Pueblo Bonito Pacifica
Pueblo Bonito Pacifica
Posted on May 23, 2017
I was dozing in my lounge chair last spring at an Orange County resort when I was awakened by hoots and hollers. Children, screaming like banshees, cannonballed into the crowded pool. An announcer called out bingo numbers on the public address system. Muzak blared from the poolside bar where guests lined up three deep to order a drink. A vacation, this was not.
Don’t get me wrong. I love kids. I have three of my own, plus two darling grandchildren. But sometimes it’s great to get away with your husband or significant other, or a group of empty nester friends. Resorts are increasingly catering to an aging population with money to spend.
So I looked forward to visiting The Towers at Pacifica, the new adults-only, all-inclusive golf and spa resort-within-a-resort at Pueblo Bonito Pacifica, about three miles southwest of Cabo San Lucas. My experience began even before I left San Diego when a questionnaire arrived by email from Armando, my own personal butler. Would I prefer a soft or firm feathered pillow? Salty or sweet in-room snacks? Restaurant reservations? Tee times? I was already hooked.
The Towers, which debuted last December, is a $25 million expansion that comprises three new buildings in the guard-gated private resort stretching along 2.5 acres of a secluded sandy beach. The Towers adds a “layer of luxury” with exclusive access to the VIP Towers Lounge for a breakfast buffet or evening cocktails and appetizers, as well as enhanced amenities and personalized service. Armando made a great first impression, welcoming me in the resort’s lobby with a Mescal cocktail in hand. He showed me to my suite, tastefully designed in a contemporary style with its own family room, dining area, and dipping pool. Throughout my stay, he was attentive and efficient.
I soon had a big decision to make. Just where to relax — on a chaise overlooking the two resort pools (one with a swim-up bar), or in a breezy cabana on the pristine beach? While the high surf is too strong for swimming, the sand provides a challenging run, hike, or a vigorous game of beach volleyball. The new ocean view fitness center also offers beach boot camp and other classes. Afterward, the Armonia Spa provides rubs, scrubs, and soothing massages.
Resort guests have an array of on-site options when it comes to dining, including the new Peninsula restaurant, which serves regional Baja cuisine at its best and the Quivira Steakhouse, located on a private golf course with ocean views from all 18 holes. (The 13th hole overlooks the beach where the movie Troy was filmed.) Altogether, Cabo’s four Pueblo Bonito resorts offer more than three dozen culinary choices from the fine dining LaFrida, which pays homage to the renowned Mexican painter, to Quivira Market, for more casual fare.
But my favorite dining experiences were with my toes in the sand. The resort features “Hook and Cook,” the chance to cast your line in the surf. If the fish aren’t biting (as in my case), no worries, Chef Octavio prepares fresh ceviche beachside from Baja’s bounty, accompanied by chips, salsa, and of course, muchas cervezas. In the evening, chef is known for his signature clam roast, baking bivalves in a large pit, followed by a multi-course meal with wine pairings. Afterwards, my group and I gathered in an open-air tepee dug into the sand, swapping fish tales and pointing out constellations piercing the night sky. The resort also has a full-time “investigative chef” who researches Baja dishes for Pueblo Bonito restaurants.
Your butler can arrange “safaris” in the Baja desert, complete with a Mexican lunch and tequila tastings, as well as sea cruises around the iconic outcropping known as El Arco, “The Arch.” The waters, teeming with tuna, Dorado, and wahoo, offer plenty of challenge for sport fishermen. Known as the “Marlin Capital of the World,” Cabo hosts Bisbee’s Black & Blue Marlin Tournament in October, famous for its big prize purses as well as its parties. And for an unforgettable sight, watch for blue whales in winter.
The town of Cabo is filled with tequila tasting rooms, and shops selling everything from regional crafts to Cuban cigars. A popular stop is the San Miguel Blown Glass Factory, where artisans transform recycled glass into fanciful fish, hearts, and other works of art. There is no shortage of glass — Cabo resorts donate tequila bottles by the ton. Need a little nap after your day trip? The “Siesta Turndown Service” in the afternoon features a soothing bubble bath, hot tea, and cozy sarapes provided by Siestas for Fiestas, a boutique blanket company. Sales of the sarapes provide Christmas meals for Mexico’s disadvantaged.
Another memorable experiences was a mescal tasting at the Sky Pool at Sunset Beach, (Pacifica’s sister resort) when the sun was sinking slowly into the Pacific and my companions and I searched in vain for the elusive “green flash.” I especially liked a cupreata, which tasted like a smooth, smoky brandy. I wanted to take home a bottle for my husband, but on a shopping trip, the mescal was nowhere to be found. When I checked out of The Towers days later, however, Armando, hand-delivered a bottle to my door, having combed Cabo to find it. I figured I would like the place when that questionnaire first arrived in my inbox. Armando, as it turned out, was a big reason why. 800.990.8250, pueblobonito.com Andrea Naversen
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