There’s no shortage of resorts along the 20-mile “Tourist Corridor” connecting Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo. But the family-owned Hacienda Encantada Resort Spa has one of the most coveted locations on the coast—a beautiful bluff directly out over the Sea of Cortez, with views of El Arco rock formation during the day and lights of downtown Cabo San Lucas at night.
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On my recent visit to the resort, I checked out everything so I could describe it to you. When I was doing research before visiting, a few things were unclear, but everything made sense once I saw it in person, so I’m hoping to demystify everything to help you decide if it’s a good fit.
Is Hacienda Encantada more than one hotel?
Yes and no. Hacienda Encantada is the main resort on the property with 223 rooms (including 171 suites) and suites along with more than a dozen restaurants, three pools, and other onsite offerings including a golf putting course and tennis, pickle ball, volleyball, and basketball courts.
The resort is also part of a small complex that includes the boutique hotel Vista Encantada and two- to four-bedroom villas. And it’s part of a local family of brands that includes the downtown hotel Marina Fiesta.
Is Hacienda Encantada all-inclusive?
Another yes and no. Hacienda Encantada is a hybrid all-inclusive, so you can just get a room (and then pay for drinks and food on property) or pay about $100 more a day (less for kids) per person for the all-inclusive option.
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There are two all-inclusive plans, the standard Dine Out All Inclusive Gourmet Plan and the premium All In Gourmet Indulgence Plan. Both plans give you access to the restaurants at Hacienda Encantada and the restaurants at Marina Fiesta downtown. The premium plan also gives you access to a beautiful rooftop restaurant at the boutique property Vista Encantada right across from the lobby.
Because it’s a hybrid model, whenever you order food or drinks you’ll sign a check whether or not you’re paying as you go or doing the all-inclusive option. If you’re used to a standard all-inclusive format (in which you never see a bill at an on-property restaurant), this takes a little getting used to, but didn’t feel like a big deal once I understood the system. One thing to note is that gratuities are built into the all-inclusive model, so unless you want to reward above-and-beyond service, you don’t need to tip on checks if you’re all-inclusive.
Things to Know About Hacienda Encantada
- The resort is set right on the ocean along the tourist corridor about a 20-minute drive from downtown Cabo San Lucas.
- Laid out on a hill sloping down to the water’s edge, the resort’s buildings are arranged along terraces to maximize views, and pools and restaurants are tucked in around the property. Golf carts ferry people who don’t want to walk up and down the hill to get around the resort.
- Though it’s right on the water, there’s no swimmable beach at the resort. The water is beautiful, and multiple oceanfront and oceanview infinity pools make the most of the location, but the water is rough and the shoreline is rocky here.
- Hacienda Encantada has a sister property in downtown Cabo San Lucas: the Marina Fiesta. A shuttle that runs throughout the day connects the two properties and guests have access to amenities at both resorts. There are swimmable sand beaches close to Marina Fiesta.
- Hacienda Encantada is owned by a Mexican family that has a few other hotels and restaurants in the Cabo area. Everything—from the decor to the service—feels personal, authentic, and without the sleek but impersonal polish of many multinational hotel brands.
What families need to know
Hacienda Encantada has room layouts to suit families of all sizes. The resort has 223 rooms, 171 of which are suites with kitchens and living areas. Some of the suites can be connected to create two-bedroom suites. Just next door are two- to four-bedroom villas that get you access to the resort amenities as well.
The kids club sits right at the heart of the property and has its own water play area and activities club house. It’s a drop-off kids club that’s included in the all-inclusive rate. For older kids, there’s a games area with foosball, ping pong, and other games near the family pool.
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The only other thing to note is that if you come with a multigenerational group and some people have mobility issues, plan in advance to use the golf carts to get around the property. You can call for one from anywhere or just flag one down as it passes.
Hacienda Encantada reviews
Hacienda Encantada earns a rating of 7.8 from Kayak and 4.5 out of 5 from Tripadvisor. Past guests praise the hotel’s authenticity and the ways it weaves Mexican culture into the resort.
Key details about Hacienda Encantada
Location
Hacienda Encantada sits along Cabo’s Tourist Corridor about 15 minutes by car from Cabo San Lucas and 40-ish minutes from the Los Cabos airport.
