Four Seasons Punta Mita

Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita occupies a 52-acre stretch of a private, double-gated peninsula on Mexico's Riviera Nayarit, wrapped on three sides by the Pacific and about a 45-minute drive from Puerto Vallarta. The look is low-slung Mexican coastal: red-tiled casitas with private terraces stepping toward the water, many with plunge pools, alongside one- and two-bedroom suites and full villas with private pools that sleep up to ten. The heart of the resort is built around water, from the free-form Nuna infinity pool over the ocean to the adults-only Tamai complex of four pools and a Lazy River that loops the family Oasis building with inner tubes always within reach. Two fine-sand beaches sit on either side of the rocky point, giving families direct beach access with cabanas, loungers, and palm-slung swinging beds. As a beach resort in Mexico, it earns its reputation without trying too hard.

For parents, the real draw is how much is handled for you. The complimentary Kids For All Seasons kids club runs daily for ages 5 to 12 from a dedicated building by the Lazy River, with pinata-making, shell hunts, and beach games, while the Babies for All Seasons program, a Four Seasons first, supplies premium baby gear, tailored menus, and even baby yoga for the under-18-months set. Teens get The Container, a converted shipping container loaded with consoles, VR, and air hockey. Dining flexes for different ages and bedtimes, from feet-in-the-sand grilling at Bahia to all-day Mexican at Dos Catrinas, and the resort arranges the trips kids actually remember: surf lessons on year-round breaks, snorkeling, whale watching in season, and seasonal Olive Ridley sea turtle releases with the Red Tortuguera conservation project. Add two Jack Nicklaus golf courses, one with the world's only natural-island green, and the pre-Hispanic-inspired Apuane spa, and it works equally well as a do-everything trip or a stay-put one.