Baja California luxury travel guide
Andrew Patterson Stretching down from the US border, the peninsula of Baja California is covered by the Sonoran Desert, with the Pacific on one side and the Sea of Cortez on the other.
Drawn by the beautiful beaches, the desert and Sierra de la Laguna backdrop, and the promise of privacy and staff discretion, Hollywood stars and NBA players can regularly be seen here – it is just a 90-minute flight from Los Angeles after all.
The allure of Los Cabos, at the peninsula’s southernmost point, continues after-dark – it has lively nightlife and excellent restaurants. Whale-watching is a popular activity too, and you’ll be in with the best chance of seeing these magnificent creatures, which swim right past many of the resorts, between December and April.
There are two towns at the tip of the peninsula: San José del Cabo, favoured by artists and bohemians, and its rowdier sibling, Cabo San Lucas, popular with spring breakers from across the border in California and beyond.
The family pool at One&Only Palmilla
Where to stay
Almost every luxury hotel brand has a presence in Cabo to cater for its elite clientele. One of the leading resorts is One&Only Palmilla, which Jennifer Aniston once revealed was her favourite hotel in the region. But its popularity goes back even further – John Wayne and Lucille Ball are also among its former guests.
The One&Only experience started the moment we exited the airport – we soon found ourselves in a sleek supersize SUV loaded with drinks and snacks to make the packed Volaris flight from Mexico City an already distant memory. As we drove through the cacti-lined roads, we soon reached the more manicured part of Los Cabos, a landscape of immaculate resorts and endless golf courses.
Palmilla was built in the 1950s by the son of Mexico’s then-president, as a holiday estate with several terracotta-topped hacienda-style homes, but, luckily for the rest of us, he soon transformed it into a hotel. The hilltop chapel on-site was created for the workers’ weekly service during construction so they wouldn’t have to travel to mass. For decades, Hollywood A-listers have been known to decamp here to mark a birthday (with an especially starry guest list, of course). The resort has been part of the One&Only brand since 2008 and is now host to a signature Jean-Georges Vongerichten steak house, where supersize cuts are washed down with Mexican red wines. There’s also Suviche, a Japanese restaurant serving, yes, sushi and ceviche.
The courtyard at One&Only Palmilla
The spa offers unique treatments, with massages performed using steamed herbal poultices and obsidian hot stones, and there’s a temazcal too, should you wish to experience a traditional Mayan sweat ritual rather than a regular sauna. The hotel is almost 70 years old, but a spectacular more recent addition is its Agua bar, which is the perfect place for sundowners overlooking the Sea of Cortez.
Rosewood Las Ventanas al Paraíso
Our next stop was along the coast towards Cabo San Lucas, to Rosewood Las Ventanas al Paraiso, which translates as ‘the windows on paradise’ – and they’re not lying. Check-in featured mariachi bands, frozen margaritas and magnificent views, and our stay only got better thereon in.
This is a supremely fun resort, but the party, should you seek it, is considerately tucked away – firstly at the lazy-river pool, which has a swim-up ice-cream (and alcohol) bar, a taco shack and music. There’s also a speakeasy, which appears to be a dreary corporate hotel bar at first glance, but do not be fooled. Outside guests vie to get a table at this lively spot, which comes alive several times a week with magicians, cabaret and dancers – just don’t mention prohibition.
A private beach cabana at Rosewood Las Ventanas al Paraíso
Be sure to book one of the villas with outdoor space – ours had a staircase leading to a rooftop deck overlooking the ocean and another terrace with a plunge pool. There are many restaurants to try, including a tequila and ceviche bar (where you can also enrol on an educational tequila and mezcal tasting), and the Mexican Alebrije, which has live music and dancing guests, but my standout was Arbol, where the menu spans the flavours of India and Asia, and I ate the best noodles of my life.
A suite at Rosewood Las Ventanas al Paraíso
What to do
Don’t miss the weekly art walk in San José del Cabo, which takes place every Thursday from 5pm to 9pm between November and June.
For whale-watching, the prime months are December to April, though it’s still possible to see them passing through later into the spring if you’re lucky.
If you’re in search of a spring break to live vicariously through the American youth, Cabo San Lucas is the Cabo for you – we warn you, though, the chances are you’ll soon be hurrying back to the much more salubrious surrounds of Rosewood Las Ventanas al Paraíso or One&Only Palmilla.
And if you want to experience a quieter, more authentic side to the Mexican desert, head north up the Transpeninsular Highway to Todos Santos, less than an hour away by car. The artist-favoured town has plenty of galleries, and surfers should head to beaches San Pedrito and Los Cerritos.
