CASA PEZZ, Unique Palapa House on the East Cape, Baja California Sur, Mexico | House in Cabo Pulmo

Casa Pezz is a unique off-grid house on the East Cape of Baja Sur, Mexico. The 2-story, 2-bedroom, 3-bed, 3-bathroom house has an intriguing octagonal floor plan beneath a traditional mexican palapa roof. It is located in the secure community of Castillo de Arena, which is comprised mostly of Canadians and Americans. The house is on a hillside with an expansive southeast view overlooking the Sea of Cortez. The beach is about 1/2 mile (800 m) east -- a 12-minute walk or 3-minute drive. Sunrises from the porch are a definite highlight. It is rare to find such a secluded, quiet, safe, and clean setting where one can enjoy hikes up the numerous arroyos or long walks on an empty beach. Casa Pezz is a great place to experience Baja Mexico, a lot of space to contemplate the mysteries of the universe, while fishing, diving, eating, and having fun with family and friends. Where the desert meets the ocean, and the sun shines over 300 days a year.
The house works well for 4 people: 1 or 2 couples, a couple with 1 or 2 children, or 3 singles. The upstairs is one large common area (~1400 sq ft with bathroom) beneath a traditional palapa roof, with the kitchen, a large dining table for 8 people, two leather couches, leather pillows, a leather recliner, and the TV/internet. One corner is enclosed with a bathroom toilet and sink with a large, rock-enclosed, outdoor shower. The downstairs bedroom (~400 sq ft) has 2 twin beds and a couch, and a bathroom toilet and sink with a large indoor shower. The twin beds can be joined to make a king bed.
There is no carpet -- all the floors are rock or cement. All the showers and countertops are tile and rock. There is no furnace or air conditioner or dishwasher. For the hot months, there are several electric oscillating fans upstairs and downstairs. Most of the year, the fans are not needed-- the ocean breezes are very comfortable if not chilly some mornings.
The palapa roof has an open cupola, which allows for nice ventilation upstairs -- sometimes birds fly into the house, as most are welcome visitors. Expect to find lizards and geckos around the house, in the windows, and sometimes skittering on the inside walls. Geckos are one of the few lizard species that make a noise or a chirp. They are nocturnal so you will hear them almost every night. They do not bite, and there are very few biting insects in Baja.
Food and Water
You will enjoy your time here the most if you come prepared with plenty of your preferred foods, drinks, and entertainment. Unless you want to spend most of a day driving the East Cape Road to San Jose to go shopping, you are advised to bring as much food and supplies as you will want for your stay. Numerous spices, oils, and condiments are provided at the house, but if you have a certain preference for something, you should bring it. Water at the house and in Cabo Pulmo and Los Cabos is safe to drink. Purified water is provided at the house.
There is no dishwasher, microwave oven, or electrical appliances other than a small coffee maker and coffee grinder. Please no hair dryers or curling irons, they draw too much power for the solar system. There is a large propane BBQ grill/smoker, with numerous accessories, and dining table for 6 people on the front porch.
Unless you like to cook, consider eating a few meals in Cabo Pulmo so as to enjoy the fresh local seafood, the real fresh-squeezed lime margaritas, and meet some locals. The 5 or 6 restaurants in Pulmo are excellent, and it is a brief scenic drive from the house. Fresh fish tacos every day! Octopus ceviche and aguachile. The Casa has a list of local restaurants, locations, and what they offer.
Off-Grid Living
Living off-grid comes with the responsibility to be judicious with the use of electricity. The bank of PV solar panels at Casa Pezz (at noon on a sunny day) have a maximum capacity of 2.4 kW, which is relatively large for the house's typical demands. The refrigerator/freezer is a constant draw whereas TV, internet, and lights are used mostly during the mornings and evenings. Understand that several cloudy days may restrict your use of power, and your mornings could get "dark." The lights are all LED or fluorescent, but it pays to turn them off when not needed. Dead batteries also means food in the refrigerator may get warm. Basically you have the responsibility to conserve electricity to ensure you have plenty of power to enjoy your vacation.
Cell Service
There is no cell tower reception once you get about 10 miles away from San Jose del Cabo. No one gets cell service no matter your provider, so do not plan on calling, texting, or using Google Maps to navigate. Once you get close to Cabo Pulmo, there is a cell tower, and you can pick it up on some of the ridges nearby. The significance comes about if your vehicle breaks down or you are stuck and in need of a recovery, you cannot call me or your rental company or AAA or anyone from most points along the East Cape Road. Options are to hitch a ride either north to the house or south to San Jose until you can get cell service.
