Members Jan & Graham Travel to the Islands of Loreto!

 

Member travel experience written by members Jan & Graham Hailer

We have been coming to the Islands of Loreto Danzante Bay practically since it opened. It is our happy place. We have traveled there in both the Fall and the Spring; both seasons are lovely.

The staff at Danzante Bay are amazing! The minute you step out of the shuttle you are given a warm welcome and greeting, first by the bellboys and then again by the concierge staff. Everyone does everything they can to make your stay as pleasant and comfortable as possible, starting with learning and using your name.

Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto is one of the quietest resorts ever. Arriving at the airport is a peaceful experience since it is such a small airport. If you have arranged transportation to the resort, the staff is waiting to greet you with a smiling face and is easy to find.

At the resort there is no vendors on the beach. There are also no jet skis or parasailing right on the resort beach. It is a quiet and relaxing atmosphere.

At Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto, there are three restaurants. The Market Restaurant offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Casa Mia offers sandwiches, snacks for lunch, and an Italian cuisine for dinner. Danzante Fine Dining Restaurant offers meat dishes and sides such as seafood and chicken or beef signature dishes. The filets and sea bass remain my favorite meal. One of Loreto’s specialties is the chocolate clams, which are a delicious, seasonal delicacy.

The Sabila Spa is exceptional. Again, the staff welcome you with a warm greeting and want you to relax as much as possible. The spa has a great hydrotherapy area. There are saunas, a jacuzzi, cold plunge pool, warm plunge pool, and more. There is quite a variety of spa services offered, from manicures and pedicures to massages and facials. While we stay at the resort, we try to get at least one spa day in each time.

Danzante Bay Golf Course is a TPC golf course. Throughout the course there are fantastic mountain and ocean views. Hole 17, the signature hole, is outrageous; the view is to die for! Almost every hole presents itself with an outstanding view and its own challenges.

The Palmita Market carries a nice variety of wines and spirits along with food and essential items such as sunscreen. If you choose not to do the all-inclusive meal plan, or just want a little extra stuff for your room, this is a great spot. There’s also a nice selection of swim cover-ups souvenirs, and trinkets.

The entertainment and activity staff work hard to provide activities for all ages starting with daily water aerobics. They also provide nightly entertainment at The Market, such as Karaoke Night, Cat’s, The Lion King, Coco, Memory Night, and Mexican Night. They do a great job on all of the shows.

There are bikes, kayaks, and paddleboards available at the resort. There are several types of excursions available, including the ATV tour, snorkeling, fishing, and whale watching. During our Fall trips we have tried snorkeling and fishing. We witnessed a local fisherman and his son hook a Marlin. On our way back to the bay, we saw two humpback whales going by the corner. Our boat guide followed them for about 15 minutes so we could watch them. We saw one resurface to feel the air as our guide gave us a little lesson on whale behavior.

When we have come to the Islands of Loreto in the Spring, we have tried to do at least one whale watching tour each time. We have been to the Pacific side to see the gray whales and their babies; we saw quite a few! One of the couples that was on our boat told us the time before when they did the tour that their daughter actually reached over and gave the baby whale a hug. We didn’t have that kind of luck, but we did see quite a few whales!

We have also done the blue whale tour. The guide was knowledgeable, as always, and we had a great day. We saw lots of blue whales and even more dolphins. There were right besides us and under the boat quite often.

The sunset cruise is another activity we have done there. It was a very pleasant experience. The sunset seemed to come and go so quickly.

Another reason we really like coming to Danzante Bay is because we can get a direct flight from our hometown (Los Angeles) and get there in about an hour and a half flight. If we don’t want to fly we can drive to Loreto in only a few days. It’s a beautiful and peaceful drive.

-Jan & Graham Hailer