Pueblo Bonito Pacifica
One of my favorite blog posts to write: travel! I am so passionate about travel and I love getting to share that with you guys.
I know so many of you took my recommendation in Cancun and booked Majestic Elegance, so I'm excited to expand my list of Mexico recommendations, especially if you've not been to Cabo San Lucas before!
Pueblo Bonito Properties
Pueblo Bonito has 8 different properties; 5 in Cabo, and 3 in Mazatlan! I have only stayed at two of them: Sunset Beach, and Pacifica. I briefly visited Rose (also in Cabo) a couple of summers ago and it isn't my favorite. The only reason I'd recommend staying here is if swimming at the beach is a must for you! I'll touch more on that later.
I cannot say enough about the PB brand as a whole. I am lucky enough to have done my fair share of traveling, especially to Mexico, and PB has always been my absolute favorite. The food, the cleanliness of the properties, and the staff are unmatched.
Sunset Beach vs Pacifica
The most asked question I've gotten is, which property should I stay at?
My first answer is, you can't go wrong! Both are equally amazing in their own ways. It really comes down to the purpose of your travel, and who you are traveling with.
If you're looking for a more relaxing, romantic, quiet vibe, my suggestion is Pacifica. Pacifica is adults only, so there are going to be a lot of honeymooners, couples, etc. It's just not quite as loud as Sunset Beach. Pacifica is also a lot smaller than Sunset Beach, ie: two pools as opposed to three, not as many restaurants, rooms, etc. It's just smaller in general, a little more luxe, and has more of a boutique feel to me! It also has one of the top five spas in the world!
If you are looking for a little bit more upbeat / party vibe, Sunset Beach is the way to go. This is where I would go if I were doing a girls trip, bachelorette, etc.
A few things to note:
If you go to Pacifica, you have full access to Sunset Beach - you can go over there whenever you want! You can utilize their pools, bars, restaurants, etc.
If you stay at Sunset Beach, you do not have access to anything at Pacifica.
Pacifica is all inclusive, at Sunset Beach the all inclusive plan is optional
I have enjoyed stays at both properties, but what I can tell you about this last trip is this: I loved being able to stay at Pacifica, but also enjoy the benefits of both hotels. Taylor and I agreed that it was nice to stay/sleep at the more quiet resort, but be able to go over to Sunset Beach when we wanted to! But staying at Sunset Beach the entire time was just not what we were looking for with this trip!
Transportation to/from SJD
Our transportation was provided through the hotel on this trip, but you can book transportation one of two ways. I have done both!
Book through the hotel! They can help you make travel arrangements to/from the airport.
Book through a travel site, ie: Orbitz. Even though you may not be booking your entire trip through Orbitz, you can arrange transportation through them.
If you do this, my best piece of advice is to book private transportation. That means, do not book a shared van/cab/etc. If you book shared transportation, you will be in a car with other travelers (it could be 2, 3, 4 other groups), and you will have to drop them all off before they take you to Pueblo Bonito. PB is always the last stop, as it is pretty far up the coast. Spend a few extra dollars to book the private taxi, I promise it's worth it!
Transportation to/from each of the PB properties
As I mentioned before, Sunset Beach and Pacifica are less than two minutes from each other! The Quivera golf course / steakhouse are also two minutes away.
Transportation between all three is very easy. Let the front desk know when you're ready to go, and they'll set up a van to come grab you!
Things to do
Cabo has plenty of things to do outside of the resorts, but there is not a ton offered on site. Off site I would recommend a catamaran to the arches/snorkeling, going to the shops near the marina, or going in town to the bars near the beach (The Office, Squid Roe, etc).
As far as on site, formal entertainment, there isn't a ton! That is not usually our thing, but if you're into shows, productions at night, etc. I would not recommend PB as they don't have any.
However, we did spend most nights at the Peninsula bar or Partidos. Partidos is only open until 10pm but Peninsula is open until midnight so we had drinks at one of the two after dinner! It was definitely busier Thurs-Sunday, but there was a good crowd every night! There's also fire pits on the beach where you can have drinks which was so much fun.
Food/Restaurants
All Inclusive hotels usually don't put much emphasis on food, but Pueblo Bonito (all of the properties) is different. Their food is incredible, and is something Taylor and I talked about frequently.
