This Casa Papelillo FAQ covers the questions that arrive before a booking: where the villa is and how to reach it, whether the house is staffed (yes — four full-time staff, including a private chef), what the rate includes, groceries, pets, events, and house rules. Casa Papelillo is a full-property exclusive on Chamela Bay, in the Costalegre region of Jalisco, ten minutes north of Careyes. If an answer still leaves a gap, please reach out.
Last updated: 7 October 2026
| Included in the nightly rate | Extras |
|---|---|
| The whole villa for up to 12 guests | Groceries & drinks: at cost, with receipts, billed at checkout |
| Butler, private chef (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and two housekeepers | Airport transfers, one way: Manzanillo $150 (sedan) or $250 (Suburban) · Puerto Vallarta $250 (sedan) or $425 (Suburban) |
| Daily housekeeping; linens, towels and bedroom amenities | Tequila or mezcal tasting: $40 per person |
| Starlink Wi-Fi, air conditioning, private parking | Mexican cooking class: $40 per person |
| Private cliff staircase and access to four beaches | Pets: $100 per pet per night (maximum two) |
| 5% service fee | Boats, spa, golf, excursions and events: on request |
| Staff gratuity: customary 5–10%, at your discretion |
Related: How to get to Careyes guide · Getting here
Casa Papelillo is a private oceanfront villa on Chamela Bay in the Costalegre region of Jalisco, on Mexico’s Pacific coast, 10 minutes north of Careyes. The closest international airports are Manzanillo (ZLO), about 1.5–2 hours’ drive, and Puerto Vallarta (PVR), about 2.5–3 hours.
Puerto Vallarta has the widest choice of direct international flights; Manzanillo is smaller, so customs and baggage move faster. Private aircraft can land at the Chamela airstrip (CHM31), minutes away, or Chalacatepec (COJ), about 40 minutes. Drive times and transfers: how to get to Careyes.
Yes. Casa Papelillo arranges private airport transfers with a trusted local driver. One way, Manzanillo (ZLO) costs $150 by sedan or $250 by Suburban; Puerto Vallarta (PVR) costs $250 by sedan or $425 by Suburban. Send your flight details when you book.
If you plan to explore the coast, a rental car may suit you better (see the rental-car question below).
Yes, in a small plane. The nearest landing strip is Chamela, a private strip a short drive from the villa, which takes aircraft of up to eight passengers rather than jets. With a jet, land at Puerto Vallarta (PVR) or Manzanillo (ZLO), clear customs there, then drive (2.5 to 3 hours from PVR, 1.5 from ZLO) or connect on a small plane to Chamela; from Mexico City, fly to either airport first. Charters to Chamela can be booked with Aerotron at Puerto Vallarta airport (Pilatus PC-12, aerotron.com.mx, +52 322 226 8440) or through Cuixmala (cuixmala.com), which arranges flights from Manzanillo and Puerto Vallarta. A party of 12 needs two aircraft. Before you book a flight to Chamela, ask us first: we notify the airstrip’s owner, coordinate your arrival and arrange your transfer from the strip.
Yes, a rental car is recommended for a stay at Casa Papelillo. Taxis are scarce on this rural coast and distances are real, so a car lets you explore Careyes, Cuixmala and the beaches on your own time. Given the roads, rent a 4×4 at the airport. The villa has free, shaded private parking.
Yes — these are Casa Papelillo’s two favourite local drivers. Taxi Gabriel: +52 314 109 8066. Taxi Wicho: +52 315 100 5755.
Our staff can reserve either one. Say how many passengers are travelling so the driver brings the right car: a sedan seats 4, a Suburban 7.
Yes. Casa Papelillo has a private parking lot on site, set beneath a pergola, so your vehicles stay protected from both sun and rain.
Careyes village and its community resort sit a 10-minute drive south of Casa Papelillo. In other words, the villa is about 6 miles (10 km) up the coast. It shares Careyes’ community, culture and events — close enough for polo, beach clubs and Ondalinda, far enough for complete privacy.
