The infinity pool at Casa La Huerta, inlaid with a shimmering mosaic serpent, was the perfect place to usher in the Year of the Snake. From the hilltop terrace, Careyes spread before us in a cinematic sweep: jungle folding into cliffs, cliffs tumbling to the Pacific and somewhere down there, the promise of a ceremony that would carry us into the night. But first, we had a legend to hear.
Every year, under the soft glow of lanterns and a sky speckled with constellations, the mystics, creatives, and well-heeled devotees of Careyes gather for the Chinese New Year festival. It’s an unlikely tradition for this remote stretch of Mexico’s Costalegre, but then again, Careyes has always been a place where the unexpected thrives. The air was thick with anticipation and just the faintest wisp of incense as long-time resident Niki Trosky raised a glass and began to tell the story.
According to this lore-in-the-making, the Careyens — this elusive, almost mythical tribe of artists, eccentrics and bon vivants — believe in the ritual shedding of the past to welcome the promise of the New Year. And in the Year of the Snake, the transformation is all the more potent. It’s a time of renewal, of discarding old skins, of stepping into the next great adventure with uncoiled energy. As the story concluded, a procession began, slithering down the moonlit path towards the sea.
“It is the beginning of a New Year,” said Giorgio Brignone, the son of Careyes founder Gian Franco Brignone. “The Chinese wisdom and the Chinese knowledge of the human being is an interesting story. Chinese New Year is the beginning of a cycle. It’s a renewal.”
Flaming torches led the way, casting flickering shadows on the colorful walls and bougainvillea-laced archways. We followed the hum of conversation, punctuated by the rhythmic sound of drums from somewhere ahead. And then, as we turned the final bend, the scene unfolded like a fever dream.
The beach had been transformed into a tableaux of decadence. Lanterns rocked in the breeze and long tables set with red linens stretched towards the surf. The sand glowed with the light of hundreds of flickering candles. The air carried the scent of star anise and ginger. Fire dancers twirled, their golden arcs tracing shapes against the night. A snake — larger than life, its eyes glowing — wove its way through the revelers before ultimately sitting like royalty at the head.
Careyes is known for its parties that stretch until dawn and become the stuff of whispered legend, from DJs mixing until dawn on New Year’s Eve to Semana Santa polo matches and the art-and-music-filled bohemian beach energy of the Onda Linda festival. But this particular celebration has a certain alchemy. The blend of East and West, tradition and whimsy, structure and complete surrender, makes it wholly unique.
The tradition dates back nearly 40 years when one of Careyes residents, Andres Yanomé, asked the community founder, Gian Franco Brignone if he could bring the tradition of Chinese New Year to the beaches of Careyes. It was 1986, the Year of the Tiger, and Brignone, a Tiger himself, happily agreed. The inaugural celebration was such a hit that it carried on year after year, with elaborate pageantry and parties honoring each of the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac. The Chinese New Year ceremonies have continued to honor the residents whose zodiac symbol is being celebrated that year with the presentation of handmade ponchos sewn by local artisans.
“It’s something special that means something for the community to get together,” Brignone added. “We are celebrating something much stronger than New Year’s Eve. We’re changing a cycle.”
Beyond the revelry, the days leading up to the festival are a whirlwind of polo tournaments, sunset dinners at private villas, and locally sourced pop-up shops selling everything from Chiapas textiles to artisanal jewelry. The people who come here — designers, musicians, spiritual seekers and the occasional member of European nobility — aren’t interested in an ordinary vacation. They’re here for magic.
And magic doesn’t necessarily come cheaply. At roughly 4,400 pesos per person for the beach dinner and celebration, it’s an investment. But this year’s all-inclusive ticket encompassed a buffet-style dinner from LA-based Chef Aaron Melendrez, an open bar, and an evening full of music, fireworks, dancing and tradition.
As the clock edged towards midnight, the fireworks began. A riot of color exploded over the Pacific, reflecting in the waves. The music dials up, the snake sheds its skin, the sky erupts in color, and we all raise a glass to a changing future.
Careyes’ Chinese New Year ceremony is celebrated annually. Next year’s celebration, the Year of the Horse, will be held in mid-February 2026.
Meagan Drillinger is a New York native who has spent the past 15 years traveling around and writing about Mexico. While she’s on the road for assignments most of the time, Puerto Vallarta is her home base. Follow her travels on Instagram at @drillinjourneys or through her blog at drillinjourneys.com
Excellent! Cheers, too, from Acapulco!