DEPARTURES TRAVEL FRESH PERSPECTIVE Escape the Los Cabos corridor to discover a more serene and adventurous side of Mexico’s famed peninsula. by Bruce Wallin Baja Beyond Cabo FOR MANY TRAVELLERS, a trip to Mexico’s Baja California Sur means one thing: Cabo. But there is far more to this rugged peninsula of desert, mountains and two vastly different coastlines than the Los Cabos region (roughly defined as anything in or between the cities of Cabo San Lucas at Baja’s southern tip and San José del Cabo some 30 kilometres northeast). Venturing just an hour or two beyond the resort-lined corridor opens up a variety of less-trodden attractions, from the arts-and-surfing town of Todos Santos to Galápagos-like islands in the Sea of Cortez. New hotels, yacht charters and other upscale additions are expanding the options in these outlying areas, where Baja’s more tranquilo side meets some of its most adrenaline-inducing adventures. This blend of chill and thrill is best embodied by the just-reopened Rancho Pescadero (ranchopescadero.com) outside Todos Santos. First opened in 2009 with only 12 rooms, the resort closed for four years before reemerging this November with 103 suites and villas. The adults-only retreat, now part of Hyatt’s Unbound Collection, occupies a 12ha stretch of Pacific coastline near one of the area’s top surf breaks. Guests can check the waves from their rooftop decks or, in the beachfront villas, private plunge pools. The resort is also home to a bird sanctuary, a seaturtle hatchery, a citrus orchard and a wellness-and-sports complex with a full spa, a semi-Olympic-sized pool and pickleball courts. In addition to surfing, local excursions range from hiking and off-roading to art-gallery and taco tours in Todos Santos’ historic town centre. Just up the coast from Rancho Pescadero, Mexico’s Habitas hotel group is debuting the 75-room Habitas Todos Santos (ourhabitas.com) at the end of this year. The 28 The private patio of an oceanfront villa at the newly reopened Rancho Pescadero ALBERT LEWIS
