Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach Review: A Dramatic Sun-kissed Resort

The Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach Resort & Spa is all grown up now!

That makes writing this Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach review a very pleasant task.

We’ve visited the resort (which opened in 2002) several times over the years, noticing how it’s evolved.

We have also stayed at the three other PB Los Cabos resorts (and written a whole post on the best Pueblo Bonito resort in Cabo).

But we hadn’t stayed at the Pueblo Bonito Resort at Sunset Beach until recently. And… We loved our stay!

Now we personally know why it’s so popular with many vacationers who come down to holiday in Cabo, Mexico.

Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach review in brief

Destination resort

The first thing to understand about staying here is that the resort is huge. (It’s much bigger than, say, the adults-only Pueblo Bonito Pacifica, where we’ve also stayed.)

PB Sunset Beach struts its stuff without apology.

Fronting a sun-kissed stretch of golden sand beach, the multi-terraced resort cascades down a hillside overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

It sprawls across more than 50 acres of landscaped gardens, blooming with hot pink bougainvillea.

Large parrot and bird cages are sprinkled about the property.

To get from their room to a pool or restaurant, most guests jump into one of the juiced-up, heavy duty golf buggies (free) that constantly whizz around the property.

(For a little exercise, we liked walking up from the beach to the lobby and back down again.)

In a way, the Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach Resort is a destination resort.

It offers so many dining and activity options that you really feel no need to leave.

The exception is if you want to experience some of Cabo’s popular activities – like whale watching, checking out tropical fish at some of Cabo’s best snorkeling spots and swimming with whale sharks at La Paz.

Time-share resort

Another important point to note is that – like many of the resorts in Cabo San Lucas – the Pueblo Bonito at Sunset Beach offers time-shares.

What is a time-share? Also known as vacation ownership, a time-share typically involves the right to stay at a resort (usually for one week), where you share your right to use the resort with other time-share owners.

Many of the guests at PB Sunset Beach are time-share owners who have either bought into this resort or traded in from another resort.

But you can also stay here without owning a time-share, and there are many other guests who do just that. You can book through any online travel agency, for example, Booking or Expedia.

Upon checking in, you’ll likely be invited to attend a time-share presentation (90 minutes long).

It’s a good deal because you’ll be offered a cash gift for attending, to be used at the resort (e.g., a spa treatment).

You may also be able to redeem the gift for a 50% discount off the all-inclusive price of food and drinks, if you haven’t bought an all-inclusive plan in advance.

Full-service resort

Like any other 5-star hotel around the world, expect the resort to be full service, including daily room cleaning and drink-and-food service at the pools.

Indeed, the PB Sunset Beach is one of the best hotels in Cabo San Lucas.

Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach rooms

The resort has 635 air-conditioned suites, all of which have ocean views.

Beds are super comfy and come with thick feather-tops on the plush beds. (We loved sinking into our king bed at night!)

The suites are scattered all about the property in many low-rise, Mediterranean-style buildings.

Some are right by the beach, others are higher up the hillside closer to the lobby or various pools.

1) Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach junior suite

Junior suites are 538 square feet in size and come with a large terrace.

Ours was beachfront, with a ground-floor terrace, which we’d use to walk directly out onto manicured lawns fronting the beach.

Think of these junior suites as large studios.

From the entrance door, you enter into your suite’s hallway, which has a kitchenette built into one side.

There’s a tall apartment-size fridge and microwave, and on the granite countertop, you’ll find two cooktops, a toaster and coffee pot.

If you wish, you could fry up eggs in the morning for breakfast and heat up soup in the microwave for lunch.

But you don’t have an oven for cooking a full hot dinner. (You’re on holiday, though, so you probably don’t want to cook anyway!)

The bathroom leads off from the entrance hall. It has a large stone shower with glass door, a granite countertop with a single sink and a separate toilet room.

If you’re being really picky, you might wish the bathrooms could be updated to add shelves under the counter and to freshen up the look. (And we expect, in time, this will be done.)

