Awaken Your Senses At This Luxury Festival On Mexico's Western Coast

The second annual edition of the exclusive music and lifestyle festival, Ondalinda, celebrates indigenous Mexican heritage in a scintillating setting along the country’s Pacific Coast. Scheduled from November 8 to 12, the intimate and colorful event will take place on the Costa Careyes in the Mexican state of Jalisco, a gorgeous resort which boasts a series of stunning beaches.

Wellness

The event is explicitly focused on healthy living and guests will stay in an exclusive luxury private estate comprised of castles, villas and bungalows.

Throughout the festival, Ondalinda will also offer a beach club experience at Playa Rosa.

The festival is very well-structured, with celebrations, luxury dinners, musical performances and DJs organized for each day.

Expect music, Mexican tapas, a fresh coconut and acai bar, beach massages and yoga and meditation classes. This year, the festival aims to bring this wellness component to the forefront by offering temazcal ceremonies and mud-healing rituals.

The Mayan Warrior Art Car

This 2017 festival will again host the Mayan Warrior Art Car. The luminous, multi-colored vehicle is a work of art, as well as a mobile nightclub and DJ booth. The car makes an amazing backdrop for photographs (it even has its own Instagram). Designed and decorated by Alex Grey, the nomadic art car was born in Mexico City and boasts jaw-dropping lighting and state-of-the-art sound.

This year, Ondalinda will be themed around the sun and members of Mexicos indigenous Purépecha tribe will be invited to participate in festivities. The Purépecha number more than 175,000 people who are based in the adjacent Mexican state of Michoacán.

These guests will present colorful, decorative artwork inspired around the sun theme, which will be available for purchase, with proceeds going directly to the tribe. A crafts market featuring work by independent Mexican designers and artisans will also be open throughout the festival.

Ondalinda gives back to Mexican indigenous groups through its foundation, donating a portion of the festival’s proceeds to various indigenous communities in an effort to preserve their crafts and traditions. In 2016, the festival collaborated with a local conservation group to help protect the Huichol or Wixáritari people’s sacred pilgrimage route through Mexico. The ancestral lands of the Huichol people are currently threatened by tourists and international mining companies.

With its air of luxury and exclusivity, it might not surprise you that Ondalinda is not an option for budget travelers. The general admission ticket will set you back nearly $1,400. This rises to $2,900 per person for a ticket with a stay in a large, Mongolian yurt (round tent) with a private bath and shower.