Text and photos by Mary L. Peachin
Vol. 12. No. 8
Beyond the peaks of the La Laguna mountains and located almost at the tip of Mexico’s 1,000-mile long Baja California peninsula, Las Ventanas al Paraíso, A Rosewood Resort discreetly sits above the coastline of the Sea of Cortez.
When it comes to accommodation, service, cuisine, and comfort, Las Ventanas tops the scale. The resort’s newest accommodation is a 3,893 square foot two-bedroom ocean view Spa Suite. Each suite is a totally private self-contained unit offering the ultimate spa lifestyle.
A state-of-the-art in-suite treatment room has two therapy tables with a steam room that includes a full ceiling rain shower plus side faucets that can be aimed towards any ache or pain. There are yoga mats and balance balls. Adjacent to the bathroom is an Armana infrared sauna complete with a DVD player.
Suites are tastefully designed in a Mexican-style décor. There are Cochuela limestone and talavera tile floors, fine artwork and artifacts, and beamed white-washed ceilings laced with a latilla of native carrizo wood. Overlooking the Sea of Cortez, a master bedroom and sitting area includes a patio with an infinity hot tub.
The second twin bedroom also has a full bathroom. Separating the two bedrooms are a living and dining room. The kitchen is fully equipped with a stacked washer and dryer in the laundry room. An always full ice bucket lies next to bottles of premium liquor. Flower bouquets grace each room, a bowl of fresh fruit sits on the dining table. Two fireplaces, in both the living room and second bedroom, add winter warmth and coziness.
A dedicated spa butler coordinates each guest’s personalized program and attends to any requests, or even a personal whim. No need to worry about your daily schedule. The butler discreetly appears at the appropriate time to escort you in the right direction.
Embracing the 71-suite resort, which has garnered every possible hospitality award, are soft curving off-white or ecru adobe walls, all surrounded by unique native planting, raked sand gardens, brilliant accents of colorful groomed bougainvillea, and panoramic views of the Sea.
At water’s edge in front of the resort is a view of the 15th green of Cabo Real, a Robert Trent Jones II signature golf course. Guest not choosing the links might want to spend a day offshore releasing billfish, but others might choose to relax with a Nopal Anti-Cellulite and Detox Wrap.
Baja nopal, more commonly known as the spiny prickly pear, has a larger pad with fewer spines. Considered a source of vitamin C and amino acids, nopal is said to aid the transference of body fluids between tissues and the bloodstream, a process which diminishes cellulite and fluid retention. After the skin is softly brushed, the Nopal mask is applied and the body wrapped for detoxification. A detoxifying cream full-body massage follows.
Evening time offers unique recipes and seafood ingredients served at the ceviche bar, sipping premium tequilas, or relaxing with a Cuban cigar.
Mexico is the only country that produces authentic Tequila. In 1875, SAUZA exported the first bottles of Tequila, a total of three oak barrels and six earthenware pots. Today, Tequila is produced in the Mexico states of Jalisco, Nayarit, Michoacán’s, Guanajuato, and Tamaulipas.
Agave Tequilana Blue Weber, the botanical name of the Tequila agave, is not really meant to be chugged as a quick shot accompanied by a taste of salt and a squeeze of fresh lime.
Dating back to the reign of the Aztecs, pulque, the vein of the blue agave, has been peeled from the prickly leaf to remove any taste of bitterness during the distillation of tequila.
Herradura and Cuervo, brands commonly used for margaritas, are frequently blended or iced. Unique to Baja, a margarita might include some Guaycura, the liquor of Damiana, similar in sweetness to Galiano. A margarita should include good or premium tequila, shaken like a dry martini, then blended with cointreau and fresh lime.
Fine tequila should be sniffed like a good wine. It should be savored slowly “like a good Cognac.” Sangrita, a tomato-like Bloody Mary-ish mixture is sipped to clear the palate and refresh the stomach during the tasting.
The quality of the finished product is determined by the technique and the length of the aging process. The difference in quality is also attributed to color and fermentation time in the barrel.
