Club Ninety Six
Members-only club on Palmilla Beach tied to Villas del Mar, with dining, wellness and curated events.
Club Ninety Six is the private beach club of Villas Del Mar, the residential community at Palmilla on the Tourist Corridor near San José del Cabo. Its name recalls 1996, the year Villas Del Mar was born, when developer Ken Schnitzer Sr. began building homes around the historic Hotel Palmilla, now the One&Only Palmilla. The club itself officially opened in 2005, and it remains one of the most exclusive addresses on this stretch of coast.
It sits on the shore of Palmilla Beach, a short walk or golf-cart ride from members’ villas, with long views across the Sea of Cortez and, in winter, the chance to see humpback whales offshore. Independent guides count Palmilla among the better swimming beaches near San José del Cabo, though the surf can be livelier than at Chileno or Medano, so it pays to check conditions.
It earns its place on this list for the way it combines a resort-level offer with the atmosphere of a private home. Recent renovations, in 2022 and 2023, brought a remodeled kitchen with a chef’s table, a refreshed pool deck, a renovated children’s pool and the launch of Oceano, its oceanfront restaurant and bar.
What to expect
Expect a calm, family-oriented club. Oceano’s menu is carried down to the pool and the beach during the day, with ceviches, tacos, wood-fired pizzas and cocktails, and the club also runs Bar Ninety Six, Café Espíritu, Market Ninety Six and in-villa dining. Children’s programs, fitness classes and wellness sessions, along with a seasonal calendar of events and sea turtle releases on the club’s beach, fill the days.
Good to know
- Membership is exclusive to Villas Del Mar homeowners, who may bring guests.
- Member Services handles reservations and questions by phone or email.
- The club is at Palmilla, kilometer 27.5 of the Transpeninsular Highway near San José del Cabo.
- Winter, roughly December to March, is whale-watching season along this coast.