Meagan Drillinger
The state of Nayarit is gearing up to welcome one of the biggest luxury development projects in Mexico: Costa Canuva. The announcement was made at Tianguis Turistico, the tourism trade event that is taking place this week in Guadalajara. The new coastal development will be 40 miles north of the Puerto Vallarta airport and two-and-a-half hours from Guadalajara.
“Costa Canuva will be developed on the southern coast of Nayarit, in an area that is readily accessible and maximizes the existing infrastructure of Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit,” Rafael Lang, director general of Moto-Engil Tourism, said at a press conference at Tianguis. Moto-Engil is working in tandem with Fonatur on the development of Costa Canuva. “This is the first oceanfront community to be located in Riviera Nayarit and will be the closest beach resort to Guadalajara.”
Costa Canuva will sit on more than four miles of coastline with 630 acres of beach, estuary and mountains. It will comprise five luxury hotels, more than 2,500 residential units, a PGA-caliber golf course, specialty restaurants, mountain biking trails, a marina and more. The whole project will reflect an investment of more than $1.8 billion and will create more than 6,000 jobs in the community. “Costa Canuva will be focused on connecting with local suppliers and respecting local cultures to support neighboring communities,” said Lang.
Costa Canuva will also provide access to activities such as sailing, surfing, fishing expeditions. One of the highlights of the community will be the golf course, co-designed by champions Greg Norman and Lorena Ochoa. Two of the holes will run parallel to the ocean offering fantastic sea views.
The opening will be in stages, the first of which slated for 2018. It will include the golf course, a beach club, 350 residential units and the first hotel, a Fairmont. The new Fairmont Costa Canuva is slated to open in late 2018. The resort will have 250 guestrooms and suites, including 40 Fairmont Gold rooms and Fairmont-branded residences. It will also have more than 22,000 square feet of meetings and event space, six restaurants and bars, an outdoor swimming pool, and a Willow Stream Spa that will span 13,000 square feet.