~ The vibe: A laid-back luxury beach retreat that encapsulates—and makes the most of—its location Location: Carretera Transpeninsular Km. 15, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico | View on Google Maps ~ |
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The AFAR take
The word “Cabo” conjures many meanings to many people. Yes, it can be a party town (after all, there’s a cocktail bar right outside the airport where you wait for taxis). But it’s also known for a preponderance of high-end resorts commanding envious views of the Sea of Cortez and offering U.S. travelers an easily accessible, choose-your-own-adventure vacation in the sun.
Among the apex hotels in the latter category sits Chileno Bay, an Auberge resort that encapsulates the best of Baja. This is a place of discreet luxury, where pathways curve around immaculately landscaped gardens, passing saguaro palms and vivid oleanders to a series of infinity pools stretching to the horizon. Here, the semi-private beach’s sand is raked into smooth lines every morning, the cabana’s fruit platters contain eight different fruits, and the only gripe you can think of is that maybe the music in the spa’s Himalayan salt room is a touch loud.
Chileno Bay’s peaceful blend of top-notch service, design, and accommodation was elevated further in 2023 with the first Mexican outpost of acclaimed wellness brand the Well. The Well at Chileno Bay comprises a bathhouse, nap garden, reflexology pool, ice bar, cold plunge, and various treatment rooms across 22 gorgeous acres. Signature treatments include the Integration, which could involve lymph drainage, cupping, or hot obsidian stones, depending on your needs and preferences.
Who’s it for?
Couples or families in search of a laid-back Cabo beach vacation with swimmable waters.
The location
Chileno Bay occupies 22 acres of prime coastal real estate on the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula halfway between the resort cities of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. This is five-star territory (Chileno’s immediate neighbor is the Montage Los Cabos) for good reason; the balmy, crystal clear, and fish-filled waters of the Sea of Cortez lap at craggy rocks, and a swim- and snorkel-friendly beach promises an abundance of fish that blew my eight-year-old’s mind. San Jose del Cabo airport is a 35-minute SUV ride away.
This is a place of discreet luxury, where pathways curve around immaculately landscaped gardens, passing saguaro palms and vivid oleanders to a series of infinity pools stretching to the horizon.
Chileno Bay has mastered indoor/outdoor living, with full alfresco kitchen and dining facilities in many rooms.
Courtesy of Auberge Resorts Collection
The rooms
Chileno Bay includes 99 guest rooms of up to 885 square feet, suites of either 1,300 or 2,100 square feet with indoor-outdoor living space, and 60 sprawling villa suites that range from 3,300 to 11,000 square feet. Many accommodations come with a private pool or hot tub.
Our two-bedroom garden view villa, Hacienda, had an expansive living room, a state-of-the-art kitchen most of us dream of installing at home, a spacious outdoor dining and cooking area, and a hot tub overlooking palm trees and bright pink bougainvillea. Plush cushioned hardwood furniture and desert-inspired artworks in turquoise tones evoke both an upscale coastal vacation rental and Baja’s desert landscape.
The Mediterranean meets Mexico at Yaya restaurant.
Courtesy of Auberge Resorts Collection
The food and drink
Mexico City–born chef Eliana Godinez taps into her travels in the Mediterranean for the menu at casual poolside Yaya (named for a term of endearment for those finest of cooks, grandmothers). Think hummus- and labneh-laced mezze plates, fattoush and tabbouleh salads, and chicken shawarma sandwiches. Coastal Comal, meanwhile, pairs delights from the ocean with Mexico sauces and spices; options include grilled octopus with mole or blackened snapper with chile adobo. Tacos and tequilas are on the menu at the relaxed beachside café TnT. In 2023, Chileno Bay added Washoka Nights, a Japanese-inspired multicourse meal and sake tasting, on Wednesdays, and partnered with nonprofit coffee company Buna, which works to improve lives for Mexican farmers.
With three kids in tow, we ordered supper to the room one night and had a chef cook us a lavish breakfast in our villa one morning.
The Well at Chileno Bay features a reflexology pool (pictured) and several treatment rooms hidden away in 22 acres of privacy.
Photo by Graciela Cattarossi / Courtesy of Auberge Resorts Collection
Staff and service
Exceptional, in a word. My family and I had a private concierge, Fernanda, who was available via text message for pretty much our entire stay. She was wonderful with the small boys on a golf cart tour of the property and helped out with everything from menu choices to kids club reservations.
Accessibility
Much of Chileno Bay has been designed with accessibility in mind. The resort’s dedicated features include on-site wheelchairs, roll-in showers, and wide, well-lit pathways connecting the rooms, restaurants, and pools. Guests can call 888 764-0242 or email accessibility@aubergeresorts.com for more information.
Family fun
Chileno Bay is undeniably a luxury experience: the kind of place you’d splurge on for a romantic retreat or a honeymoon. But children are welcome, and there’s plenty to keep them occupied (and quiet) to preserve the atmosphere. They could dunk in the two child-friendly pools, go paddleboarding, snorkel or swim at the beach, try their luck at the new-for-2023 pickleball courts, or hit up Pescadito’s Kids Club (or Escondite Teens Club) while the parents take a cooking class or join an agave tasting session.
We had a “cinema under the stars” experience on the beach, but high winds forced us inside to the private movie theater for a family screening accompanied by fresh popcorn and treats, where the kids snuggled under blankets and tuned into The Emoji Movie. (Do yourselves a favor and leave them to it.) From $1,350
