Staying at Casa Viva Troncones

One of our best discoveries in Mexico is the beautiful all-natural beachfront hotel, Casa Viva Troncones.  Here’s our detailed review of the ecolodge. 

If you think all of Mexico is touristy, think again. Even though some parts of Mexico are affected by overtourism, there are still pockets of quiet, pristine areas that few people know about.

Troncones is one of these special places. Located along the central Pacific Coast, Troncones has miraculously steered clear of commercialization, with just a few boutique hotels and restaurants. The tiny beach town is quiet, calm and gloriously undeveloped. The wide windswept beach is almost always empty. It’s the kinda place where you go to get away from it all.

I had never heard of this beach until we moved to San Miguel de Allende in 2023 and friends here talked about Troncones in hush tones, as if it were their best-kept secret. Last weekend, we finally went to check it out – and it did not disappoint.

Perfect Location in Offbeat Troncones

Leaving our home base in San Miguel, we drove south through the undulating hills and peaceful backcountry of Michoacán and Guerrero states, arriving in Troncones after a smooth sailing six-hour drive. For those who are coming from Mexico City, it’s a 7-hour drive or a short 1.5-hour flight. The Zihuatanejo-Ixtapa (ZIH) Airport is just a 40-minute drive away, and there are direct flights also to Tijuana, Houston, Dallas, LA, Montreal and Vancouver.

Our home for the weekend was Casa Viva Troncones, a nature-inspired lodge located right on the wide, windswept beach. Overlooking the Pacific Ocean and backed by the lush jungle, Casa Viva is an intimate, private vacation rental that blends perfectly into the natural setting. Coincidentally, there was no one else staying at Casa Viva besides us, so we had the entire place to ourselves.

The beachfront property is made up of four spacious casitas, each built with locally-sourced natural materials and palapa roofs, giving the sensation you’re sleeping in a natural basket. They welcome kids and pets – which is something hard to come by!

Unique, Nature-Inspired Design

Casa Viva is the brainchild of Mexican owners, David Leventhal and Sandra Kahn, and the masterpiece of architect Michel Lewis who lives in Tepotzlan, Mexico. Michel also designed their sister property, Playa Viva, which has made waves around the world with its unique open-concept, nature-inspired design. Besides winning many design awards, Playa Viva has become one of the most known luxury eco-resorts in Mexico. 

The idea behind Casa Viva was first conceived in 1999, and the construction was eventually completed in 2001. I was really surprised to hear that the property is 24 years old – it doesn’t look its age at all; everything has been kept in immaculate condition, with a tasteful and stylish eco design.

The common area at Casa Viva is particularly attractive – centered upon a large oval-shaped pool made of white stone, a bubbling jacuzzi with warm water, and a kitchen. Several hammocks and a large wooden plank swing hang from the ceiling, surrounded by comfortable inviting armchairs. The best part? The large outdoor lounge opens up to jaw-dropping views of the Pacific Ocean and you can see the big, crashing waves from all angles here.

Open-Air Casitas Surrounded by Nature

The property has four casitas sprawling across a large, leafy area in the quiet northern end of Troncones. Built with adobe and bamboo, all the casitas are airy, open spaces, with beautiful outdoor showers and neutral, earthy colors.

Casita Redonda is perfect for couples, looking to enjoy gorgeous beach views right from their bed (with no windows); Casita Caracol is a two-story bungalow with a sleeping area on top and a fully-equipped kitchen below. The Tapanco is located on top of the dining room in the common area, with two queen beds that open up to an unobstructed ocean view.

We stayed at Casita Cuadrada, a large villa perfect for families – with a king bed and 3 singles. The tastefully-designed bungalow has high ceilings and four walls (although it’s open from the top and through glass-less windows), with teak wood bedframes covered in beautiful white canopy mosquito nets. The bathroom at the back of the villa has plenty of storage space for our belongings as well as a semi-open shower.

Family-Friendly Spot

Casa Viva Troncones is great for families in many ways. Besides the fact that it has a huge bungalow perfect for those traveling with kids, the entire vacation rental can be rented as a whole (with all four casitas) for multi-generational families. 

The pool itself is safe for little ones, with a shallow area perfect for toddlers/babies. There are also floats and boogie boards that kids can use, plus lots of swings everywhere that keep children entertained. We spent most of our time chilling by the pool, napping in the hammock and reading on the swings, while having refreshing dips from time to time. 

By the pool is the kitchen and a big dining table where we enjoyed long breakfasts, slurping on yogurt with granola and enjoying eggs and frijoles (beans) to the view. Breakfast is not included in the rates, but it comes at an affordable price of 180 MXN (US$9) per person. Drinks (wine, beer and soft drinks) are also available from the fridge in the kitchen – which we could help ourselves to and just pay for upon checkout.

Pets Are Welcomed Too!

We loved that Casa Viva welcomes pets too (they only charge US$25 extra for the pet’s stay) – not many places do! We travel with our dogs around Mexico from time to time, and often find that there are limited options when it comes to finding pet-friendly accommodations. 

Casa Viva actually has a dog on the property: Arenita is extremely friendly and sweet, and our dog Brownie had so much fun following her around like a little sidekick! Andrés, the manager of the property, was kind enough to allow Brownie to wander around without a leash. He just had the time of his life!

A Place with Heart

The small, intimate property prides itself as an eco-friendly beach resort committed to sustainable practices like using solar energy to heat water and using locally-sourced materials in their construction. 

They recycle water and plastic, minimize waste, and always use locally-produced homeware. The hotel only uses organic sheets and towels, and they provide guests with organic soaps and hand cream. I also noticed that instead of using plastic bottles, they provide giant water containers in the casitas and the common area.

I could see that the hotel is intentional in every detail, making sure to keep to their eco-friendly ethos and I really appreciate that.

What to Do in Troncones

After a hectic start to the year (working on a few book projects), I was happy to kick back and simply do nothing in Troncones. And this was the perfect spot to do just that! Troncones is one of the quietest, least developed beach towns I’ve been to in Mexico. The wide, windswept beach was almost always empty during our visit. There weren’t many tourists there at all.

We didn’t do much besides taking long strolls on the beach, chilling by the pool, having fresh seafood in town and drinks at sunset. But if you are up for doing more, here are some things you can do in Troncones:

• Learn about turtle conservation and even release baby turtles at Tres Santos
• Go surfing or sign up for a class with ISA Mexico
• Go kayaking or hiking with Costa Nativa Ecotours
• Visit Isla Ixtapa, one of the coolest islands in Mexico
• Go horseback riding on the beach
• Shop for folk art at Casa Croma 
• Enjoy sunset drinks and authentic Spanish food at El Chiringuito de Fran
• Slurp yummy smoothies and nutritious breakfasts at Cafe Pacifico
• Feast on the freshest seafood at Restaurante Brisas Mexicanas

Plan Your Trip to Troncones

Troncones is such an underrated beach town that few people know about, and Casa Viva is the perfect base to explore this area. If you’re looking to veer off the beaten path and go somewhere to get away from it all, this is the place to be.

For those who are planning to travel more of Mexico, check out other articles I’ve written on Mexico:

• 30 Things to Do in San Miguel de Allende
• Our Habitas San Miguel de Allende
• 10 Best Hot Springs in Mexico
• How to Visit Grutas Tolantongo
• How to Visit la Gruta San Miguel de Allende
• 30 Fun Things to Do in Guanajuato
• 5 Days in Mexico City Itinerary

Disclaimer: Our stay was hosted by Casa Viva Troncones but all opinions expressed above are my own.