IHT: Properties: Getting away from it all in Baja

IHT: Properties: Getting away from it all in Baja

Properties: Getting away from it all in Baja
R. Scott Macintosh IHT
Thursday, October 7, 2004

CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico Thirty years ago, the architect Manuel Díaz Rivera brought his family here to escape the hustle and bustle of Mexico City. At the time, the population was only 900, but there already were three hotels. Díaz Rivera noticed that the stark desert beauty, the long stretches of golden beach and the glistening blue sea held a real attraction for visitors.

"It came to him when he saw the number of little airplanes that were landing behind the Hacienda Hotel," his daughter, Leticia Díaz Rivera, said. "And he counted 90 private yachts and he thought: 'This is it. People are looking for something here.'"

So he bought the mountain at the southernmost tip of the Baja California peninsula, beside the granite outcroppings that mark the natural barrier between the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean. And he named it Pedregal.

Díaz Rivera's once-barren mountain has become prime real estate. Often called the Beverly Hills of Los Cabos, Pedregal's 100 hectares, or 250 acres, enjoy a pre-eminent location, perched above the trendy shops and restaurants of Cabo San Lucas. The estates that line the mountain are known for their idyllic views, mostly of either the Cabo San Lucas marina or the Pacific Ocean.

And the region's two most recognizable landmarks - Los Arcos, the symbolic rock gateway between the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific, and Lover's Beach, the only beach to touch both bodies of water - are due south.

"My house faces the marina, so I like to see the boats come in and fly their flags," said Ed Feinstein, a jeweler and Pedregal resident for 22 years.

"The house is up high, and we get a breeze all of the time. On the ocean side, you get the pounding of the surf that some people like. But you also have the salt in the air and have to wash your windows more often."

A distinct style evolved as Pedregal's first homes were built in the early 1980s. Architects were challenged by the rugged mountain terrain so they designed homes that conformed to the varied pitch, then added classic Mexican details like Cantera stone courtyards and red tile roofs.

Casa Martínez, listed at $2.95 million, is a 465-square-meter, or 5,000-square-foot, house with four bedrooms, six and a half baths and a separate one-bedroom casita, or guest house.

Named for its current owner, it was one of the first large estates and one of 50 on the mountain designed by Manuel Díaz Rivera. It is considered a classic example of the Pedregal style.

"Instead of trying to change the topography of the property to fit the house, they used the topography to design the house," Leticia Díaz Rivera said. "I remember when they were designing Casa Martínez. It was very hard to build."

The property has three main levels connected by stone stairs and several terraces, each with its own pool. The showpiece, however, is a two-tiered courtyard at the rear of the house.

Casa Martínez was renovated several years ago, although some of the original detail was retained to keep the Mexican feel that Díaz Rivera had intended.

The house's hand-carved wooden doors were brought from Guadalajara. There also is extensive tile work, including some colorful Talavera-style tiles with the traditional blue and yellow details inspired by Spanish majolica.

A Pedregal home sells for an average of $2,700 a square meter, and most are second homes, rented out during the year. (Brad Pitt and Peter O'Toole stayed there during filming for "Troy.")

About 30 new houses are being built - and there is space for more - but Pedregal is running out of lots close to the beach or with panoramic views, a shortage that is expected to push their prices up. For example, one plot with spectacular views of both the marina and the Pacific is listed at $2.5 million.

International Herald Tribune