It’s the kind of place where a butler will bring you frosty cocktails on the beach, you can have a love note in giant letters written in the sand and dine privately on the beach. Pueblo Bonito Pacifica Resort in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, has been called the most romantic all-inclusive resort in the world.
It’s not just the services and amenities that make this place special. The scene is set for romance – on a quiet beach, secluded from the busy Cabo nightlife, no children allowed.
If you want a livelier scene you can visit the resort’s nearby sister resorts.
I can’t really speak personally to the romance factor. Both times I visited the resort my husband was thousands of miles away. I took my daughter, Catherine, on my first visit and traveled with a group of women on the second. So I can personally vouch Pueblo Bonito Pacifica Resort is perfect for mother-daughter trips or girlfriend getaways. And I know a romantic setting when I see one.
I’m a big fan of all-inclusive resorts as they make travel so easy and enjoyable. There’s no worrying about logistics or dividing up bills and feeling resentful when you are splitting a bill equally when you had a glass of rose and a salad and your girlfriends got the feeding frenzy seafood platter and a dozen Bahama Mamas. You can just relax and enjoy and sure, why not order another round of guacamole and mojitos?
A nice thing about the all-inclusive aspect of Pueblo Bonito Pacifica Resort is that in addition to including food and alcohol, it also includes gratuities, taxes and many of the activities.
[See related story: Culinary Surprises at Pueblo Bonito Los Cabos Resort]A short drive from Los Cabos, Mexico, the resort is in the upscale residential development of Quivira Los Cabos, set on 1,850 acres with a 2.5-mile stretch of pristine beach on the Pacific Ocean. The waves are too rough for swimming, but the wide beach sprinkled with dozens of lounge chairs and beds is perfect for lounging and enjoying the view.
[See related story on another Baja California all-inclusive resort:Villa del Palmar Loreto: Back-to-Nature Mexican All-Inclusive]
Accommodations at Pueblo Bonito Pacifica Resort
The resort has 201 rooms and suites in five categories with private terraces and balconies that overlook the Pacific Ocean or the beautifully landscaped gardens.
Since my first visit in 2010, the resort became all-inclusive and expanded with the addition of the Towers at Pacifica, a sort of resort within a resort that has 47 rooms, 24-hour butler service and a VIP Lounge.
It was from this large VIP Lounge with a huge balcony that I spotted the giant message written in the sand below. It appeared to be a birthday greeting from parents to two-year-old twins. That’s how we interpreted it, but the part we couldn’t figure out is how there were children in the adults-only resort.
[Taking the kids? See our related story: Best Luxury Resorts in Mexico with Families]Of course, there’s the issue that two-year-olds can’t read, but I figured it was one of those things where the parents take pictures and tell them all about it when they are older and whining about how their parents never do anything for them.
Anyway, I’d never seen that done before and found it delightful. The beach is so wide you can have a message as big as your house inscribed and I imagine it would stay until erased like an Etch-a-Sketch for the next message.
During whale season, mid-December to mid-March, this lounge is the perfect spot to catch a few of the magical migrating mammals as they pass by.
There are two Towers that include six suites with private plunge pools and one 3,200-square-foot Presidential Suite that’s magnificent. A sky bridge links these towers to the third tower with the VIP Lounge, fitness center and the Peninsula Restaurant.
Speaking of food, let’s discuss dining options.
Dining Options
In addition to Peninsula, which serves Baja cuisine, other dining options include Bocados (coffee and pastries), Partidos (sports and tapas bar), Siempre, Mediterranean-style cuisine and Aire Restaurant & Aquabar Aire, the swim-up bar and poolside restaurant. Refresca is another option for a drink.
We had a magnificent lunch at Quivira Clubhouse between the first tee and the 18th green at Quivira Golf Club (more on that in a minute), which is a casual lunch spot by day and steak house by night. It has a $35 surcharge for dinner.
During lunch we indulged in fresh guacamole, ceviche, salads, fajita wraps and fish tacos. But the dining options don’t stop with the restaurants at Pueblo Bonito Pacifica Resort.
Dine and Play at Pueblo Bonito Pacifica’s Sister Resorts
Pueblo Bonito Pacifica is one of a group of Pueblo Bonito resorts and guests at Pacifica have privileges at all of the other resorts, although the privilege is not reciprocated, as Pacifica is adults only.
