What formerly was a one hour drive along a marginal highway from the airport, is now a mere 20 minute ride down the newly completed four lane highway that was built by the Mexican government at a cost of over 100 million dollars to serve the Four Seasons and Costa Banderas' properties.

ARCHITECTURE

Casa Aguas Vivas--House of Living Waters--was built to blend into the environment which surrounds the home.  The building, which is appropriate to the climate and made from material indigenous to the area, is a statement of individuality.  The palapa roofs and river stone mesh with the ocean, palms, and pools to create a romantic and unique home.  The curvilinear architecture and stairways defy straight walls and convention, as does the outdoor dining room and bar area under a palapa umbrella.  A cobblestone stairway from the palapa bar to the ocean, places you onto a mile of sugar-fine sand to the south.

The architect, William Swanson from Santa Barbara, California, has incorporated function and form while allowing the building site and views to speak for themselves.  The 2-story home has 3 bedroom suites, all of which take advantage of the spectacular vistas in all directions.  To the east, from the upstairs master bedroom, the sunrise pours in from Puerto Vallarta across the tops of the trees in the tropical forest.  The distant view to the south is the southernmost tip of Bahia Banderas known as Cabo Corientes, while in the immediate foreground there is a magnificent view of surf and coral reefs from 50 feet above sea level.  The view to the west encompasses the remainder of the Bahia Banderas, and sunsets that fade behind the Mariettas Islands.

Native parota hardwood was cut from the jungle, dried and milled by local craftsmen to form the windows, doors, and some of the furnishings inside the home.  The dark hardwood richly accents the openings with hand-crafted quality.  The palapa roof, built by the same craftsman who built the main lobby of the Four Seasons, also displays the local talent as each palm frond is tightly woven together.  This natural roof covering is impervious to rain, while allowing airflow that gives the architecture its place amount the surrounding palms.