Conchas Chinas: A Beach Lover's Paradise with Rising Property Values Claire Carponen - Mansion Global
go to original August 7, 2017

A 16 bedroom boutique hotel in Conchas Chinas is currently on the market for $8.5 million. Guadalajara Sotheby’s International Realty

Mostly set on tropical rainforest-covered hills, overlooking the waters of Banderas Bay, Puerto Vallarta’s upmarket neighborhood of Conchas Chinas has a lush, exotic setting and is renowned for its ocean views. A stone’s throw from hip spots in the old town, it is close to the action, yet retains its tranquil and sophisticated vibe.

The boundaries

Located at the southern edge of Banderas Bay, its northern tip is the start of Playa Los Muertos, Puerto Vallarta’s most famous beach. Banderas Bay lies to the west and the Sierra Madres Occidental Mountains are located to the east and the south.

Conchas Chinas has two main parts. Upper Conchas Chinas lies in the hills above the Conchas Chinas beach and Lower Conchas Chinas is positioned at the bottom by the beach. The two areas are divided by Barra de Navidad highway.

Price range

Unsurprisingly, beachfront homes in Lower Conchas command the highest prices in the town.

Santa Barbara, a street in Lower Conchas, is known as millionaires’ row, according to Wayne Franklin of Tropicasa Realty. “Prices have risen so much that billionaires’ row is more accurate now,” he said.

Mr. Franklin noted that houses cost more in Lower Conchas. They range from $2.5 million to $15 million (real estate in Mexico is sold in U.S. dollars), he said. “Properties in Upper Conchas are more affordable, with prices starting from $800,000 for a small house and rising to the $3 million mark.”

Graciela Zamudio Conde, general manager and broker at Guadalajara Sotheby´s International Realty in Mexico, gives a slightly different estimate for Conchas Chinas prices. “Homes start from $6 million and rise to $20 million, and apartments cost between $500,000 and $2million.”

Housing stock

The picturesque neighborhood of Conchas Chinas has whitewashed houses, with terracotta-tiled roofs and walled gardens overhung with purple bougainvillea. The houses wind their way down rocky slopes to the sea.

The homes and condo blocks positioned north of the Barra de Navidad highway on the jungle-covered steep cliffs have outstanding views of the bay. The wide, cobbled streets are lined with trees and set among forests of palms trees and lush tropical vegetation.

An established area with homes dating from the 1940s, most properties in Conchas Chinas have traditional colonial-style architecture. More than half of them date from the 1950s and 1960s. Those are intermingled with more modern-style homes, and a few contemporary ones.

Most residences are large and many homes have 15 to 20 bedrooms, according to Mr. Franklin. Most come with gardens and swimming pools while some have tennis courts and a maid’s quarters. Most households in the area employ domestic staff, such as driver, a maid and groundsman.

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