There are three restaurants at Pacifica: Siempre, Pescados, and Peninsula. If you visit Pacifica, remember you can also eat at any of the restaurants at Sunset Beach as well, and they have a lot more! I haven't tried every restaurant at either property, but here are a few highlights.
Pescados (Pacifica): Our absolute favorite! So much so that we canceled our reservation elsewhere on our last night just so we could have it for a second time before we left. It was the most incredible sushi we've both ever had.
Market at Quivira (Sunset Beach): Although it has Quivira in the name, it's located at Sunset Beach. It's almost like an upscale food court. There are nine different food options at the Market and its open from 7am-10pm. We ate here for lunch every single day when we stayed at Sunset Beach.
La Frida (Sunset Beach): This is an upscale Mexican restaurant. They've won several awards for their food, and it is fabulous. There's a $30 fee to dine here, just be aware of that! It's well worth the money and we've been every time!
Zao Shen (Sunset Beach): We ate here twice when we stayed at SB and we still talk about it. Incredible Asian food!
Aire Restaurant (Pacifica): This is technically the food they serve at the pools, and it is SO good. I have never been to a resort that does pool food like Pueblo Bonito. We ate at the pool, and had the same food every single day for lunch at Pacifica.
Quivera Clubhouse: You need to go have breakfast or lunch at Quivera at least one day. It doesn't cost extra (dinner does) and it's some of the best food we had! It's also just fun to be at the golf course/off property for a change!
Quivira Steakhouse: My number one recommendation regardless of which property you stay at. The dinner is $40 each, and it is worth 5x that amount. The food, the atmosphere, all of it, is so incredible. We have been twice, and both times have been my favorite memory of our trip.
What is Included Food wise
A lot of you have asked, is it really all inclusive? And yes, it is!
I've been to many, many different all inclusive resorts, and they all work the same way. They are all inclusive, but there are always a few (very few) things that cost additional money. They are specialty items, they are always optional and you can absolutely enjoy your trip without spending money on those things!
For example, at certain restaurants, toward the end of the menu there will be a few items that cost extra. That would be items like Waygu steak, fresh lobster, duck, incredibly nice tequila, etc.
There are only 3 restaurants that cost anything additional: Quivira Steakhouse ($40), Felinnis at Rose ($20), and LaFrida at Sunset Beach ($30).
Menus, pricing, restaurant descriptions are all here!
Alcohol
Here's what I can tell you about alcohol at all inclusive hotels: it's all pretty much the same. I say that because I've never been to an all inclusive resort where I've drank the nicest liquor I've ever had in my life. And if I have, it certainly wasn't included. That is because you're not paying a ridiculous premium, and it's all fairly standard.
When you break down what you're paying at Pueblo Bonito each day, you are not paying enough to eat Waygu steak and drink Clase Azul for 24 hours a day. That is just the reality. So if premium, top shelf liquor is of the utmost importance to you, I would never suggest an all inclusive hotel. Not just Pueblo Bonito, but any AI hotel.
That said, you guys know I love to drink. Did the alcohol here hinder that me all? Not in the least. I ditch my top shelf attitude when I get to Mexico. It's not date night, I'm there to have a good time. Here's a little bit more about what they have:
Whiskey: Dewards, Jack Daniels, J&B, Jim Beam, JW Red Label, Seagrams VO, Crown Royal
Rum: Appleton (White, Estate and Especial), Bacardi (White, Lemon, Solera and Anejo), Captain Morgan, Malibu
Tequila: Cazadores Reposado, Cuervo (1800 White, 1800 Reposado, Centenario Azul Plata, Centenario Reposado and Traditional Reposado), Don Julio White, El Jimador Reposado, Herradura (White and Reposado), Sauza 3 Generations Reposado, Sauza Hornitos Reposado, 7 Leguas Reposado
Titos: Absolut (Blue, Citron and Mandarin), Smirnoff, Stolichnaya, Titos
Beer: Bud Light, Corona, Corona Light, Modelo (Especial and Dark), Pacifico, Pacifico Light, Tecate, Tecate Light, Draft Beer (Light and Dark), XX Lager, Negra Modelo
Thank you to Janice from Sand In My Suitcase for that valuable intel! She has an incredible travel blog if you want to check it out!
