Even with the recent proliferation of 5-star resorts between San Juan del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas, Todos Santos has defined itself as a quiet yet vibrant alternative for travelers seeking a more peaceful and exclusive Baja experience. Tucked into the nearby fishing village of El Pescadero, Kimpton Mas Olas Resort and Spa fits the bill and more than lives up to its 5-star designation.

Its “private home” vibe is no accident, as it was originally conceived as a vacation property by Lisa Harper, a fashion retail mover-and-shaker and avid surfer. It was built on the site of a former poblano chile farm dating to 1938, and appropriately named Mas Olas (translation: “more waves”) due to its proximity to the ocean. Harper’s invited guests’ reaction to it led to its transition into a 12-room boutique property opened to the public in 2009.

While guests can still book one of the original 12 rooms, the current incarnation of Mas Olas, debuted in 2024, is in keeping with Harper’s original vision, though broadened. The sustainability- and wellness-focused, 103-room luxury resort allows discerning guests to reconnect with nature, but in a more refined context. All rooms have beautiful, homey touches, wall art and appointments. Other extras include coffees and teas made exclusively for the property, as well as bathroom amenities with components harvested from some of the nine hotel gardens overseen by Executive Chef Sandro Falbo, a.k.a. “the vegetable whisperer of Baja.” There’s not a television to be found, but that’s part of the resort’s appeal.

© Elyse Glickman

Each dwelling is self-contained, creating the illusion the guest has the entire place to oneself even when there’s full occupancy. Mexican architect Alejandra Templeton of Los Cabos-based firm Indigo Añil achieved this by building out from the original structure through 30 acres with an indoor/outdoor blurring aesthetic. Clean geometric lines, neutral hues and rich textures allow lodgings to blur into the desert surroundings while offsetting the ocean and tropical greenery. Bathrooms in the villas and several larger rooms have indoor and outdoor showers. Some top-floor suites have large circular hammock/daybeds with 360-degree views of the sea and mountains. Others have private plunge pools.

Mas Olas solidifies its credibility as a wellness property through its nine interconnected gardens, two farms, and a citrus orchard with a solar farm and more farming plots in the works. Behind the scenes, there’s a water-bottling plant created in partnership with environmentalist Paul Hawken, dark sky lighting and a desalination plant. Its just-launched, 25,000-square-foot Botanicá Spa is defined by landscaping and outdoor waiting and relaxing areas that replace routine solariums, giving it a separate identity from the rest of the property.

In addition to its treatment rooms and superb practitioners, it also has a charming apothecary space for workshops integrating elements from the gardens when creating a personal fragrance or healing remedy, soap, candles, flower arrangement or smoothie. A spotless fitness center, secluded lap pool and an airy room for its fitness classes ties the complex together.

© Elyse Glickman

Elsewhere on the Mas Olas grounds, a sea turtle hatchery; tropical bird sanctuary; and network of walking, hiking and biking trails add to the sustainability proposition. While Chef Sandro Falbo spends a lot of his time in the kitchen, guests can often spot him out and about in the gardens. The Rome-bred chef has an impressive, internationally informed resume. While Centro’s breakfast and lunch menus concentrate on Mexican staple dishes such as breakfast chilaquiles, fish tacos or green juice, his attention to detail elevates them. Falbo started cultivating chaya to bolster the nutritional benefits to his recipe. There is also an on-site hydrosol distillate process, allowing Falbo to create and bottle essential oils with his home-grown herbs. Guests can receive them as part of Mas Olas’ morning “eye-opener.”

Botánica, set within the gardens, features a wood-fire oven and a “Citrus Alee,” where guests can handpick fruit to garnish their drinks, adding an interactive element to dining at Mas Olas. Beyond the colorful and original salads and oven-baked pizzas, menu stand-outs include Desert Risotto, made with nopal, verdolaga and indigenous herb mala madre. For heartier appetites, his authentic barbacoa draws from Mayan culinary culture, where meat is ceremoniously roasted underground, then made into tacos with piping hot tortillas. At Kahal, local and seasonal produce, proteins and herbs — many indigenous to the region — are front and center.

Kimpton Mas Olas Resort & Spa

Camino a la Playa s/n Lote 545
23310 El Pescadero, B.C.S.
Mexico
tel 52 624 980 0741