Join PMOPA for a Winter Fly-out Getaway to Mexico
December 6-11, 2026 to Álamos, Sonora, Mexico
Overview
Join fellow PMOPA members for an unforgettable six-day, five-night fly-out to Hacienda de los Santos, a luxury resort and spa in the historic colonial city of Álamos, Sonora, Mexico. Located less than 500 miles south of Tucson and nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Madre Mountains, Álamos is known for its beautifully preserved architecture, rich culture, welcoming atmosphere, and ideal winter weather. During our stay, members will enjoy exceptional accommodations, outstanding cuisine, organized activities, and the camaraderie that comes from exploring a remarkable destination together.
Activities & Experiences:
Please note that many of the resort's activities are geared towards adults. If you plan to bring children, you may wish to investigate alternative activities that would be of interest to them. Upon arrival to the Hacienda please check-in with Reception and sign-up for any of the events of your choice. Most Cooking Classes have limits on seating: Activities throughout the week may include:
- Authentic Mexican cooking classes with the Hacienda chefs
- Guided walking tours of historic Álamos
- Home and garden tours benefiting local educational programs
- Hiking excursions in the surrounding foothills
- Flower art classes with local artisans
- Excursions to the historic silver-mining village of Aduana
- The famous Álamos Red Train tour
- Evening live music and entertainment
- Spa services and relaxation at the resort
- Texas Hold'em tournaments and social activities
Of course, you may also choose to simply relax, explore Álamos at your own pace, or enjoy the resort's pools, courtyards, restaurants, and beautiful surroundings. Check out the descriptions of the optional activities.
SAMPLE ITINERARY
Sunday, December 6
- Arrivals / check-in
- Rest and relaxation
- Cocktail party - complimentary Margaritas, Wine and Beer
- Dinner at the ‘Roof-top Grill’ or ‘El Nido’ (the bird’s nest) above the Governor’s Suite - with soft Romantic Spanish Guitar by Ramon Alcantar
Monday, December 7
- 7:00am - Stroll over to the Café Agave for fresh-ground Chiapas coffee just to shoot the breeze or to stay for breakfast.
- 7:30am - Morning Walk with Jim: The itinerary includes visits to the Palacio, Plaza de Armas, and Commercio Street during a leisurely 40-minute walk.
- 10:00am - Casas y Jardines (or Home & Garden Tour) leaves promptly from the front of the Hacienda with a local volunteer guide. You will visit two or three local homes as you help some of our local students with the $20,00 USD donation. Often this tour is not available, so we are fortunate to have it this week
- 12:30pm - Lunch Café Agave
- 2:00pm - Hacienda Theater Matinee, Movie to be announced
- 5:00pm - Red Train tour of the historic district leaves from the front door. (No charge)
- 6:00pm - Zapata’s Cantina Patio Cocktail Hour
- 7:00pm - Dinner at Santiago’s, with music by Los Hacendados., plus acknowledgement of our new ‘Capitans’ in ‘Club Pilotos of Mexico’. Presentation of International Wings Hats!
- 9:00pm Hacienda Theater, Movie to be announced
Tuesday, December 8
On Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday mornings there will be walks with Elsa that become more strenuous and up to two hours in length.
- 7:00am - Morning Coffee at the Café Agave
- 7:15am - Parque Colorado Hikers depart from Café Agave, with Elsa, (take your camera & a bottle of water)
- 7:20am - Village Walk with Jim, departs from Café Agave (Jim’s walk is less strenuous)
- 7:30am - 10:30am - Breakfast Café Agave
- 10:00am - Cooking Class #1 with Chef’s Rene & Rosa, in the original Hacienda kitchen. (sign-up required due to limited seating in the original Hacienda kitchen.)
- 12:30pm - Lunch Café Agave
- 2:00pm - Texas Holdum’ Poker with Vegas Dealer Doug in the Cantina (Bring $50.00 for buy-in)
- 2:00pm - Hacienda Theater Matinee, Movie to be announced
- 6:00pm - Zapata’s Cantina Cocktail Hour
- 7:00pm - Santiago’s Restaurant for Dinner with music by ‘Los Maestros’
- 9:00pm - Hacienda Theater, Movie to be announced.
Wednesday, December 9
- 7:00am - Morning Coffee at the Café Agave
- 7:15am - Mt. Alamos Hike from Café Agave to outside the village with Elsa (More strenuous 2 hours +-)
- 7:20am - Morning Walk with Jim (1 hour)
- 7:30am - 10:30am - Breakfast Café Agave
- 10:00am - Cooking Class #2 with Chef’s Rene & Rosa, in the original Hacienda kitchen
- 12:30pm - Lunch Café Agave
- 2:00-5:00 Texas Holdum’ Game #2 at the Cantina (Bring $50.00 for buy-in)
- 2:00pm - Hacienda Theater Matinee, Movie to be announced.
