La Ribera, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Costa Palmas
Elemental Luxury
status
Ongoing
client
Irongate
expertise
Hospitality + Entertainment
services
Landscape Architecture, Master Planning
A Refined Approach to Resort Master Planning
Costa Palmas is a precedent-setting resort community that is leveraging a native Baja environment to create a guest experience centered around luxury, leisure, discovery, and adventure.
Costa Palmas is a resort destination unlike any other. Situated within Mexico’s East Cape along the Gulf of California, the 1,500-acre resort community is an idyllic setting for relaxation and adventure. Irongate, the visionaries behind the project, set out to create an exclusive yachting destination on the gulf side of the Baja California Peninsula. In 2019, the Four Seasons opened their first property at Costa Palmas, which garnered national attention for the emerging retreat. Irongate knew that to capitalize on this interest and excitement they needed a strong master plan to drive decision-making from concept to construction.
A project of this magnitude required a master planning approach that was equal parts creative and implementable. With over four decades of experience master planning destinations across the globe, LandDesign had the expertise needed to grasp the scale of the site while crafting a detailed design that would lend to an exceptional guest experience. After leading the re-parceling of the site, the master plan envisions an interconnected community comprised of premier hotels and resorts, private villas and residences, vibrant mixed-use districts, and sensational recreational offerings, including golfing, surfing, and yachting. The design intent reclaims the natural beauty of the site, leveraging the Baja desert, sloped topography, and calm waters to reinforce Costa Palmas’ position as a one-of-a-kind destination.
Cross-Office Collaboration
With over 13 different projects under way, Costa Palmas required extensive planning, design, and horticulture resources. Over 40 LandDesigners from all five of our offices were engaged to support the design and delivery of this resort community.
The Gulf of California presents an untapped market for boating and yachting. With miles of undeveloped waterfront and calm waters, Costa Palmas is a secluded location offering a distinguished experience for travelers seeking discovery, leisure, and adventure. We complemented Irongate’s diverse and luxurious development program with thoughtful site layout, immersive landscapes, and energetic programming to create a memorable experience for guests. Each component from the exclusive, private villages and residences, to the central marina village, to the thrilling beach clubs, reinforces Costa Palmas as an unprecedented resort destination.
The Port of Call
The gateway to Costa Palmas is Marina Village, the yachting, fishing, retail, dining, and entertainment district. Within the Village is Casa Blake, the residential heart of the bustling neighborhood and first ownership offering at Costa Palmas. This curated mixed of uses embody the Baja lifestyle to create a hub of activity and vibrancy.
A Pure Oasis
To the west of Marina Village is Amanvari, a private retreat that encapsulates Irongate’s commitment to excellence. Framed by the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains, Amanvari is a standalone, ultra luxury destination with private estuary pavilions and custom residences, dining venues, luxury spas, and pristine beaches. Taking advantage of the sloped topography, each open-air village is positioned to ensure unobstructed sunset views of the ocean and mountains beyond.
For the Thrill Seekers
The resort’s adventure destination is found at the East Cape Surf Club that features state-of-the-art wave technology that creates an optimal surfing environment with waves that tower up to nine feet. The Club includes a private resort and academy tailored to those looking for a thrilling adventure.
The master plan thoughtfully overlays elegant architecture with the desert environment to allow the landscape to take a prominent role in the guest experience. However, working in this coastal, arid climate has its own challenges. Similar to our standard workflow, our horticulturists and landscape architects visited and engaged local nurseries to conduct due diligence to develop successful and sustainable plant palettes that are unique to the various resort programs at Costa Palmas.
During a site visit, we toured an existing nursery to gain a better understanding of the native plant species and plantings available on site. Additionally, we worked with the Agricola La Mission to evaluate the commercial availability of certain plant species and understand the plantings that were permitted in this region. Through extensive research and collaboration with the nurseries, we refined the palette to feature endemic plants to Baja, Mexico to ensure the long-term longevity and maintenance of vegetation across Costa Palmas.
A Holistic Approach to Planting
This region of Mexico only sees 4-6 inches of rainfall per year which contributes to the harsh, dry landscape. However, the natural humidity, use of native vegetation, and thoughtful irrigation allows the plantings at Costa Palmas to thrive year-round.
Physical
Leverage the Baja peninsula location to offer a different experience from competing resorts along the Cabo San Lucas corridor
Functional
Limit plantings to endemic species to minimize impact to the land and ensure longevity and maintenance
Social
Offer a diversity of experiences, from accessible mixed-use districts to private residences, to attract every kind of traveler
Physical
Leverage the Baja peninsula location to offer a different experience from competing resorts along the Cabo San Lucas corridor
Functional
Limit plantings to endemic species to minimize impact to the land and ensure longevity and maintenance
Social
Offer a diversity of experiences, from accessible mixed-use districts to private residences, to attract every kind of traveler