Related: Whale watching guide · Getting here · Gallery
Yes. Casa Papelillo is inside a private gated community with a 24/7 security team and surveillance. Only registered guests are admitted: send the names and IDs of everyone in your party to the villa’s butler before arrival, and he meets you at the security gate and guides you to the house.
Visitors who are not staying at the villa need prior approval.
Yes. Casa Papelillo is a cliff-top oceanfront villa 20 metres from the Pacific, with an uninterrupted 180-degree view of Chamela Bay, no other house in sight, and a private stone staircase down to the water. Guests also have private access to four beaches.
Yes — Casa Papelillo sits on the edge of the UNESCO Chamela–Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve, 13,142 hectares of protected tropical dry forest designated in 2006. From the terraces, guests watch humpback whales from November to February, dolphin pods, sea turtles nesting and hatching from July to December, bioluminescence on dark nights, and a sky with almost no light pollution.
Yes. The water in front of Casa Papelillo is usually calm and swimmable, because a chain of protected islands shelters Chamela Bay — unlike many open-Pacific beaches on this coast. The bay is a designated nature sanctuary.
As on most beaches in the region, no lifeguard is on duty, so swim with caution.
Related: Suites · The Villa · Careyes architecture guide
A stay at Casa Papelillo includes the whole villa, five suites for up to 12 guests, and four full-time staff: a butler, a private chef and two housekeepers. The chef cooks three meals a day; groceries and drinks are billed at cost, with receipts, at checkout. Daily housekeeping, linens, towels and bedroom amenities are included, as is private access to four beaches (La Virgencita on reservation). The 5% service fee is included in the rate. Airport transfers, spa, beauty and excursions are arranged by the butler on request, at extra cost. See what’s included and the extras.
Alex Pössenbacher designed Casa Papelillo; Architectural Digest named him to its AD100. The Mexico City-born architect’s work spans Chamela, Careyes and Punta Mita. The house is an architect-designed oceanfront villa for twelve on the cliffs of Chamela Bay, rented whole — five suites, one party in the house.
The interiors of Casa Papelillo are by Amathea, a world-published interior design studio whose work has appeared in Architectural Digest Italia, ELLE, Ville & Casali and Sotheby’s Home, and on NBC’s Open House. Here the studio pairs Mexican artistry with contemporary comfort — hand-polished stucco, natural stone and palm-thatched palapas — across five suites and the open-air palapa.
Yes. Casa Papelillo runs high-speed Wi-Fi via Starlink throughout the house. In addition, every bedroom has air conditioning and a fan, while the living areas have ceiling fans.
Cell coverage on this stretch of coast can be patchy between towns. At the villa itself, however, all carriers have service.
Casa Papelillo has an infinity pool, a private cliff staircase to Chamela Bay, an open-air palapa, Starlink Wi-Fi and air-conditioned suites. Each bedroom has a safe and a minibar stocked with your favourite snacks and drinks; the house has a tea and coffee set, a Bose sound system, a smart TV, yoga mats, filtered water and insect repellent.
Yes. Casa Papelillo comes with four full-time staff: one butler, one chef and two housekeepers. They stay on site throughout your visit.
Housekeeping runs daily. Besides cleaning, the team cooks on site, shares restaurant tips and arranges sunset boat excursions. Laundry service is also available on request.
Tipping the staff at Casa Papelillo is customary in Mexico and always appreciated, although never required. For staffed villa stays on this coast, a common guideline is 5–10% of the rental rate.
Most guests pool that tip among the house staff and leave it in cash, in pesos or dollars, at the end of the stay. Drivers, boat captains and guides, meanwhile, are usually tipped separately.
Related: Gastronomy · Sample Menu
Chef service is included at Casa Papelillo; groceries and drinks are not. The villa’s private chef cooks breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, and groceries and drinks are billed at cost, with receipts, at checkout.
Send a grocery and drinks list before you arrive and the butler will have the house stocked. See the sample menu. The team can also arrange a private chef for special dinners, events and beach barbecues.
The closest restaurants to Casa Papelillo are the beach palapas of Punta Pérula, 5 minutes north, serving fresh seafood at local prices; Careyes, 10 minutes south, has beach clubs and restaurants. The villa’s staff make reservations.
