My first sightings of southern Baja California from the finger-smudged airplane window surprised me. I expected to gaze upon a flat peninsula with dirt roads connecting a sprinkling of homes; my expectation turned out to be half correct (and I dare readers to guess which part before peeking to the next line). A jagged granite mountain ridge named Sierra de la Laguna extending north-south across the tip of peninsula and rising more than 2000 meters high piqued –– or peaked? –– my curiosity and turned my lips into a gentle smirk as I reflected on the new pair of hiking shoes I crammed into my suitcase. It will be a dramatic first showcasing of my shoes out in the ‘wild’ if I decide it’s actually sensible to break them in on such a demanding hike…I probably will not, and instead resort to testing them on a rudimentary dirt road.

As Seth and I step out of the Los Cabos Airport and into the wispy Baja heat, we quickly spot Geoffrey, who greets us as warmly as the air enveloping our skin. With Geoffrey as our welcome guide and a Toyota 4Runner our welcome wagon, the hour-long drive to Villa del Faro weaves through dry, dusty terrain with craggy trees and bursting cacti and to my great pleasure, provides a bare-boned simulation of a mild rollercoaster ride with its frequent dips and swerves.  The landscape, although seemingly lifeless at first glance through a car window, camouflages skittish iguanas, shelters roaming cattle, harbors stealthy foxes, and protects vibrant nesting birds.

Once at the property, we progressively meet the rest of the proprietors as they lead us through the different bedroom houses that comprise Villa del Faro. I was captivated by the life of the arid wilderness intertwining with the colorful architecture of the various ocean-view buildings and it lured me with its inconspicuous beauty and the echoing hum of crashing waves. Adding to the charm of the location, is the sound of the ocean breeze rustling through the tangling of exotic plants in combination with the rich mellow warble of the Scott’s Oriole which creates an ephemeral melody I can only describe as the melody of Villa del Faro and chimes only when the instruments rhyme together with the flow of nature.