Hotel Review: Four Seasons Resort Los Cabos at Costa Palmas

After a 45-minute drive north from Los Cabos International Airport on Highway 1, Four Seasons Resort Los Cabos at Costa Palmas appeared before me as if part of a desert mirage.

“It’s like a secret place,” my driver said, noticing my bewildered expression.

The magic of Costa Palmas, however, is that it is suited for both exclusivity and adventure — ideal for both A-list luxury and family fun.

As the oasis unfolded before me, I rolled down the window for a clearer view — there were sand dunes, palms, palo blanco trees and golf course fairways, all with the backdrop of the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains. Minutes later, I was sipping a delectable welcome tonic of mango, orange, cucumber, aloe and lime, topped with mezcal, while ogling the many shades of blue in the Sea of Cortez.

So long Los Cabos, hello East Cape.

Open since October 2019, the resort at Costa Palmas headlines Baja California’s hardly developed East Cape. In many ways, the resort feels like it could have been here all along, seamlessly blending into the surrounding terrain and its mile-upon-mile of empty beaches.

All of the 141 guestrooms at the resort, including 23 suites, have ocean views. While the iPad, 65-inch television and Bose sound system were nice perks in my one-bedroom oceanfront accommodation, they could not compete with the complimentary in-room binoculars, which I used to whale-watch over morning coffee from my massive private balcony.

As I walked the property, I was stunned by the symmetry and natural aesthetic of the swimming pools — each feeling luxurious without leaving mother nature behind. (In addition, unlike most of the resorts in Los Cabos, the ocean here is swimmable, too.)

At mealtime, there are five restaurants guests can choose from — my favorite being Limon, a farm-to-table alfresco eatery that makes for an idyllic meal under the star-studded Baja sky. Costa Palmas sources ingredients from its own garden and orchard, and has also teamed up with several local farms: Los Cuevas for organic chicken; Rancho San Jose for local cheeses; and Raymundo, the Four Seasons’ local fisherman, who arrives by boat with fresh seafood daily. For lunch, the hearty guacamole and chocolate clam ceviche at Casa de Brasa, a casual brasserie off the Family Pool, are not to be missed.

The magic of Costa Palmas, however, is that it is suited for both exclusivity and adventure — ideal for both A-list luxury and family fun. During my two-night stay, I took full advantage of the raw and rugged beauty enveloping the one-of-a-kind sanctuary.

First, there was the sunset ATV ride, which felt like a cross between a nature safari and the Summer X Games. Led by Aventura, the on-site activity team, we idled through fields of goats and cattle and caracaras; carved hairpin desert trails; and redlined it down an endless stretch of vacant coastline.

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The following morning, I went diving in Cabo Pulmo National Park — “the mecca of Mexican diving,” my guide told me — where schools of cownose rays and other marine life swam beside us.

Other activities bookable through the hotel include hikes to hidden waterfalls, sailing, horseback riding and, from September to December, the chance to release baby sea turtles.

Before heading home, I played 18 holes at the immaculate Costa Palmas Golf Club, a sandy and challenging Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed layout. The highlight: Lucha Libre, an open-air taco stand and watering hole. Like the greenery around me, the blue-tiled bar and thatched-roof structure seemed to have fallen from the sky. That’s when the man next to me — the founder of a well-known athletic wear company I soon learned — dubbed this very spot his favorite in the whole world.

Costa Palmas makes for the ultimate East Cape introduction. It may not be far from Los Cabos — but it certainly leaves the world behind.

The Details
Four Seasons Resort Los Cabos at Costa Palmas