One of my many versions of paradise is luxuriating in my own private villa perched atop a cliff with sweeping views of the ocean. Of course, warm sunny weather, tropical breezes and magnificent sunsets are a must (especially when it’s cold back home). Throw in a private pool, access to a pristine sandy beach, outdoor activities, nearby cultural sites and in house maid and meal service. Sharing all this with loved ones completes the recipe for paradise!
The week we spent at Villa Aves del Paraiso was indeed paradise. Just what you’d expect from a villa christened ‘Birds of Paradise’!
We’d purchased a week’s stay at a four bedroom villa in Manzanillo, Mexico at a charity auction. No one was bidding, it was for a good cause and so I raised my paddle. We’d rented private villas over the years in Mexico, Europe and the Caribbean so I had a good idea of value – much to my surprise and delight, I won this bid for several thousand dollars less than expected. However, when cashing out, I started to get nervous as there was no detail on black out dates and the location description was vague, merely saying ‘beach view’. I had nightmares about spending a week in a villa with no beach access and only a glimpse of ocean in the middle of Mexico’s hot, humid rainy season.
After checking availability of my adult children and their spouses/ significant others, we landed on a few options. Our first choice was the week after Christmas, followed by Thanksgiving week. We picked some other dates in January and March and just in case, one in late May. I emailed the contact person, and much to my delight, got an immediate response back. Except for the Christmas holiday, the villa was available for all other dates, so that’s how we ended up spending Thanksgiving in paradise! No cooking turkey for me this year!
When we received the information packet on Villa Aves del Paraiso, my fears about location were initially absolved. Located in a gated community on the Santiago Peninsula near the Manzanillo port, the house was perched on a cliff above the ocean with access to the association’s beach club. The amenities were first class – a driver to take us to the beach and other nearby activities like golf and snorkeling, full maid and meal service that also included buying groceries or transportation to the grocery store and concierge service to book cultural activities. We were helped finding the most direct flights to Manzanillo – we opted to fly through Houston vs. Mexico City – and booked a van for airport pickup!
We had a bit of a scare before we left – my daughter-in-law who has a senior management position at her company, told her work colleagues that she would be vacationing in Manzanillo, and her company security informed her that this area of Mexico was on the US State Department ‘Do Not Travel’ list due to drug gang violence. The more on-line research we did, the more uneasy we became – earlier in the year eight people suspected of being members of a drug cartel were found brutally decapitated in a field. I had visions of my family being accosted by machete wielding cartel members – no wonder, I got this villa for such a low bid! Nervously, I reached back out to the villa contact person to ask about security. Turns out I was communicating with Haley, the owner of Villa Aves del Paraiso; he assured us that in the 20 some years he’d lived in Manzanillo, there had been no violence towards residents or guests. Yes, it was true that drug cartel members had brutally decapitated some rival gang members (cutting people’s heads off is a sure way to get the attention of the US State Department) but assuming we steered clear of drug trafficking, we’d likely be safer in Manzanillo than any comparable American city.
Our flights from New York, Detroit and San Diego were masterfully synchronized and fortunately there were no delays, so everyone arrived in Houston on time to catch the daily non stop United flight to Manzanillo. We typically don’t fly United and based on this flight probably won’t in future – the plane was old and shabby and service subpar. Nonetheless, we arrived safely in Manzanillo on the Saturday afternoon before Thanksgiving and immediately spotted our driver holding a clipboard with our names.
The Santiago Peninsula is about a half hour drive from the airport. We cleared security at the peninsula guard house and began the steep drive up the cliff. The neighboring villas are all white concrete (we learned that Manzanillo is prone to earthquakes when later in the week we experienced the vibrations of 5.2 quake) and well anchored to the surrounding cliffs. Surrounded by palm trees and walls of pink and purple bougainvillea, the homes in this community have amazing views of the bay and the nearby port of Manzanillo. Shipping is the major industry in the area, with tourism being a distant third behind agriculture. Long ocean freighters anchored daily in the harbor waiting to unload cargo at the port.
We met Haley, the villa owner for a brief orientation. Much to our surprise, he is a fit nonagenarian who lives in the house with his caretaker but donates its use for several weeks a year to youth charities. He had once been a teacher in Detroit, made his money in Florida real estate and outlived three wives. While honeymooning in Manzanillo, he and his third wife fell in love with the area, bought a lot and built the villa. Villa Aves del Paraiso has been his permanent home for over 20 years and he now resides here with his household manager and caretaker, Lilly and employs a houseman, Marteen (who was our happy hour coordinator, waiter and driver for the week), an amazing cook and housekeeping staff. The house has three levels built down a rocky ledge; two bedrooms with baths on the ground level as well as a small corner garden bursting with red, pink and yellow blooms, a master bedroom suite and another bedroom and bath on the next level down and open air living room, dining room, kitchen, bar, pool and overhanging balcony on the lower level. As we walked down to the pool level, Haley misjudged a step and tripped, cutting his face and hand as he fell on the marble steps. He brushed it off and continued talking to us about logistics but at 94 years old, falls are serious so we were relieved when Lilly took him to the hospital for stitches. Fortunately, he was fine and was a gracious host for the remainder of the week. He periodically checked in with us over the week, but mostly stayed in a small guest cottage adjacent to the villa.
Marteen had margaritas and fresh guacamole, salsa and chips waiting for us at the poolside bar once we’d settled into our rooms and donned our bathing suits. We spent a relaxing afternoon swimming, reading, playing cards and planning how we wanted to spend the week. We learned that on the days we were home, a wonderful selection of Mexican appetizers, occasionally augmented with bbq chicken wings appeared on the pool bar everyday at 4pm.
As night fell, Marteen lit the outdoor lamps around the pool. This, combined with the soft luminescence in the dining room, set the terrace aglow. We watched the setting sun color the clouds, turning the sky, yellow, then orange, then pink bathing the docked freighters below in its soft light. What a magnificent way to end a day!
We watched the setting sun color the clouds, turning the sky, yellow, then orange, then pink bathing the docked freighters below in its soft light. What a magnificent way to end a day!
Dinner was a special event. The kitchen staff prepared our meal while Marteen readied the table for dinner; every night the table was set with a different style of dinnerware, colorful ceramic, simple china, fired earthenware and a complementary natural centerpiece crafted from palm fronds or bougainvillea blooms or rose petals or fruit. The dining room was slightly elevated above the pool deck so we had unobstructed views of the harbor as we dined. Although we were dressed casually, dinner was formal; Marteen, now serving as our waiter, served drinks, followed by a three course meal. We had originally planned on going out to dinner most nights but changed our minds after our first dinner. The cook was amazing – our first night we dined on squash soup, chili relanoes (I never dreamed I would eat an entire pablano pepper but the cheese stuffing and sauce complimented by Spanish rice was excellent) and orange infused flan.
After that, we dined out only one night, more for the experience than the need for great food. Otherwise, we enjoyed an amazing in villa menu that included chicken parmesan, grilled shrimp, sea bass and filet, preceded with a soup or salad and freshly baked bread and followed by fruit, cheese, sorbet or pie. Between the cook to order breakfast, lunch, appetizers and three course meals with wine, beer and margaritas at the ready, we resigned ourselves to the fact that we would likely be going home with the Villa Aves del Paraiso 10.
No question that our week in paradise was off to a great start. Private villa perched atop a cliff with sweeping views of the ocean – check. Warm sunny weather and tropical breezes – check. Magnificent sunsets – check. Private pool – check. In house maid and meal service – double check. Over the days to come we would explore access to the pristine sandy beach, outdoor activities and nearby cultural sites, but my intuition said these would not disappoint!
