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Desert Inn

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A simple hotel with pool catering well for visitors to the whale watching town San Ignacio in Baja California. 

The Desert Inn is a five minute walk from San Ignacio’s pretty tree-shaded plaza which hosts the little town’s ornate and imposing Jesuit mission church. The economy here is dedicated to whale-watching but there’s also a palm-defined green lagoon with good bird spotting opportunities.

The mission-style accommodation is mostly on one level with rooms connected by an arched terrace, and is set beside lawns in extensive grounds studded with a fountain and dazzling bougainvillea among other tropical foliage.  Most of the guest rooms face a decent-sized, lounger-fringed swimming pool , good for splashing around in rather than swimming. The fairly basic rooms are spacious and airy and although the décor is unremarkable the hotel serves its purpose as a comfortable, friendly option in a good location. Some guest rooms are intentionally dark to keep them cool, a respite in the fierce Baja heat. There’s also a large restaurant on site.

Bartolome, Galápagos

What our clients say

  • Highlights: Boat trip to Yaxchilan - jungle and ruins were great.  Gardens and pool at Hacienda Chichen were lovely. Cuernavaca was a lovely town and we enjoyed Robert Brady museum….San…

    CW, London Jul 2026
  • The visit to Calakmul which was hard work but the reward of climbing the pyramids and seeing the jungle stretching in all directions will stay in the memory.  This was…

    PH, Westcliff-on-sea Dec 2016
  • There were many highlights: the beautiful beach on our first morning in Cancun, the boat ride among the flamingos at Celestun, the sight of the Magicians Pyramid at Uxmal and…

    AF, Merriott Feb 2020
  • Highlights: Palenque site. The beach at Tulum

    JB, Leatherhead Feb 2016
  • Most memorable experience? “It's impossible to pick any individual aspect; but a number of experiences stood out: the visit to the "voodoo" church at St Juan Chamula (extraordinary and unexpected),…

    AR, Gospel Oak Apr 2012
  • Most Memorable Moment?: Hard to say as we enjoyed every part of our trip. We loved the mixture of ancient sites and other attractions so we did not feel overwhelmed…

    DS, Paisley Dec 2016
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Our Expert's Opinion

Finn Clennett
Finn Clennett - Travel Expert

Papagaio

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Bartolome, Galápagos

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  • Sophie
    Sophie Barber - Travel Expert

    Sophie lived in Chile before joining us and has travelled extensively across Latin America, from Mexico to the furthest tip of Patagonia and beyond to Antarctica.

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    Mary Anne Nelson - Travel Expert

    Born in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, Mary’s insider knowledge and dry sense of humour make her a highly valued member of the Tailor-made Holidays and Group Tour sales team.

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    Hannah Waterhouse - Travel Expert

    Hannah had an early introduction to Latin America when her family moved to Ecuador and she returned to study in Buenos Aires for a year before backpacking across the continent.

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    Kathryn Rhodes - Travel Expert

    Kathryn backpacked across Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Peru before joining us. She has a degree in Philosophy and French and is a keen netball player.

  • Maggie
    Maggie Wilson - Travel Expert

    Maggie visited Latin America on her first backpacking trip when she was 19. Since then, she has taken every opportunity to travel, and has managed to explore a lot of the region in subsequent trips.

  • Charlotte
    Charlotte Daubeney - Travel Expert

    Charlotte's fascination with Latin America began with a family holiday to Belize. She went on to study Spanish in school and at university before spending a year living in Santiago, Chile.

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