Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / Mexico / Yelapa / Verana
Verana
Yelapa, Jalisco, Mexico · Independent · Accessible Luxury
Film set builder Heinz Legler and set decorator Veronique Lievre walked a Yelapa hillside around 1997 planning one private house, and built it by hand: no machines, stone and timber from the land, every extra sack by boat from Puerto Vallarta and up the path by mule. They married there in 2000 and named the place from Veronique. Guests still come the same way, a half-hour boat from Boca de Tomatlán, then a walk while mules called Margarito, Moy, and Mojarro take the bags. Ten casitas, each different, look over Banderas Bay.
- 10 rooms
- Opened 2002
- Neighborhood: Región Costa Norte
- Architect: Heinz Legler
- Interiors: Veronique Lievre
About Verana
- Heinz Legler built film sets and Veronique Lievre dressed them. Verana started as one house they planned in 1997 and built with no machines.
- Materials that were not already on the hill came by boat from Puerto Vallarta, then up the path by mule. The couple married at Verana in 2000.
- The name comes from Veronique. Guests still arrive by a half-hour boat from Boca de Tomatlán, the last beach you can drive to.
- Mules named Margarito, Moy, and Mojarro carry the bags. The walk from the pier takes about ten minutes.
- Ten casitas scatter across the hillside, among them the open Tea House, the Palapa, and Casa Piedra, with a two-bedroom villa down on the rocks.
History
Founded by film set designers Heinz Legler and Veronique Lievre, Verana began in 1997 as a plan for a single private house before organically expanding into a boutique hotel. The property was built entirely by hand using local materials on a remote jungle hillside, intentionally designed to blend into the natural landscape. Over the years, it has transformed from a private retreat into a globally recognized destination for its unique 'handmade' architecture and off-the-grid luxury.
Amenities
- Jungle Spa offering holistic treatments and massage packages
- Infinity-edge pool with views over the Bay of Banderas
- Open-air restaurant and bar serving locally sourced Mexican-inspired cuisine
- Daily yoga classes and guided jungle or ocean excursions
- Private plunge pools in select casitas (Tea House and Pool House)
- Secluded beach access via jungle trail or private boat boat transport
Open Verana in the atlas for live weekend rates, photos, and the full folio.