Villa del Faro

Rooms

Villa del Faro has grown organically over its 20 years, and now has 8 guest rooms, suites and casitas, each uniquely created and all with sea views, set among tropical landscaping and cascading terraces. All have a selection of toiletries - shampoo, conditioner, and hand cream - along with locally-made soap.

The most spacious is Casa Tres, a huge suite with its own wraparound terrace and a charming palapa with sofas. Casita Dos consists of 2 suites joined by an open-sided living room and a large terrace with sea and pool views. The North Suite has an unusual artisan-carved bed, an anteroom with a daybed, and an outdoor shower with the most wonderful view. In the South Suite you'll find another hand-crafted bed with matching chests and cabinets.

Down by the pool is the thatched Casa Alberca. You get a romantic kingsize canopy bed and a Juliet balcony overlooking the beach. This huge palapa living room has an 11ft carved table reputed to have been owned by Mark Twain, plus games, a stone fireplace, cheerful artwork, and a well-equipped galley kitchen.

But we think the most romantic option is undoubtedly the Stone Beach Cottage, a petite 1-room stone-and-thatch affair just yards from the waves which lull you to sleep. There’s an outdoor shower with solar-heated plus a firepit and grill let you cook your catch on a private beach as the sun sets.

The slight simpler Casa Azul is a 1-bedroom casita with an outdoor living area and gorgeous ocean views. We’re yet to see the Bali Room or the 2-bedroom Penthouse Suite, but both look incredibly inviting. The former is a Balinese-style hut with stunning views of the ocean, the latter has an impressive wraparound terrace; these two rooms can interconnect.

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Mosquito net
• WiFi

Eating

Meals are taken in the cosy dining pavilion on one of the upper terraces, facing east over the Sea of Cortez. On one side is the bar, where we were served with the best margaritas of our trip (according to my cocktail-loving husband). Opposite, a wonderful fountain, surrounded by lush tropical flowers, positively thrums with birdlife.

Dinner is on request (let them know at breakfast), with a locally sourced menu which changes nightly and contains no choices. Expect artfully reworked Mexican cuisine or Pacific Rim fare: for us they served a simple yet delicious guacamole as an appetiser, then achiote-marinated Cornish game hen grilled with chayote (a squash-like vegetable) accompanied by frijoles refritos con queso (refried beans with cheese), plus rice and tortillas. We scoffed the lot - yummo!

Dessert could be an exquisite fruit tart or strawberry crepes with cream cheese filling. Coffee and tea are served along with a good choice of wines. We took our digestifs down by the pool, gazing out at the velvety sea and spectacular night sky.

There are few choices for dining out. We sampled the Crossroads Country Club one night. Popular with surfers, big game fishermen and quad bike riders, there was a decent choice of dishes, and a memorable setting atop sand dunes overlooking the Sea of Cortez. You can also walk there from Villa del Faro for lunch. Otherwise Cabo Pulmo has a couple of eateries, from seafood shacks to classic Mexicana. Those in the Penthouse Suite have a full kitchen, so can self cater if desired.

Breakfast at the villa is a voluminous Mexican desayuno, with eggs cooked to order, refried beans, tropical fruit, yoghurt and granola plus bottomless pots of coffee and tea - all served on hand-crafted Mexican pottery.

Features include:

• Bar
• Breakfast
• Dinner by arrangement
• Restaurants nearby

Activities

• Sun yourself on your terrace, gaze out to the turquoise sea and watch California Gray Whales spouting in the distance (December-April)
  
• Wander down to the pristine beach and read a book in the summer house; or stroll a few minutes along to swim in the silky warm sea (the beach immediately below Villa del Faro isn't safe to swim in)
  
• Birding is excellent along this protected coastline: cormorants, brown pelican, the rare Least Tern and sandpipers. When we stayed, we saw two baby Xantus's Hummingbirds about to fledge from their nest, as well as orioles and cardinals
  
• The Sea of Cortez, described by Cousteau as 'the world's aquarium', has three distinct currents and thus a wealth of marine wildlife, home to 1/3 of the world's cetaceans and many species of exotic fish. It is well worth taking a boat trip from Cabo Pulmo to snorkel with sea lions and splendidly coloured fish in the Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park
  
• The delightful small town of Cabo Pulmo also offers windsurfing and kayaking, and just before you reach the town is another excellent swimming and snorkelling beach
  
• Follow hiking trails into the arid mountains, covered in desert brush and cacti
  
• Villa del Faro is within 3 miles of the best surfing on the East Cape
  
• Go horse riding along the beach at Boca del Palmas
  
• We loved stargazing from our terrace, and - if you're up early - sunrise over the Sea of Cortez is worth the effort!

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Birdwatching
• Boat trips
• Fishing
• Hiking
• Horse riding
• Kayaking
• Plantlife / flora
• Scuba diving
• Snorkelling
• Surfing
• Swimming
• Whale watching
• Windsurfing

Kids

Children are welcome and older ones will love the extensive terraces, the swimming pool and the wonderful deserted beach. Villa del Faro is not ideal for toddlers as the pool is unfenced and there are lots of steps - although ours loved her time here.

Best for:

Babies (0-1 years), Children (4-12 years)

Family friendly accommodation:

Interconnecting Casita Dos is ideal for a family party. You can also request that the Bali Room and the Penthouse Suite are connected. The Stone House, Casa Azul and Casa Alberca are for couples only.

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Villa del Faro is on the unspoiled East Cape of Baja California Sur, on the Sea of Cortez. It's very much off the beaten track, and the coast road is unsealed.

By Air:
Los Cabos International Airport is about an hour's drive away (41km). It has direct flights from Los Angeles (a flight time of 2 hours) and a number of major cities in Mexico. Click on the links below for more information about airlines serving Los Cabos.

By Car:
You could get to Villa del Faro by taxi, and Villa del Faro can arrange a transfer, but for greater flexibility and the ability to explore the coast, we recommend hiring a car. You don't need a 4WD as the dirt road is pretty good, but you may want one for peace of mind - see our car rental recommendations. Villa del Faro is a gated property and there is ample space for parking.

Detailed directions will be provided when you book through i-escape.com.

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