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Baja Update: Danzante Hotel Loses its Battle

Posted by Intelligent Travel on November 25, 2008
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Traveler photographer Ralph Lee Hopkins, who shot the images in our current feature, “Is Baja on the Block?” emailed us the other day with some frustrating news.

Baja.jpgIn the Nov/Dec issue of Traveler, the Danzante Resort was mentioned in James Conaway’s article, “Is Baja on the Block?” as the closest thing to a sustainable resort in Baja Californa. Sadly, I learned after the story went to press that this solar-powered nine-room eco-friendly resort south of Loreto has been sold.

Owners Lauren and Michael Farley ended a long and expensive battle with developers that bought up the land around them and wanted their beachfront. The fight is now over. Danzante has been swallowed by a mega-resort that will include high-rise hotels and a championship golf course. The small fishing town nearby has also been purchased.  Rumor has it that the Mexican government has granted the necessary environmental permits to begin construction. Another pristine stretch of waterfront and wetlands along the Sea of Cortez will soon be changed and a way of life lost forever. Danzante is a prime example of what is being lost in Baja California.

Read More: Conaway recently noted that several organizations are working to help preserve the marine heritage in Baja. See his recent blog post for ways to help support them.

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  1. Jack - eyeflare travel advice
    November 26, 2008, 3:11 pm

    Great, so now the reason people are traveling to Baja is being corrupted with high rises and sun lounger rentals?! Where does one go for some peace, quiet, and blue seas anymore?

  2. Randy
    January 1, 2009, 6:11 pm

    What these people will be doing is creating an environental nightmare. I have just returned from an extensive Baja trip and it was easy to see that not many people were there compared to many previous ones. In this economy, these developers are creating something that nobody will want nor be able to afford. Danzante and it’s owners were some special, it makes me feel sad and disgusted just to think about there demise and that of the whole area.

  3. Japan hotels
    January 7, 2009, 2:57 am

    Is this true – Danzante Eco Resort is comprised of only 9 solar powered suites and there are no phones or Internet, nobody from the outside world will be able to track you down??
    - Sujan P

  4. Laurel
    January 23, 2009, 11:40 am

    I stayed at Danzante with my University of San Diego research group in June/July 2007 and WE LOVED IT! It was a wonderfully well-kept eco-resort with astonishing views… we kayaked to the nearby islands and snorkeled in pristine waters. The scenery while hiking the adjacent mountains was breathtaking – and we all slept on the patios amidst the perfect stars and relaxing waves. When we swam at night, there was enough bioluminescent plankton to light up the waters brightly. It was a magical experience and I am very hurt to see it go; I wanted to have my honeymoon at Danzante. It inspired me to save money to build an eco-resort one day. It will be missed.

  5. Gerry McCormack
    April 15, 2009, 12:51 pm

    Boo! Hoo! What a loss! Lauren and Michael provided me with one of the few “old Baja” experiences I have had since my trips of 30 years ago. What will happen to the villagers? Shame on rich developers. Shame on the Mexican government.

  6. Thomas Koller
    August 18, 2009, 7:12 am

    I travelled the baja twice and like everywhere on this earth all protect-worthy areas on eath vanish becausce a special brainless kind of men destroy the last hidden places on earh forever.I don´t understand this developments anymore. Is really greed the last value? In this name these countries waste their last treasures!

  7. Bruce Fuller
    November 11, 2009, 8:32 pm

    I am truly horrified. My wife and I spent a couple of weeks there in 2003, and it was a life-changing experience. This was a paragon of an eco-friendly, community-oriented business, employing local widows of fishermen to cook local foods, building schools for the local village, and sponsoring their students to go to college. All those dreams gone. What a waste. Greed wins again.

  8. Kevin
    December 14, 2009, 1:10 am

    I’m so very sad to hear this! We read of the Danzante in an outdated travel guide and it was the first place we wanted to visit. I agree with others, what a waste of mexico.

  9. Peter Stokes
    January 2, 2010, 1:18 pm

    Just read about the demise of Danzante – what an absolute disaster, and I feel so sorry for Mike and Lauren. Does human greed have no bounds? My wife and I stayed at Danzante in 2006 – we do try to search out these sort of true eco-resorts [as opposed to those who use the phrase fraudulently] – but couldn’t believe our luck at finding Mike and Laurens creation. One day we went sea kayaking along the coast, and paddled straight past Danzante on the way back – that was how unobtrusive it was – simply blended into its environment – fantastic achievement which will now be ruined by the greed of mega millionaire developers and corrupt government wanting to add to their fortunes at the cost of the beautiful local environment and the way of life of the local people. Please do not tell me this will be an advantage in jobs and money to the local population – that is the usual trash peddled by these people – fact is they care not one ‘iota’ for such valuable things, they run ‘rough shod’ over everyone’s true wishes. We spent some time with the locals at Danzante and they were terrified of what was happening to their way of life! Tragic, Tragic, Tragic!

  10. D. Sakurai
    February 19, 2010, 1:06 am

    So devastated by this news. I stayed twice at Danzante and it was one of the few unspoiled places in Baja. Will Loreto go the way of Cabo? Anyone know what happened to Lauren and Michael?

  11. Chris
    April 8, 2010, 3:50 pm

    very disappointing. My wife and I spent our Honeymoon at Danzante. I am saddend by this news. I was hoping for a return trip to the hotel. It was amazing what could be done with some hard work and living within ones means. They helped the community and employed locals. Truely a sad day for me.

  12. Erin
    April 8, 2010, 4:58 pm

    Sad day! My husband and I stayed at Danzante almost 5 years ago for our honeymoon. I saw this article as I was looking into the possibility of returning for our 5-year anniversary.
    I’ll ditto D. Sakurai’s question about Lauren and Michael…

  13. NikolasJosh
    May 27, 2010, 6:53 am

    They have worked so hard to build an eco-friendly resort based entirely on solar power only to lose the battle with developers that want to build in the area. This is just unfair and sad :( -

  14. Larry Dunmire
    June 13, 2010, 12:16 pm

    I, too, fell in love with Danzante and Lauren & Mike Farley, once I was able to find their magical, out of the way eco resort, with the superb view of Danzante Island and the jade green Sea of Cortez. So sad to read of their loss of their battle with the hotel giant, and what is to become of this once-quiet oasis near Loreto. What a spot it was! I stopped off at Danzante no fewer than five or six times while driving up and down the Baja Peninsula on assignment for Cabo Living Magazine, and also the Fodor’s Los Cabos & Baja Peninsula travel guidebook. Anyone interested in another resort very similar to Danzante should consider the little Villa del Faro, located out on Cabo’s East Cape, also seriously solar-powered and with wonderful meals and accommodations! Contact their affable manager, Devora, and tell ‘em “Lorenzo” sent you to ‘em.