Leave the safety of civilization and cell phone service, and one soon realizes how remote this small spot of outback Mexico is on this huge planet, even though San Jose and Los Cabos Airport are only 30 miles away. One small part of the adventure at the house on the East Cape is to know what it means to be, and to know that you are, self-sufficient.
Location
Casa Pezz is located near the middle of the East Cape of Baja Sur (Latitude 23.304768°N, Longitude -109.436210°W), approximately 10 miles south of the Tropic of Cancer (23.45°N). The East Cape is lined with white sand and coral beaches with warm, clear waters of the Sea of Cortez that make for excellent diving and some of the world’s best sportfishing.
Casa Pezz is accessed via the East Cape Road (Camino Cabo Este), which is a rugged, seldom-graded, dirt and sand road. There are 3 different routes to access the house from San Jose Del Cabo International Airport, and they all take 1 ½ to 2 hours to drive (see below). The Casa is 2 ½ hours drive from Cabo San Lucas.
A high clearance vehicle with good tires is advised for driving all routes to Casa Pezz. Small compact cars do OK, just slow going in several sections. Watch for occasional cows, burros, goats, dogs, and humans. Plan that it takes two hours to drive, especially when leaving to catch a flight. If a hurricane or tropical storm has visited the area recently, check with someone locally before you get halfway and have to turn back. Make sure you have a usable spare tire and a good jack. It is difficult to drive the East Cape road fast unless you have a dune buggy or a Baja Trophy truck, which may pass you. On the East Cape Road, like other dirt roads in Mexico, there are no restrictions on what type of vehicle you can drive, and there is no speed limit. So when you see motorcycles and buggies, and derelict old work trucks in the rear view mirror, best to pull over where possible.
Climate
The climate is arid with over 300 days of sunshine, with some years of over 350 days. Average annual rainfall is 10 inches (25.4cm), with more rain occurring during the month of September than the other months. The hottest months are July, August, and then June, with highs in early August regularly around 95°F (35°C), and rarely dropping below 79.3°F (26.3°C) at night. The least humid month is May (26.7% relative humidity), and the most humid month is September (55.4%). Probably the most comfortable time to visit is December through February, when the average high temperatures are between 82.9°F (28.3°C) and 77°F (25°C), moderate humidity, and it might sprinkle rain on a rare day or two.
Wind on the East Cape is calm, except during infrequent tropical storms. On average over decades of records from San Jose, the windiest month is June, followed by July and January. June’s average wind speed of around 7.8 knots (9 MPH or 14.4 KPH) is considered “a gentle breeze.”
Hurricane season in Los Cabo officially runs from May 15 through November 30. The stormiest weather occurs in September, and often, there is very little. Usually the worst weather is a few days of higher than usual winds and waves, with some heavy rain. Very few storms or hurricanes have actually “hit land” on the East Cape, but some have, like "Odile" in 2014 that hit Cabo San Lucas. The weather can change fast on the East Cape, and storms can be expected during the summer months. It will be obvious when large tropical storms are building, and then it pays to watch weather forecasts.
Fishing
The East Cape of Baja is known for some of the world’s best striped marlin fishing, as well as world-class dorado and yellowfin tuna. The fishing grounds off the East Cape are very close offshore, in the relatively calm and warm waters of the Sea of Cortez. Occasionally, only 15- to 25-mile runs will be needed to reach the bite, but on most days you can hook billfish just a mile or so off the beach where a few deep canyons run adjacent to the coast. Middleweight game fish hug these East Cape inshore waters, whereas striped marlin, blue marlin, black marlin, sailfish, dorado (mahi-mahi), and tuna prowl the deeper offshore waters.
Scuba Diving
With over 850 species of reef fish, the Sea of Cortez is one of the most prolific bodies of water on Earth. Cabo Pulmo National Park offers world-class scuba diving and snorkeling on the few remaining living coral reefs on Earth. Scuba diving here is known for encounters with large pelagics such as whalesharks and giant mantas, and it is one of the areas where hammerheads school. Dive with enormous schools of reef fish found no where else in the world.
Rental Rates and Minimum Stay are Negotiable: Depends on Number of People and Length of Stay. Please Inquire about rates and availability for 1-, 2-, and 3-night stays, and weekly and monthly rates are discounted.
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This 3 Bedrooms House provides accommodation with Spa, Entertainment, Child Friendly, for your convenience. This House features many amenities for guests who want to stay for a few days, a weekend or probably a longer vacation with family, friends or group. This House is less than 3 km from Los Frailes, and gives visitors the opportunity to explore it. The rental House has 3 Bedrooms and 3 Bathrooms to make you feel right at home.

Check to see if this House has the amenities you need and a location that makes this a great choice to stay in Los Frailes. Enjoy your stay in Los Frailes at this House.