Letter From the Editor: September 2017

Baja California is one of the world’s great places in which to relax. There are several fine resorts, the weather is extremely reliable on this rugged stretch of coastal desert, and the region is far removed from “the mainland” and hence relatively immune to the drug-related violence that plagues other areas of Mexico. (True, there is a State Department Travel Warning currently in effect for “Baja California Sur,” but U.S. citizens have not been directly targeted and during our stay we felt in no danger whatever.)

Aside from coming to see how the region had recovered from Hurricane Odile, which smashed into southern Baja in 2014, the primary purpose of my recent trip was to stay at the new Auberge property, Chileno Bay Resort, about which I had received several flattering reports. In the main, these turned out to be accurate. True, the service was a little disorganized at times, but the cuisine was outstanding, the guest rooms were airy and attractive, and the three long infinity pools at the heart of the resort provided blissful settings in which to read and recuperate. Chileno Bay also fronts one of the few swimmable beaches in Los Cabos. (Many others are hazardous due to strong riptides.) I also enjoyed a stay at Esperanza, Auberge’s other resort in the region, which I have long recommended. After extensive renovations, it is now looking better than ever.

Driving north, we first visited the coastal city of La Paz overlooking the Sea of Cortez, before heading to Todos Santos, a small historic town on the western side of the peninsula. Alas, stays at two properties failed to yield one that I am able to recommend. For the moment, I see no reason to stay anywhere in Baja other than Chileno Bay Resort, Esperanza or my other two favorite resorts in the region, One&Only Palmilla and Las Ventanas al Paraíso.

In this issue, you will also find an account of my trip to Seville, Spain, and rural Andalusia. After a few days at the grand Hotel Alfonso XIII, which was extensively renovated in 2012, we stayed at a contrasting boutique property, the 13-room Corral del Rey, situated in Barrio Alfalfa, a maze of narrow, winding streets. This is a new venture by the Anglo-Spanish Reid family, which owns the 200-year-old Hacienda de San Rafael, an idyllic country property located about halfway between Seville and Jerez, the sherry capital of Spain. It was there that we concluded our journey, surrounded by 350 acres of olive orchards and sunflower fields.