Mangrove preserve · 2-bedroom condo · US$462,000

Wake up to birdsong instead of traffic. Unit 7 opens onto the protected estuary that borders Mangle Living Home, a living corridor of mangrove where herons and egrets move through the canopy at dawn and iguanas sun themselves on the branches by mid-morning. Set just above the parking level, this home sits among the trees rather than above them, close enough to hear the reserve wake up. This is the rarest thing in Puerto Vallarta: green, quiet, and permanent, because the estero cannot be built on. This is one of the largest floor plans in the building, generous enough to live in full time, with real separation between the social areas and the private ones. Floor-to-ceiling glass pulls the greenery indoors and keeps the interior bright from first light to last. The kitchen is built for people who actually cook, and the living area flows out to a patio that functions as an extension of the living room. The home comes with its own designated parking space, plus secure controlled access, elevator service, a main-floor pool, gym, and a rooftop jacuzzi, sundeck and lounge with WiFi and co-working, the full amenity package of a recently completed building without the compromises of an older one. Five minutes on foot to the Marina Vallarta main entrance, and you're in the thick of it: restaurants, boardwalk and golf course. Minutes from the airport, the cruise terminal, hospitals and Costco. An oasis with the whole city at its edge.