See our restaurant recommendations.
Catch-of-the-day, ceviche and pescado zarandeado on the sand. Favourites: Las Alamandas, La Viuda and Mariscos Chee Chee.
Malabar, Lilo’s Beach Club, Playa Rosa Beach Club and Casa de Nada.
Cuixmala, Chantli Mare and other standouts toward Tenacatita; the Four Seasons Tamarindo restaurants are about an hour south.
The villages of San Mateo and Emiliano Zapata, near Casa Papelillo, have well-stocked local markets with produce and fresh seafood straight from the fishermen. There is no large supermarket in Chamela or Careyes, so guests send a grocery list to have the villa stocked before arrival, or shop on the drive in.
For Costco, Walmart or La Comer, stop in Puerto Vallarta or Manzanillo.
Related: Experiences · Events · Ondalinda guide
The most popular things to do from Casa Papelillo are golf at El Tamarindo, in-villa spa and wellness, tequila and mezcal tastings with the butler, hiking on the edge of the UNESCO reserve, yoga, polo in Careyes, snorkeling straight from the cliff, surfing, sailing, scuba diving and, from November to February, whale watching.
With advance notice, we also organise:
Reserve any activity here.
Yes. The nearest golf course to Casa Papelillo is El Tamarindo, about an hour south. Non-hotel guests can play with advance booking, and we arrange the tee time and a driver. Polo is closer: the Careyes fields are ten minutes south, with matches from November to April. See On Land.
Casa Papelillo offers in-villa spa and wellness services rather than a spa building: massage in your suite or beside the pool, private yoga and meditation, sound healing, and beauty services including manicures, pedicures, makeup and hairstyling. Everything comes to the house, so you never need to leave. See Wellness.
Yes. Casa Papelillo’s butler, a tequila connoisseur, hosts tastings at the house: four tequilas (blanco, reposado, añejo and extra añejo) and four regional mezcals. Choose a Tequila, Mezcal or Mixed tasting, $40 per person per tasting. Jalisco is tequila’s home state, so it’s a natural first evening. See Gastronomy.
Yes. Casa Papelillo’s private chef teaches a hands-on Mexican cooking class at the villa: salsas, ceviche, guacamole, quesadillas, birria and tacos, on homemade hand-pressed tortillas. Classes cost $40 per person and are arranged on request during your stay, and you eat what you make. See the Sample Menu.
Yes. At Casa Papelillo, a private staircase in the cliff leads straight into Chamela Bay, so you can snorkel right off the house; please bring your own mask, snorkel and fins. Scuba diving runs year-round with a PADI-certified master diver, off the house or in the protected marine sanctuaries around the bay’s islands. See On the Water.
Yes. Chamela Bay, in front of Casa Papelillo, is sheltered, which makes it one of the best spots on this coast for kayaking and paddleboarding, and we arrange rentals, lessons and guides. For surfing, boat trips run to the breaks around Punta Pérula, a ten-minute drive north. There are no boards at the villa itself.
Yes, in season. From July to December sea turtles nest on the beaches near Casa Papelillo, and hatchling-release viewings can be booked at Playa Teopa with the Careyes Foundation and at Cuixmala. Wake at sunrise to watch the hatchlings cross the sand to the sea; we’ll book it for you.
Yes. Casa Papelillo sits on the edge of the UNESCO Chamela–Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve, 13,142 hectares of protected tropical dry forest with exceptional birdwatching. We arrange guided hikes in the area and along the coast. Go early in the morning, before the heat, and bring water and closed shoes.
Yes. Casa Papelillo hosts events beyond its 12 overnight guests — retreats, milestone birthdays, rehearsal dinners and weddings of up to 150 guests — with prior written approval. Events require booking the whole villa and are priced on request by event type, guest numbers and duration. Hosts supply their own event services and event liability insurance.
Celebrations for registered guests are always welcome. To plan an event, reserve the villa first, then email info@casapapelillo.com with your dates, numbers and plans. See Events and our guide to Careyes weddings and retreats.
