Marival Distinct Luxury Residences in Riviera Nayarit: The Getaway YOU Need

When I travel, I like to check as many boxes as possible. Checking off excitement, relaxation, luxury, enrichment, escape, and adventure boxes all happened as I journeyed to the beautiful Marival Distinct Luxury Residences in the Riviera Nayarit region of Mexico. Desiring all these requirements in one vacation, sometimes I return home feeling some of my wants didn’t (or couldn’t) get met. This wasn’t the case when I experienced this multi-faceted location and vacation.

Disclosure: This post was written by She Saved contributor Eileen Calandro who you might recognize from her Smart Parenting series here on She Saved. This was a hosted trip and I’m so happy to have her sharing her experience with us on the blog today!

A (luxury) Home Away from Home

My home away from home makes all the difference when I travel. Some feel differently (I’m looking at you, husband of mine!) and feel a hotel is just a place to rest your head with minimal luxuries required. Nope. Not me. When I’m not home, I want to stay somewhere at least as nice as where I live every day. If I am really honest with myself, I want luxury, and I want it ALL. The all-inclusive Marival Distinct Luxury Residences in Riviera Nayarit surpassed my needs, wants, expectations and was WAY better than anything I get in my neck of the woods.

My beautiful, larger-than-life, luxury residence looked out onto the pool and beyond the trees I could see the endless ocean. With two bedrooms (one with a king size bed, the other with two twins and televisions in each), a large living area with television set, a dining table with seats for six, and large outdoor balcony with a place to eat and lounge, everyone gets space to wind down and relax. The master bathroom boasted luxury towels and toiletries (my favorite!) with a super-soaker tub, separate shower and two sinks. The second, smaller-yet-still-beautiful bathroom hosted a shower and sink to suit everyone’s needs. With the well-equipped kitchen, you can feel glad you don’t have to spend a minute cooking for anyone, or whip up something if you need to feel a little closer to home.

Marival Distinct boasts four restaurants and one wine bar, all serving delicacies for every taste. Each spot uses its own distinct menu and location to offer various atmospheres and dining. Guests enjoy spectacular ocean views from two locations: Insu and Mozza Mare, the breakfast buffet at Omaggio offers something for everyone, and the casual, poolside Lemmon Grass serves all you could desire from snacks to a full meal for dinner.

Around the World in One Spa

Sometimes the adventures while vacationing require an extra dose of relaxation and renewal, or some folks like to push their reset button from the very beginning. The Melange World Spa at Marival Distinct Luxury Residences presents every guest with an opportunity to escape to nine different places on the planet. Each individual treatment room looks and feels like a different location and each spa experience coordinates with the area. Thai, Shiatsu, are only some of the massages you can request, manicures and pedicures take care of you from tips to toes, and some rooms come equipped with hot tubs for an extra level of relaxation. Although not included in the all-inclusive rate for your stay, this extra treat could be just what you need to call your vacation complete.

Excitement Awaits with Vallarta Adventures

Some things I already know: I love road trips. I love driving fast. I love driving new cars. I love driving new cars really fast. Basically, I just love driving! What I didn’t know: I love driving off-road in a Polaris 4×4 Razor ATV. I learned this about myself when we took the epic Sayulita Escape ATV tour with Vallarta Adventures.

This five-hour tour took us up into the hills above Sayulita to view the town from a perspective entirely new to me and seldom seen by tourists. Getting to the top led us on a newly-formed trail through the jungle, up steep hills, over jumps and around and around a dirt circular track to stir up some messy dust. In the beginning of the tour, I needed to chant my favorite “I think I can” mantra, but about midway through the voice in my head changed to “You got this!” and “Go for it!”

Once we reached the destination of the highest hill, we stopped to enjoy the view and take some “We did it!” exhilaration photos. I didn’t need to be told twice to smile -I didn’t stop smiling the entire time we drove around. I loved the open structure of the ATV, the wind all around us, the views, the thrill of trying something new, and the dirt.

Yes. I loved the dirt and the dust.

In my everyday life (which currently includes a broken washing machine) I work to avoid dirt and dust. I clean, I wipe up and off things, and generally spend a lot of my time getting rid of the grime that builds up faster than I can whisk it away. Leaving all of that cleaning action behind for a once-in-a-lifetime driving adventure left me feeling surprisingly refreshed and renewed, like my cobwebbed-brain got whisked clean by a strong wind. Apparently on vacation, I want to bring on the grime!

