Taking a vacation to Mexico typically involves heavy doses of four things: Tequila, white sand beaches, warm water, and a comfortable hotel room. While many may prefer an all-inclusive resort, an eco-friendly hotel along Mexico’s gorgeous Yucatan Peninsula called the Papaya Playa Project just debuted a completely alternative vacation experience in the form of a luxury treehouse. Out go the cabana boys and in comes a healthy helping of rest and relaxation.
Located in the small coastal town of Tulum — roughly 80 miles south of Cancun — Papaya’s extravagant treehouse turned to local timber and ancient Mayan building methods to achieve high marks in sustainability and to look as natural against its natural setting as possible. The finished product is utterly stunning. The two-story treehouse features a tranquil leisure area outfitted with two swinging chairs directly underneath an enclosed bedroom and common area. Constructed with large windows in nearly every corner of the room, the cozy sleeping suite receives an abundance of natural light during the day while offering peaceful views of the surrounding forest at night.
“Sustainability means life for future generations and integrity for the current one,” said Emilio Heredia, the person who constructed the treehouse. “Elevating the structure encourages the growth of jungle plants around the treehouse and ensures the building does not interfere with nature. We wanted to show the utmost respect to all the wildlife living in the jungle when building the treehouse.”
Heredia leaned on locally sourced materials to complete the build of the treehouse. Aside from area timber, Heredia also sourced bamboo for the building’s window coverings, utilized thatched palapa roofing, and a wood-and-plaster blend for the walls. It’s worth noting that while many of Papaya’s beach houses, cabanas, and private rooms are located withing a stone’s throw of the beach, the treehouse was built in Tulum’s lush nearby forest, which means getting to the beach may require a bit of a journey.
Like most things dubbed a luxury, the price for Papaya’s treehouse isn’t for the faint of heart — it runs roughly $1,400 per night. Steep price tag notwithstanding, staying the night in a treehouse — near the gorgeous beaches of the Yucatan Peninsula, no less — is an experience that’s tough to rival.
