An Over-the-Top Experience

You don't have to be a rock star to rent one of Vallarta's most beautiful homes, but a similar income or a never-ending trust fund might help.

Just beyond Destiladeras Beach at the north end of Banderas Bay, Casa Canta Rana www.casacantarana.com provides stunning views of the coast from inside a gated community. Indoor -- outdoor living and dining spaces have bay and island views. Decorated with tasteful, seductively subdued furnishings, two of the three bedroom suites share a tall palapa roof; the master suite has an indoor -- outdoor shower and private patio. A maid, gardener, and pool boy are included. Additional staff, airport transfer, and other services are provided at additional cost. For the nanny, pilot, or bodyguard on your payroll, there's a separate apartment with bedroom, kitchen, and bath. High season (November 1-April 30) rate is $1,350 per night.

What could be better than a former president's home, the site hand-picked for its almost incomprehensibly beautiful vistas of the sea? President Luis Echevarrí's mansion, Villa Vista Mágica, is on a highly forested point between Sayulita and San Francisco, Nayarit. The circular, 10-bedroom property comes with a cook who will prepare three meals a day (Mexican food from a Mexican cook). The waverunners and two Suburbans are also at your disposal. This fabulous place costs a mere $31,250 a week (much more during holidays). To rent this -- or a less-pricey property where you'll feel equally special and pampered -- contact Boutique Villas (866/823-9739 www.boutiquevillas.com).

Twenty years ago the private heaven of simple fisherfolk and their families, the spearhead-shape point at the northern point of Banderas Bay is today home to the gated, low-density community Punta Mita (888/647-0979 in U.S. and Canada www.puntamita.com.mx). Here you find the Four Seasons (and soon the Rosewood and St. Regis resorts), as well as multiple golf courses, beach clubs, spas, and shops. Within the 1,500-acre retreat, the Four Seasons and other brands rent luxury villas whose high-season rates range from $4,000 to $10,000 per night. Floor plans vary but there's consistency in the large outdoor living spaces; air-conditioned common areas and bedrooms with natural-hue, high-quality furnishings; and attentive staff members, including your own full-time chef.