Not every Cabo resort is made the same (and we have stayed at many). What sets Pueblo Bonito Pacifica Golf & Spa Resort apart is its intimate location that is ideal for a romantic getaway or weekend trip with a group of close friends. Set at the tip of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula and about a 40-minute drive from the airport, the setting is an enchanting oasis of palm trees and desert flora situated on a secluded 1.2-mile stretch of creamy sand and pounding Pacific Ocean surf.
After passing through several security stations to arrive at the luxurious adults-only compound, we came upon a tree dripping with hanging Mexican glass hearts (made from a local factory from the hotel’s recycled bottles), greeting us along with grandiose arches that perfectly frame the ocean view. After a welcome drink, my husband and I are escorted to the new VIP Whale Watching Lounge for sunset cocktails high above the ocean.
Since Los Cabos is just a little over a 2-hour flight from Los Angeles, “Cabo” makes an easy destination for a long weekend or more. Currently, Americans need to show a negative Covid test one day before returning to the U.S., and the hotel arranges that right on site.
As we make our way to our room, our assigned personal butler checks in with a text to ensure our needs are met. Dulce seems like the perfect name for this sweet lady who contacted us prior to arrival to ask about our preferences, from custom pillows to any special requests. Somehow she knew our favorite bottle of Mezcal, as 400 Conejos was waiting for us in our room with apple, tomato and lime slices and various salts. Part of a stay at The Towers is having this all-day butler service to provide anything your heart desires.
It was hard to want to go to bed as the liquid black night sky cascaded with twinkly radiant stars thanks to less light pollution in this part of the world. Yet I didn’t want to sleep in and squander the limited winter sunlight; my yoga session the next morning began at 7 a.m. and my husband was off to golf at 6:30 on the resort’s 5-year-old Jack Nicklaus Signature Design Course. While racing to one of the beach beds may have been the first thing that crossed my mind, my early morning gentle meditative stretch yoga combined with the ocean air allowed all the airplane kinks and recent stressors to melt away.
Three of us early risers had the entire beach to ourselves. The resort’s complimentary yoga began with calming oils and a bold reminder that all was right in the world as the sunrise rays streamed across the ocean’s horizon filtering through the clouds.
The Quivira Golf Club has quickly established itself as one of the best new courses in the world, earning a well-deserved reputation for dramatic seaside vistas and challenging holes carved out of the cliffs and dangling over the ocean. Built on the tip of the Baja Peninsula with panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean from virtually every hole, the dazzling 7,085-yard layout was voted to Golf Digest’s elite roster of the “World’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses.”
My post-yoga bliss was followed by my hilarious attempt to catch a fish from the beach, part of their Hook and Cook experience. In my case, the chefs on the beach satisfied my failure at 8:30 a.m. with their own fresh catch grilled with veggies, ceviche and guacamole. By noon my luck changed as I spotted a pod of whales offshore showcasing their blowhole sprays. The magnificent creatures jumped straight out of the ocean while one slapped its tail continuously like it was showing off for the panga boats. Witnessing the largest and oldest animals on Earth never grows tiresome.
After a few dips in the circular pools to cool off my roasting pasty winter flesh, I relish in the alone time and head to the resort’s Armonia Spa for a massage where expert hands lull me into deep relaxation. After an hour of gratifying peace, I spend time melting in the eucalyptus steam room until I can’t take the heat anymore and then challenge myself to shock my system with the freezing cold plunge pool. In health circles, the ice plunge has become a trendy way to increase circulation, boost the immune system and help jolt metabolism. While I’m not sure if any of those are true benefits, I wanted to pretend I was Laird Hamilton and see how many minutes I could make it in the Arctic waters. After my body became numb and my mind took over counting the seconds, a few minutes was enough before I catapulted myself into the hot jacuzzi.
Sipping a Mezcal fruit sorbet and devouring Mexican chocolates while a blazing red sunset melted into the ocean below at the end of the day reminded us once again how happy we were to be alive. After sunset we sidled into the fancy candlelit Mexican restaurant, LaFrida with sophisticated Frida Kahlo-inspired décor, satisfying our bellies with authentic delicacies like barbacoa, local fish and squash blossom soup.
Guests have access to Pueblo Bonito’s sister properties, including the family friendly Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach next door and two more in the center of town (Pueblo Bonito Rose Resort & Spa and Pueblo Bonito Los Cabos Beach Resort) located on Medano Beach where all the action is and within walking distance of downtown Cabo San Lucas. We tried breakfast at the resort’s Palomas Restaurant one morning beachside situated right in front of the famous Los Arcos. It’s the best time to go as there are less crowds and the cascading ethereal light illuminates the spectacular rock formations offshore.
After a few days of relaxation, we gained a different perspective of Cabo by setting sail on an alluring cruise down the coast with Cabo-Adventures.com. This sailboat afforded us up-close views of the Land’s End Arch, Lover’s Beach, sea lion colonies, and Cabo’s famous jagged rock formations that erupt from the sea. While sipping a mimosa, we gaggled over properties of the rich and famous expertly carved into the coastal cliffs and marveled at the grand resorts from a sea-bound perspective. Whale sightings added to our incredible day on the water as the marine mammals gave us a show in the distance.
For those itching to do more than just relax, the all-inclusive experience includes many fun options like tennis, corn hole, hiking with a guide, fitness sessions, Spanish lessons and classes like cooking and cocktail making. Ideal for destination weddings and private events, the property also features a luxury all-inclusive plan that includes not only Pacifica’s four restaurants, but also the restaurants at the three sister resorts nearby.
Our last night included a dreamy private dinner set up on the beach with new friends and our toes in the sand. A server passed daiquiris as the starry sky stretched above us. After a multi-course meal, the revelry continued in the resort’s handmade sand firepit as my husband and I staked and toasted fat marshmallows to make S’mores. I envisioned us happily returning to Pueblo Bonito Pacifica with our closest friends and family.