- 2:00pm - Flower Art Class with Berta in the portal of Café Agave
- 6:00pm - Ranch BBQ wih Mariachi Group, Bus transportation to and from for the short drive tour ranch, all drinks included with the meal.
- 9:00pm - Theater, Movie to be announced
Thursday, December 10
- 7:15am - Morning Coffee at the Café Agave
- 7:20am - Morning Walk with Elsa to the Panteon & Arroyo Escondido (Cemetery)
- 7:30am-10:30am - Breakfast Café Agave
- 10:00am - Bus to the Silver Mining Village of Aduana (Bus leaves from front door)
- 12:00pm - Lunch in the Café Agave
- 2:00pm - Hacienda Theater, Guest Speaker is a, Sonoran Shaman, Trini Rangle, who will discuss Traditional Healing in Sonora
- 6:00pm - Cocktail Hour at Zapata’s Cantina
- 7:00pm - Dinner at Santiago’s with a Jazz Latino Group
- 9:00pm - Hacienda Theater, Movie to be announced
Friday, December 11
If you would like to leave before 8:00 a.m., please contact Reception on Thursday for early transportation to the airport. A complimentary ‘to go’ breakfast of egg burritos can be prepared too for early departures, however order the night before. NOTE, if any fruit is in your ‘to go’ breakfast; please do not have in your airplane when arriving in the USA.
Airport Information
Flying to Mexico Made Easy. If you've been considering your first flight to Mexico, this is an excellent opportunity. PMOPA is partnering with eAPISfile.com founder Steven Blythe to help participants navigate the process. Registration includes a one-year subscription to eAPISfile.com, and approximately 30 days before departure Steven will host two online training sessions covering:
- Required U.S. and Mexican documentation
- eAPIS filings and procedures
- Flight planning requirements
- Customs and immigration processes
- Arrival and departure procedures
Whether you're an experienced international pilot or planning your first trip south of the border, you'll have expert guidance every step of the way.
Aircraft will arrive at Álamos Airport (XAL), located just minutes from the resort. Ground transportation will be provided.
Limited hangar space is available, with additional aircraft parking available on the ramp. Airport staff and resort personnel are experienced in supporting visiting pilot groups.
Jim Swickard advises: “Most pilots prefer Ciudad Obregon for the AOE (airport of entry). I personally found Chihuahua to be fine, but CEN goes over the top on being helpful. It's the only airport in Mexico that will overlook fumbles by a novice pilot and we've had many. They do not want to be anything but helpful and you would not need to have anyone there to assist. It is best that they have all information prior to arrival day then processing is very fast. For those where the logistics work I would suggest topping off on the way in so they would not have time delays when leaving CEN. We find that with the fly-ins our only area of complaint can be waiting too long for fuel on the departure day at CEN. Those coming from California might want to consider Rocky Point or Puerto Penasco (not San Felipe or Guaymas) for their AOE if the logistics work. We've had nothing but positive comments for a couple of years with Puerto Penasco.”
Example Route: From El Paso KELP to Obregon MMCN (CEN) via HMO = 412 NM (2:10). Clear customs ~1:30, then depart for Alamos (XAL) = 52 NM (:20). Refuel if desired at MMCN, 100LL $4.36, Jet A $4.82 posted as of 06/10/26.
The ‘new’ Alamos Police Department is adjacent to the airport and as well from a security standpoint, the tower building is occupied 24/7 and the military visits the airport during random hours to make spot checks.
Please note that fuel is not available at Álamos Airport. Recommended Airports of Entry and fueling guidance will be provided to registered participants.
Hotel Details
A member of Historic Hotels Worldwide, the original property opened in 1710. Hacienda de los Santos has been lovingly restored over several decades by owners Jim and Nancy Swickard and their family. Today, the resort is recognized as one of Mexico's premier boutique destinations, blending Spanish Colonial charm with modern luxury and hospitality. To learn more about the resort and accommodations, visit the Hacienda de los Santos website.
To make a room reservation, email:
Please use "PMOPA Fly-Out" in the subject line and include:
- Full name of all guests
- Email address
- Telephone number
- Preferred room type
Reservations will be confirmed by the Hacienda staff. Payment is due at check-in; however, a credit card guarantee is required to secure the reservation. For security, this information can be provided via a phone call. The reservation office in Mexico is 011-52-647-428-0222, is bilingual, and usually staffed from 8:00am until 3:00pm (PST). Space is limited. We encourage interested members to reserve early.
