I’ve worked at some incredible places throughout my career, but one reason I love being a part of the Auberge family is their brilliant programming. I’m especially looking forward to hosting Chef Mads Refslund for a special culinary weekend on March 13 to 15, 2020. Chef Mads is best known as a co-founder of the groundbreaking Danish restaurant Noma, which went on to receive two Michelin Stars and become the ranked best restaurant in the world by Restaurant Magazine four times.

“I don’t buy coffee,” Jesús Salazar, founder and CEO of El Cafeologo in San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, once said. What Salazar does is far more involved. He works directly with small coffee farmers in the southern state of Chiapas to develop their coffee production, teaching picking techniques and processing methods, then helps with roasting and cupping. In 2010, Salazar worked with just four farmers. Our coffee shop El Molino proudly buys premium, fair-trade, organic beans from Salazar, and thanks to partners like us, Salazar has increased his network to 35 “micro-producers.”

“What’s with the snake?” It’s a question I’m often asked at TnT, and for good reason. One of my favorite spirits, and one that’s displayed prominently on the counter of our open-air beachside taco bar, is Coyame Sotol, which has a whole rattlesnake curled up inside along with several scorpions. They’re said to give special healing powers. Here at TnT, we view “Caroline the Rattlesnake” as a cure-all, and bestower of good energy.

Just over 30 years ago, golf was practically unheard of in Los Cabos. That all changed in 1987, when the 20-mile, sun-kissed stretch between the two towns of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo got its first golf course, the 9-hole Punta Sur, now known as the Course at Vidanta Los Cabos. While partially flat with modest views, it foreshadowed the future: a boom in Los Cabos golf resorts and the region’s emergence as a premier destination for golf, with more than a dozen championship courses and even more on the way.

A favorite among Cabo San Lucas hotels on the beach, Chileno Bay Resort & Residences sits along one of Cabo’s most swimmable beaches, a half-mile stretch of golden sand that leads to some of the calmest, most tranquil waters in the region. The Blue Flag-certified beach is also home to one of Los Cabo’s best snorkeling reefs, where you’ll discover a hidden underwater world brimming with colorful sea life. “You’ll feel like you’re swimming in an aquarium,” says one recent fan.

As you walk to Chileno Bay’s front desk, you will be greeted by a monumental steel sculpture by Sante Fe, New Mexico-based artist Will Clift—your first sign that art will surround you at seemingly every turn here. Enjoy a wide range of pieces from dozens of artists based right here in Los Cabos, elsewhere in Mexico, and across the U.S., showcased in the resort’s public spaces as well as in each guestroom, suite or villa. No two pieces are alike, though common themes of seascapes, desert landscapes, and natural elements abound.

Chocolate is revered all over the world, but perhaps no more so than in Mexico, where it dates back to pre-Hispanic times. Back during the Mayan and Aztec eras, cacao beans were used as currency, and those of the highest ranks were known to have drunk copious amounts of frothy cacao out of clay-wooden vessels. At COMAL, we offer a fun tableside experience that lets diners create their own hot or cold chocolate drink with a molinillo, a traditional wooden whisk that dates back thousands of years. But using the molinillo isn’t just for historical integrity—it’s the secret to soft, almost cloudlike foam.

A romantic Mexican tradition likely to have your wedding party reaching for the tissues, the wedding lasso is a heartwarming way to symbolize your eternal love and incorporate the rich, local culture into your special day. Whether strung with flowers, made of silver, or consisting of ribbons and rosaries, the lasso can be personalized with a material that is meaningful to the bride and groom. Traditionally placed on the shoulders of the couple by family members, the lasso is wrapped in a figure eight form to represent infinite love.

Marking your steps towards forever, a bridal entrance is unrivaled in grandeur. Make this milestone moment your own, and craft a custom entry point to honor the bridge between bride-to-be and newly-wed. Whether it be traditional or avant-garde, let your dreams guide you. For one of our brides, this meant walking on water. Perhaps the most extravagant entrance we've crafted at Chileno Bay Resort was a custom pathway that led the bride over our pool to the ceremony. With a subtle change in music, wedding guests turned to see the first glimpse of their loved one dressed in white, gracefully making her way to say “I do” while seemingly floating upon glimmering water. Unanimous awe fell over the ceremony—and a swift reach for tissues. In crafting an uncompromising, custom bridal entrance, elevate your ceremony or reception with the details that tell your unique story.

A little minerality from the land and the salty, sweet flavor of the Sea of Cortez along with what is in season, organic and sustainable are my favorite ingredients. I like to think that all our raw ingredients have a story.

When it doubt, order the Humo de Comal. The secret ingredient is Purple Chicha, a Peruvian drink traditionally made by boiling purple corn in water along with pineapple peels, quince, cinnamon and cloves.

One of my favourite jobs here is turning guests into morning people. I oversee the arrival experience and I'll know guests are fully immersed in Chileno Bay when they discover that sunrises in Cabo are different. I can't specifically say what makes them so. Maybe it’s the reflections off the white sand of the beaches, the adobe-coloured desert dunes or the deep sea at dawn, reminiscent of a Monet painting; but it’s truly a gift to greet each day this way and see light like that.

They are fierce. They band together, swords in hand, marauding; looking for treasure. We’re outnumbered but remain calm and unfazed. We’re taller. We know they can’t leave until they’re captured, and when they are, we’ll miss them. The sun has set, and the pirate invasion will soon end for the pirates are growing weary.

Soothing percussive beats of pre-Hispanic music is the soundtrack to my Huichol inspired ritual. Instruments made with turtle shells, wood, bone and sea shells intertwine rhythmically, calming me and drawing my mind into clarity, peace and an openness to the cleansing and purification of my body.

Along the trail we spy a jackrabbit, shy but curious, watching us walk. My sons want to pet it, but we need to move forward, our spot at Indian Head waits for us, but the sunrise won’t. Indian Head the best kept secret- a little known trail near the resort. I love to catch sunrises here, to take in the technicolor display of oranges, pinks, blues and purples that evolve above the sea.

At Chileno Bay, we’ve harnessed the duality of the region to create our resort-wide wellness initiative called Baja Balance. This encourages optimum health for the mind, body and spirit with guest instructor-led weekend retreats and ongoing programming and activities across multiple touch points including fitness, culinary and spa.