Cabo: take two
- akhilapamula
- Jan 27
- 6 min read
Being a doctor in January is rough. Between the height of flu season and people finally getting seen for medical issues after avoiding coming to the hospital during the holidays, the clinics and the emergency department are packed. You feel like you’re running at full steam all the time, and the burnout is real. It’s important to give yourself a break, which is why we try to plan multiple short getaways during the winter. Cabo is an easy destination for us; a less than 3 hour flight, beautiful resorts, and sunshine? Count me in!
A Ritz-y affair
When one talks about Cabo, they’re typically referring to Cabo San Lucas. However, there’s another main town that makes up this sunny destination: San Jose del Cabo. The more relaxed sister town that had been traditionally known for its art galleries, farm-to-table dining, and cultural charm has been quietly developing some of the most luxurious seaside resorts. We chose to stay at Zadún, a Ritz Carlton Reserve. One of only nine Ritz Carlton Reserve properties in the world, Zadún offered a truly luxurious and personalized experience.
Only 45 minutes from the airport, you first make your way through a manned entrance to the world-famous Puerto Los Cabos Gold Club. You pass by the JW Marriott and adults-only Secrets resort, and just as you begin to wonder how much longer you’ll be driving, you turn onto an unassuming road that leads to the resort’s entrance. It almost feels as if you’re being let in on a well-kept secret as this two lane road opens up to a circular drive that frames the ocean beyond. We were met by Jorge, who introduced himself to us as our personal tosoani (see below) for our entire stay. Our luggage was quickly whisked away as he led us down the stairs to a small outdoor front desk area with gorgeous views of the Sea of Cortez. There’s no large lobby here, and no need for one as the majority of the check-in process actually takes place in the privacy of your own room. He gave us a general tour of the property from the balcony as a golf cart arrived to take us up to our room.
The tosoani experience
I wanted to give a quick shout out to the tosoanis at Zadún. The term is derived from the Nahuatl language and translates to “Dream Watcher.” Their purpose at Zadún is to function as your personal concierge and butler. To call Jorge a butler would be a disservice. He met us when we arrived, and from that moment on, he was our point-person. He organized our dinners, set up our transportation to and from Flora Farms, a cool farm-to-table dinner experience approximately 15 minutes away, and brought us whatever we needed; he even personally warmed up leftovers for Jai when he became hangry. He was available by text and always responsive. When we first checked in, he made sure to know when Jai’s nap was in order to organize housekeeping, and would always check in to make sure that he wasn’t off schedule.
A room with all the views
The property was built on what used to be sand dunes, allowing for a terraced approach to the guest rooms. Instead of building a massive tower, the 113 guest rooms and suites are spread out in multiple 2-story buildings dispersed throughout 20 acres. We stayed in an Ocean View Room with its own plunge pool. You can reserve either the ground floor or the second floor, of which we did the latter. The ground floor definitely had a more expansive terrace that wraps around the entire room. We chose the 2nd floor because the pool was elevated as opposed to inground, making it much safer with a rambunctious 2-year-old.
Our room was located near the top of the property. You immediately get a sense that they prioritize privacy and space; up a small flight of stairs, you’re met with a formidable metal door that, when unlocked, leads to a spacious terrace with 2 sun loungers, a circular daybed, a 4-top table, and a glass-sided elevated plunge pool. The taupe striated limestone is complemented by pops of blues and oranges, and the turquoise pool is perfectly heated to be able to enjoy at any time. We spent SO MUCH time out here; it was our private sanctuary in an already secluded haven.
The outdoor terrace merges perfectly with the interior space, the limestone floors flowing seamlessly inside. The south wall that faces the ocean was made of a large glass slider, offering expansive views of the sea. The one thing I didn't understand was that there was a narrow ledge here where they could have put in a more substantial balcony. They make up for this lapse, however, as this is not the only view; in front of the bed, there’s another sliding glass door that, when open, connects the interior space to the outdoor terrace, with a fun view of the interior of the pool and its own open-glass side. You essentially end up with a spectacular 270 degree view of the property and the sea beyond.
Something else I appreciated about the interior space was the flow; when you make your way through the heavy wooden door, you can turn right and make your way into the bedroom space, or turn left through a wooden slider into the roomy closet space that connects to the even more spacious and luxurious bathroom. You make your way past the water closet and see a beautiful stand-alone tub. The partially-enclosed shower is also roomy and laden with products from the property’s spa, Spa Alkemia. As you make your way back towards the bedroom, one wall is comprised of an oversize vanity that we turned into a changing station. Opposite of it is the generous double vanity. That same rich limestone not only makes up the floors, but goes up the wall and onto the countertops. You then hit another set of heavy wooden sliding doors that, when open, leads into the main bedroom space. The room lets the view do the talking; the furniture is simple, the colors are muted, and the rich wood tones add a sense of warmth and coziness.
The property
Now, we did leave our personal sanctuary to explore the property. Built on a hillside that used to be a sand dune, the resort slopes down towards the sea. In the center, the cocktail bar Candil is encompassed in a building that looks like a modern work of art. Humo, the fine dining restaurant, is just around the corner. From this vantage point, just downhill to the east is El Barrio, one of the resort’s restaurants. There is a long infinity pool just adjacent to the restaurant with a thin deck, and running perpendicular to it on a lower level is a slightly smaller pool. The beach bar and other resort restaurant, Equis, is also on this level. The pathways continue to slope down and lead directly to the beach. I’ll say this: if we didn’t have our own plunge pool, I would have been disappointed because these common spaces, while beautiful, were small. I wouldn’t say that they were an afterthought, rather it felt like when planning the design of the resort, they prioritized providing space and privacy in the individual areas as opposed to in the common spaces. The gym, located on the level below El Barrio, was spacious and clean, with all of the equipment you could want. The lap pool was also impressive. The spa, tucked away in the middle of the resort, felt like a secret garden; there were private pools and saunas for each gender, but also a massive mineral co-ed pool that felt like an Eden.
The nosh
Overall, the food at Zadún was delicious. El Barrio, which is a casual outdoor all-day restaurant, had a primarily Mexican menu. We ate breakfast here every day, and it had some of the best huevos rancheros I’ve ever had. We had dinner one night at Equis, which had delicious fresh fish that tasted even better with the sea breeze. Humo specializes in wood-fired South American cuisine in an elevated manner. You could do a tasting menu, but we opted to do à la carte with Jai. Every restaurant had kids menus, but save for breakfast when Jai just wanted to stuff his face with pancakes, he ate whatever we were eating. While somewhat pricey, it’s what I would expect for being at a resort. Candil, the hotel bar, had innovative and well-balanced cocktails. I’m a sucker for good hotel bars, and this one is no exception. We loved chatting with the staff. Xomara, our server for the 3 nights we were there, is from Mexico City, and before we left, she and the rest of the bar staff made us a personalized guidebook to introduce us to some of their favorite places for when we go back to CDMX.
Overall, our stay at Zadún was wonderful. Service was superb: not overbearing, prompt, and comfortable. We felt pampered and rejuvenated, and it was nice to escape the real world for a few days. It was just what the doctor prescribed.
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