A Peek Inside Cabo’s Most Exclusive Private Residential Community

With two of Cabo’s finest swimmable beaches, a championship golf course, private campsites and a slew of amenities, the 1,400-acre Twin Dolphin Los Cabos community is easily the most exclusive real estate in Cabo. Homeowners include some of the biggest names in tech and sports and the casual, fun-loving atmosphere is perfect for families looking for a truly luxurious and discreet home away from home.

“Los Cabos is a booming real estate market for Americans looking to purchase a home,” says Neil Johnson, the managing director of residential real estate at Ohana Realty. Thus far, 94% of Twin Dolphins members, which includes Maravilla Los Cabos and Montage Residences Los Cabos, are Americans. “Major contributing factors include the minimal time difference, the convenience of direct flights and the authentic, service-oriented experience,” he says. 

From a business perspective, Twin Dolphins stands out as a debt-free project with a single owner who is also a Maravilla homeowner, rather than relying on hedge funds. Owners at both Montage Residences and Maravilla can opt to join the Twin Dolphins Club, with a $75,000 initiation fee and $20,000 annual dues to cover eight members of your immediate family. Championship caliber golf at the 18-hole Fred Couples Signature golf course is the crowning glory here, along with miles of hiking and biking trails, paintball, archery, axe-throwing and a private campsite. Recently, a pre-New Year’s Eve al fresco celebration included a surprise performance by T-Pain, which was entirely unexpected for this particular audience, but well-received and wildly entertaining.

Although Montage Los Cabos opened in May 2018 as the first international property for the American brand, the first Montage residents didn’t move in until early 2019. Thus far, only a quarter of the 52 turn-key Montage Residences Los Cabos have been sold, so there are plenty of real estate opportunities left. The two- and three-bedroom residences range from $1.75 million to $3.85 million and come with full resort privileges as well as a private garage and access to an owners club with a private pool and additional amenities.

Three-bedroom residences include a lock-off second master bedroom for added flexibility, so that owners may stay in one portion of their residence and rent the remainder concurrently. Owners at Montage Los Cabos receive a 25% discount on room rates at all Montage properties and a 10% discount on spa, food and beverage at the resort. Of course, grocery shopping is one of the many amenities that members can utilize so the Sub-Zero refrigerator is stocked with your favorite foods upon arrival to cook on the Wolf outdoor grill. The produce, seafood and meat is all the same quality as you’ll find in the restaurant and the sprawling terrace overlooking the Santa Maria Bay is made for entertaining.

Maravilla is another step up from this, with owners purchasing homesites and building their dream homes. At Maravilla, most sales come through word of mouth referrals, with existing members inviting new neighbors to join. Rentals are prohibited here and approximately a third of the currently released homesites, turn-key villas and townhomes are still available beginning at $3 million. There are four to five employees at Maravilla per member, so service is beyond attentive and always so warm and thoughtful.

While there are only a handful of beachfront lots left, development in continuing at a steady pace, with many more oceanview lots still being released. The Las Lomas villa collection is the latest release, with open floor plans that feature expansive terraces, peaceful fountains, outdoor kitchens and plunge pools for seamless indoor-outdoor living. 

“We call this the Disneyworld of Cabo because we say kids first, then wife, then the husband,” explains Sharon Mora, an Ohana Realty sales associate. That includes an arcade, virtual reality games and THX-certified movie theater in the 60,000-square-foot members-only club, plus a three-level infinity pool, plenty of water sports, an 18-hole putting course and outdoor rock-climbing wall. Maravilla has its own spa and fitness center too, featuring Spa Technologies, but members looking for more comprehensive and unique treatments can head next door to Montage Los Cabos. The Jewel of Baja treatment is the signature treatment at Spa Montage, beginning with a gentle scrub using a local sea sponge and incorporating indigenous damiana and sage in housemade scrubs and body oils. 

There are five on-property dining options at Maravilla too, including a sushi counter, but for the best contemporary Mexican cuisine, head to Mezcal at Montage Los Cabos. Begin with a mezcal and tequila tasting, or a colorful mezcal cocktail made with fresh pressed juices and organic herbs. Innovative twists on tacos and tamales are followed by fresh local seabass served with vegetable ragout and hazelnut green mole. Try the xocomulli dessert with mole poblano chocolate ganache, charred ancho chile meringue and tortilla ice cream. 

Like other planned communities in Cabo, Twin Dolphins creates an immersive world within itself, but this is the most lavish of all. Most members never leave the property for the duration of their stay, content with hints of Mexican culture sprinkled throughout a posh and pampered vacation.

This post first appeared on Forbes.com. To see the original, click here.