This post is a review of our experience staying at The White Lodge Baja, an eco-wellness retreat in the East Cape area of Los Cabos in Baja California Sur, Mexico.
This article may contain affiliate / compensated links, that may earn me a small commission, at no extra cost to you. For full information, please see our disclaimer here. While all efforts have been taken to ensure the information included in this post is correct and current, travel information such as opening hours, business operations and prices change frequently. If you find anything in this post that is incorrect or outdated please let me know in the comments so I can update it for other readers.
About The White Lodge Baja
📣 Since our visit, The White Lodge has rebranded as NEST Baja with new owners. The property is still very similar, but there may be minor differences between our experience and yours. Reviews are still incredibly positive (maybe even better than before!), so it seems the hotel is still an excellent choice in this beautiful part of Baja.
Hidden away in the remote East Cape (Cabo Este) region of Los Cabos, down a long dirt road, The White Lodge is an eco-wellness retreat overlooking the blue waters of the Sea of Cortez.
Despite being less than 2 hours away from Los Cabos, The White Lodge couldn’t feel further away from the hustle and bustle of this busy tourist area.
I was so happy to stumble across it online, and we were instantly drawn to its sustainability ethos and minimalist design.
We recently spent two blissful nights here and left feeling refreshed, rejuvenated and re-energised.
Donkeys wander the dusty roads leading to The White Lodge, eagles soar overhead, and in the wintertime, humpback whales play and splash offshore.
This is an extraordinary place, in a wild natural setting, and I will do my best to describe it to you with the words and photos below.
🌵 Sold already? Book The White Lodge on Booking.com | Expedia
Getting to The White Lodge
Getting to The White Lodge is half the fun, and the remoteness of this place is what makes it so special.
The property is located in Cabo Este, aka the East Cape area of Los Cabos.
This remote, undeveloped region is tucked away on a long, dusty road, only accessible to those with a sense of adventure.
The closest airport is SJD Los Cabos International Airport.
It is about an hour from San Jose del Cabo and just under two hours from Cabo San Lucas.
If you don’t have a rental car, you can organise a transfer directly with The White Lodge.
However, there is no public transport to or in this area, so we would definitely recommend renting a car. We had rented a 4WD Jeep Wrangler for our time in Baja California Sur, so we drove ourselves to the hotel.
Most visitors are likely to be coming from Los Cabos as we were, and you will need to follow the infamous ‘Camino Cabo Este’ or East Cape Road.
This road is a long, dirt road that stretches from San Jose del Cabo in the west, around the peninsula past Cabo Pulmo to La Ribera to the east.
Notorious for its potholes, bumps and soft sand, the journey to The White Lodge is part of the experience.
The trip is definitely doable in a conventional car, but if you are planning on driving around Baja California Sur, we would highly recommend renting a 4WD. It made the drive safer, easier, and more enjoyable.
Every single bump in the road was worth it. The scenery was incredible, and we were in awe at every turn!
If you are arriving from another part of Baja California Sur such as La Paz, La Ventana, Los Barriles or Cabo Pulmo you will also follow the Camino Cabo Este, just from the other direction. It is much shorter, and not so bumpy, from this direction.
🚗 For more in-depth information and detailed maps for navigating the Camino Cabo Este, we have a complete guide to the East Cape region
The rooms
There are only ten rooms, accommodating a maximum of 24 guests at one time.
Guaranteeing complete peace and tranquillity!
We stayed in the Ocean View Hobbit Master Suite with Indoor Pool, and it was a dream.
Minimalist design, bright, light spaces, thoughtful touches, and the best part – a private indoor plunge pool.
The room is oriented towards the ocean and has a private patio area that is secluded from the view of other guests.
We loved lighting the fire in the cool evenings and cosying up in the plush, comfortable bed.
It was possible to stay under the covers in the morning and watch the sunrise over the ocean. Complete heaven and the perfect way to start the day.
We were lucky enough to take a peek at the other room types, and each was as stunning as the last!
They have other Hobbit Suites that were similar to our room, offering the same stunning ocean views without the plunge pool.
They also have Ocean View Bungalows that come with a rooftop patio, some also with private outdoor plunge pools.
Their final room type is the Panoramic Ocean View Suites, which sit on the top floor of the main building and offer possibly the best views on the whole property.
No matter which room you choose, you will enjoy the Baja desert-style design, tasteful details and of course, those incredible vistas of the Sea of Cortez.
Their rates start from $350 USD per night and change depending on season, room type and availability.
🤍 Check rates and availability of The White Lodge on Booking.com | Expedia
Communal amenities
It was difficult to drag ourselves away from our room, but the communal areas at The White Lodge are just as gorgeous.
