Pueblo Bonito Pacifica Celebrates its 20th Anniversary: 10 Pacifica Facts

Pueblo Bonito Pacifica Golf & Spa Resort is celebrating its 20th anniversary next month as one of the best-liked and most beautifully situated resort hotels in Los Cabos.

Twenty fascinating facts about the beloved hotel and its environs have been recently uncovered. Think of them as 20 candles on a big beautiful beach. Like the one in front of Pacifica.

Here are the first 10 facts. The second 10 will be posted in a follow-up blog next month.

1. The U-shaped hotel has guest rooms oriented mainly to the east (sunrise) and to the west (sunset). Both sky events are routinely spectacular.

2. The crystal-clear waters of Pacifica’s Constellation Pool comes to life at night, when hundreds of LED lights built into the bottom of the pool are illuminated. These lights were configured in the exact alignment of the star constellations that were in the sky when the resort opened in 2005.

3. Paraiso Escondido, described by Pueblo Bonito Resorts founder Ernesto Coppel as a “hidden paradise,” is a broad valley sheltered by a mountain ridge that effectively shields the Quivira Los Cabos resort community from view. Even though Pacifica is 10 minutes from downtown Cabo San Lucas, the hotel, 20 years after its debut, remains a tranquil beachfront hideaway.

4. Guests who stroll the corridors on the east side of the hotel may notice an extensive garden set beside the resort’s pickleball and tennis courts. Herbs and other vegetables for Pacifica’s restaurants are grown on site.

5. Troy, the epic swords-and-sandals film released in 2004, starring Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom, is loosely based on Homer's "Iliad," which portrays the legendary battle between the ancient kingdoms of Troy and Sparta circa 1250 BC. The long, deserted beach that stretches below the green at the double-dogleg par-5 13th hole at Quivira Golf Club, was the setting for this film.

6. Some of the resort’s best cuisine is served to golfers at The Oasis, an open-air comfort station set above the ninth hole at Quivira Los Cabos. Complimentary Mexican specialties range from chicken quesadillas and hamburger sliders to beef fajitas, shrimp tacos and a pulled pork sandwich. A trio of hot sauces, mild, medium and volcanic, is placed on the table by the gracious staff. Gringos should proceed with caution. There’s also a full-service bar featuring with daily cocktail specials.

7. Guests at Pueblo Bonito Resorts routinely drain and recycle bottles by the ton. Israel Battista, who runs the San Miguel Blown Glass Factory in a nearby village, collects up to two tons of empties from Pacifica and its sister hotels each month. The bottles are cleaned, crushed and melted in special ovens. Glass-blowers dip long hollow tubes into the molten glass and blow bubbles, shaping the liquefied glass into hearts, fish, vases and other objets d’art. In a perfect circle of sustainability, Pacifica supplies the raw materials for Battista’s creations and buys back the art pieces to sell in its gift shop and display on its property. For example, dozens of shiny red hearts dangle from the branches of a torote tree in the circular entryway to Pacifica.

8. Last year, Pueblo Bonito Resorts unveiled the ARMONÍA Wellness Collection. And while a series of new innovative experiences is still in development, there is one constant at Pacifica: the spa’s exclusive line of organic products. These products are made with USDA-certified organic shea butter, organic cocoa butter, Bach flowers, Dead Sea salts and other ingredients. Essential oils, both imported and native to the Baja, are free of preservatives. They impart exquisite aromas that help guests achieve harmonic balance and inner calm. Available for purchase, the spa’s signature line of organic products are a great way to extend Armonia’s ‘floating on a cloud’ feeling of bliss.

9. An environmental custodian, Pueblo Bonito Resorts has actively participated in a turtle protection and release program since 2003. During the late summer and fall months, Pacifica guests can join conservation team members to carry the hatchlings of endangered sea turtles from their protected nests to the shallow surf, greatly enhancing their chances of survival. (Six of the world’s seven sea turtle species live and reproduce in Los Cabos).

10. While Siempre, Pacifica’s main dining room, is celebrated for its excellent breakfast and dinner menus (and fabulous Sunday Champagne Brunch), there’s a little-known bar to the right of the restaurant’s entrance: Refresca Bar. Built to simulate a tequila distillery, it’s a great place for a pre-dinner beverage or a nightcap. (It’s open till 10:00 p.m.). Refresca Bar stocks an extensive selection of tequilas and mezcals. Special tastings are available.