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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

  • It is very difficult as pretty well everything was memorable, but if I have to pick something, then the boat trip along the river to Yaxchilan takes some beating. Weather,…

    RB, Eastleigh Feb 2020
  • 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
  • "While is difficult to find the better part, staying in the Hacienda Chichen Resort was magical, seen the Toh bird in Tanka was wonderful, as was swimming in the cenotes…

    LCS, London Sep 2014
  • Most memorable experience: The friendliness of the Mexican people

    GW Chertsey Jul 2026
  • Visiting Uxmal

    DS, Ware Apr 2016
  • “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
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Our Expert's Opinion

Kathryn
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.

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Bartolome, Galápagos

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  • Hannah
    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.

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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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    Paul Winrow-Giffin - Travel Expert

    After graduating in Computer Science, Paul spent seven months travelling from Colombia to Argentina and came home hooked on Latin America.

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    Anglo-Peruvian Chris grew up in Lima and spent much of his adult life in between London and Cusco as a tour leader, before settling permanently in our London-based Tailor-made and Group Tours sales team.

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    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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    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.

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