Event services include entertainment, décor, catering, security and valet parking, portable toilets and a generator; we are happy to recommend local vendors. Send the names of all attendees and vendors in advance; community security verifies them on entry. Quiet hours run from 10:00 PM to 8:00 AM.
Yes. Casa Papelillo hosts guests during Ondalinda x Careyes, held each November ten minutes south of the villa, and during the region’s other major events. The villa sleeps 12, fully staffed with a private chef. Festival dates are high season, with a five-night minimum, and book up first. Casa Papelillo is independent of the festival. See Events.
Yes. Casa Papelillo is a favourite for multi-generational family trips: island-sheltered Chamela Bay is among the most swimmable water on this coast, and children love the boat trips and seasonal turtle releases. Cribs, high chairs and babysitting are available on request.
Like most villas in the region, the house has an unfenced pool, open terraces and stairs, so young children need supervision.
Related: Terms & Conditions · Reviews
The best time to visit Casa Papelillo is the dry season, November to April: sunny days, low humidity, highs around 28 °C (low 80s °F), whale season (November to February), and polo and events in Careyes. May to October is the quieter, greener low season — August and September are the rainiest — with a warm sea, dramatic skies and the villa’s lowest rates. See our month-by-month guide.
Casa Papelillo essentials: check-in 3:00 PM, check-out 11:00 AM, up to 12 guests, children welcome, up to two pets ($100 per pet per night), no smoking indoors, and quiet hours 10:00 PM to 8:00 AM. Cancellation: see our cancellation policy.
Guests supervise children and pets at all times, and cover any damage pets cause. Celebrations for registered guests are welcome. Larger events, such as retreats, birthdays, rehearsal dinners and weddings, need prior written approval and a whole-villa booking (see Events). Unapproved parties or events are not permitted.
Casa Papelillo is rented whole: five suites, twelve guests, one party in the house. That full-property exclusive is the point of staying here.
In rare cases, and only on request, an individual room may be released. It is never guaranteed: ask when you enquire and we will tell you whether your dates allow it and quote a rate. Where it is possible, you would share the common areas, the pool and the private beach access with the other guests in the house.
Yes. Pets are welcome at Casa Papelillo, up to two per stay, at $100 per pet per night. Guests supervise their pets at all times, and also cover any damage caused.
Related: Getting here · How to get to Careyes guide
Yes. Casa Papelillo is in a quiet, rural part of the Costalegre that has hosted international visitors and homeowners for over 50 years, and crime affecting tourists is rare. The villa is inside a private gated community with 24/7 security; only pre-registered guests whose ID has been checked are admitted.
Drive Highway 200 in daylight when you can, keep valuables in your bedroom safe, and swim with care: the beaches have no lifeguards.
Read our guide to safety on the Costalegre.
Yes. Three medical clinics are within a 10-minute drive of Casa Papelillo: Centro de Salud in San Mateo, Punta Médica in Pérula and Clinica Careyes. Pharmacies in Punta Pérula and Emiliano Zapata are about 15 minutes away, full hospitals are in Manzanillo and Puerto Vallarta, and travel insurance is recommended.
They appear mostly at dawn and dusk, especially in the green season. The villa provides repellent, and screens, fans and air conditioning keep evenings comfortable.
Unfortunately, Casa Papelillo cannot offer disability access: it is built into the cliffs above Chamela Bay, with stairs in every room and throughout the house.
Yes. Before arriving, send copies of every guest’s ID to the villa’s butler and security team, who then clear your party for access.
If you leave something behind at Casa Papelillo, email info@casapapelillo.com right away with a description and your stay dates. We will do our best to help, but we are not responsible for items left behind. Before you leave, check the room safes, drawers and bathrooms.
No. Casa Papelillo is on Chamela Bay in Costalegre, Jalisco, ten minutes from Careyes and about two and a half hours south of Puerto Vallarta. It is unrelated to Casa Papelillos in Mismaloya, Puerto Vallarta, and to other properties with similar names in Punta Mita and Nayarit. Its only official website is casapapelillo.com.
If the Casa Papelillo FAQ has not answered it, please WhatsApp: +1 (315) 262-0362 or email us: info@casapapelillo.com.
