Villa Delfines: A luxury weekend in Los Cabos, Mexico

 

Villa Delfines offers the amenities and services of a five-star resort coupled with the comforts of a private residence

Each morning, Ysidro raises the four umbrellas near the arc-shape infinity pool and sets plush, wide-striped bath towels atop the lounge chairs. The shade offers a welcome respite from the scorching sun and transforms the outdoors into an uber-comfortable “living room,” surrounded by beach, glimmering waters and the cool breezes coming off the Sea of Cortez.

Along with a couple of friends, my husband and I have been invited to experience a long weekend stay at Villa Delfines, one of more than 100 waterfront luxury villas offered for rent by CaboVillas.com (Earth, Sea & Sky Vacations.) We’ve vacationed in villas before but never one this large. With 12,000 square feet, 5 bedrooms, and 5 full and two half baths, the house could easily accommodate more than a dozen people.

Yet, as you gaze at the endless blue waters only steps away, the magnificence of the house almost fades compared to the spectacular setting. The beach is almost your own except for a few walkers and horseback riders that pass by during the course of the day. During our stay, we found it impossible to leave the property, even for meals; moreover, we realized there was no reason to go off the reservation.

The house

Villa Delfines is owned by a family that doesn’t utilize the property for portions of the year so they have entrusted it with CaboVillas, a company with 25 years of experience in matching homeowners with visitors in Los Cabos, Mexico.

When you first enter the long, gracious hallway, your eyes are drawn to the oversized metal sculpture of three leaping dolphins (in Spanish, delfines) that is lit from above. They are just one of many beautiful pieces of museum-quality art and exquisite furnishings that have been carefully curated by the homeowners.

Built on three levels, the ground floor has a huge gourmet kitchen (stocked with every conceivable tool and appliance you might need). There’s also a dining room with a domed brick ceiling above an oversized round table; a fully-equipped office (although work might be the farthest thing on your mind); a bar and billiards room; and a relaxing family entertainment room (equipped with Sky TV). At the back of the house, a series of French doors open to the pool area, including those from two bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms.

The master suite, which consumes most of the second level except for a spectacular outdoor terrace, is ballroom size, with separate sleeping and living space that has been tastefully decorated. The Mr. and Mrs. pillow on one of the chairs might convince you that you live there.  The bathroom has travertine sinks and countertops, and a light-filled double shower/steam room combination with doors opening to a private patio so you can shower al fresco. Given the size of the house, it was nice that it is solar-powered, minimizing its carbon footprint.

Because the house was so large, we only occupied a small portion but its magnificence didn’t overwhelm. It would also be perfect for a girlfriends’ getaway or family reunion where people could have room to be together and room to be apart.

Services

Homes of this size are complex to manage so it was helpful that it came with two staff (on duty between 9-5) who knew how everything worked and were able to explain just enough of it to us—from the use of the air-conditioning, to controlling the temperature of the outdoor Jacuzzi, to changing channels on the indoor-outdoor sound system, to lighting the outside fire pit at night.

Ysidro made sure the desert gardens and manicured grounds looked perfect each day while Nelly reigned over the kitchen (We stocked the refrigerator ourselves after a trip to the nearby Costco but were able to use any items we needed from the kitchen pantry.) She was happy to prepare meals and was an excellent cook. We especially loved her ceviche with camaron and pulpo.

Upon arrival, Nelly welcomed us, Baja-style, with margaritas and totopos, salsa and guacamole as Ysidro brought the luggage from our rental car to our rooms. Rodolfo, a concierge from Cabo Villas brought the lease agreement and keys to the house, and gave us his cell phone number, letting us know he was available 24/7 to answer any questions or make restaurant/activity arrangements.

One evening, at his recommendation, we arranged to have a gourmet dinner catered on-site. Chef Carmen came with her assistant, Esther, from a local catering company, A Matter of Taste. For $50 per person, we had a wonderful meal in the comfort of our villa with steak, chicken and fish tacos and all the traditional fixings—in addition to cilantro rice that was so creamy it tasted like risotto. Carmen also assembled an organic salad with fresh, citrus dressing and brought steamed vegetables, beans and homemade tortillas. Dessert was a decadently rich and delicious flan made with cream cheese, artfully presented in the shape of individual heart portions and served with a strawberry and caramel syrup.

We also were offered the option of arranging on-site mobile spa services from Suzanne Morel Face and Body Care, who not only brings trained technicians and products to residential properties but also a spa ambiance in the form of candles, scents and colorful chiffon decorations.

Location

Conveniently located one-half hour away from San Jose del Cabo International Airport, Villa Delfines is sited in a small, gated residential community with 24-hour security (just off the Corridor road that links San Jose del Cabo with Cabo San Lucas). Rock legend/tequila mogul “Cabo Wabo” Sammy Hagar lives just a few houses down on the beach.

It’s apt that the villa takes its name (Villa Delfines) from dolphins, mammals that live close to the coast in areas with an abundance of food, and that congregate in family groups. It’s a perfect house to reconnect with family and friends. This magnificent villa had all the personal touches that made it feel lived in yet it was so livable you really could imagine (or dream) it was yours.

We could have easily taken advantage of the nightlife or sport fishing in Cabo San Lucas or walked around the smaller and sleepier (and inarguably more charming) town of San Jose. However, the consistent sunshine coupled with comfortable temperatures and low humidity conspired to make us laze and stay put. We walked the beach once or twice a day, swam in the pool, bathed in the Jacuzzi, caught up on reading, awoke to daylight and went to sleep only a few hours after sunset. A stay at Villa Delfines offered four days of unfettered pampering and relaxation.

IF YOU GO 

Cabo Villas (Earth, Sea & Sky Vacations)* – To see a portfolio of villa rental properties in Los Cabos

*Focusing exclusively on Los Cabos villa rentals for the past 25 years, Earth, Sea & Sky Vacations also offers ground transportation, activities, tours, chef services, spa services, a full-time Cabo concierge team, and round-the-clock customer service support to assure relaxing, hassle-free vacations for their guests.

Villa Delfines

A Matter of Taste

Suzanne Morel Face and Body Care

Los Cabos Tourism Board

Disclosure: Our stay at Villa Delfines was hosted by CaboVillas.com but any opinions expressed in this post are our own.

Also on More Time To Travel:

• Luxury Villa Rentals: 6 reasons to take a villa vacation
• Should you take a villa vacation?
• Three posh vacation villas in Jamaica

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This post is part of a LinkUp at Noel Morata’s Travel Photo Discovery.