Avoid the hustle and bustle in Cabo or Cancun with a relaxing family trip to Loreto, Mexico. Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto is the perfect place for a laidback visit to paradise. About a half hour away from the town, the resort is isolated from pretty much everything, surrounded by desert hills on three sides and the Sea of Cortez on the other. Few places are as stunning and inspiring as Villa del Palmar.
Get to Your Rooms—Quick!
Villa del Palmar’s new online check-in system expedites the process, allowing guests to skip the paperwork and head straight to their rooms. A bellboy will be waiting with the “room keys”, which are actually waterproof wristbands with microchips inside. This is a wonderful, wonderful service when you travel with kids; gone are the days of losing the room key and they’re free to come and go as they please with just the swipe of their wrist.
No matter how big your family is, Villa del Palmar has a room for you. The suites range from one to three bedrooms and sleep between four and ten people. Three additional penthouses—the Ambassador, the Royal and the Presidential—are ideal for larger groups, with room for 10 to 12. Each suite or penthouse provides a spacious floor plan, extremely comfortable beds, a kitchen, Jacuzzi bathtubs and private balconies, many of which overlook the rest of the resort and the sea beyond.
Beat the Heat and Eat
As Loreto’s sun beats down and the humidity rises (you are next to water, after all) stop by one of the resort’s restaurants. For casual meals, visit Casa Mia, the hotel’s covered outdoor eatery by the pool. Casa Mia offers everything from wood oven pizzas and sandwiches to tacos and fajitas. They also have exceptional ceviche if you’re looking for a snack. The nearby Market Restaurant, which has an air-conditioned indoor section as well as a covered patio, offers breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets, complete with dishes like enchiladas, chiles rellenos, stuffed clams and tortilla soup. Both Casa Mia and the Market Restaurant have children’s menus available.
For fine dining, try Danzante Restaurant, where you can try classic dishes with Mexican flair. Main ingredients include steak and local seafood like cabrilla fish fillet and chocolate clams from the Bay of Ensenada Blanca. When you travel with kids and dine at restaurants like Danzante, it’s the perfect chance to introduce them to new flavors and types of food. It’s not hard to find something delicious on the menu here and the service (both here and at the resort in general) is so outstanding, you will feel like you’re an old friend of each and every employee.
Where the Kids Can Play
There are six pools at Villa del Palmar: a Jacuzzi, four swimming pools (including a salt water pool) and a kid’s pool, where children can swim, splash and play with pool toys provided by the resort. From your balcony, make sure to look down on the pool—it’s shaped like a turtle with the kid’s pool as the head, the main pool as the shell and the others as four feet.
If you walk past the resort and down to the shoreline of the bay, you can walk along the water looking for fish, crabs and jellyfish in the small waves. There is also plenty of sand in which to build castles. If your family craves adventure, consider the hiking trails, kayaks, paddleboards or head out on a boat to explore the nearby islands and snorkel in a protected marine park.
For kids ages five through twelve, consider the Kid’s Club. Located right off of the main lobby, the club gives children a chance to exercise their knowledge and creativity in a fun environment while making friends with other kids at the resort. Whether they are playing sports, crafting paper jellyfish or learning Spanish, there is tons of laugher emanating from this room and the staff is great with the kiddos.
Even More Extras
If you’re not convinced that Villa del Palmar is a great vacation destination, just consider the other amenities. Also on the property is a fitness center and a spa, complete with whirlpools, saunas and massage services (even some for kids!). The market next to the spa sells snacks, drinks, souvenirs and more—if you need something, they probably have it here.
There is also a complimentary shuttle that takes guests back and forth between the village of Loreto, where you can find some delicious food, rich history and diverse shopping. The resort also offers excursions to other nearby sites.
Don’t forget to check out the hotel’s theme nights. With themes like Latin, Disco, Karaoke, Beach and Oldies, there is always an array of food, drinks and entertainment to experience under the million stars of the Million Star Resort.
Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto is offering a special rate of $119 USD per night in a Deluxe Studio suite, plus taxes and gratuities, specifically for our readers. The rate for this time normally is $184 USD per night, plus taxes. Guests can book now until December 11, 2015, for travel until December 17, 2015. Terms and conditions apply.
Pure Wander received a complimentary stay to review this property. All opinions are of Pure Wander’s staff alone. As a special for Pure Wander readers, guests can reference the code FAMJUN15 when they book a reservation through reservaciones.vdpl@vgloreto.com.
