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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

  • 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
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    LG, St Albans Apr 2016
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    MK, London Jun 2017
  • Highlights?: Probably seeing the Diego Rivera murals in Mexico City although it is hard to pick out as there were so many moments that we loved. A boat trip on…

    JT, Thames ditton May 2018
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  • All of the tour guide experiences were memorable and we loved Mexico city. There was so much to see and do in such a short week. I would love to…

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Our Expert's Opinion

Juliet
Juliet Ellwood - Travel Expert

After graduating with a degree in Anthropology and History and having been fascinated by Latin America since childhood by the book featuring photos of Nazca, Juliet first visited the region in 2003. Since then, Juliet has visited the majority of countries in Latin America but has particularly extensive experience with Peru, a country she loves for many reasons but not least, its incredible archaeological richness and delicious food!

Papagaio

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Bartolome, Galápagos

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    Having spent part of her childhood in Colombia and worked in Brazil and Costa Rica, Hannah's ties to Latin America run deep. Hannah is a much valued Travel Expert in our Tailor-made Holidays and Group Tours sales team.

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    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.

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    A former Journey Latin America tour leader, Sally spent 7 years working, travelling and living throughout Latin America before returning to the UK to help people arrange their own adventures to this wonderful destination.

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