Casa del Sol

Casa del Sol stands above the water at Ixtapa, on the Guerrero coast beside Zihuatanejo, and it was designed around its outlook rather than around its rooms. Four bedrooms sleep ten. The plan is open, so the garden and the sea air run through the living spaces instead of stopping at a wall, and the ocean is in view from every part of the house. The architecture is generous and low, built to stay cool without relying on machinery, and the planting around it has been left to grow.

The living and dining areas are large enough for the whole group at once and open directly onto the terrace, which is where meals are usually taken. The main bedroom holds a king bed with an uninterrupted view of the ocean, and the three other bedrooms hold double beds, each with a bathroom of its own. A cook is on the staff, along with a doorkeeper and cleaning personnel, and the kitchen is set up for cooking properly rather than for reheating, which means the group can eat at the house as often as it likes without anyone spending the morning shopping.

Outside, the terrace runs into a sand garden and on to the swimming pool, which is placed to keep the horizon in view from the water. A palapa shades the outdoor dining table and keeps it usable through the middle of the day, and dinner there under the stars is the part of the day most groups remember. The staff maintain the pool and the grounds daily, and the resident chef cooks local dishes or whatever the group prefers; dietary requirements are passed to the cook at the start of the stay so the shopping can be done around them.

Ixtapa has the golf, the marina and the long hotel beaches, while Zihuatanejo, fifteen minutes away, keeps the fishing harbour, the market and the restaurants along Playa La Ropa. Boats run out to Isla Ixtapa and to the surf at Playa Linda, and Zihuatanejo International Airport is roughly twenty minutes from the house. Smoking is not permitted indoors. For a family holiday or a group of friends who want a house that stays open to the outside all day, Casa del Sol gives Villa Experience guests an unhurried stretch of the Guerrero coast with the cooking taken care of.