So pounding tequila shots at Cabo Wabo isn’t your style? Don’t make the mistake I made, thinking Cabo’s not for you just because you’re not the type to use “par-tay” as a verb. Take a page from celebs like George Clooney and Jennifer Anniston, who regularly sneak off to Hollywood hideaways Palmilla and Las Ventanas. You too can celebrate the serenity of Cabo as a place to relax, restore, and revitalize.
If, like me, you’ve no desire to fight for attention from staff jaded by years of catering to Hollywood royalty, check out these three new spa resorts, all newly opened within the past year, and with the same secret hideaway vibe.
1. Capella Pedregal
To access the private cove that sequesters Capella Pedregal, Cabo’s newest luxury boutique resort, the developers had to tunnel through sheer rock. Arriving today, you feel like you’re entering a fairy tale fortress, or scaling a remote Greek isle. Pass through the rock-hewn tunnel and a vista of blue water, tropical palms, and ochre-colored haciendas opens before you with nothing else to break the serenity of the isolated setting.
Was spa designer Sylvia Sepielli thinking of a giant pearlescent seashell when she designed Capella Pedregal’s Auriga spa? That’s what I thought of anyway, walking through the gleaming, mosaic-tiled network of halls and rooms, all done in hues of mauve and teal. An octagonal waiting area has a Hammam-like feel, and massages take place in private seafront cabanas with floor-to-ceiling windows, so you can listen to the sound of the crashing waves below while letting the tension ease from your body.
2. Zoetry Casa del Mar
I first heard about the luxe-romantic Zoetry brand when I wrote about baby celebs Penn Badgly and Blake Lively frolicking in the waves at Zoetry’s uber-private Paraiso Playa del Bonito at the north end of the Riviera Maya. (My article on Riviera Maya for Delta Sky featured this celeb-spotting tip.) The same quality of experience is on offer in Cabo now that Zoetry has rebranded the oh-so-elegant Casa del Mar, a boutique property tucked into a pristine cove that features a holistic spa and a restaurant so utterly beachfront that it’s little more than a firepit and a few tables right on the sand.
3. Pueblo Bonito Pacifico
Splashing fountains greet your entrance to this wellness-themed resort, situated to take advantage of the long stretch of powdery white sand known as Sunset Beach. A more affordable alternative to the boutique resorts, Pueblo Bonito Pacifico nevertheless has a quiet, almost Zen vibe, and manages to feel remote and secluded despite being just a few miles away from the rather ratty downtown area of Cabo San Lucas. (Perhaps because it’s accessible only by car and only over a very steep and winding road.) Strolling the deserted beach by the light of a fiery sunset, I watched couples dining by candlelight next to linen-curtained beachside cabanas. Try as I might, I couldn’t imagine a single thing that would have made this evening scene more romantic. What better antidote to urban cynicism?
I would never have considered Cabo, but this has definitely made me interested.
So many amazing places to visit! I have decided to create a spa file for future reference. Thanks for the tips.
That photo of the cabana on the beach looks like it would be the most amazing romantic escape! I feel more relaxed just looking at these photos and imagining myself in Cabo. Thanks, Melanie!
I too have dismissed Cabo in the past as too tourist-y. Thanks for opening my eyes.
Can I take a cab to Cabo — right now — and land in that cabana on the beach? Talk about escapist fantasies. Bring it on.
That canopy bed on the beach photo is really eye catching! Cabo, it appears, has something to offer every person – young and old(er) alike.
I can't tell you how inviting these photos and descriptions are. They make me want to hop a plane manana.
These places all look just too divine. Take me there now.
I think you and I could travel together! While I love a good umbrella drink as much as the next girl, it's not about the partying for me. Give me a book and a hike, followed by a lounge in a cabana and I'm good to go!
I've kayaked out of Loreto several times and would happily return there but figured I wouldn't fit into the shi shi life of Cabo. But I think I could quite happily do the spa you reviewed. You've made it sound divine. Nice post.
I've been to Cabo on a family vacation but now I must go back to take advantage of its 'other' side – sounds divine!
Thanks so much for sharing this "other side" of Cabo. I love the beach and sun, but would have completely overlooked this destination because of the party reputation. Maybe that spa can finally get me to meditate on a regular basis. Thanks, Melanie!
Cabo has been on my "don't go" list ever since visiting while in port on a cruise ship. With the choices you've listed, I think I should reconsider.
If you are willing to buy a car, you will have to get the loans. Furthermore, my mother all the time takes a consolidation loan, which seems to be really useful.