Cuixmala
Cuixmala was built in the 1980s by Sir James Goldsmith as a private estate on 25,000 acres of the Jalisco coast, and it stayed in the family after his death.
Cuixmala is an estate destination wedding venue in Costalegre, Mexico, hosting 20 to 140 guests in the $$$$ price range, reached from Manzanillo International (ZLO), ~1.5 hours by car. Best months: March, April, May, November.
Cuixmala in Costalegre, open March – May, November.
Cuixmala was built in the 1980s by Sir James Goldsmith as a private estate on 25,000 acres of the Jalisco coast, and it stayed in the family after his death.
Casa Cuixmala, the tiled-dome house on the hill, is the centre of it.
Below and around sit villas, casitas and several miles of private beach, all inside the Chamela-Cuixmala biosphere reserve, where zebra and eland brought in by Goldsmith still graze on the plain.
There are around 36 rooms in total across the property, and weddings are buyouts: the estate quotes an event capacity of 140 and stages ceremonies on the beach, on the lawns below Casa Cuixmala or on the hill itself, with a jungle dance floor and a stone bar for the night.
4 notes of our own.
Built in the 1980s by Sir James Goldsmith on 25,000 acres of coast
Casa Cuixmala, the tiled-dome house, at the centre of the estate
Inside the Chamela-Cuixmala biosphere reserve, with zebra on the plain
Several miles of private beach and about 36 rooms across the property
Best held in March, April, May.
The months the weather, and the local rhythm, is kindest to a stay at Cuixmala.
Ask about a date.
Choose a day from the calendar.
Nothing is reserved until the venue confirms. A first note comes back within two business days.
How the weekend usually runs.
Yours will be different, nothing below is required. Every planning begins with the three meals you most want to eat, and builds outward.
- 17:00Arrival drinks on the terrace at Casa Cuixmala
- 20:00Welcome dinner on the lawn below the tiled domes
- 09:00Ride or drive through the reserve; zebra on the plain
- 17:30Ceremony on the private beach
- 19:00Cocktails at the stone bar as the light goes
- 20:30Dinner under the domes, then the jungle dance floor
- 11:00Beach breakfast before transfers to ZLO
Things worth knowing.
ZLO · ~1.5 hours by car
Guests fly into Manzanillo International. Our team arranges every transfer.
$200,000
The room rates are published starting rates for the estate. The wedding figures are estimated from those rates and the scale of a buyout, not reported by a planner and not confirmed with the estate. A deposit of 25 to 50 percent of the buyout holds dates. The estate quotes in US dollars.
See the full figure+
$200,000 USD and up for a three-day buyout of 80 guests (estimated)
Included in the buyout; no separate fee is published
A one-time licence and setup fee, paid to the venue.
$250 / head
A seated dinner with wine and service, by headcount.
See the full figure+
$250 to $450 USD per guest, food and beverage (estimated)
$550 / night
A standard room in the wedding window. Group rates on request.
See the full figure+
Casitas from about $550 USD, suites from $1,800, villas from $2,200
March – May, November
The 4 months the weather is kindest. Shoulder dates soften the light and the rates.
Figures are estimates, modeled from regional rates and public sources, not a quote from the venue. Once the venue claims this page, their own rates take precedence.
Asked along the way.
How many guests can Cuixmala hold?+
The estate quotes an event capacity of 140. Sleeping capacity is much smaller, around 36 rooms across Casa Cuixmala, the villas and the casitas, so a wedding above roughly 70 means housing the rest at Las Alamandas or elsewhere on the Costalegre.
Do we have to buy out the estate?+
For a wedding, effectively yes. Cuixmala takes weddings as partial or full buyouts of specific villas and areas, and a deposit of 25 to 50 percent of the estimated buyout is normal to hold dates. There are no wedding packages; everything is proposed after enquiry.
How do guests get to Cuixmala?+
Manzanillo (ZLO) is about an hour and a half by road and takes direct flights from Los Angeles and Houston. Puerto Vallarta (PVR) is around three hours and has far more routes. The estate arranges private transfers and can charter flights from elsewhere in Mexico.
When should we avoid the Costalegre?+
June through October. This coast is hot and humid through the summer, the rain is heavy, and it sits in the Pacific hurricane belt. November to May is the dry window, and January through March is the most comfortable stretch for an outdoor wedding.
Is there really wildlife on the property?+
Yes. Cuixmala sits inside the Chamela-Cuixmala biosphere reserve and Goldsmith introduced zebra and eland, which still graze the plain below Casa Cuixmala. Crocodiles live in the lagoons. It is a working reserve rather than a landscaped resort, and guests should be briefed.
Others to weigh.
Ask about dates at Cuixmala.
A note to us with a rough season and guest count. Nothing is reserved until the venue confirms. A reply comes within two business days, from a person by name.