By Joe Taylor
Buyers usually arrive with two or three of these names on a list, having read about each one separately and having no sense of how they compare. They're all excellent, which is the honest starting point, but they're also strikingly different from each other in setting, scale, and the kind of life they're built around. Here's how I lay them out for clients before we start driving.
Key Takeaways
- Pedregal sits above downtown Cabo San Lucas and came first, with its origins in 1975
- Quivira spans 1,850 acres on the Pacific side with three miles of beach and a Nicklaus course
- Querencia is one of the region's only fully private clubs, built around Tom Fazio golf
- Palmilla traces back to 1956 and holds the first Nicklaus Signature course in Latin America
- Puerto Los Cabos pairs 2,000 acres with a working marina beside San José del Cabo
Which Community Is Closest to Town?
Pedregal, without much competition. The hillside rises directly above Cabo San Lucas with its entrance off Boulevard Marina, which puts the restaurants and the marina within a short walk downhill.
That proximity is the trade nobody else offers. The other four sit on larger parcels away from the center, which buys them space and quiet at the cost of a drive into town.
That proximity is the trade nobody else offers. The other four sit on larger parcels away from the center, which buys them space and quiet at the cost of a drive into town.
The Setting for Each
- Pedregal — a granite hillside above downtown Cabo San Lucas, Pacific-facing, and the first residential community in Los Cabos
- Quivira — 1,850 acres at Land's End on the Pacific, about ten minutes from downtown, with three miles of beachfront
- Querencia — on the Corridor at Km 27.5, overlooking the Sea of Cortez between the two towns
- Palmilla — the Corridor side of San José del Cabo, on a protected cove
- Puerto Los Cabos — 2,000 acres in La Playa, just past the San José del Cabo estuary at the gateway to the East Cape
How Does the Golf Compare?
Each of the four golf communities here was built around a different architect and a different philosophy, so the courses are a fair proxy for the character of the community itself.
Querencia is the outlier in access, operating as a private club where the courses are reserved for members and their guests rather than resort play.
Querencia is the outlier in access, operating as a private club where the courses are reserved for members and their guests rather than resort play.
The Courses Behind Each Community
- Quivira Golf Club — a Jack Nicklaus Signature design that opened in 2014 at 7,085 yards, with more oceanfront play than any other course in the destination
- Querencia — Campo Bajo, a Tom Fazio design from 2001 at 7,070 yards, with a second Fazio course in development
- Palmilla Golf Club — 27 holes and the first Nicklaus Signature course built in Latin America, with the Mountain and Arroyo nines from 1992 and the Ocean nine added in 1999
- Puerto Los Cabos — 27 holes opened in 2007, with the Ocean and Vista nines by Nicklaus and the Mission nine by Greg Norman
- Pedregal — no course of its own, which suits buyers who'd rather have the town at the bottom of the hill
What Kind of Life Is Each One Built Around?
Resort living, club living, marina living, or hillside living, and most buyers know which one they are within about a day of touring.
The distinction matters more than the amenity lists suggest, because it shapes who your neighbors are and how often the community feels occupied.
The distinction matters more than the amenity lists suggest, because it shapes who your neighbors are and how often the community feels occupied.
Matching the Community to the Buyer
- Pedregal suits buyers who want walkable access to town, a private Pacific beach, and a neighborhood with fifty years of accumulated character
- Quivira suits buyers drawn to the Pacific and to resort infrastructure, with owner access across four Pueblo Bonito resorts
- Querencia suits buyers who want a members-only club with a home-course feel, plus a beach club and a canyon club
- Palmilla suits buyers who value provenance and calm water, on a Blue Flag beach in a protected cove
- Puerto Los Cabos suits boaters and buyers who want San José del Cabo's colonial center and art district close by, with a marina taking yachts up to 250 feet
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Los Cabos community holds value best?
All five have strong track records, and the honest answer depends on the specific property rather than the gate it sits behind. Position within a community, view, and condition tend to matter more than the name on the entrance.
Can I use the golf courses if I own in one of these communities?
Access varies quite a bit, and it's worth confirming before you buy. Querencia's courses are limited to members and their guests, while Palmilla's Mountain and Arroyo nines are reserved for club members and One&Only Palmilla guests.
Which community is best for renting out my property?
Each performs differently depending on the season and the property type, and I'd rather look at real numbers with you than generalize. Marina and resort-adjacent properties tend to have the broadest appeal.
Contact Joe Taylor Today
Five communities, five different lives, and the only reliable way to choose is to stand in each one. I've spent years showing these gates to buyers, and the day usually ends with someone certain about a place they hadn't considered that morning.
Have a look at all the communities across Los Cabos, then reach out to me, Joe Taylor, and we'll build a tour that covers the ones worth your time.
Have a look at all the communities across Los Cabos, then reach out to me, Joe Taylor, and we'll build a tour that covers the ones worth your time.
