Mindful drinking with a focus on wellness can mean choosing a zero-proof or low-ABV cocktail instead of a strong stirred drink, or slowly savoring a single glass of wine rather than downing two or three. Equally important, the place where you sip can affect your mood, body and spirit just as much as what’s in your glass.
I found that firsthand during a weekend escape from a late winter at Secrets and Dreams Bahía Mita, two beachfront resorts near Puerto Vallarta that opened in 2021. Together they offer 24 restaurant and bar concepts, plus nine rooftop poolscapes set a few floors above the lobby and running the length of the property, all directly adjacent to a sandy, rocky surfer beach. The Sierra Madre Mountains frame the scene, rising along the horizon and sometimes cloaked in mist. If your timing is right you may even spot baby whales learning to swim in the relatively shallow waters during migration season. The two resorts mirror one another — one adults-only, the other family-friendly — but wherever I went I was never more than a few steps from a good drink or a soul-calming view.
Coconut Mojito at SkyBar pool © Kelly Magyarics
Sipping a coconut mojito in the infinity pool at the adults-only beach club offered a front-row view of surfers waiting in the swell for the perfect wave. When the activities director asked if I wanted a surf lesson, I politely declined — I preferred morning beachfront yoga on dry land.
After class I treated myself to a deep-tissue massage at the spa, followed by a citrus-infused aqua fresca at the Revive Bar. In the relaxation lounge I watched a circular curtain of water fall from a large, cavernous structure inspired by a rock formation at nearby Lover’s Beach on the Marietas Islands. Later, from my alfresco table at the sixth-floor seaside Mediterranean restaurant Olio, I could see those islands as I sipped a zesty Chilean Sauvignon Blanc and enjoyed a tempura roll and a compressed watermelon, feta and arugula salad.
The resorts offer conveniences such as dedicated check-in and check-out, butler service and upgraded in-room amenities. Preferred guests receive extra perks, including access to the eighth-floor SkyBar pool and lounge. From a Bali bed there are sweeping panoramic views and a menu that includes a strawberry-and-guava mezcalita and Vallarta-style ceviche, where finely chopped mahi mahi cooks in its bright lime marinade.
Preferred guests also have access to the resort’s newest offering: in-room tea service. One afternoon my butler arrived with a cart of tisanes infused with local fruits, flowers and coconut and a three-tiered platter of finger sandwiches, fruit tarts, cookies and macarons.
After a long day in the sun I ate every bite on my ocean-view balcony while soaking in the tub. Still, the most restorative drinking moment of my stay happened at a quieter, more picturesque corner of the property. Beachfront bar Barracuda’s is lively by day, a great spot for ceviche tostadas, but at sunset it becomes the ideal place to watch the sky shift colors. Nestled on a patio sofa beneath straw lanterns gently swaying in the trees, I watched the sky turn orange to match my tangy passion fruit margarita and felt completely present, soaking up the serene, sea-spray-tinged shoreline of Puerto Vallarta.