Playa Viva: Eco Luxury Treehouse Resort in Mexico

Playa Viva has everything I am looking for in travel. When I travel to a new place, I want to experience the culture, the life, the soul of the place. I want to be immersed in the community and am conscious to make a positive imprint. I enjoy authentic environments that combine natural beauty along with the feel of the surrounding area, places that have been unspoiled by tourism.

Playa Viva is an environmentally conscious resort committed to improving the environment and the surrounding community. There are 11 ocean view rooms surrounded by nature. Playa Viva is situated on the unspoiled beaches of the western coast of Mexico and the Sierra Madre Mountains, 35 minutes south of Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa International Airport.

The property is located on 200 acres which includes an estuary, an aztec archeological site, turtle sanctuary, mangrove and forest ecosystem. Playa Viva enjoys a semi-tropical climate with a temperature ranging between 73 and 93 degrees F. The rainy season falls between July and September.

Playa Viva hosts 6 volunteers at a time. The volunteers work on the farm, support ecological restoration and collaborate with the community. If you are not staying as a volunteer, it is easy to connect with these volunteers to share stories.

The treehouse looks AWESOME! It is built within palm trees 6 feet above the ground. Farm to table meals (you can even enter the garden to “pick” your meal!) are included in your stay with organic, farm fresh menus created with health and wellness in mind. Daily morning yoga is offered with an ocean view. Activities range from sipping smoothies by the pool, yoga and meditation to deep sea fishing, scuba diving, or surfing.

Playa Viva is dedicated to making their environmental impact as minimal as possible. Everything runs from 100% off-grid solar panels. All the building use renewable materials and are created using natural designs. Waste water is used to irrigate gardens while conservation efforts ensure minimal consumption. The bulbs are amber colored as not to disturb the nesting sea turtles. They even have a veggie bio-diesel van that picks up guests!

When I visit Playa Viva I will tell my children the entire place is “screen free” and all electronics must be turned into a holding cell.

As if this place couldn’t get any better, it does….. they have an on-site TURTLE SANCTUARY!! During your stay at Playa Viva you can volunteer at “La Tortuga Viva” to help the endangered Green and Leatherback sea turtles. You can also Donate now to the Turtle Sanctuary.

Volunteer opportunities with the local community can also be set up while staying at Playa Viva. The hotel works closely with local businesses, farms, schools, and medical centers. If anyone has extra school supplies they are welcome to bring them along to donate to the local schools.

I NEED TO GO TO PLAYA VIVA!!!!!!!

I love the wild feel, the fact that it is surrounded by authentic Mexico, they work towards a positive ecological footprint, and involve the community in your stay. I hope to be headed here in the near future instead of just in my daydreams.

Sister hotel: Casa Viva!

Since we will be coming from New York, I would like to spend about a week in Mexico. I like to become familiar with, and get the feel of, the communities we stay in. Perhaps 4 night would be dedicated to Playa Viva and then 3 nights in Casa Viva in Troncones. The driving time between the two places are about 1 hour and 15 minutes. A week is not a long time to be in a new place so keeping traveling days to a minimum is key.

Casa Viva Troncones is made up of 3 casitas, palm-thatched roof bungalows, each with their own bathroom spread out over the acre beachfront property. The common area consists of a living room, kitchen, pool, jacuzzi, and hammocks. This property is also an eco-resort, featuring green architecture, edible landscape, natural grey water systems, solar/thermal water heating and more. Breakfast is included and an on-site chef is available.

While staying at Casa Viva Troncones I know my son, Chase, would love to fish. Pedro Islas works with Zihua Tours, running fishing and snorkeling trips. The time and location is catered to who is fishing and what they can handle. Chase would be so PSYCHED to catch a sailfish. The populations of sailfish have been declining, in a large part due to bycatch. Sailfish are often caught by fishermen targeting tuna and swordfish. Being top predators, sailfish are also high in mercury and other toxins. We would request a catch and release fishing experience. They are actually one of my favorite fish… so beautiful.

An all inclusive beach day at Playa Las Gatas looks fabulous as well. This is a tour that includes kayaking and snorkeling. Playa Las Gatas is a white sand beach cove known for its’ coral and warm, turquoise water. Guides will lead the group in kayaks to the cove, spend the afternoon snorkeling and eating lunch, and then return by kayak.