Baja California, Mexico

Salara Boutique Hotel & Villas

Style

Natural phenomenon

Setting

Peaceful Pacific village

 

In the sleepy fishing village of El Pescadero, Salara Boutique Hotel & Villas is a retreat in three parts: Residencias (villas), Tierra (land) and Playa (sand). Pick your resting place based on whether you’re bringing the familia, want to wake up to birdsong and lounge beneath the shade of a palm frond, or fancy an oceanfront advantage with the Serra de la Laguna as your hazy backdrop. The restaurant’s seasonal meals and a trio of pools confirm good things really do come in threes. 

Smith Extra

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A welcome mezcalita each

Facilities

Photos Salara Boutique Hotel & Villas facilities

Need to know

Rooms

26, including one suite.

Check–Out

Noon, and check-in is at 3pm. Both are flexible, on request and subject to availability.

Also

Due to the gravel pathways, the hotel is unfortunately not easily accessible for guests with limited mobility.

At the hotel

Beach and equipment kits to take with you (chairs, a parasol and a cooler), shuttle service to and from the shore, yoga pavilion, library of books and board games,honesty bar, pétanque court, and free WiFi throughout. In rooms: yoga mats, pool towels, bathrobes and slippers, bespoke bath products, and free bottled water.

Our favourite rooms

If you fancy enlisting the services of your own chef or personal mixologist, or are bringing an entourage, book one of the Residencias, which have space for all the family and a few helpful extras (there are Three- and Five-Bedroom Villas available). For prime Pacific views, opt for a room in the Playa section of the hotel, specifically one on the upper level with a plunge pool on the roof. Every room has artisanal accents, such as cushions made in the southern state of Chiapas and locally crafted clay or palm pots.

Poolside

There are three pools across the various areas of the hotel, one at the villas, one for the rooms, and another by the beach (since swimming in the strong-surf ocean isn’t advised). All are chlorinated, with no lifeguards on duty, and open from 8am to 6pm.

Spa

There’s a treatment area for massages, provided by spa partners in El Pescadero who can also dispatch masseuses to your suite. Private yoga and Pilates instructors can be arranged, or you can join one of the classes held in the pavilion.

Packing tips

This is easy, breezy Pacific Mexico at its best — the vibes are laidback and creative, so you can pack accordingly.

Pet‐friendly

Dogs are welcome in all rooms for free but no amenities are provided — make sure you mention it when you book. See more pet-friendly hotels in Baja California.

Children

All ages welcome, but there no special facilities for younger guests, though the villas are perfect for families and multi-generational groups. Babysitting can be arranged for US$35 an hour.

Sustainability efforts

The hotel has a treatment plant to encourage responsible use of water, there are no single-use plastics, and all cleaning products and guest bath amenities are biodegradable. Natural materials, such as the signature rammed-earth walls are insulating, keeping spaces cool when it’s hot and warm in the colder months to reduce reliance on air-conditioning and heating. At night, lighting throughout the grounds is dimmed to avoid disturbing the local fauna. The restaurant uses produce and ingredients sourced from local markets and suppliers, and the hotel partners with a specialist waste-management company to ensure as little as possible is sent to landfills.

Food and Drink

Photos Salara Boutique Hotel & Villas food and drink

Top Table

Find a seat shaded by palm fronds for relief from the Baja heat.

Dress Code

Beachy and bohemian.

Hotel restaurant

Breakfasts — of made-to order eggs enhanced by house-made salsas and locally grown ingredients — are served at the main restaurant, Salara Tierra, an open-air spot for cocktails, coffee and everything in between. The menu ensures the finest produce of Baja California Sur is put to good use, from just-caught seafood to traditional enmoladas (chicken mole enchiladas) and tiraditos of local fish sprinkled with ginger dust. 

Hotel bar

There’s a bar at both the Playa and Tierra sections of the hotel, the former open from noon to 8pm, the latter from 11am to 3pm. For sunset, take your seat by the ocean at Playa to admire the protected dunes as you sip on a zesty Mandarincello, made with mandarin liqueur, prosecco and mineral water. Keep watch for whales if you’re visiting between December and March. 

