History and Culture
One&Only Palmilla commands the choicest locale in all of Baja California, on land that enjoys a rich and storied history dating back millions of years, when volcanic movement and earthquakes split a 1,100-mile-long finger of land off mainland Mexico. Los Cabos (Spanish for ”the capes”) survived merchants, explorers and pirates to later welcome celebrated authors and biologists intrigued by the rich marine life in the Sea of Cortez.
The resort itself was built in 1956 as a 15-room luxury hideaway by Don Abelardo Rodriguez, son of the President of Mexico. Accessible only by yacht or private plane, its earliest guests included Hollywood celebrities like John Wayne, Bing Crosby, Lucille Ball, the former United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower is also among the past guests; all attracted by the privacy of the resort as well as the region’s deep-sea fishing.
Following the construction of the Transpeninsular Highway in 1970, the resort became increasingly popular and grew to 50 rooms by 1984. In 1991, the Palmilla Golf Club opened, and in 1996, the property was again expanded to 115 rooms. The glamorous flavour and ambiance of the original resort were carefully preserved in One&Only Palmilla, which opened in February 2004 following a $90 million refurbishment.
2010 Accolades