Pilots Visit Hacienda de los Santos

By Steven W. Ellis, AOPA

Are you itching for a real flying adventure?

Consider taking a flying trip into Mexico. Flying in and out of Mexico is easier than most U.S. pilots realize, fuel is less expensive, and the flying weather is almost always good.

Their are big westernized resorts and destinations, but there are also quiet resorts where flowers, balmy weather, and historic sites blend with lazy days. If that’s what you’re looking for then come to Hacienda de los Santos - House of the Saints - a resort and spa in Alamos, a little town in the state of Sonora in northwestern Mexico.

Jim Swickard and his wife, Nancy, of Tucson, Ariz. own the resort. Alamos is 440 nautical miles southeast of Calexico, Calif. and 330 nm south of Tucson.

Hacienda de los Santos is a luxurious, unique property that is listed in the guidebook Small Luxury Hotels of the World. Only 10 hotels are listed in all of Mexico.

And it’s no stretch to say that luxury resorts built in the southwestern United States during the past 20 years are striving for the look that is authentic at this hotel resort. Yet stays at the Hacienda are surprisingly reasonable, especially compared to four- and five-star resorts north of the border

The Club Pilots de Mexico

As an enticement for pilots to fly to the Hacienda, Swickard created the Club Pilots de Mexico. It’s a very exclusive club - member pilots must successfully land at the Alamos airport, they must be PIC when they land, and they must stay at the Hacienda. There are now more than 500 members in the club, which gathers twice a year for four days to trade flying stories, listen to guest speakers, and enjoy the company of like-minded souls.

For more information call (888) 777-0164 or visit www.haciendadelossantos.com.

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