The main building serves as the entrance to the property and houses the reception, restaurant, pool and expansive deck.
We spent many hours lazing in lounges by the pool, reading and swimming (even in winter!).
The on-site spa offers unique holistic wellness rituals. The property also features a clay Temazcal, which is a native fire-heated sweat lodge, and ceremonies can be organised with advance notice.
Towards the front of the property is the yoga deck. Offering sweeping views over the Sea of Cortez, this is the perfect place to start your day watching the sunrise.
If you visit in winter as we did, you get a great vantage point of the whales.
We started our morning with a sunrise meditation and stretch, and it was pure magic, watching whale spouts in the distance.
The White Lodge provides yoga mats for guests’ use.
Dining
The East Cape area is remote and there are not many dining options around.
Luckily the on-site restaurant is fantastic.
Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the menu focuses on using local, in-season ingredients from around the region.
If you have breakfast included in your room rate, you will have the Baja Wellness Breakfast each morning.
This included fresh local fruits, a unique and delicious fermented garlic, a golden milk shot and your choice of coffee and tea.
We also tried some of the lunch and dinner dishes, and it was all magnificent.
After far too many tacos, it was a nice change to eat some fresh, healthy meals, with plenty of local produce. The vegetable risotto was incredible, and the sopa (soup) was to die for.
Sustainability initiatives
What really drew us to The White Lodge was its sustainability practices.
Being in such a unique, fragile environment the property has been designed to integrate seamlessly with nature.
All the buildings were hand-built with only natural materials, and are completely chemical-free.
The property was built into the existing landscape, to ensure minimal disruption to the environment, and the rooms are tucked into the hillside.
It is solar-powered, the staff are all local to the area, and there is minimal plastic waste. Filtered water is available, bathroom amenities are locally made in reusable glass containers, and all the food is sourced locally and made fresh on-site.
They really have considered all aspects of their operation, and after speaking with the managing director Ana, their dedication to ongoing improvement in the area is clear.
Everything feels in harmony with the stunning location you are in, and low impact on the area.
Our experience at The White Lodge
It’s hard to find the right words to describe the feeling you get at The White Lodge.
Not only is the property itself stunning, but the surrounding environment is simply breathtaking.
After our two dreamy nights here, we were absolutely not ready to leave.
Every corner you turn, and everywhere you look around the property is stunning and considered.
We were constantly in awe of the simple design and thoughtful touches.
The natural setting is breathtaking and there were definitely a few moments with tears in my eyes looking out over the Sea of Cortez and seeing whales splashing all over the horizon.
All the staff, from Ana the managing director, to the staff in reception and the restaurant, were absolutely lovely.
They were kind, knowledgeable and great to chat with. We left with pages full of tips and recommendations for the next legs of our Baja California Sur trip, and with heavy hearts to say goodbye.
We highly recommend a visit to The White Lodge Baja.
The White Lodge review
The White Lodge is a truly special place, and a must-do if you are in the Los Cabos area. Go and experience it for yourself, you won’t regret it.
For more information about the East Cape area where The White Lodge is located, check out our complete guide here. We weren’t able to find any information about this area online before we visited so we have shared everything we know!
🏩 Book your stay at the White Lodge Baja
🌿 Looking for more boutique stays around Cabo? Check out our post on the top boutique hotels in Los Cabos.
MORE EAST CAPE POSTS
OUR BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR TRAVEL GUIDES
The Comments
Reilly Jones
How close is the beach to the hotel? I definitely want to stay here, but the information online is confusing about how accessible the beach is from the resort. Also is Nine Palms a swimmable beach? It looks like surfing is allowed but I can’t seem to find whether or not it is safe to swim. Thanks!
Sally
Reilly JonesHey Reilly, the beach is right across the road, but the best access point is probably Nine Palms which is less than a kilometre up the road. Are you driving to The White Lodge? If you’ve got a car/ATV, you’d be there in a couple of minutes! The beach is a surf beach for parts of the year when the swell is up. This is usually around May – October, but it’s not always consistent. Even when there is surf, I would say parts of the beach are still safe for swimming if you’re okay with some waves. It is such a beautiful part of Baja, and The White Lodge is a very special place. Enjoy! Sally
MIKE EBERLEIN
How about some prices…you´ve got everything else pegged?
Sally
MIKE EBERLEINHi Mike, you’re right – I should have included a section about this. I do try to avoid including specific prices in my posts as they change so frequently, and are dependent on dates, room type, travelling party etc. I’ve included plenty of links to browse the rooms at The White Lodge and enter your dates 🙂 Enjoy, it’s an amazing hotel in one of the most beautiful parts of Baja we visited. Sally