Clang, clang! Clang, clang! The bartender — chest-deep in the hotel’s infinity pool — rang an oversize brass dinner bell as he grinned from ear to ear. This not-so-subtle signal encouraged guests to swim toward his floating margarita bar for handcrafted cocktails made with poblano pepper liqueur, black lava salt, mezcal and mole bitters. It was five o’clock somewhere, and that somewhere just happened to be Chileno Bay Resort & Residences in Los Cabos.
Food and beverage is a top priority at the newly opened Chileno Bay, which is part of the Auberge Resorts Collection. At TnT, a casual outdoor tequila and taco bar, your "molcajete" runneth over with some of the tastiest guacamole and salsa in Baja California Sur. At the resort’s sophisticated regional Mexican and Latin American restaurant, Comal, expect the classics with a twist, from beet salad with horchata, Oaxacan cheese and sorrel to blue-corn duck carnitas with peach and cilantro slaw.
“The 'comal' is a utensil that we use in all Latin American cultures to cook tortillas, 'masa' and 'gorditas,' so everything starts with this clay tool,” explained executive chef Yvan Mucharraz, who trained under famed chefs and restaurateurs Thomas Keller and Joel Robuchon. “We named the restaurant Comal because it represents Latin American culture and attaches that to a single establishment. Therefore, we cook on the comal and then serve our dishes on a heated comal, as well. For us, dining is about culture; local, organic ingredients; and having fun.”
Besides alfresco dining with friends and incredible views of the Sea of Cortez, there are ample opportunities to have a good time on the 22-acre property. For starters, Chileno Bay is home to one of few swimmable beaches in Los Cabos, a destination plagued by riptides and strong waves that break onshore. The resort bills itself as having Los Cabos’ largest year-round swimmable beach, where guests can kayak, take out a Schiller bike to try “biking on water” or go on a guided evening paddleboarding tour. The resort’s H2O Cave — a watersports center that is carved into a natural granite bluff — even lends out snorkel masks with GoPro attachments, so that guests can relive their favorite underwater moments when they return home.
The use of a Tom Fazio-designed championship golf course is exclusive to the Chileno Bay community and resort guests. And after a day on the links, a 7,500-square-foot spa awaits with 10 treatment rooms, a hydrotherapy pool, a salt cave and a relaxation garden. Those interested in breaking a sweat will flock to the resort’s Fitness Center & Movement Studio. Spinning, yoga and TRX classes are available to guests, as well as solo workouts using cutting-edge equipment (curved running treadmills, water rowers and water exercise bikes, to name a few).
At present, Chileno Bay features 29 guestrooms and 33 owned villas, some of which are placed into the rental program when not in use. Phase two of development, scheduled for completion in 2018, will add 12 guestrooms and suites, 28 residential villas (which owners can place in the rental pool), a teens’ club, a cinema, a coffee shop and a deli.
The crown jewel of the resort, however, is its 450-foot-long cascading infinity pool that runs through the center of the property. It’s the ideal spot to cool off at the day’s end — and the floating margarita bar is just a few sidestrokes away.
The Details
Chileno Bay Resort & Residences
www.aubergeresorts.com
