‘AUTHENTIC’ MEXICO
Family finds ideal retreat
It all started with a television show. Five years ago, Grandview, Man., residents Lindsay Rubeniuk and her husband Chris Zamonsky were at home with their two girls watching an episode of House Hunters International when the storyline turned to Vivo Resorts in Puerto Escondido, Mexico.
“We were intrigued, but we didn’t think too much about it at the time and just kind of filed it away,” recalls Rubeniuk, who works from home as a global consultant in international law.
The couple’s dream was to eventually spend winters in a warm climate, where they could live a healthy lifestyle, try new sports, shop in local markets and get to know the local people. Over the years, they had travelled to various Mexican destinations, trying each one on for size, sampling the cuisine, chatting with the locals and touring real estate.
Although they enjoyed each and every place, none of them really resonated as a long-term home.
But two years ago, while the couple was on a family vacation in Huatulco, Mexico, they decided to take a road trip. “We thought wouldn’t it be fun to go and check out the place that we saw on TV,” recalls Rubeniuk.
So they jumped in the car and headed west along what is quickly becoming known as Mexico’s Emerald Coast, travelling 100 kilometres to Vivo Resorts, located on the Pacific Ocean, eight kilometres east of the small town of Puerto Escondido.
“We had booked three nights, but we loved it so much we ended up staying five. That’s when we knew that we wanted to purchase property there,” says Rubeniuk.
Several factors really called out to the family.
“It’s authentic Mexico; you don’t see Walmart or Home Depot,” says Rubeniuk. “Plus, the resort has all of the amenities of an all-inclusive, but you can still do your own thing.”
But what really cinched the deal was the release of Botanica, a series of lush topical garden, condominium-style homes with generous pools, at a price point that worked for the family’s budget. Each home is turnkey, fully furnished right down to the corkscrew. The couple purchased an 1,100-square-foot, two-bedroom unit, signing the papers in December of last year.
Vivo Resorts was developed by Canadian Cary Mullen, a twotime Olympian and World Cup alpine ski champion, so creating a healthy, sustainable lifestyle was of top importance in the overall vision of the project.
“We wanted to build a place where you can live a happier, healthier and more connected life,” says Mullen.
The gated resort community spreads over 75 acres of landscaped grounds with frontage onto Palmarito Beach, a 21-kilometre long white sand beach.
Beachfront swimming pools, tennis courts and pickle ball courts are just part of the package. A 53,000-square-foot clubhouse launched in January, featuring a state-of-the-art fitness centre and yoga and Pilates studio with sweeping ocean views. But that’s not all — here, residents can hit the spa, or spend a day working in the business centre. A fine dining restaurant, a sports lounge, kids’ club and a general store round out the amenity pool.
And for this health conscious family — they juice every day and grow organic produce in the summer — healthy, fresh food was top of mind.
“My husband is a big foodie, he loves to cook. In Puerto Escondido they have this amazing mercato. We bought all of this food, fresh fruit, vegetables and pork chops for $9 Canadian and came back and cooked, ate and just hung out. It was incredible,” says Rubeniuk.
The family also fell in love with the Oaxacan people.
“They are just lovely,” says Rubeniuk, who spent her 20s living abroad in Eastern Europe and South America, working in International Development. It’s a career that she would like to rekindle in Mexico.
“That was another reason we purchased at Vivo. Our values as a family aligned with what Cary believes in.”
Being a good neighbour and giving back has always been a central part of Mullen’s vision. The Vivo Foundation supports kids in sport,s as well as a local orphanage, and is the main funding for a local turtle sanctuary. Residents are welcome to participate and volunteer in these philanthropic endeavours.
Rubeniuk and Zamonsky, who are still in their early 40s, plan to ease slowly into their new lifestyle.
“This is the start of a really great dream,” says Rubeniuk.