The bedroom and living area are open plan, furnished with a king bed (or two double beds), bedside tables, cabinet with TV opposite the bed, round dining table with four chairs, and a living room armchair.

Sliding glass doors lead to your spacious terracotta tile terrace with a patio table and two oversize metal chairs, covered with cushions about 9 inches thick.

The terrace is lovely for sipping your morning coffee or watching the sunset with a glass of wine in hand.

The junior suites are perfect for couples, though they can sleep 4 people (2 adults and 2 children).

2) Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach executive suite

The executive suites are one-bedroom, 2-bath suites (1,088 square feet), with either a king bed or two queen beds in the separate enclosed bedroom.

One bathroom has a shower, while the second bathroom has a tub with a shower.

These executive suites sleep up to 6 people.

3) Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach super executive suite

The super executive suites are the same size as the executive suites but feature a Jacuzzi on the terrace or balcony.

Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach restaurants

When it comes to eating and drinking, you won’t lack for choice at the PB Sunset Beach.

The resort itself boasts some six separate restaurants.

In addition, you have signing privileges and can dine around at its two sister resorts on Medano Beach (Pueblo Bonito Rose and Pueblo Bonito Los Cabos), as well as at the Quivira Steakhouse restaurant on the golf course built exclusively for PB owners and guests.

Market at Quivira

The newish Market at Quivira is said to be inspired by the great food halls of Europe.

It’s a very large attractive space separated into smaller different dining areas, including a sushi bar, pizza-and-pasta trattoria, Mexican cantina, Asian food resto, fresh fruit smoothie station and ice-cream parlor. See their healthy “Perfect Balance” breakfast, lunch and dinner menu.

We ate breakfast one morning in the 1950’s Diner section, filling up on a full American breakfast while listening to Johnny Cash and other great music from the 50’s.

Market at Quivira: Open from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm

LaFrida Restaurant

One of the many interesting facts about Mexican food is that it can be very sophisticated and refined. Dine at LaFrida, and you’ll discover this for yourself – and chances are, you’ll never think of Mexican food in quite the same way again.

At LaFrida, you’re greeted by a hostess dressed to look a little like Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.

Sit indoors at this very elegant restaurant in a candle-lit room, decorated with colorful paintings of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo and Mexican tapestries.

Or choose the outdoor terrace with lovely ocean views (if it’s not dark yet).

But if they have it, go for the 5-course tasting menu. It really is exceptional!

The menu changes constantly, depending on what’s seasonal and fresh (and the chef’s inspiration).

Some of the courses we tucked into included tuna with avocado mousse; a mussel-and-chorizo soup (where the tomato cream broth was poured on top at the table); and for dessert, a warm pumpkin volcano cake with rice pudding ice-cream sprinkled with grated Cotija cheese.

LaFrida: Dinner from 5:30 to 10:30 pm

Quivira Steakhouse

Within earshot of the breaking surf, the casual beachfront Quivira Steakhouse has both outdoor and indoor seating.

We were seated by an outdoor firepit – perfect for taking the chill off the January night air!

The Quivira salad with goat cheese, strawberries and baby lettuce was both healthy and tasty.

(And it was reassuring to know that you can eat raw fruits and vegetables at the PB resorts – a sign in the lobby indicated that Sunset Beach follows stringent food safety guidelines.)

Steaks, though, are the real reason for dining at the Quivira Steakhouse.

And there’s a great selection of filet mignon, rib eye, New York and other juicy pieces of meat on offer.

Don’t forget to order your choice of Bearnaise, pink peppercorn or port gravy sauce for an extra flavor boost!

Quivira Steakhouse: Dinner from 5:00 to 10:00 pm

Zao Shen Asian Kitchen

This new Asian restaurant serves up dishes from all over Asia.

Tazuna

Soak in the serene ocean views from Tazuna’s open-air terrace.

La Nao

La Nao serves lavish breakfast and dinner buffets. For dinner, the buffets are themed – seafood night, Asian food night and so on.