Pacifica: Towers vs Regular Rooms
I think some people get confused and think "The Towers" is an entirely separate property from Pacifica. It is not! It's basically just an upgrade. The Towers are a little more luxe than the regular rooms and they include a couple of extras. This is where we stayed, and I highly recommend it!
The Towers include:
24/7 butler service
I know it sounds so extra, but this service is so incredibly helpful, especially when it comes to dinner reservations. You tell them what you want to do, they take care of it. You don't have to call and schedule things at all. Check in, check out, taxi services, transpiration, they help with everything. You have the ability to text them, so I was always in contact with our butler. If you guys remember I got sick when I was there - I asked him about getting some medicine and before I could even leave the room he was texting me pictures of different things from the pharmacy on site, and brought them to my room.
The rooms are bigger/newer!
Stocked mini fridge
Access to the lounge
This was another reason I would book the towers. If you don't stay in the towers, breakfast is typically at Siempre if you don't do room service. The food/drink is fabulous but it is really, really busy. We opted to eat breakfast at the lounge (attached to the towers) every morning and it was the best! The lounge is stocked with food and drink all day long so you can go up there whenever you feel like it! If you saw my sunset picture on IG, that's the lounge. We went up and had champagne before dinner multiple nights we were there!
Swimming/The Beach
Cabo is really not known as a great place to swim at the beach, in my opinion. The rip tides in Cabo are incredibly strong and dangerous. If you want to relax in the water all day, I'd recommend Cancun.
There are a few beaches where you can swim almost all the time, the most popular being Medano beach (near the bars / marina). But other than that, the beaches are more of a place to just relax!
At Sunset Beach and Pacifica specifically, there are flags out every day. Some days you can swim, some you can't. However, even if you can, the current is very, very strong. Taylor got in once, but aside from that, we hung out at the cabana or in the pool.
People always ask about seaweed - there is none! The beaches are stunning, just not necessarily the best to swim in!
Golf
Ladies, here is how you sell your man on this trip: the golf. I'm kidding, but not. This is how I convinced Taylor to come to Cabo in the first place. Needless to say, he is sold for life. And if you're going to accompany your man to any round of golf, this is the round to tag along for. Trust me.
I'm linking the Quivira website here, but I'll highlight a few things too. First and foremost, if you're contemplating golf at all, you need to book ASAP. Quivira is one of the 100 Greatest Golf Courses in the World. That's another way of saying, they're busy!
You KNOW I am not a big golfer, in any way, shape or form. But, I will tell you this will forever be one of my all time memories with Taylor. We have played twice now, and I can't even describe how much fun it is, and how incredible the experience is as a whole. It's almost like a hike, a round of golf, and a day date all in one.
Even if you don't golf, but your significant other does, go for the views and the drinks alone. The views are literally indescribable, on all 18 holes. Aside from that, the rest stations along the way have incredible food and drink, and it's all included!
As far as how much it costs, here is the rate sheet! If you want to ride in the cart/not play, it's $50!
Prime Time
(7:00am – 10:48am)
$380
Prime Time
(7:00am – 10:48am)
$323
Mid Morning
(11:00am – 12:24pm)
$323
Mid Morning
(11:00am – 12:24pm)
$275
Twilight
(12:36pm – 2:00pm)
$275
Twilight
(12:36pm – 2:00pm)
$233
You can rent clubs for $75, or bring your own. We fly Southwest so Taylor always brings his own! If you have any further golf club related questions, reach out to them. I am not your girl!
One last tip, you have to eat at the clubhouse before your round, after, or both! The breakfast and lunch there are incredible!
Quivira Steakhouse
I think this wraps up this post, but I saved the best for last. Quivira Steakhouse is the best restaurant Pueblo Bonito has. The food is unbeatable, they have unbelievable cocktails, the views are unreal, and the vibe/experience is everything. We've been twice now, and both times we've spent 3+ hours at dinner. I always recommend going on your last night! You'll never have another date night like it!
For this, you need to book ahead of time. They will be booked by the time you get to the hotel so book as far in advance as you can! Your best bet is to call your hotel and they can transfer you over.
My Discount Code
Promo code: ENJOYPB22
Expiration date: December 31st, 2023
Hotels: all PB properties
Stay: 3 night minimum
Discount: 10% off extras over website rates
Extras: credit spa of $50