By Richard Carroll
From every angle of the Villa del Palmar Resort, the timeless landscape, both spiritual and calming, touches the heart with an enduring gentle tug. Tucked away 220 miles north of La Paz on the 1,000-mile-long Baja Peninsula in Mexico, the property, a 45-minute drive from historic Loreto town, sits amidst towering mountains, ancient volcano cones, steep-sided valleys and great boulders once tossed about by the whims of the earth.
The jagged profile of the Sierra La Gigante Mountains, carved throughout time by wind, rain and sun, is bright on the horizon with massive outcroppings and strange formations, just daring one to explore its hidden crevices, caves, waterfalls and sharp fields of oddly shaped cactus, while high in the sky hovering hawks on the hunt glide easily among the thermals in search of a lazy lizard.
Late in the afternoon the mountains cast long shadows across the sparkling Bay of Loreto National Marine Park and the volcanic islands scattered helter-skelter throughout it. The incredible duo of mountains and sea, layered with history and far removed from the trendy tourist trail, provide an eye-popping experience.
The 181-room Villa Del Palmar resort has it right. Deep pockets allowed the resort designers to create spacious upscale rooms with sea views, balconies, washers, dryers, full kitchens, and paramount furnishings. Service, as well, is a lofty priority at Palmar, which relies on well-trained eager workers from Ensenada Blanca, a nearby fishing village of 300 souls with little previous experience of luxury.
The kitchen, modern and hospital clean, is the realm of Executive Chef Roberto Cardazzo, who holds impressive credentials from both Europe and North America, and who, along with personable Food and Beverage Director Oscar Torres, has created inspired dining in three restaurants with freestyle, artistic presentations that Picasso would love.
The Chocolate Clams are a local delicacy along with a large variety of fresh fish.. A necessary precaution is the massive state-of-the-art water purifier, a huge plus for the kitchen staff.
The folks at Villa del Palmar, following an intensive research of Baja spas — including Los Cabos, where spas seem to be popping up on every corner — designed the Sabila Spa and Wellness Center to be the royalty of Baja spas. Sabila is a palacelike 39,000-square-foot, three-level beauty with a hefty fitness center, floor-to-ceiling windows with views forever, and a list of 75 treatments, many featuring the soothing aloe vera from which the spa takes its name.
Opened in March 2011, the property's specific personality is ideal for those searching for a destination far from nerve-shattering traffic clutter and the pressure of everyday challenges. Five swimming pools will keep visitors passively waterlogged, but for the more active, a memorable adventure beckons from the Sea of Cortez.
The 800-square-mile Loreto National Marine Park, bordered by the Gigante Mountain Range, is home to five protected islands, 100 miles of coastline, 300 sunny days a year and an underwater visibility range of 30 feet to 130 feet, depending upon the time of year. The remarkable sea teems with 350 species of fish, and tales of crusty sailors, explorers and others in search of an incredible adventure abound. John Steinbeck spent six weeks sailing the length of this sea in a sardine boat, detailing his escapade with the celebrated "Log From the Sea of Cortez."
Tagged "the world's aquarium" by explorer and scientist Jacques Cousteau, the sea is ranked eighth in the world for stand-up paddle-boarding, and at the resort location guests enjoy superior diving and snorkeling among five protected islands, perfect for both beginning and advanced divers and snorkelers.
A half-mile offshore and 30 feet below the surface lies a World War II minesweeper, while at Puertecitos guests can swim with schools of barracudas, golden jacks and sea bass. The sheltered Honeymoon site is ideal for beginners, with huge rock formations that are home to starfish and an endless parade of other colorful varieties.
Back on land, Loreto, which was the first established community of the colonial period and the busy capital of the peninsula from 1697 to 1777, is now a gentle, laid-back town enjoyed by a few hundred U.S. and Canadian snowbirds.
In the heart of town near a leafy pedestrian walkway with a few handicraft shops, restaurants and hotels is the first Baja Spanish Jesuit mission, Mision Nuestra Senora de Loreto. Carved high above the massive entrance is the inscription in Spanish "Head and mother of the missions of lower and upper California," and up toward the top of the mission entrance, carved in stone, "25 Oct 1697."
Along the sea at the far end of town, the malecon stretches along the shore where an occasional cruise ship, such as the Azamara, pops in for the day. Anyone in need of a surge of vigor should stop by Domingo's, one of the oldest family-owned restaurants in Loreto. Excellent choices are garlic shrimp, chocolate clams, grilled sea bass and an order of tasty guacamole.
For history buffs, a glimpse at 18th-century Mexico lies ahead at the San Javier Mission via a half-day trip to the backcountry. The second-oldest mission in Baja, established in 1699, San Javier boasts beautifully preserved carillon bells dated 1761 and 1803.
Whether playing a set of tennis, hot on a hiking trail or just lounging near the pool, when evening arrives the mood slowly changes as the sweep of nature closes in, embracing the senses with an untainted sky ablaze with a million brilliant stars, another Baja bonus.
WHEN YOU GO
Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto: www.villadelpalmarloreto.com. Alaska air offers direct flights from Los Angeles: www.alaskaair.com.
Richard Carroll is a freelance travel writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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