I Fell in Love With Villa del Palmar Resort at the Islands of Loreto

Back in the spring I blogged about a sweet-spot redemption using British Airways Avios to fly on Alaska Airlines from Los Angeles to Loreto, Mexico. I enjoyed a pre-birthday yoga/wellness solo getaway on Mexico’s west coast. It was my first time on the Baja Peninsula of Mexico, and the Villa Del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto resort was the perfect spot with stunning views of the Sea of Cortez (often referred to as the world’s aquarium) and the Sierria de la Giganta mountains as the backdrop.

I now refer to Loreto as Mexico’s hidden gem because it feels tucked away from the hustle and bustle of big touristy cities like Cancun and Los Cabos, and the scenery is just breathtaking, being surrounded by the most relaxing indigo water.

The Resort

The Villa Del Palmar is a secluded luxury resort that opened in 2011 and has quickly become a coveted spot for getaways. The location is great for quick getaways from Los Angeles (flying time is less than 2 hours), and it’s only thirty minutes from the airport. The resort has 181 rooms with various room sizes, starting at one-bedroom villas and reaching up to 4-bedroom suites with a private jacuzzi on the balcony.

There are 5 pools, beach access, and countless activities to choose from including a shuttle service which will take you to explore the town of Loreto, scuba diving, yoga (including paddle board yoga), mountain biking, hiking and more…  or you can kick back, and the biggest decision of your day could be deciding between the sunny or shady hammock ;)

The Spa

Villa Del Palmar pulls out all the stops with its 39,000 square-foot Sabila spa. In addition to treatment rooms, the spa offers a large common space wet areas including a selection soaking tubs and saunas. Note that there is a $10 USD charge for use of the Sabila Spa wet areas for guests without a massage or treatment service scheduled on the day. The service offerings are endless with massages, facials, couple’s treatments, and even a family area and beauty salon. I had a fantastic full body massage and spent a few hours relaxing in the jacuzzi tubs (specifically one with fresh aloe vera because I did get sunburned on an earlier snorkeling excursion, ahh).

The Food

I make an effort to eat well and stay healthy, and I was super impressed with the food at the resort. Everything is prepared fresh and from scratch. My rule of thumb is this: if I’m by the ocean, I eat fish because I can count on freshness and delicious preparation. In other words, you’re being served some of the freshest food possible at the Villa Del Palmar because most of the fish is caught just hours before it reaches the plate. Of course, seafood is not your only option and you have plenty to choose from all day long. And let’s not forget about how beautiful each dish is – every dish is a work of art and they can accommodate all diets.

The Room

The room was one of the largest I’ve stayed in! I had a one-bedroom suite, and it had a full kitchen, two full bathrooms, a balcony overlooking the ocean that went on for days, and a large soaking tub. This room could easily fit a family of 4, and it was nowhere near their largest option. The cleanliness was impeccable and the tiniest attention to detail was flattering. For example, they had fresh rose petals on the bed and aloe next to the tub after a long day in the sun. The only drawback is that they didn’t have Wi-Fi in the rooms, but I was able to catch strong signals everywhere else on the resort grounds.

The Activities

I’ve already told you about the spa which was very relaxing. Outside of the spa, I enjoyed meditation sessions, hikes every morning around the mountains, LED nighttime paddle boarding (AMAZING), a beach BBQ party, sunrise yoga, paddle board yoga, and we even got to go snorkeling and see dolphins.

Overall, my visit to Villa Del Palmar was amazing and right up my alley since I was doing a yoga challenge at home during the month of April. While I traveled alone on this trip, I would definitely return again with my kids. The overall vibe is relaxing and there are so many activities for all (and a kids club!).

What are your thoughts of Mexico’s Baja peninsula? Makes me never want to go back to the craziness of Cancun again!

*In full disclosure, my stay at Villa Del Palmar was comped. All opinions and stories are my own, of course.