Del Mar

Any trip between Cabo and San Jose takes you through beautiful Palmilla. Sometimes, the place itself is the destination, for who has not stopped by the Shoppes At La Palmilla for lunch, a coffee, some retail therapy? For many, Palmilla is the address in San Jose, an upscale residential neighborhood offering an extraordinary lifestyle.  Outstanding in this area, even more exclusive and splendid, are the communities of Del Mar, which take up prime beachfront at Palmilla point and much of a dramatic hillside behind overlooking the Sea of Cortez. Here you find the sweet spot where location, architecture and concept perfectly align. This year, Del Mar celebrates an amazing milestone, its 30th anniversary. It has been quite an interesting journey, for as Del Mar’s development plans adapted and evolved, so did the luxury real estate market in Cabo. The story began in 1994 when Houston based real estate developer Ron Hatfield and his business partner Ken Schnitzer came to Cabo for a four-day golfing holiday at the new Jack Nicklaus Palmilla golf course. They were captivated by the pristine white sand beach at the old Palmilla Hotel and the extraordinary natural beauty of the area. So they decided to look into some land for themselves. By 1995, they had acquired a stretch of beachfront right next to today’s One&Only Palmilla from Don Koll, the Orange County CA developer, one of Cabo’s pioneers who had bought the Palmilla Hotel and surrounding 900 acres of land in 1986. The idea was to build 5 beachfront homes on this parcel, a bold move since the residential real estate business in Cabo back then was still pretty new. And so, modestly, began the story of Villas Del Mar. Groundbreaking on the first house happened the following year, in 1996. We toured Del Mar on a typical sunny and blue Cabo day. Arrangements had been made in advance, so we sped through guard gates, normally shut fast, now opened as if by magic. As always, the landscaping was gorgeous, a perfect arrangement of various tall palms and other tropical trees and plants, each shaded path or bend in the road presenting an even lovelier scene to admire. We started where it all began, at the first villas along the beach. The site, of course, was impeccable. Imagine white sand and just miles of brilliant blue as far as you can see, lazy yachts and lines of feeding pelicans flying low at sundown, right at your doorstep. What struck me was how contemporary the houses look, even after 30 years. Mediterranean style with red tiled roofs and neutral exteriors, understated and elegant. Quite a contrast to the trend today of massive white structures blaring off hillsides.  For Hatfield and Schnitzer, the challenge was interesting people in local real estate at a time when Cabo was mainly a vacation spot. To that end, they decided to adopt American building standards like central air-conditioning, better electricity and plumbing, quality finishes, so that their houses would match any high-end home in Monterey or Santa Barbara. Furthermore, they offered top-tier property management and concierge services typical of any 5-star hotel. In other words, their owners would have no worries and all the comforts of home while also being on a beach and near a golf course. This formula worked beautifully and the first five houses sold quickly. It became the template for all future development. When available beachfront property ran out, new neighborhoods crept up the mountain behind- Espiritu Del Mar, La Montana, and now, at the very top and the crown jewel, Legado At La Montana, currently under construction. The views are amazing, the ride up exciting. The engineering is impressive as it must not have been easy to construct on such a steep incline. A distinctive feature are stone retaining walls which seem to hold up each level of construction. I like the dramatic counterpoint to the lushness of the landscaping. They remind me of the stones of Pedregal, just not as relentless, more romantic.  The houses in each phase have increased in size, just as Cabo itself has grown. Its easier now to work from home, and of course, there was the pandemic. So now, buyers are younger, they have families, and are looking for full time residences, not just second homes. Hence, more bedrooms, more features and acre sized lots. And now, big views from high are as prized as oceanfront used to be. With the opening of Club Ninety-Six Beach Club in 2005, homeowners enjoy the best of both worlds. In the beginning, Mr. Hatfield and Mr. Schnitzer sold to their friends and guests staying at the One&Only Palmilla next door. Their love for the area and for their product translated into a highly personal and unique level of involvement. For example, Mr. Schnitzer, a fitness buff, inspired the 10,000 sq. ft. ocean view Club Espiritu fitness center, spa and sports park. Mr. Hatfield is a full-time resident at Del Mar and still very much involved in the day-to-day. He’s had a personal parking space at Del Mar offices for as long as I can remember. It says a lot that there are still many of the original homeowners today, and that many new purchases are from existing owners moving up.  Anniversaries are a big deal. I cherish the wonder and excitement we had over our 20th. As Del Mar anticipates their 30th, it does so as a leader in the master-planned community concept in Cabo and the luxury, residential resort lifestyle. Not too bad for a couple guys who liked to play golf. by Mei-lan Chin-Bing We invite you to visit our San Jose Corridor properties for sale online