Our first all-inclusive resort experience, Villa Del Palmar Beach Resort & Spa at the Islands of Loreto was an agreeable break in the road trip to La Ventana. We stayed for three nights and golfed twice.

The golf course, designed by Rees Jones, is a Tournament Players Club so it has to meet high standards. It was in excellent condition and had an interesting layout. Each hole had stunning views. We were glad to take a cart with the hilly terrain.

12th Hole

16th Hole

Signature 17th Hole

17th hole from the forward tees

17th hole from the forward tees and drop zone

18th Hole

18th hole from the ladies tees.

Here are some shots of the resort.

One of the 6 pools with the bottom painted to look like a turtle shell.

A stroll through the resort in the evening.

We took advantage of the hot tub, sauna, steam room and ice cold plunge pool at the award-winning Sabina Spa. On top of the 39,000sf building were two tennis courts, no doubt soon to be used for pickleball!

Our ground floor room, with a kitchenette, was only available in 2 queens at our rate.

The Chef’s Feast was offered in one of the outdoor restaurants the night we arrived. It was easy to over-indulge with all the dining options.

Chef carving up the perfectly cooked roast beef.

Seafood platter
Chicken and ribs with corn on the cob
Dessert anyone?

Breakfast buffets had a wide range of options, even gluten free!

French Toast (gluten free)
Tempting to pick up a few snacks for the round of golf!

Our best dinner was at Danzante Restaurant which has a $20 premium per person. The menu featured a 48 oz rib eye steak! We should have shared! Below the tiramisu.

Nightly, entertainers put on a show with different themes.

The beach was wide and the shallow waters extended out a long way from shore. We waded out for our first dip in the warm Sea of Cortez . Boat rides were available for $99, taking guests out to Danzante Island to snorkel and swim with sea lions.

We scheduled to meet with a time-share salesman on our last morning. We told him we only had 20 minutes. He kept us 1 1/2 hours. They started out with $55,000USD but by the time we left, they were offering two weeks for $13,000! We walked as we never intended to buy. It was clear their focus was moving away from selling timeshares for the resort and to selling lots. Several homes were under construction. There was mention of a marina and small grocery store and even a rumour of another golf course. We may return but would only do another all-inclusive 3 or 5 day package with golf included.

View of the golf course from the highway south. Next up, La Ventana!