CABO’S LUXURIOUS WAYS
TO FALL IN LOVE WITH WHALES

Love luxury when you travel? How about warm weather when home has snow and ice? And if you are a fan of whales and whale sharks, then read on, for we’ve got a destination that is going to make you grin from ear to ear.

That’s Cabo Pulmo, located near Los Cabos/Cabo San Lucas in Baja Sur, Mexico’s gorgeous, year-round playground at the very bottom of Baja California. Picture it on a map and you’ll remember that Baja begins at the California-Mexico border just south of San Diego in Tijuana and extends down to Cabo, with the Sea of Cortez creating that peninsula’s eastern border. Cabo Pulmo is on the East Cape, where the land curves at the eastern side and heads up into the protection of land on both sides.

That’s why Cabo Pulmo is such a pristine spot, for it is one of Mexico’s national marine parks designed to keep the water’s ecosystem unspoiled. This is the place that Jacques Cousteau called “the world’s aquarium,” and it remains so because of the Mexican peoples’ dedication to keeping it a place where sea life flourishes.

Traditionally, Cabo Pulmo has been a place where hardy scuba divers and surfers have trekked to, staying in rustic hotels and having incredible encounters with everything from manta rays, sea turtles, sharks (hammerheads, bulls, white tips and the incredible whale sharks), dolphins and numerous whale species (humpbacks, orcas, grays, fin and sperm).

In recent years, things have seismically shifted in this incredibly special place, with the opening of the Four Seasons Los Cabos at Costa Palmas, a five-star luxury resort that’s far off the beaten path.

THE INCREDIBLE LUXURY OF THE FOUR SEASONS LOS CABOS
With the numerous top-brand luxury hotels that dot the road south from Los Cabos Airport all the way to the city of Cabo San Lucas at the very end of Baja California, there was one glaring omission – no Four Seasons Hotel. All that changed when the renowned brand of “The White Lotus” fame did the unexpected and, with a new build in a beautiful, much-less-traveled spot, created on the edge of the sea, complete with two miles of beach, a marina, the resort (with 27 suites and 114 rooms and a 15,000 square foot spa) and even residences in case you fall completely in love and decide to stay.

Every room at the Four Seasons Los Cabos at Costa Palmas has an ocean view and a private terrace, some with plunge pools, and the whole place is a sleek contemporary wonder of architectural design. It’s filled with beautiful original art by local Mexican talents, and every step you take, the water is an integral part of the overall landscape. Plus, there are seven swimming pools with cabanas serving cool drinks, fresh ceviche and more; and an 18-hole golf course ready for duffers, too.

All that makes it tempting to stay on the property, but save that for the evenings, when dining delights include the incredible Estiatorio Milos, the famed Mediterranean restaurant with the freshest seafood imaginable and the insanely good, Milos signature zucchini and eggplant tower appetizer, and Mozza Baja, Chef Nancy Silverton’s version of her famed Los Angeles eatery.

Devote an afternoon to enjoying the Delphine Day Club, a French Riviera-inspired beach club that’s a quick boat ride from the resort. There Chef Ludo Lefebvre is ready to feed you mouth-watering seafood (try the grilled octopus) paired with Billecart-Salmon Champagne, accompanied by lively music and impromptu dancing, then head to the beach for some sun and swimming. It’s a perfect afternoon-into-evening delight.

But on most days, especially from November to April, go way out into the water to get up close to whales, and if you are lucky, to their babies. It’s easy when staying at the Four Seasons, for the resort has sleek, comfortable private boats to take you right into the Cabo Pulmo waters, where the experiences are truly unforgettable. Choose the number of hours you want to be on the boat and from the moment you exit the marina, begin watching for the whale spout or the fluke. If you’re lucky, you’ll even see the mama and the baby whale breach together.

To get into the water with whale sharks, those gentle, plankton-eating giants of the sea, book a full-day drive up to La Paz, where you’ll get into a small boat and, once there’s a whale shark nearby, jump into the sea and snorkel right next to them. This breathtaking experience should be on every swimmer’s bucket list (you must know how to swim to do this!), for it is a surreal and exquisite encounter.

Finally, there’s the ultimate underwater experience, aboard a boat that leaves from the Four Seasons marina and takes you scuba diving in the protected Cabo Pulmo marine park to the south. Imagine massive schools of parrotfish, snapper, trevally and more, along with manta rays, Moray eels, hammerhead sharks, sea turtles and so much more in this haven of colorful coral reefs. If you’re lucky, a massive marlin will swoosh by, and during whale season, you just might hear whale songs echoing across this underwater paradise.

This luxurious trip to the less-explored part of Baja Sur will delight you in every way, and we promise you’ll begin planning your next visit even before you’ve finished your first. 

For more information about visiting Cabo Pulmo/Los Cabos go to fourseasons.com/loscabos
and visitloscabos.travel