This dining space was our favorite for breakfast.

Service was fast, with lots of helpful servers to bring cappuccinos and deliver bacon and extras from the kitchen.

We especially liked the fresh made-to-order smoothie station, with a huge selection of exotic Mexican fruits and veggies to choose from.

Inside, it’s very elegant – housed in a glass and marble pavilion, where you’re seated at big colorful dining room chairs around tables with white tablecloths.

All-inclusive option

Depending on how you book, you may have the option to buy an all-inclusive package.

Here’s everything you want to know about the Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach all-inclusive cost.

Sunset Beach

Sunset Beach in front of the resort is a very wide swath of gold sand beach.

It’s bordered on one side by rock boulders (to the right as you face the ocean) and to the left by Pedregal Beach.

You cannot swim here, however – rip tides and strong surf make it unsafe. But the beach is gorgeous for walking along in the morning or late in the afternoon.

Just be careful not to get too close to the water’s edge. (Rogue waves have been known to sweep people out to sea on the Pacific side of the Baja Peninsula.)

To splash about in the ocean, take the resort’s free shuttle (described below) to sister resort Pueblo Bonito Rose.

It’s located on Medano Beach, one of the best beaches in Cabo San Lucas.

You can swim to your heart’s content at Medano Beach, which is calm and safe. (It’s Cabo’s most popular swimming beach.)

Pools

The mega-resort has six pools – and we hung out by most of them (except the family pool).

Main beach pool

The Main Beach Pool is closest to the beach (by La Nao) and has the best close-up beach views.

Adult pool

Located in the center of the property (beside the family pool), the Adult Pool is the quietest and doesn’t have any pool music playing (like at the other pools).

Sky pool

Take a buggy up to the Sky Pool to check out the scene at the very top of the resort.

The 180 degree bird’s eye views of the blue Pacific from up here are staggering!

Complete with a swim-up bar, the two-tiered freeform Sky Pool (with lounge chairs all around) is very popular.

The music rocks, and everyone who hangs out at this pool enjoys the party atmosphere, whether they’re toe-tapping while playing cards or blissing out like sluggish sea lions soaking up the sun.

Pueblo Bonito spa

Who can resist the pull of a soothing spa? Not us!

Cloaked in pink marble and terracotta tile, the resort’s lovely Armonia Spa features traditional Mexican décor with wrought iron furniture.

It boasts 22 treatment rooms, and the spa uses its own line of organic spa products.

We luxuriated in a couples’ Swedish massage – excellent!

Before your treatment, you’re invited to arrive 30 minutes or so earlier to wallow in the spa’s wet room.

The men’s and ladies’ changing areas each have their own large stone hot pool, a cold plunge pool, steam room and sauna.

Each side also has its own relaxation room with tea and cucumber water.

Quivira Golf

Do you like to golf? Well then, you’ll be in golf heaven as you tee off on the Quivira Golf Club.

The Jack Nicklaus signature course was created for the exclusive use of Pueblo Bonito owners and guests (and Quivira house owners).

With gob-smacking views of the Pacific Ocean, it winds around mammoth wind-swept dunes and granite cliffs.

One couple we met raved about how fabulous the course is.

“Gorgeous. Stunning. But challenging!” is how they described it.

Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach shuttle

The resort runs a free shuttle to its sister property, Pueblo Bonito Rose on Medano Beach.

It leaves every hour from Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach, and returns every hour from the Rose resort. The ride is about 20 minutes long.

Book the shuttle the night before, as it does fill up in the busy winter season.

From the Rose, you can walk into Cabo San Lucas town to shop or go out to eat (about a 15-minute walk).

Other Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach reviews

See TripAdvisor reviews of the Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach.

---

---

Photo credits: 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 19, 24 to 26 © Janice and George Mucalov, SandInMySuitcase | Remaining photos Pueblo Bonito Resorts

---

We were invited to stay at Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach Golf Resort & Spa as media guests for review purposes. But all opinions, words and Mexican daydreams are our own.

---