Far from your usual stand-alone condominium project, the Garza Blanca Preserve comprises a private and exclusive planned community of penthouses and two- and three-bedroom residences on an 88-acre property that extends from jungle-covered hillsides to the famous Garza Blanca Beach, just 10 minutes south of downtown Puerto Vallarta.
The PreserveÂ’s beach area has 46 two-bedroom, three-bedroom, and penthouse residences. Six penthouses are in the Atrium building and have a level of service and convenience that is unavailable at any other of the resort locations. Two additional beachfront buildings, each with 18 residences and two penthouses, are located on the south side of the beach. Phase I penthouses range from 3,714 square feet to 6,109 square feet. Two- and three-bedroom residences starting at 2,260 square feet also are available. All residences have large balconies.
Currently under development, the hillside area of Garza Blanca Preserve will have seven 12-story residential buildings with two units per floor. They will contain two- and three-bedroom units, as well as penthouses. Rock wall terraces with hanging gardens and four pool areas will highlight the hillside.
Amenities include a tennis club, a beach club, a European health spa, an executive fitness center, a retail village (with a deli, a market, shops, an Internet café, and a restaurant), and hiking trails leading to a common area with a waterfall. A pedestrian bridge, suitable for golf carts, connects the hillside and beachside areas, leading from the hillside directly to the main Atrium lobby, the beach, and the two beachfront infinity pools.
The beachfront phase is completed, and site work for the hillside residences is underway. Prices start at $929,000. garzablancapreserve.com.
Overwater Delight
In The Bahamas, Kamalame Cay is a private island resort just off the Andros Island coast. Its secluded beachfront cottages are ideal for relaxing and 
rejuvenating. The Overwater Spa at Kamalame, billed as the only one of its kind in the Bahamas, is located on a turquoise lagoon; its five treatment rooms face the surrounding sea with floor-to-ceiling windows that fully retract. Kamalame Cay recently unveiled a new villa, Cacoanut; a deep-water channel; and upgrades to The Overwater SpaÂ’s treatment rooms. The new deep-water channel (seven feet at low tide), launched in August 2010, allows the resort to dock up to six vessels. The Cacoanut villa, on the farthest and most private end of the beach, sleeps up to 12 guests in six bedrooms and features a full kitchen and wraparound terraces with sweeping sea views. Rates for Cacoanut start at $3,140 per night. kamalame.com.