Blanco or Plato (Silver) is bottled within 60 days after production. Resposado is aged in oak barrels for a minimum of 60 days, while Añejo is aged for a year or longer. If the tequila has been aged in oak barrels for more than three years, it is considered to be the smoother tasting premium quality, it is typically marketed in ornate hand-blown or painted ceramic bottles.
A smooth nine month Reposado might have an essence of caramel or vanilla, its aging barrel may have been previously distilled scotch. Many premium tequilas are served in crystal tequila Reidel glasses, similar to champagne glasses, but not as tall or slender. An 18-year old Premium Tequila can be compared to the fragrance of a good wine.
Chinaco Añejo, a 25 year premium might cost $150 a shot. A story is told that Señor Chinaco distilled 20 bottles of tequila to celebrate the birth of his daughter. Twenty five years later, the family would drink them to celebrate her wedding.
After the wedding, the family forgot about the unopened bottles. Five years later when they were discovered, before disposing of the bottles, they tasted the tequila. Instead of tasting deteriorated tequila, they discovered it to be of the highest quality.
Today, very few bottles of Chinaco Añejo are available anywhere in Mexico. When it is gone, it cannot be replaced. Other premium tequilas include Centenario and Don Julio 1942, which is now owned by Cuervo.
The Consejo Regulador del Tequila certifies all Mexican tequila. The liquor must be made of 100 percent blue agave with a proof between 75 to 100 percent and alcohol content between 35 to 40 percent.
Tequila is a part of Mexican history and culture, one that is more than just a margarita. And its smooth premium taste is now gaining international popularity.
Sipping premium tequila might be cause to enjoy smoking a good cigar. In Northeastern Cuba, about three hours from Havana, the fertile valley of Pinal del Rio grows the finest tobacco. Perfect humidity and abundant rainfall enrich its soil.
Unlike tequila, many countries produce tobacco. But the quality of the cigar is determined by the richness of the soil, and the right amount of wind and rainfall. Cigars differ from cigarettes because they have no nicotine, and they are not inhaled. That is not to say that cigars are healthful. It is more of a pleasure shared with fine tequila.
A fine cigar, determined by its purity and originality, has certain characteristics. Harvested leaves are washed before they are hung to dry in an atmospheric enclosure. The center vein is removed to enhance rolling.
By rolling the cigar in your hands you can determine if it is solid without knots. If lettuce was used as filler, a cigar represented as Cuban, might drop leaves. Blowing into the cigar will ensure that it is tightly wrapped without any leaks. Finally, the protective cap should be solid.
There is a proper technique for preparing, lighting, and smoking the cigar. Depending on the diameter of the cap, it can be clipped with a V-cut, scissor, or, if necessary, a toothpick. The end is then lightly brushed. If a box of cigars has been purchased, it will include a strip of wood to be used for lighting the cigar. Otherwise a wooden match is preferred.
To evenly light the cigar, it should be held in your mouth as it is rolled by your fingers over the match flame. A gas lighter will impregnate the tobacco and impact its flavor.
Never flick ashes, just let them fall or gently tap into an ashtray. A Cuban cigar should burn evenly with gray ashes. Never put out the cigar, it will stop burning by itself. It can then be lit at a later time or saved in the refrigerator for another evening.
Cigars are stored in a cool humidor with 40-60 percent humidity. Cost is based on quality, length of the burn, and the size of the cigar. Taste varies from mild to strong robustos.
Panetelas are like “the cigarette of the cigar world.” Cohida’s brand Lancero, with its swirled wrapping, can be very expensive. Some cigars have pointed tips. The more popular varieties include Cohibo Siglos, Montecristo, Partagas, Romeo y Julieta, Bolivar Belicosos Finos, Trinidad Robustos Extras and range in price from $32.00 to $75.00.
Luxury accommodations, signature spa treatments, ceviche tasting with a sip of premium tequila, and perhaps a Cuban cigar is just part of what makes Las Ventanas al Paraíso a unique adventure.