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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 aspect: “All the visits to temples and pyramids. With very knowledgeable and extremely pleasant guides

    JB Wandsworth Dec 2012
  • Most memorable aspect: “The view from Monte Alban across Oaxaca and the valleys around. Eating in Cafe Tacuba in Mexico City with a troop of troubadours playing would come a…

    JB, Dublin Feb 2026
  • I would have no hesitation in recommending the company and we will in future certainly use you again.  Everything that was arranged happened to time which for what I had…

    BH Tonbridge May 2015
  • We had a lovely day at the waterfalls and coffee plantation when in Huatulco.  We also did a tour of the bays which included snorkelling which was very enjoyable. We…

    PT, Arundel Feb 2020
  • "Many highlights: The views at Uxmal. Waking up with a view of the observatory at Chichen Itza from our hotel bed. The excellent guides. The friendliness of the staff (and…

    TR, Farnham Jan 2015
  • JLA definitely know the Latin American market and we have been very satisfied with both the tailor made and small group tour options. Mexico, like other Latin American countries, does…

    ML Runcorn Feb 2026
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Our Expert's Opinion

Hannah
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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Bartolome, Galápagos

Meet our team

Real Latin american experts

  • 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.

  • Hannah
    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.

  • Finn Clennett
    Finn Clennett - Travel Expert

  • Lina
    Lina Fuller - Travel Expert

    Lina's passion for the continent where she was born really took off when she moved to Córdoba (Argentina) to study, spending the holidays travelling between Argentina and her native Colombia.

  • 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.

  • Heloise
    Heloise Buxton - Travel Expert

    Heloise started her Latin American journey as an exchange student in Santiago, Chile. With extended summer holidays this was the perfect opportunity to backpack through Bolivia, Peru, Argentina and Brazil.

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