One&Only Mandarina

One&Only Mandarina sits on 80 acres of rainforest and undeveloped coastline in Riviera Nayarit, on the Pacific about 50 minutes to an hour from Puerto Vallarta airport. Forbes Travel Guide rates it four stars, and you can step from the jungle straight onto a swimmable white sand beach.

The rooms are what people remember: treehouses perched some 40 feet up over the jungle canopy, cliff villas and ground level villas, most with a private plunge pool. Food is led by Enrique Olvera at Carao, with Mediterranean flavours at Alma and seafood at the Jetty Beach Club down on the sand.

For the ceremony, choose the clifftop at Alma, with room for 152 to 250 poolside, or Carao on the southernmost peak, for 40 indoors or 80 by the pool. Salón Papelillo is the indoor ballroom for up to 180, with an open air courtyard for 60 beside it. For something smaller, the Jetty Beach Club takes 70 on the beach and the Jetty, out over the water with a firepit, takes 50. Venues can be reserved exclusively, and the whole resort can be bought out.

Guests stay in treehouses, villas and private homes, with the named villas running to one or two bedrooms. Ask the team how many keys are free for your dates. Between events there is the One&Only Spa with Tata Harper treatments and a traditional temazcal, trail rides at the Mandarina Polo and Equestrian Club, ziplines, kayaking, snorkelling and golf at Mandarina Golf Club. Whale watching is best from December to March. Puerto Vallarta airport is 50 minutes to just over an hour by road.