Last orders

The restaurant is open for breakfast into lunch from 8am to 3pm, Tuesday to Sunday.

Room service

Food can be delivered to your door.

Location

Photos Salara Boutique Hotel & Villas location
Address
Salara Boutique Hotel & Villas
El Pescadero
Baja California Sur
Mexico

Salara Boutique Hotel & Villas is located in the village of El Pescadero, a few minutes away from Todos Santos, towards the tip of the peninsular Baja California Sur state. It’s around an hour north of Los Cabos.

Planes

The nearest airports are La Paz (90 minutes away by car) and Los Cabos (an hour and 10 minutes away). Transfers with a local partner can be arranged on request, with prices dependent on vehicle and group size.

Trains

Automobiles

Baja California is made for road trips, and if you’re planning one, there’s free parking on-site.

Worth getting out of bed for

Some of the rooms at Salara Boutique Hotel & Villas are on the beach, but if you’re not staying in that bit, you can catch the free hotel shuttle (at your preferred time during operating hours) to take you to the shore, armed with kit (chairs, a parasol and a cooler) the staff can equip you with. The beach isn’t swimmable but you can enjoy the views and some refreshments from the Playa Bar. To hit the surf, head to Playa Los Cerritos, where all levels can hone their board skills; more advanced surfers can take on Playa San Pedrito’s rocky reef break. If you’re here between December and March, you might see some whales migrating south.

At the hotel, activities on offer include sound-healing, cacao experiences, mezcal tastingsyoga classes and HIIT workouts with a personal trainer. Around an hour and 20 minutes away in state capital La Paz, stroll the Malécon promenade along the edge of the Sea of Cortez, or go sailing, snorkeling or swimming with whale sharks. Closer to Salara is the Pueblo Mágico (magic town) of Todos Santos, perfect for a wander around its boutiques and art galleries. If the heat hasn’t defeated you, there are coastal trails for hiking and biking, too.  

 

Local restaurants

Down by the coast, open-air Botánica (within the Kimpton Mas Olas resort) serves vegetables grown in the kitchen garden, flame-cooked organic meats and local beers; or enjoy the ocean’s bounty at seafront Kahal, which has a raw bar and lots of freshly caught seafood to feast on as the sun sets. A short drive away in a historic 1850s building in downtown Todos Santos, Café Santa Fe is a popular haunt on Calle Benito Juárez dispensing delicious Italian food to anyone who has overdone it on the tacos. 

 

Local cafés

You’re never far from the best avocado dish of your life in Mexico — for breezy brunch options in El Pescadero, try Lucky 23 or Palmar. Out in the desert, Baja Beans Café is a perfect pitstop for an ice-cold frappé en route to Todos Santos. 

Local bars

For sundowner o’clock, locate Cravings at the Cove on Playa Los Cerritos, or, for some mild patriotism, Shaka’s Cantina, an American sports bar a few blocks back from the shore. 

Reviews

Photos Salara Boutique Hotel & Villas reviews

Anonymous review

Every hotel featured is visited personally by members of our team, given the Smith seal of approval, and then anonymously reviewed. As soon as our reviewers have returned from this boutique hotel in Baja California Sur and unpacked their moles and mezcal, a full account of their beach break will be with you. In the meantime, to whet your wanderlust, here's a quick peek inside Salara near Todos Santos…

Hollywood may flock to Los Cabos when the A-listers are in need of some R’n’R, but further up the Baja California Sur peninsula is an even better proposition, namely the Pueblo Mágico of Todos Santos and its sleepy-fishing-village sister, El Pescadero.

The latter is where you’ll find Salara Boutique Hotel & Villas, a five-minute shuttle ride from the sand, between the Pacific and Serra de la Laguna. The main hotel and villas are in one area, others are by the beach, where you’ll also find a bar and another pool (handy, since the waters aren’t swimmable). Shuttles ferry you back and forth whenever you’re ready, with beach kits on hand to furnish you with seats, parasols and coolers. Back at the ranch, there are yoga classes, treatment rooms, a pétanque court and an all-day courtyard restaurant to keep you entertained. We’d better let the film stars know.