San Jose del Cabo, Casa del Las Palmas — CALL

Step through the storybook stone entrance to Casita 3 and find a front garden of flowers and vines leading to the foyer. And that is where the fun begins. Casita 3 is an easy design on two levels. A meandering living room, dining room and kitchen leads to a sea-front balustrade and onward to a patio dining option where, no-doubt, most meals will take place.

The gourmet kitchen brings its own quaint mixture of contemporary and colonial touches, with oversized appliances and a granite island for grab and go repasts. Go more formal with a glass sit-down setting for six illuminated by a Spanish Revival chandelier.

A plush living room in solid whites bolstered by whimsically patterned pillows gives a nice complement to the sea-side effect. All around are panoramas of endless blues in the sky and waters, broken here and there by a rocky promontory jutting into the sea. Walls of life-size windows vanish into thin air letting in a perpetual stream of fresh breezes to cool the interior spaces. Beyond the living room, a dining patio for those morning breakfasts served outside in the earliness of the day while the world all around seems to glisten with all possibilities.

Casita 3 offers three bedrooms, each with a private outside view and capacious bathroom. The master bedroom brings a wooden bed set-up that could have been carved for an Aztec king. High ceilings, carved bamboo chairs, a Malaysian-style ceiling fan all add style to this grand room, which adds, through thick sliding wood doors, a marble bathroom suite. A second bedroom presents another Aztec king bed and a Juliet balcony accessed through floor-to-ceiling sliding glass windows with a high view of the waters beyond. A third bedroom is accessed from the lower pool level and is a bright affair offering two queens and a separate and private garden entrance.

Head beyond the sofas and comfy patio arrangements that surround the main level of Casita 3 by taking a curving stone stairway to the pool level where much outside life takes place. A mini-waterfall pours into a perfectly sized infinity pool with edges that seem to further cascade into views of the Sea of Cortez. Just beyond is a fire pit and deep chairs to sink into while watching flames reach for the stars on a warm and dark night.

Grab a chaise under a palapa or warm up by the fire blazing in an outdoor fire nook. A casual kitchen and dining set-up in the shade of an open walled garden room allows for dining al fresca with all the dazzling effects.

It’s hard to say no to “just right” frozen margaritas mixed at just the right moments and delivered poolside. While the views bedazzle, the service brings the ooohs and ahhs as meals are whipped up by your private chef and a quick call to the butler or concierge will bring choices for the best options of entertainment and adventure.

Watch whales feeding and frolicking in the waters during the winter months, even see dolphins playing from your terrace. Grab snorkel gear and find a hidden beach along the Sea of Cortez, oft described as the world’s aquarium.

Explore the nearby art town of San Jose del Cabo, known for colorful notion shops, galleries, antiques and world-class regional dining. Check out weekly art markets or pick up souvenirs at the Merkato. Head northward up the coast to the magic bohemian village of Todos Santos, a vibrant art colony hidden in the mountains.

Or you can make it more local – just next door, in fact, where the legendary One&Only Palmilla offers world-class golf, and some of the region’s best restaurants, as well as a super-luxe spa. Villa guests have signing privileges and a Casita 3 supplied golf cart gets you where you want to go in no time.

And speaking of no time, if you have no time to get a massage at the indulgent One&Only Spa, order it up for your villa and the massage will come to you. One call to the dedicated concierge or butler will do the trick as you make your villa your secret Cabo paradise and decide to never leave.