Inside Ondalinda, the Luxe Mexican Multi-Sensory Art and Music Festival Championing Local Cultures

Now in its eighth edition, the invite-only festival, which takes place November 7 to 10, is often referred to as the luxe Mexican Burning Man (there are more than 10,000 Ondalinda members, but attendance at the festival in Careyes is capped at 700). Both have an emphasis on community and conservation—Careyes sits on a 36,000-acre biosphere, and no more than three percent of the land can be developed—as well as non-profit projects revolving around the arts (Ondalinda’s art gallery exhibition and craft sales directly benefit indigenous communities like the Huichol and Purépecha peoples). They’re also both difficult to reach—it’s a bumpy, 90-minute drive from the closest airport in Manzanillo or a charter flight from Puerto Vallarta to Chamela’s grass landing strip, located about 20 minutes by car from Careyes. 

But while Burning Man recreates temporary Black Rock City each year, Careyes is a permanent feast for the senses, from Surrealism-inspired sanctuaries like Casa La Huerta, whose infinity-edge pool is emblazoned with a 24K-gold tile mosaic modeled after the iconic Bulgari snake necklace, to the sunflower-yellow, palapa-topped Sol de Oriente, a cliffside castle encased by a 360-degree infinity pool. 

“I discovered the depths of this culture—but it is cultures, really, because there are so many in Mexico—and there are very strong roots that come from the Indigenous people here,” says Luchaire, adding that a man who just walked past our table is one of the biggest shaman leaders in Mexico and among the handful of Indigenous people leading Ondalinda’s wellness program, which includes traditional sweat lodge temazcal experiences, seaside mud bath rituals, and cacao ceremonies. “We try and stay true to Ondalinda’s mission, which is to give back to Mexican culture and showcase and celebrate it—we only use local people to design installations and concepts for our themes.” 

Ondalinda seamlessly integrates into the locale with four evenings of multi-sensory productions and art designed around a theme (and accompanying dress codes), this year’s being “The Collective Symphony,” “an exploration of sound, waves, and frequencies—a celebration of the interconnectedness between humanity and music,” Luchaire tells Galerie. “I think it is more important than ever to be able to come together as a community, a family, and celebrate our differences—the joyful communion of beings through music, dance and food is one of the most ancestral and important ways to build bonds, relieve tensions, and open people’s minds and hearts.” 

After each festival wraps up, rumors swirl it may be the last in Careyes or move to a different locale. (“If you ask me now, while Ondalinda is taking place, I’ll say I’m never doing it again,” laughs Luchaire.) But this summer, Luchaire launched Ondalinda x Montenegro in Portonovi, on the Bay of Kotor, in what’s being positioned as the new Adriatic Riviera thanks to the opulent One&Only Portonovi. “Ondalinda is an incredible community of people,” says Luchaire. “I feel like I owe it to everyone who supported the community and has come every year to continue to foster moments—and there are a lot of moments we can create.” 

Like many of the members, Luchaire, who grew up between Paris, London, and Morocco, has traveled extensively and wanted to choose a place guests may not have visited or heard of. “As a storyteller, Montenegro is the dream place for me—it has this mix of James Bond adventure and fairytale mystical creatures feeling that instantly take you on a voyage,” she says. Similar to Mexico, they drew inspiration from Montenegro’s history, legends, and folklore, commissioning local artists and artisans for installations—and Ondalinda Studios plans to design a few permanent projects in old submarine tunnels and islands dotting the bay.

Speed boats whisked guests to a 16th-century medieval amphitheater built by the Turks, where singer Rhye performed on a stage whose design was inspired by knight helmets, and over to the Azra fortress, constructed during the 100-year rule of the Austro-Hungarians, which crowns a rocky peninsula at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor. Playing on the theme of “Mystical & Mythical Creatures” in Balkan folklore tales, they constructed a nearly 20-foot-high dragon egg with wings and stage embraced by forest fairies while DJs spun until dawn, and boats leaving with the sunrise were greeted with 360-degree panoramic views of the Croatian and Montenegrin coastlines.

“From the Queen Teuta, who ruled the bay and fought against the Romans to the Venetian Republic, which the bay was apart of for more than 400 years, the Ottoman Empire, the pirates of the Adriatic—I could not think of a more exciting playground for Ondalinda to host its festival,” says Luchaire, who first visited Montenegro 15 years ago. “After visiting this corner of the world, I was blown away by the magic this hidden gem of a country has to offer.”