Luxury meets the wild in Los Cabos at Chileno Bay Resort, Mexico
As an American, I have a deep, enduring love for Mexican cuisine – a longing that only grew stronger after living in the UK, where Mexican spots are far less ubiquitous than they are in the States. Now, whenever I get to indulge, I go all in.
This is to say, nothing could have distracted me from my Mexican breakfast feast on a recent October morning in Los Cabos at Chileno Bay Resort & Residences, Auberge Resorts Collection. Well, almost nothing. Sitting in the not-yet-humid sunshine at a table at the open-air Comal restaurant, overlooking the Sea of Cortez, I was fully lost in my cinnamon-spiked café de olla on ice and plate of egg-topped chilaquiles. I had ordered the traditional breakfast dish of corn tortillas divorciados, split down the middle with red salsa on one side and fresh green tomatillo sauce on the other.
And then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement on the horizon. A dark, smooth arch rose from the waves, followed by a plume of mist. A whale! From my breakfast table! First, I was stunned to have spotted it at all. And then, I was even more surprised when I remembered it was October, weeks before the official whale-watching season.
Set on the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula, in the state of Baja California Sur, Los Cabos is famed as an easy warm-weather escape for West Coast Americans. It’s a mere three hours from Los Angeles or San Francisco, and now reachable from London via one-stop connections through Frankfurt, Mexico City or an American hub such as Dallas. While it’s best known for its high-end, glossy resorts from brands like Auberge (which actually has two properties in Los Cabos), the greatest draw might be offshore.
Los Cabos sits at the collision of two mighty bodies of water, the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez, forming a life-filled marine corridor. Every year, from mid-November to April, the region becomes one of the best whale-watching destinations in Mexico, as thousands of humpback and grey whales migrate from the cold feeding grounds of Alaska and the Bering Sea to mate and calve in Baja’s warmer, sheltered bays. The humpbacks are the most acrobatic, the show-off divas of the seas, known for theatrical breaches and splashy tail slaps. On rare occasions blue whales, fin whales and orcas are also sighted.
Operators run tours from the marina, but Chileno Bay’s position on 22 seafront acres grants something rarer: the ability to see these giants without leaving your table. Unlike most stretches of coastline in Los Cabos, Chileno Bay is actually swimmable, a distinction that can’t be overstated. The region’s raw beauty comes with perilous surf and strong undertows, and most resorts perch above dramatic, photogenic but unswimmable beaches. This bears repeating: you cannot swim at most beaches in Los Cabos.
Here, though, the resort hugs a naturally protected cove. It’s one of only a handful of Blue Flag-certified beaches in Los Cabos, meaning it meets international standards for water quality and safety. The sand is fine and pale gold, and the water is so clear you can see your toes sink into the seabed. I spent mornings snorkelling to the coral reef just offshore, teeming with parrotfish, angelfish and sea turtles.
At the resort’s chic beachfront hub and sports activity centre, H2O Cave, you can grab a paddleboard or kayak (along with all the snorkelling accoutrements, all complimentary) to explore further from the shoreline.
The coral reef lies only 18 metres out, making it one of the easiest spots in Los Cabos to discover the underwater world without a boat. There’s something special about starting your morning swim with a horizon of endless blue, knowing that, somewhere out there, whales are tracing ancient migratory paths.
Of course, the resort knows how to pamper its guests between aquatic adventures. California-cool rooms and villas spill down the gently sloping hillside in creamy white stone and blond wood, and a trio of infinity pools glimmer mirror-like beside gardens of cacti and desert roses and airy private cabanas. There’s also a swish spa with a salt cave and frosty plunge pool.
Now, back to the food: dining revolves around the ocean, too. At the signature Comal, where I had my breakfast overlooking the Sea of Cortez, chef Yvan Mucharraz – an alum of The French Laundry – creates dishes that reimagine coastal Mexican cuisine. Expect sea scallops a la diabla with fermented chilli sauce; Baja mussels with mezcal sauce and flakes of comapeño, a rare Mexican chilli pepper sourced from mountainous region in the state of Veracruz; and red snapper from La Paz, paired with pineapple and avocado salad.
For something more casual, TnT, the resort’s toes-in-the-sand taco and tequila bar, serves zesty shrimp tacos and refreshing ceviche plates under palm fronds, with the sound of waves just beyond your table. Yaya, the newest addition, takes inspiration from the eastern Mediterranean, pairing Greek and Middle Eastern flavours with Baja produce, but the common thread is freshness and regionality: everything tastes light and local.
While many guests never feel the need to leave, there are plenty of ocean expeditions to have in Los Cabos. From Chileno Bay, it’s an easy sail to the signature Arch of Cabo San Lucas, a photo spot where sea lions bask on rocky outcrops. For something more dramatic, a private charter can take you out to the Pacific side to spot whales breaching at sunset – a natural spectacle confirming that luxury will always be about rarity.
• Rates at Chileno Bay Resort & Residences start from £788. For more information visit auberge.com/chileno-bay. Los Cabos International Airport (SJD) is a 30-minute drive away, and several airlines offer daily connecting flights from London Heathrow