Room Rates for PMOPA attendees:
Room rate is for two people in one room and includes lodging, all meals, events, ground transportation, some liquor.
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Room Type
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Rate (for 5 nights)
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Taxes
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Total Fee
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Estate Suites
The seven Estate Suites have either one King or two plush Queen beds overlooking the courtyard and gardens. Shared patio, large en suite bathroom with tub, Mexican tile counters and separate shower. Period antiques and original art. Cantera stone floors, wood burning fireplace, filtered water cooler, refrigerator, direct dial phone, safe and individual climate controls. An outdoor dining area extends the area to over 500 sq. feet.
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$2,248
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$427
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$2,675
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Master Suites
The seven stately Master Suites boast one King or two plush Queen beds with separate living room and reading area with wood burning fireplace. They all have a spacious en suite bathroom with tub, Mexican tile counters, separate shower and high beam ceilings. Filtered water cooler, direct dial phone, safe, individual climate control and outdoor dining area. Original art and antiques. A private patio or balcony extends the total area to 700 sq. feet.
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$2,248
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$427
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$2,675
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Guest Rooms
The ten Hacienda Guestrooms have either one King or two plush Queen beds and some face various courtyards and pools. They all feature custom furniture, tribal area carpets over Cantera stone floors, large windows with custom shutters, and hand-crafted artifacts and antiques that date back to the 18th and 19th centuries. Enjoy a wood-burning fireplace on chilly evenings and air-conditioning on warm days (each room has individual climate controls), en-suite bathrooms (shower only), direct dial phone, safe, filtered water cooler and iron. An outdoor dining area and a shared patio complete the picture. (Each room is 400 to 500 sq. feet in size.)
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$2,048
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$389
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$2,437
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Spa Rooms
The seven ‘Casa Spa’ guest rooms feature either one King or two plus Queen beds and all face a small courtyard and plunge pool. Some of the rooms have wood burning fireplaces and all have showers with one ‘Spa Room’ having both a bathtub and separate shower. The rooms are adjacent to the Spa facility which was built in 2015, thus in keeping with a tranquil Spa atmosphere of Casa Spa, there are no television sets or telephones in the rooms. There is however one telephone in the portal which may be used for room service or special requests. Each room has a safe and unlimited bottled water is provided. The floors are beautiful handmade clay tile in the portal and all rooms have sound proof double glazed windows due to the proximity to the street. During festivals there still may be some sound carried into the rooms facing the street side. Complimentary Wi-Fi is provided in the ‘Casa Spa’ as well as off-street parking nearby. In general, the ‘Spa Rooms’ are similar to ‘Hacienda Guest Rooms’, however less ‘Colonial’ in design and more rustic, yet with a great deal of charm as well as the colorful and comfortable shared portal areas outside of each room. Casa Spa guests are entitled to use all of the facilities of Hacienda de los Santos, including the other three pools, gym and theater at no additional cost. We encourage guests who require the use of a telephone in their room, or possibly a larger guest room, to consider a Hacienda Guest Room.
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$2,048
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$389
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$2,437
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Registration
- Step 1: Register with PMOPA
- Step 2: Reserve Your Room at Hacienda de los Santos. Room prices are for two people occupying one room; if more than two people will be traveling with you, be certain your passengers also have a room reservation.
PMOPA registration fees are per plane, vary based on the number of occupants and includes the items listed below for each person.
| # of people in your plane: |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
| PMOPA Registration fee: |
$150 |
$250 |
$350 |
$450 |
$550 |
$650 |
Included in the PMOPA registration fee:
- 1 year subscription to the eAPIS.com service to process and transmit your US and Mexico eAPIS documents.
- Access to two online sessions approximately 30 days prior to departure to assist each pilot with uploading the required documents, creating the flight plan and generating the various US and Mexican documentation.
- Memorabilia item.
Additional Fees Will Be Charged Separately (these are not included in PMOPA registration fee or in hotel room fee):
Note: except for US Customs Annual Decal Fee, currency exchange calculations above are subject to fluctuation.
Cancellation:
PMOPA understands that, sometimes, plans change. Because of costs PMOPA will incur for this event, the following cancellation policy is in effect:
- From registration date until November 6, 2026 - 90% refund of amounts paid to PMOPA, less any expenses already incurred by PMOPA that cannot be recovered
- After November 6, 2026 - no refunds
NOTE: The hotel has Its own cancellation policy, separate and apart from PMOPA's cancellation policy as noted above. Please be certain to cancel with the hotel in accordance with their requirements.
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