The property
Hacienda Encantada’s bluff-top location offers a front row seat to the waters where the Gulf of Mexico meets the Pacific, and from the resort you can see boats, parasailers, and sometimes whales and dolphins.
The resort is on a fairly steep hill and buildings are terraced to maximize views from rooms and suites. Tucked in among the buildings are pools and restaurants, a putting green, tennis, pickleball, and volleyball courts, and the kids club. Golf carts shuttle people around the property.
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At the highest point of the property sits a small chapel. It’s a nice (and challenging) walk up to the top and the views from the top are beautiful. Each Sunday, there’s a religious service and the chapel is available for Catholic weddings. Farther out on the bluff is another beautiful ceremony spot for weddings.
Rooms
Rooms are large and decorated with traditional Mission-style Mexican furniture along with art and antiques from Tlaquepaque, Tonalá, Michoacán, and Oaxaca. They don’t have that sleek modern vibe common in international resort brands; instead, they feel thoughtfully decorated and rooted in the decorative traditions of Mexico. The porches and patios face the water and are outfitted with comfortable furniture so you can hang out for hours. I spent a lot of time on my balcony listening to the waves and appreciating the serenity of the resort.
Activities
While Hacienda Encantada has fewer activities than the most activity-packed all-inclusives, there’s still a wide range of activities through the day and evening. At the pools, you can join in aqua aerobics and pool games (I watched an entire pool full of adults sipping cocktails get super competitive about movie trivia). Other activities include yoga and meditation walks, cooking classes, Spanish classes, different crafts, and games. Around the property are volleyball, tennis, pickle ball, and basketball courts along with a putting green. The paths and small roads around the property are popular with joggers in the morning, and the gym is well outfitted with equipment and is staffed by a personal trainer who can help you with machines and advice. There are also on-property activities like horseback riding and guided bike tours.
Dining
Hacienda Encantada has more than a dozen onsite dining options, but they’re not all open all day. So for instance, at breakfast, Las Marias (which has an absolutely stunning view of the water) and Mestizo (in the neighboring boutique hotel Vista Encantada, open to guests with the premium all-inclusive plan) are open; while at lunch, restaurants near the pools (El Patio, La Pergola, Senor Sushi, and il Forno) are serving. At dinner, you’ll need advance reservations (call or visit the concierge day-of to reserve) at Barolo (Italian), Los Riscos (an extension of Las Marias that’s only open for dinner), and La Trajinera. There are three additional no-reservation dinner options as well: El Eden tequila & taco bar (my room overlooked this area and it looked super fun and smelled delicious), il Forno, and the tequila-tasting spot Museo de Tequila.
During my stay, the resort was about 80% full and yet the restaurants never felt too crowded. Service was relaxed and friendly, and after I figured out how to navigate the check part of the all-inclusive resort experience (detailed above), everything felt easy. Overall, I was impressed with the food. My personal favorites were the spicy aquachile dish and the tostadas de ceviche at El Patio.
I also tried out the dine-out option for the downtown restaurants and ate dinner one night down along the Marina at Los Deseos, which is innovative Mexican food—think lobster pozole, tuna carnitas, and rib eye with mezcal—in a beautiful modern space. A wishing tree (you can write on a tag and hang it from the tree) is the interactive and whimsical centerpiece of the restaurant.
Spa
The Milagro Spa is tucked into the ground floor of the property’s boutique hotel. Walk past the juice bar (worth a stop if you’re there in the morning or early afternoon when it’s open) to get there. Pre-treatment, you can do the hydrotherapy circuit that includes steam room, sauna, a large and pretty hot tub that’s more like a shallow pool, and then, as the finale, a trip to the indoor-outdoor cool pool, set under a vaulted ceiling with an entire open side that looks up the coast and out across the water. I went about an hour early to enjoy this part of the spa experience.
Many of the treatment rooms have water views, and rooms are modern and elegant. Spa treatments include a candle massage with oil and healing Mexican herbs, the Pitaya Body Wrap made with local fruits, and on Fridays (this one requires a shaman who comes specifically to lead this ceremony), a Temazcal Ritual.
