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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

  • “My sister summed it up by saying that there was nothing that she would have changed, the holiday was perfect. Mexico was a delight, we had never been before, the…

    RN, Ascot Jun 2014
  • Most memorable experience: The friendliness of the Mexican people

    GW Chertsey Jan 2026
  • Most memorable experiences: "The Archeological sites, the friendly guides and amazing beach in Tulum."

    LS, Ruislip Apr 2015
  • "The tours provided were everything that we hoped, with the tour guides very good."

    GS, Rayleigh May 2015
  • Specific memorable event: Having climbed up the large pyramid at the Mayan site, within the Calakmul biospere, not only did we love the impressive view across the tree canopy, but…

    LG, St Albans Apr 2016
  • Whale watching in San Jose Del Cabo

    CS, Epsom Mar 2016
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Our Expert's Opinion

Mary
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.

Papagaio

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Bartolome, Galápagos

Meet our team

Real Latin american experts

  • Ben
    Ben Line - Travel Expert

    Ben fell in love with Latin America on a six month backpacking trip from Colombia to Mexico in 1995. Since then he has explored most of South America, including living in Peru for a year. He is now Head of Sales.

  • 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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    Sally Dodge - Travel Expert

    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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    Hannah Donaldson - Travel Expert

    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.

  • 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!

  • 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.

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