrors the aforesaid patterns: large-scale developments babelike connected delicate ecosystems. As much MPCs instrumentality shape, the question is whether the low-density committedness tin clasp successful practice, oregon whether pressures connected water, electricity, and discarded systems volition equine arsenic they person successful Vallarta.

Puerto Vallarta’s accelerated improvement has near infrastructure needing to drawback up with construction. Communities successful Costalegre anticipation that the aforesaid issues bash not await their agelong of the Jalisco coastline. (Hello Cinthia/Shutterstock)

Community integration

One of the challenges for caller MPCs is ensuring they integrate with surrounding towns. El Tezcalame’s developers person pledged to make jobs, supply lodging for workers, and enactment section infrastructure, portion besides protecting estuaries and wetlands bordering the property.

For the state, the precedence is grooming section communities to enactment successful tourism. “We cannot spend to person these luxury developments abstracted from the locals,” Fridman said. “We are starting to probe what experiences the communities connection now, expanding programs for training, certification of locals truthful we tin person much guides, much entrepreneurs who spot tourism arsenic a root of improvement for their families.”

According to Fridman, Jalisco has begun moving with universities and municipalities to guarantee fishermen, guides, and different residents are prepared to payment straight from the caller question of investment.

The roadworthy ahead

As El Tezcalame moves forward, it becomes different trial lawsuit for the Costalegre. Can large-scale luxury developments genuinely sphere the consciousness of untouched wilderness they market? Will infrastructure improvements inevitably bring much visitors than the portion tin support?

For now, optimism runs precocious among developers and officials. With projects similar El  Tezcalame, Xala, Careyes, Mandarina, Punta Mita, and Nauka each reshaping the coast, the Vallarta–Costalegre corridor has emerged arsenic 1 of Mexico’s astir high-profile luxury sectors.

But its aboriginal volition beryllium connected the equilibrium betwixt maturation and conservation, investors and locals, accessibility and remoteness. As Fridman enactment it: “We privation development, but if it is built the close way, it brings large things for the community. We person an accidental to bash it right.”

Meagan Drillinger is simply a New York autochthonal who has spent the past 15 years traveling astir and penning astir Mexico. While she’s connected the roadworthy for assignments astir of the time, Puerto Vallarta is her location base. Follow her travels connected Instagram astatine @drillinjourneys oregon done her blog astatine drillinjourneys.com.