By Brian Hurlburt, LasVegasGolfInsider.com
Golf is experiential in every way at the Jack Nicklaus-designed Quivira Golf Club, which is part of the Quivira Los Cabos luxury residential golf community. As are the two Pueblo Bonito resorts located in the community, the course is perched on the water’s edge, simultaneously precarious and beautiful. The body of water is where the Sea of Cortes meets the Pacific Ocean.
Quivira Los Cabos is a perfect getaway for Southern Nevada Golf Association members, and it is now easier than ever to make the trip. Alaska Airlines started direct flights from Las Vegas to Cabo San Lucas in late 2023.
Nicklaus’ 18 holes were crafted amidst a scene so powerful that playing the grand ole game becomes just one piece of the majestic Quivira and Pueblo Bonito tapestry.
“When I first played this course, I fell in love with the game again,” said Antonio Reynante, director of golf and a former professional golfer. “It was as if, all-of a sudden, it didn’t matter if I was playing well or poorly. This game can affect our souls negatively, but it didn’t happen that day. I don’t even remember if I played well or not because it didn’t matter. I was out there playing the game I loved. What I experienced created a deeper connection with the game. That is how strongly I felt—and continue to feel–about this place and how fabulous it is.”
Reynante’s transformative experience bordered on spiritual, and is shared by golfers who travel to Quivira seeking their own golf renaissance. They leave with jaws dropped, eyes in full agaze and hearts full.
Huge dunes, sheer cliffs and rolling foothills are all part of the journey, which, at times, takes golfers to the edge, literally and figuratively. Shot values are amplified by the surroundings. The heart pitter-pats as the beauty—and challenge—grip the emotions.
“Cabo’s golf experience did not need redefining, but Quivira adds to it greatly,” Nicklaus said upon Quivira’s 2014 opening. “I think Quivira is loaded with really good golf holes—unique golf holes. There is good golf even before you get to the ocean holes, which are unlike anything else in Cabo or many other places. I’ve never seen any place that has three holes hanging out over the ocean like this golf course does. They are unbelievable.”
Those “hanging” holes nearly defy description. Following a few get-acquainted holes, the Quivira experience truly begins with the par 4, 6th hole and continues with the par 3, 7th.
An epic cart ride from the 5th green to the 6th tee box takes golfers on a cliff-side journey where the heart pitter-patters yet again due to the gorgeous views and elevation change encountered.
At this point in the story, please pause and view the video and photos associated with holes 5 and 6. While this writer takes pride as a wordsmith, nothing hammered out on a keyboard could do justice to this experience. Then hold on …
The 6th tee box and the green are ultimate golf selfie spots. Guests pause to capture themselves and the backdrop prior to—and during—the playing of this hole. Those who have come before describe the drivable 6th as the “craziest” hole in golf and the “sickest” tee shot in the game. Add in “most magnificent” and the picture is clear.
It is not the norm that a 310-yard, par 4 is rated as the number one handicap hole, but the entire Quivira golf experience is not the norm. The hole is played hundreds of feet above the shoreline. The entire left side is an “infinity golf hole” experience.
On a recent day, Humpback whales played near the shoreline as golfers attempted to successfully play the hole amidst the welcome visual and emotional distractions.
The third “hanging” hole referenced by Nicklaus is the par 3, 14th, which also sits precariously on the edge of a cliff. This is another beauty, full of challenge and intrigue. The tee shot is played to a hidden green with zero room for error to the right.
The Quivira golf experience is highlighted with VIP food and beverage hospitality before, during and post-round. The Quivira Golf Clubhouse is a “thatched-roof oasis located between the first tee and the 18th hole … a breezy beachfront clubhouse that offers ample outdoor seating shaded by slatted rattan ceilings overlooking the sea.” The Quivira Steakhouse and 19th Hole Bar are open daily while the top floor features a private dining room and special event space with spectacular views of the golf course, practice facility and ocean.
While the clubhouse is top shelf, it is the on-course hospitality that truly goes next level. As an all-inclusive facility, Quivira provides complimentary food and refreshments to golfers throughout the round.
The on-course culinary highlight is Oasis, a halfway house nestled in the dunes near the ninth green. The open-air, stone-walled edifice, angled to emerald-green fairways parted through dunes high above the sea, is set with patio tables. The views, again, are stunning.
