Devora Wise, owner and manager of Villa del Faro, located just north of San Jose del Cabo, tells us a little bit about the charm that surrounds this eco-friendly, family-run hotel that keeps the guests coming back for more. Once just rugged desert overlooking the Sea of Cortez, Devora and her family built Villa del Faro with loving and nurturing care. Now that all the children are grown up and have left to make homes of their own, they decided to share their beautiful slice of heaven.

What inspired you to get into your line of work?

We began building here in 1989 and built the houses one by one as more family members came down. Many of our older children lived here and helped to build. By now they have started families of their own and we are left with these beautiful empty houses to fill. We always thought someday we might possibly turn this haven of ours into a hotel.

Tell us what makes your property unique.

Twelve acres of desert right on the beach, overlooking the ocean, with mountains behind us. Incredible privacy and quiet. Beautiful food. A private and intimate atmosphere. Long walks along secluded empty beaches. Swimming. Snorkeling . . . in short this is paradise!

Is there anything new that your property is working on?

We have just finished adding a little bar-restaurant and are working on re-landscaping its patio and gardens to include a fountain and a lovely place to have drinks. Everything here is an ongoing creation.

Tell us about your clientele.

So far our clients have been really lovely people and, perhaps because we are hard to find, everyone who has discovered us has loved it here and wants to come back. We have been very lucky. Here are some of our guests’ comments:

“Joe and I came here for complete solitude and we found it in the most luxurious way. We felt like movie stars from the 40’s on a secluded getaway. The food, the people, the grounds, were all so very wonderful. Villa del Faro is like heaven on earth.”

“Everything here is so well done & tasteful. And everyone is so gracious & welcoming. Truly, the photographs do not do justice to the magic that is Villa del Faro. We will be returning soon. Thank you for everything.”

“Our stay with Villa del Faro was an experience that we will never forget. We were welcomed into their family and felt right at home. The accommodations are first class and the grounds are breathtaking. It was a lovely experience. Villa del Faro is a gem on the East Cape!”

What are a few of your favorite rooms/suites on the property?

They are all equally beautiful in very different ways. Each house has been a labor of love. The Casa Alberca with an exquisite palapa roof and total privacy, its own kitchen and the fact that it opens up onto a 60 foot tiled swimming pool overlooking the ocean, might be the most spectacular. But, as each house is its own unique world, it’s hard to choose.

Is there anything not to be missed at your property?

The beauty.
The isolation.
The ambience.
The gourmet food.
Sunset from the gorgeous pool overlooking the ocean.
The white sand private beach.
A glass of wine watching the night hawks dive as the orange moon rises over the ocean.
The craftsmanship and attention to detail in every room.
The sound of whales puffing and slapping all night.
The sound of waves rolling into the shore at night.
The spectacular dawn.

Other than your own property, tell us about one or two of your most memorable stays?

Our favorite place to visit is the Campo de Cortez up at Laguna San Ignacio. As opposed to us, this is not an elegant destination. It is a place where you sleep in a wind-blown tent and spend your days on a boat touching and hugging whales.

Lastly, tell us something unusual about your property that guests might not know.

What is really unusual is that we are totally off the grid. We live in an area that is totally undeveloped. You can walk for miles and not see another soul. Twenty years ago when we began to build here, we mixed cement in a hole in the ground and carried it in buckets to pour the roofs. All the tiles, balustrades and details of this property were made here on site by our artists and a team of fabulous Mexican craftsmen who still live here.

We are powered by solar energy and we are a green hotel. We have tried to build this property with respect for the natural world around us. For example, we build around a venerable 300 year old cactus instead of moving it. This is a very delicate place where the desert meets the sea and many migrating birds pass through. We use as little water as possible and have managed to make an unbelievably civilized oasis on a wild coast where there are nothing but miles and miles of empty beaches.

That concludes our interview!

Thank you Devora, for sharing and participating in this interview for TravelerWIRE.