I spent time in La Ventana each winter for nearly two decades, starting in the mid-nineties, so the settings for my first novel, The Outlier, came naturally. Writing was a way to revisit the cactus forests, the teeming reefs, and the moonrises over the beach. Some of the book’s locations are true to life, while others are fictional — but loosely inspired by what’s really there.
In the book, protagonist Cate Winter needs to find a dark figure from her past: Another ex-patient of the Cleckley Institute, a treatment facility for the rehabilitation of psychopathic children. He’s changed his name and left the United States. But Cate is undeterred, and her search leads her to La Ventana, where she rents a house on a bluff above the beach. A local marine biologist, who is trying to unravel an ecological mystery, helps Cate in her hunt.
Here are some of the places in and around La Ventana that helped me write The Outlier.
- The Gutierrez Center for Marine Studies. In the novel: Marine biologist Luciana discovers that her equipment shed has been raided. In real life: If you know La Ventana, you know Playa Central, the kiteboarding school and hang-out. Once upon a time, this building was a shrimp processing plant, and then it sat empty for years. In the fictional world of The Outlier, it’s become a scientific institute.
- El Saltito: In the novel: Luciana and her husband go snorkeling on the reef off this beach, where they happen upon an unexplained phenomenon. In real life: Last I was there, El Saltito was accessible via a rough road leading northwest from La Ventana. The snorkeling was dazzling.
- Casa Azul Hotel. In the novel: The main characters converge here to mourn a death, and later, Gabriel spots a shadowy figure moving through the dark. In real life: Like a number of actual beachfront hotels in La Ventana, the fictional Casa Azul is built around a dry arroyo — a stream bed — and made up of domed-roof cabins.
- The house on the hill. In the novel: Cate rents a house above the beach in the El Sargento neighborhood, just north of Ventana Bay Resort. It’s got an eastward view across the sea to Cerralvo Island, and steps leading down to the beach. In real life: This is where my family had a home.
- Palacio Pericú. In the novel: Homing in on her quarry, Cate goes to a party at this luxury resort on Punta Arena. In real life: Punta Arena, east of La Ventana, has a beautiful sandy beach and an old lighthouse — but as far as I know, no luxury resort.
- Hot Water Beach. In the novel: Luciana meets with a man on the lam at this spot where warm water bubbles up under the sand. In real life: Visitors dig basins and warm their feet at this beach just north of El Sargento.
- Ballenas Island. In the novel: Someone has gone here to fulfill his ambitious vision away from prying eyes. In real life: There’s no Ballenas Island, but its dry, cave-dotted landscape is loosely inspired by Cerralvo Island, directly offshore from La Ventana, and Espíritu Santo Island, north of La Paz.
- The Alvariño National Marine Park. In the novel: This marine sanctuary protects a vast swathe of the Sea of Cortez from commercial fishing and pollution. In real life: Cabo Pulmo National Park does the same, shielding the abundant wildlife from human-caused damage.
Happy reading! The Outlier is out now from Penguin Random House, available as a print, digital, or audio book. You can sign up for my free newsletter about writing and travel here. – Elisabeth Eaves