A full-service bar and kitchen feature a variety of Mexican specialties. In addition to daily drink specials, chicken quesadillas, burger sliders, fish or beef tacos, and other delicacies are available. Homemade hot sauces, mild to volcanic, accent the offerings. The Oasis is one of the most talked about parts of the round and is one of four “comfort stations” available.
As Reynante described the Quivira golf experience as spiritual in nature, so, too, is a stay at Pueblo Bonito Pacifica, the featured resort for this article. According to Rene Virgilio, general manager, the resort was created holistically, and a stay will allow guests to “reconnect.”
“Relaxation is the first thing that comes to mind about Pueblo Bonito Pacifica,” Virgilio says. “We are an adult-only property, and our beach cabanas and the tremendous amenities we have throughout the property all work together to create a feeling of wellness and relaxation. The property was created as a holistic hotel, and you can see and feel the design elements that were created to promote healing and well-being. Throughout the property, you will see rounds and circles, which make people feel calm and relaxed.”
Water is also soothing by nature, and Virgilio says its use throughout the resort is for that reason. A beautiful water feature greets guests in the lobby, while water is artfully placed throughout the property, inside and out.
“We use a lot of water and the lighting also enhances our water décor,” Virgilio says. “In the smaller pool that is closest to the beach, there is a constellation of stars lit up with LED lighting in the bottom of the pool. We experienced a very bad hurricane in 2014, but that night when the storm passed, the sky was full of stars. The lighting in our pool is to symbolize the resurgence of Pacifica and Los Cabos, and to inspire the same in our guests.”
Romance is most assuredly a part of wellness and relaxation. The Pacifica was recognized recently as among “The World’s Most Romantic All-Inclusive Resorts” by Travel + Leisure. The spa, pools, restaurants and bars, and rooms and suites with balconies all add to the romance. A must is to experience dinner in the Peninsula in the Pacifica Towers, which is located steps from the sand.
On-the-beach events and dinners, plus firepit evening experiences are frequent, adding to the Pacifica fantasy. Those staying at a VIP level also enjoy access to the Whale Watching lounge and deck where food and drinks are available.
Appreciating history is a key piece to wellness. Knowing the past will allow for a person to stay present and embrace the future.
On the course, the cart path that leads from the sixth green to the seventh tee swings past a stunning stretch of seaside cliffs to an equally memorable site, the region’s original lighthouse. Situated at kilometer zero at true Land’s End—the exact place where the Sea of Cortes meets the Pacific Ocean—the castle-like lighthouse, known as Faro Viejo, dates to 1905 and is the oldest standing structure in Cabo San Lucas.
Overall, Quivira takes its name from an ancient legend about seven cities of gold. The story is inspired by the historic event in which Mérida, Spain, was conquered by the Moors in 1150 A.D. According to legend, seven bishops founded cities in lands far away. One of the cities was called “Quivira,” and it was said that the streets there were paved with gold. Such was the promise that ushered in the Golden Age of Exploration when explorers like Coronado, Pizarro and Cortes crossed uncharted waters to discover the new world.
There is a “new world” to be discovered at Quivira Los Cabos. To ensure lasting memories, each guest is given a glass heart made in the town of El Arenal at the San Miguel Blown Glass Factory by local artists and artisans including Israel Bautista. The hearts are made from recycled plastic and hand blown at 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
“I made them with my brother-in-law and there’s no school for this,” Bautista says. “You learn it by being around it. I was working in my great-grandfather’s shop as a teenager. Pueblo Bonito Resorts gave me a chance when I was starting out. It’s been a good relationship for everyone.”
Now is the time to let your relationship begin with Quivira Los Cabos.
About Quivira Los Cabos
Quivira Los Cabos is a luxury residential golf resort community and home to two Pueblo Bonito Resorts — Pacifica, where you stayed in The Towers at Pacifica, and Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach—as well as a third lodging option, Montecristo Estates Luxury Villas. There are also several residential communities within Quivira Los Cabos: Copala, Coronado, Novaspania, Alvar, Mavila, and Old Lighthouse Club, luxury estate lots.
Situated on 1,850 acres, with three miles of pristine beaches in Cabo San Lucas, Quivira is a tranquil residential retreat offering everything from world-class amenities and spectacular golf to award-winning spas, dining, and service. Quite simply, Quivira elevates the quintessential Cabo experience, drawing people from around the world year after year.
Info: www.PuebloBonito.com