Come Sail Away With Me -Or Could I Interest You In a Catamaran?

Not everyone wants to get dirty and drive around while on vacation. Sometimes relaxing means lazing around for an afternoon on a boat on the Luxury Yacht and Snorkel Tour from Vallarta Adventures. Grab your sunscreen and get ready to do as little or much as you want while exotic cocktails and perfectly-portioned lunch get prepared as if by magic.

We enjoyed every water toy available as we hung out for the afternoon aboard this lovely yacht. We snorkeled, lounged on a large floating raft, and felt extreme satisfaction as some of us mastered stand-up-paddle boarding for the first time.

The weather felt perfect, not too hot or cold with even a slight breeze. The boat offered plenty of space for everyone to relax on the bow or stern areas and with four (FOUR!) bathrooms, no one needed to wait for anything or anyone.

Once we finished our lounging time in the sun and water, our journey back to the dock took us along the gorgeous, resort-lined beaches of Riviera Nayarit. Seeing each distinct resort with varied architecture and design gave my eyes plenty to observe and left me wanting to keep exploring the beauty of the area.

Color, Culture, Charisma: Sayulita

Visitors to Riviera Nayarit shouldn’t call their visit complete without time spent in the colorful beach town of Sayulita. Nestled by the ocean with shops, restaurants, places to stay and a welcoming town center, this unique haven offers more than can be experienced in just a few hours.

To see everything, you need to spend at least a good portion of your day wandering through the streets and shops of the town. Love leather? There’s a shop for that. Love the beach? Lounge on it for hours and watch the world go by or rent a surfboard and take a lesson to learn for yourself. Love food and drink? Take your pick of delicious, authentic delights at numerous restaurants beachside or on a little side street. Love textiles or ceramic tiles? Turn around and point and you’ll find a shop with countless selections. Looking for that perfect photo to remember your visit? You’ll find jaw-dropping backdrops around every turn.

The most difficult part of a visit to Sayulita is knowing you’ll be leaving way too soon no matter how long you stay.

Treated Like a Star at Marival Armony Luxury Resort and Suites

The newest addition to the Marival Resort “family,” Marival Armony creates a level of luxury you need to experience to believe. From the open-air check in desk with cathedral-height ceilings, to the infinity pool and golden beach, and the interactive kid’s and teen’s clubs, this resort offers something for all the members of your family.

Seven restaurants, five pools, five jacuzzies, and all beachside make this resort an all-inclusive paradise. Each open-air space beneath soaring-ceiling palapas offers ocean views from every relaxation location on the property.

One of the more popular and populated spots on the property (with good reason), the swim-up bar creates concoctions to your specifications while you languish in the perfect pool. If you want a more private place to call your own, cabanas can be rented on a sand-covered deck. This exclusive area offers individual hot tub pools nestled beside each cabana oasis, lounge chairs, and a dedicated wait staff. The unblocked ocean views and even a shower station to wash off after a dip in the ocean make this area worth the extra cost.

The resort’s distinct, larger-than-life star which stands at the mouth of the infinity pool serves as a perfect representation of the experience of Marival Armony. With all your needs met, everyone can feel like a star when they stay at this luxurious resort.

Of all the experiences I enjoyed during my time at the all-inclusive Marival Distinct Luxury Residences in Riviera Nayarit, I feel challenged to choose a favorite. Overall, vacations contain highlights and most importantly, an all-encompassing feeling from the getaway. My time in this unique place on our planet left me feeling relaxed, enriched, fortunate, cared for, and refreshed. I look for getting boxes checked off while on vacation and this experience left me feeling like a completed to-do list. Check! Check! Check! Thank you, Riviera Nayarit and everyone who helped me put a check next to my biggest take-away of all: delight.

Connect with Eileen

Like what you’re reading here? Eileen writes how she talks and she teaches how she talks and writes. You can hire her to teach parenting classes and perform assemblies for your school and she would love to help your community. Be sure to check out her website for more information.

You can learn more about Eileen here: www.calandroconsulting.com
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Twitter: @calandroconsult

For more fun travel tips, reviews and experiences, make sure to check out the She Travels series here on She Saved.