Oceanfront resort with swimmable beaches, butler service, and spa
Carr. Transpeninsular, Tourist Corridor, 23400 San José del Cabo, B.C.S., Mexico Get directions
"Located on the tip of the Baja Peninsula, this hotel offers whitewashed hacienda-style architecture and secluded beaches. Known for its personal service, many staff members are third-generation employees." - Michaela Trimble
"Perched at the edge of the Baja Peninsula, this oceanfront resort offers swimmable beaches, three private rocky coves with floating beds and dedicated butlers, and 174 rooms, suites and villas—many with infinity pools and sea-facing patios. Guests can snorkel, surf, parasail or play the award-winning Jack Nicklaus 27-hole golf course, then unwind in a large spa with a wellness garden, 13 treatment villas and private plunge pools. The property emphasizes sustainability through EarthCheck certification, an on-site water purification-and-bottling system, and daily sea-turtle nest patrols that guests can join." - Jennifer Flowers
"Originally built in the 1950s, this long-standing luxury oceanfront resort features 174 rooms and two villas—many with infinity pools—and one of the region’s rare swimmable beaches plus three private rocky coves with floating beds and dedicated butler service. Activities range from snorkeling and surfing to parasailing and an award-winning 27-hole Jack Nicklaus golf course; a vast spa complex with a wellness garden complements sustainability measures including on-site water purification and guest-participatory sea turtle nest patrols." - Mary Holland, Laura Dannen Redman, Devorah Lev-Tov
"Features four on-site restaurants considered the best in town, ideal for culinary exploration." - Sarah Bruning Sarah Bruning Sarah Bruning is the special projects and surveys editor at Travel + Leisure, where she has been on staff since 2018. She assigns stories across the magazine, primarily for the Experiences
"One & Only Palmilla is among a handful of luxury resorts that travelers can choose from in Baja California Sur'sLos Cabos region, but its history may be the most interesting. Built in 1956, the hotel was commissioned by Abelardo Rodriguez, the son ofMexico’s president at the time. When it opened to guests, the property was accessible only by boat or plane, lending it an exclusive air that was highly appealing to Mexican and American celebrities seeking refuge from the limelight. Famous guests of the era included Lucille Ball and John Wayne. Since then, the 15-room hideaway has expanded exponentially; it now boasts nearly 200 rooms and is accessible by car, thanks to the Carretera Transpeninsular. It still retains its luxurious air and continues to draw famous guests—as well as the merely well-off—looking for relaxing vacations in a gorgeous area where the mountains, desert, and sea meet. Each one of the resort's large rooms faces either the Pacific Ocean or the Sea of Cortéz, and all are decorated with traditional Mexican handicrafts."
