Home of the Month – La Diosa de la Luna

By: Cindy Lee Martin



Pedregal, the first head turning housing enclave in Cabo San Lucas, is well-known for its winding cobble stone streets and hillside mansions.  Visitors often look up the hills and wonder what movie star or business tycoon owns that monster house. Which home was Karen Carpenter’s? Does Sylvester Stallone spend the winter in that house? And, one cannot help but notice the giant glass and concrete structure located at the highest point of Pedregal. Rumours run wild as to the identity of the owner. Is it Demi Moore? Or, the man on the plane who said it is his?  This month we take a look inside this home and talk to the owner. Here is the real story about “La Diosa de la Luna” (The Goddess of the Moon).

Looking up from the street presents the first hint the goddess is an engineering masterpiece. The lot, if you can even call it that, is just a steep cut along the side of a massive granite cliff some 300 feet above sea level.  The home spans this cut and looks at times as if it hangs in space.

To enter the house from the street level one walks up an unassuming number of stairs to the front door.  The iron railing running along the stairs resembles a tangled mass of tree branches. The five foot wide front door made of solid teak swings open from a single hinge located three quarters along the span of the door. Two Chinese characters are carved on the massive door handle plate when translated read, “Moon Palace.” 
                  
It quickly becomes apparent when talking to the owner, let’s call him “John”, that the goddess is his passion. John speaks about his training as a petroleum engineer and the influence of his mother who is an interior designer and his father who built bridges as the source of his inspiration and genius. Although he hired a well known builder, it was John who brought the whole house together.  “We fought a lot,” he said,”so I finally had to take the project over”. And that was no easy feat. “What I wanted was just beyond their ability”. It has taken five years to complete the home and debug it. That doesn’t mean getting rid of some insects; it means fixing all the mistakes and problems. “At times I wanted to sit down and cry,” he said. The biggest problem was the countless water leaks throughout the home. John is still working on that but now most of the issues have been resolved.

The Goddess of the Moon is comprised of three distinct areas. The front entrance brings one into the main living area and the upper master bedroom.  Situated in the middle are the patio, pool and secondary kitchen.  Four guest bedrooms are located in the third wing which is separated from the main house by the terrace pool area. The spaces flow from indoor to outdoor to indoor living bridged by countless water features and lush green plants.

Upon entering through the main door one’s eye is immediately caught by the eclectic blend of contemporary architectural form and modern art with heavy, traditional old world/Mexican furniture. While some contemporary  interior designs  can feel cold and sterile this combination gives the home a warm and relaxing feel while at the same time there is an essence of massive space, light and air. The floor to ceiling windows are one contributing factor to this effect. Not only do they span over 75 feet along the entire length of the kitchen, dining room and living room, the side wall of the living room is also entirely glass. These two glass walls form a corner that is completed suspended with all the support beams above and below the glass. Each windowpane is ¾ inch thick tempered glass and weighs over 700 pounds.

The floor above has the same glass walls so the entire two stories provide a full unobstructed view of miles and miles of the city, the marina and the blue Sea of Cortez. These glass panels have been one major source of John’s headache. They were first installed with simple caulking. During the first hurricane he watched as a river of water flowed through the joints of the panels. He insisted they all be removed and reinstalled. It took three installations before the sheets of glass were perfect. John pounded his fist on one of the windows to demonstrate how strong and resilient they are now.
 
It feels like you are floating above Cabo when one steps onto the patio. A cascading waterfall trickles down the stone wall to the left as you walk over the streaming water that enters a Jacuzzi and infinity pool. The black pebble tech pool runs 108 feet along the front of the property. The back side of the infinity edge is comprised of a single slab of burgundy granite. This too took more than one attempt to secure into place. During the day the pool takes on the blue Cabo sky and the reflection of the plants surrounding it. At night a series of fiber optic lights create a dazzling array of colors. 

La Diosa de la Luna is the perfect home for entertaining. Each of the four guest rooms are tastefully appointed with furnishings from Neiman Marcus. Every bedroom has a large ensuite featuring double sinks, a Jacuzzi tub and separate shower. A curved balcony gives the suite its own access to the outdoors and allows a cool breeze in the room.

The master bedroom which is located in the main section of the home is “over the moon”. It is a multifunctional room providing a self contained retreat for John. Along the back wall of the living room are the infinity stairs that led to the master bedroom.  Each stair is independently attached to the stone wall looking like a series of piano keys ascending vertically.  At the bottom of the stairs is a small mat with a “No Shoes” symbol. This according to John is because the hardwood floor stairs can be slippery so it is for one’s own protection.  He also mentioned his cook knows how many breakfasts to deliver to the master suite in the morning by the number of pairs of shoes at the bottom on the stairs. Hummm – he was probably joking.  

This second level is glass on all three sides and over looks the living room/dining area. Hanging from the ceiling above the living room is a spherical light measuring at least five feet in diameter. It is comprised of tiny crystal balls suspended by silver wires. The thin wires and glass balls make the huge fixture translucent so one can see through it and beyond to the impressive panoramic view. John talks about how he accidently found this fixture while on a buying trip in China. He went there to purchase all the light fixtures for the home and found this almost when he was about to give up his search for the prefect piece for the room.

Touched by the beauty and allure of Cabo, John now spends most of his time here. From the first time he visited he said he never wanted to leave. Once in a blue moon he returns to the States for business but he prefers to do his work the high tech digital way. He has generously hosted several charity events in the goddess and has selectively rented it out to VIP groups.





So who owns “La Diosa de la Luna”? The answer is like the “Man in the Moon” – it can be seen if you look for it. 


Quick Facts:

Location:          Lot 17, Camino Grande, Pedregal
Interior:            8100 Sq. Ft.
Exterior:           5500 Sq. Ft.
Lot size:          11,000 Sq. Ft.
Price:              Sorry, Not for Sale
Quote:             “Aim for the moon, if you miss, you may hit a star”.   -- W. Clement Stone

As a REALTOR® in Cabo, I have toured many extraordinary homes, as well as, a few pretty pathetic disasters. Watch for my column every month as I feature some of the most alluring homes plus their owners. The series of articles along with additional photos for each home can be found at http://homeofthemonth.marcormasters.com I will be searching out properties that offer quality construction, architectural prowess and good value, if for sale.  If you know of a candidate for “Home of the Month” or if you would like assistance finding that special home, please contact me at 624-355-3180 (cellular) or cindy@dreamhomesofcabo.com (e-mail). Hasta luego, Cindy Lee Martin.