There is always a tipping point for the resort of the moment — and this year’s
choice for the elite traveller is undoubtedly Los Cabos — Cabo to the
cognoscenti. The list of media and business heavies heading to the southern
end of the Baja peninsula, a two-hour flight from Los Angeles, is weighty
indeed.
Try these for a few examples of recent visitors: Robert Redford, Jim Carrey,
Barbra Streisand, Jennifer Aniston. Regular guests at the Esperanza, where I
spent a few days just after new year, are Paul McCartney, Gwyneth Paltrow,
Chris Martin, Brooke Shields, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. There, have
I dropped enough names to convince you that this place is hot, hot, hot?
It’s usually a problem defining why one particular resort will emerge as the
fashionable place to go. But not so with Cabo. It’s big enough to have
everything a person could want from a tropical holiday: golf, swimming,
scuba-diving, deep-sea fishing, whale-watching, desert excursions in 4WDs,
or just plain soaking up the nonstop sunshine.
But it’s also small enough to prevent you feeling, as you can sometimes do in
places such as the Côte d’Azur or the Costa Brava, that you are part of a
package tour of lemmings. Many Americans think of it as a south of the
border version of Palm Springs... but Palm Springs many, many years ago,
when it was a small, charming and elite resort, and before it became a
mini-megalopolis in the desert east of LA.
Another cast-iron selling point of Cabo is the utter reliability of its
weather. How many times have I schlepped across oceans and time zones to sit
sullenly in a damp hacienda watching the rain pelt down? All too often. But
here you are virtually guaranteed heat and sunny skies all year round.
The general area is called Los Cabos, after the two towns that mark its
boundaries. There’s the groovy, sometimes even rowdy, Cabo San Lucas, right
at the tip of the peninsula, full of bars and restaurants. And, about 15
miles away, heading northeast along the coast, the calmer, more historical
San José del Cabo.
Cabo San Lucas was built only a couple of decades ago by the Mexican
government as an upmarket tourist resort; whereas San José del Cabo has
existed for centuries, an outpost and shipping port at the tip of the Baja
peninsula (and for many years a hang-out for pirates and buccaneers, such as
our old friend Sir Francis Drake).
There is plenty of action in the evenings in both towns, yet even swinging
Cabo San Lucas is still a far cry from the overpopulated resort towns of
Florida or France.
THE ESPERANZA hotel, built four years ago, is more or less heaven on earth.
It’s not just the breathtaking setting, just a few miles east of Cabo San
Lucas and with glorious views (especially at sunset) out to the Sea of
Cortez. Or the spacious and luxurious (yet warm and simple) casitas. Or even
the spa and gym. There are other hotels that offer those comforts.
No, what sets the Esperanza apart is the extremely high level of service it
gives its guests. Everybody I encountered not only performed their tasks
promptly and efficiently, they also seemed to care that your needs were
fulfilled — and often anticipated.
There were many little touches that even a jaded sybarite like me appreciated.
For example, on arrival in our casita, we were greeted by a Mexican barman,
who prepared delicious margaritas — an excellent antidote to the
stressfulness of travel these days, even on a relatively short flight. There
was also a generous platter of Mexican hors d’oeuvres, such as guacamole and
sea-bass ceviche. Another thoughtful idea: the sandals provided were in two
sizes, one for him, one for her.
The Esperanza and Las Ventanas seem to be the two hotels at the top of the
Cabo pecking order. Both are beautifully sited, managed and serviced; both
are seriously expensive. There is also the “grandfather” of all the Cabo
resorts, the Palmilla, recently remodelled and a plausible third
alternative. Judging from the amount of building activity along the
coastline, there will soon be a whole array of less pricey, but still
stunning, hotels to choose from for the more budget-minded traveller.
For an avid golfer like me, Cabo is like dying and going to paradise. There
are six top-drawer golf courses (with green fees to match) within 20 minutes
of the hotel, including the gorgeous Cabo del Sol (designed by Tom
Weiskopf), the Cabo Real Golf Club (Robert Trent Jones) and the Palmilla
course (Jack Nicklaus).
Normally at a chic resort, I gravitate towards the action like a bee to honey.
But, attractive as the two towns may be in terms of restaurants, bars and
general nightlife, I tend to feel that, after a day of golf under the sun
and an excellent massage at the spa, the best way to spend the rest of the
evening is at the hotel, dining very pleasantly, overlooking the sea. And
then early to bed. But for those who like raving in the desert, Cabo San
Lucas will not disappoint.
A POSTSCRIPT to my experience at the Esperanza is that I had occasion to call
a doctor, who appeared in 10 minutes and dealt efficiently with my problem.
He then regaled me with stories about practising medicine in an upmarket
resort such as Los Cabos, mostly concerning the misadventures of rich,
middle-aged men trying to do (and be) things they shouldn’t. One poor 60-ish
fellow induced a heart attack by having sex in the morning — according to my
doctor, a big “no-no”.
Looking back at the two visits I have made to Cabo in the past two years, I
have the feeling that achieving the tipping point of being the rich person’s
current resort of choice may not be the best outcome for the area.
Celebrities — and rich folk in general — like to flock together; it makes
them feel safe in their judgment about where to be seen, and by whom. But
there may come a point, sooner rather than later, when there are just too
many familiar, tanned faces around the pool for comfort — and then the
tipping point will tilt the other way until the newest in-place is found.
Travel details: Carrier (0161 491 7640, www.carrier.co.uk)
has seven nights in an ocean-view casita at the Esperanza in Los Cabos from
£2,235pp, including flights from Heathrow and private transfers. Or try
Abercrombie & Kent Private Travel (020 7190 7750, www.abercrombiekent.co.uk/privatetravel).
The A-list hot list
LOS CABOS may be top of the pile right now, but three other resorts are vying
to be the elite’s destination of choice.
The Turks and Caicos islands have Colgate-white beaches, Tiffany-blue
seas and an astronomically high celebrity quota. What’s more, their
cachet has just skyrocketed thanks to the opening of a property from the
ultra-A-list hotel group Amanresorts, beloved by the likes of Sting and
Trudi Styler. Amanyara’s arrival completes a trendy trinity of Parrot
Cay (where Bruce Willis has a villa and Ben Affleck married his other
Jennifer) and the sleek, chic Palms (where you could run into spa queens
such as Paris Hilton). ITC Classics (01244 355527, www.itcclassics.co.uk)
has a week at Amanyara, room-only, from £2,605pp, including flights.
Africa’s hottest offshore assets are definitely the pristine islands of Mozambique.
Nelson Mandela spent new year on Vamizi and Sven pondered his England
selection there last month; Elle Macpherson loves Quilalea, while Prince
Harry appreciates the virginal qualities of Bazaruto. Expert Africa (020
8232 9777, www.expertafrica.com)
has seven nights, all-inclusive, on Vamizi and two nights, B&B, in Tanzania
from £2,499, including flights and transfers.
Itacare in Brazil has a hippie-chic atmosphere that attracts the
coolest and most carefree celebrities, such as Jade Jagger, who lets her
carefully tousled hair down amid the chilled glamour of Txai, and Gisele,
who prefers the low-key luxe of Fazenda da Lagoa. Things might get a little
more Jimmy Choo when Anouska Hempel’s Warapuru opens later this year,
but only after sunset. Exsus Travel (020 7292 5050, www.exsus.com)
has a week at Txai, full-board, with two nights, B&B, at Fasano in Sao Paulo
from £2,695pp, including flights and transfers.