There are four others in Cabo and three in Mazatlán. Guests can take a free shuttle to the other Cabo resorts, where there are 23 restaurants and 12 bars.
The closest resort is Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach Golf and Spa Resort, located a short distance up a winding hill from Pacifica. Guests enjoy visiting here for the many dining options that include The Market at Quivira, a giant glistening European-style food hall.
When we walked in here I had to concentrate hard on what our host was telling us as I was distracted by the many areas where you could get goodies and cuisine that include ice cream, candies, Mexican, Italian, deli foods, crepes and 1950s diner food like cheeseburgers, hot dogs and chicken fingers.
A bit further up the hill is the gated community of Montecito Estates. A windy road is lined with private villas for the ultimate in luxury with butler service, private infinity pool and indoor and outdoor Jacuzzis. Guests here have unlimited access to all of the resorts.
We had cocktails at Montecito Estates one night and I can affirm that the décor, views and amenities are swoon-worthy and would make for a memorable vacation.
Pueblo Bonito Rose and Pueblo Bonito Los Cabos Beach Resort are located next to each other, about a 20-minute drive away on El Médano beach where it’s possible to swim in the calm waters. If you want a livelier pool and beach scene or want to participate in some water sports, like kayaking and paddle boarding, these are the resorts to visit.
Activities and Amenities at Pueblo Bonito Pacifica Resort
Daily activities at Pacifica include beach yoga, dance lessons, Pilates, Thai boxing, wine seminars, tequila tastings, guided power walks and tennis. Guests can also arrange for a boat ride to El Arca, the famous Cabo arch, and shopping in downtown Cabo.
One morning we participated in Hook and Cook, a weekly activity on Wednesdays for six guests that involves fishing from the beach and then eating what you catch. Apparently no one has caught a fish for years, but that doesn’t diminish the fun for people wanting to cast a line into the water.
While the water may look relatively calm, those waves have a mean streak and one of our group who was fishing took a bit of a tumble when a wave went rogue and knocked her feet out from under her.
After the fishing, we sat down at a beautifully set table in the sand and ate freshly made ceviche and grilled fish, cooked just steps away from us.
Golf and Spa
Whether you want to put on caps and cleats or strip it all off to be pampered and enjoy hours of relaxation, you’ve got your choice here.
The Quivira Golf Club, a Jack Nicklaus Signature Design course, is a huge draw for guests. It’s only available for owners and guests of Quivira Los Cabos and Pueblo Bonito Oceanfront Resorts and Spas and designed on one of the most scenic settings you can imagine – ocean meets desert meets mountain and every hole has a view of the Pacific Ocean.
We were lucky enough to tour a few of the holes in golf carts as there was a bit of a lull in the groups of golfers. I hopped right in the driver’s seat as a golf cart is my favorite mode of transportation. I guided that car safely around sharp turns and steep hills, doing my best to keep my eyes on the path while glancing occasionally at the stunning views.
We stopped a few times and I was in total awe of how a golfer could get their ball down varying levels of greens without hitting them all in the ocean.
The award-winning Armonia Spa has a large selection of treatments that includes facials, massages and signature treatments. There’s a café, sauna, mud bath and hot and cold plunge pools. To up the romance factor, arrange for a couples massage on the beach.
If You Go
Pueblo Bonito Pacifica Resort is open only to adults 18 and up and only service dogs are allowed. Wifi and bottled water are complimentary.
Check the website for specials and talk to your girlfriends about the Girlfriends Getaway packages for three nights that can include a cooking class, private chef for one dinner, beach massage and tequila and mescal tasting with the spirits sommelier.
Getting There
To get to the resort, fly to Los Cabos International Airport (SJD), which is served by major carriers including Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines and United. Or if you travel by private jet (lucky you), there’s an executive airport about six miles away.
Pueblo Bonito Pacifica is 30 miles from the airport, about a 35-40-minute drive. You can arrange transportation from the airport through the resort starting at $25 a person one way for a shared shuttle with several options up to a private limousine for up to 13 passengers for $290 one way and $580 round trip.
– Jan Schroder, Editor-in-chief
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