Located about an hour from Los Cabos on the Pacific coast, Kimpton Mas Olas in Todos Santos offers oceanfront suites, farm-to-table dining, spa experiences and secluded Baja luxury.
By Lori Stacy
Planning a trip to Los Cabos shouldn’t have been this difficult. My husband and I have been there plenty of times in the past, and we knew the vibe we were seeking–luxury, relaxation and seclusion. We wanted a place that would entice us to stay put for the entirety of our visit, which meant great food and activities beyond sunbathing. And we didn’t want to spend a vast fortune for the pleasure (adios, Esperanza and Montage).
Nothing in the Los Cabos area checked our every box. What serendipity that turned out to be, for once we expanded our search to Todos Santos, located an hour north of Los Cabos along the Pacific coastline, we found a property that perfectly met our expectations: Kimpton Mas Olas, a 100-room oceanfront luxury resort.
We’d never been to Todos Santos before. It’s known as a colorful, artsy town with great surfing beaches. That would do quite fine for a jaunt into town, but (refer to first paragraph) we really wanted to stay put at our resort. And from the moment we arrived at Kimpton Mas Olas, we knew we had made the right choice.
Set on 30 acres of lush grounds featuring a fruit orchard, plentiful flower and vegetable gardens, bike paths, fine and casual dining, a spa and a gym, Kimpton Mas Olas beckons you to open the modest-looking doors of the resort and leave all your worries in the dust (somewhat literally, since you get to the resort via a 10-minute drive over a rutted dirt road).
The resort itself is a stunning blend of rustic and modern design, with white-washed walls, brightly colored tiles and intricate Mexican-inspired decor. The rooms are spacious and comfortable, each with its own private patio or balcony. The oceanfront villas are even more grand, with outdoor showers set on private garden patios as well as private plunge pools. We were taken to our spacious suite, steps from the main pool area and offering a separate living area and a patio complete with a daybed.
At Botanico, their fine-dining restaurant, we were seated next to an abundant vegetable garden and watched as two of the staff cut lettuce and other veggies that would likely wind up on someone’s plate that night. We sampled Mexican wines (who knew?!) and dined on organic salads–legit, we guessed–and an innovative taco tasting menu featuring five savory tacos including tuna, seaweed salad, macha and soy sauce on a crispy corn tortilla and chicken confit with pumpkin sauce, pineapple relish and fried corn, as well as a dessert taco with tulip dough, hazelnut cream, roasted pineapple, chocolate sponge cake and carmelized hazelnuts.
After dinner, we made our way to the upstairs bar near the pool to enjoy margaritas and listen to the crashing waves of the Pacific. We toasted to the start of vacation and to our luck at finding Kimpton Mas Olas.
The next morning we were treated to what is a Kimpton Mas Olas tradition: a bag of goodies including handmade pastries, herb-infused water and fresh-cut fruit, left hanging by the door in an insulated bag. Although there are electric kettles in the room and a French press coffee maker, we waited till the cafe opened at seven to get drip coffee to enjoy on the patio.
That day we explored the resort further, walking through the beautiful and fragrant flower gardens which led us to the lap pool, which is bordered by the spa on one side and the fitness center on the other. Lined by comfortable, covered double-chaise beds, the pool is the perfect spot to relax after a workout in the well-stocked fitness center or after taking a group class, such as yoga in the garden. The luxurious indoor/outdoor spa features multiple treatment rooms and an outdoor relaxation area, and while we didn’t get treatments on this trip, we took full advantage of the steam rooms, saunas and jacuzzi.
One thing that sets Kimpton Mas Olas apart from other luxury resorts is the emphasis on community and culture. In addition to menus for their restaurants, guests are given experience menus, allowing you to choose from complementary and fee-based activities including cooking classes, tequila tastings and craft-making programs such as DIY lotion and fragrance classes. Along with Bill and Frankie, a couple from Palm Springs, I took part in the “Baja Blend” course, where we learned about the benefits of botanical ingredients before concocting our own fragrance. All three of us had so much fun that we came back for the DIY lotion class, where we worked with yet another set of scents and botanicals to create custom lotions.
Bill and Frankie also convinced us to venture into Todos Santos the next day, and we shared a cab for the 20-minute ride into town. Our driver let us out in front of Oystera, set in a former sugar mill and offering a menu of fresh oysters and seafood. The plant-filled space–both indoors and outdoors–was the perfect spot to grab a drink before roaming through the many shops and outdoor stalls that line the town. There is, of course, a great spot for an Instagram-worthy photo in front of large letters spelling out Todos Santos. We got the requisite shot, shopped for souvenirs and headed back to the resort and back to another fabulous al fresco dining experience at Botanico, this time opting for the delectable and unique tomato carpaccio starter, organic chicken and, for dessert, the playfully named Churro Burro, featuring fried Mexican donuts alongside an assortment of sauces and vanilla ice cream.
As our vacation wound to a close, my husband and I did what we do every time we discover an amazing resort: We began to plot our next visit. Should we bring the kids? What about coming for the holidays? Or maybe we should come again, just the two of us, in another few months.
While we didn’t finalize the details on our next visit, we did decide on one thing: Next time we plan a trip to the Baja Peninsula, we will be coming back to Kimpton Mas Olas.
