The Ajo Hideaway home itself is historic from the New Cornelia mining days but is very clean, modern and functional. The interior boasts 20 inch gorgeous desert color tile throughout, tile walk in shower and a fully equipped and functional kitchen. The new laundry machines have their own large room on the east side of the home. With large covered front and back porches, there is ample outdoor space for relaxing, barbecuing, and enjoying the sights and sounds of Ajo. Pride of ownership is evident in the Hideway's well maintained look and feel, with a clean and attractive property all around, including palms and a ficus tree. All furniture and beds are high quality and brand new as of fall 2018. The Hideaway sleeps five with the master sunset bedroom having a queen bed, the guest sunset bedroom has a full bed and in the living room area there is a new fold out twin sleeper sofa. For those chillier desert nights there are electric oil filled radiators for the bedrooms and an electric dura flame fire place mantel heater for the living area. For summer use the home has window A/C units. The living space is open, airy and light, and easy to keep clean. The home is filled with beautiful southwestern artwork including many pieces from Ajo local artists. Ajo, and particularly its old Curley school apartment building, is home to many incredible regional artists. Behind the Curley school is the Sonoran Desert conference center with its pretty gardens, some of which are used to grow food for the community in conjunction with the Center for Sustainable Agriculture organization of Ajo.
The Ajo Hideaway makes a wonderful home for all, even visitors from Canada and beyond. The property also has a very large back area for secure, fenced parking, patio with barbeque, and soon to come a horseshoe pit set up. For a 900 square foot home, the feel is much larger especially considering the laundry/storage room adds a lot more square footage.
The Ajo Hideaway is in the heart of Ajo, AZ, "the heart of the Sonoran desert," located one block from the Ajo historic townsite district, and is an easy, visually pleasing ten minute walk down the street to the gorgeous Ajo plaza and famous, colorful, "Artist's alley" murals. The home is a perfect winter retreat for snowbirds from all walks of life and also makes a great vacation stop on the road to the ever popular Rocky Point, Mexico on the sea of Cortez, only two hours away. Border patrol agents on duty in the area will also appreciate the home's convenience, comfort and value.
The beautiful Ajo area abounds with activities such as hiking, biking, horseback riding, birding, star gazing, golf, motorcycle and atv exploration and wildlife viewing. Behind the town mountain are the Little Ajo mountains on BLM public land which offer thousands of acres of trails and stunning red rock and green desert scenery. Ajo itself is rich in history, being the oldest mining town in Arizona which once supported the New Cornelia copper mine. The historic townsite district has been wonderfully revitalized and maintained by the International Sonoran Desert Alliance and is home to incredible architecture, including old restored churches, schools and the iconic plaza buildings, all lined with old growth desert palms. Many of the buildings reflect the early Spanish influence in the area. The name Ajo itself literally means garlic. The Spaniards used the name during their early mining efforts as it was their way of spelling the Tohono O'Odham's word for a certain dye found in the earth. The Tohono O'dham are the indigenous people of the land. The community in Ajo is diverse and colorful, reminiscent of an old west mining town but rich in cultural influence from the Tohono O'Odham, Spanish, Mexicans, Americans as well as other travelers from across the globe. Ajo is a rustic, yet peaceful, culturally progressive town, and it is equipped with all the modern conveniences you might need.
Ajo has a large, very well maintained park with pool, dog park, ball fields, tennis and basketball courts, and skate park. Just outside of town lies the Ajo country club for golf and the Eric Marcus small airport. Childs mountain lies to the north which is excellent for sunset viewing tours. South of town by about fifteen miles is the amazing Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and adjacent to the BLM recreational land all along Ajo lies the Cabeza Prieta wildlife refuge, which is also excellent for excursions.
Besides the stunning views in every direction, the climate in Ajo is phenomenal for those seeking to escape winter with abundant Sonoran desert sunshine and warmth. As the locals say, Ajo is where summer spends the winter. More times than not in this small town you will get a wave and a smile from people you encounter and most folks in Ajo are very friendly. The pace is slower in Ajo with only one stoplight and just a handful of restaurants. There is also an excellent IGA grocery, and hardware stores.
Christmas time in Ajo is magical with the community gathering around the lit up plaza while Santa waves to all from the Curley school bell tower--a tradition well worth experiencing more than once. There are many social organizations, clubs, churches and events to enjoy in Ajo as well, just check in at the ever helpful Ajo visitor center on the plaza to see what's happening.
The Ajo Hideaway is located at the top of Ocatillo Street (don't be thrown off the misspelling of Ocotillo on the sign), just down from the corner of Sahuaro St., and is a wonderful perch to enjoy the town from and get away from the hustle bustle of urban life. You may find yourself surrounded by hummingbirds, doves, desert thrashers and cactus wrens while on the front porch. The home is surrounded by native mesquite trees and native cacti on adjacent properties. The center piece photograph in the living room is titled "Ocotillo's last stand," a fitting tribute to the cactus, the home and the area. Circle K and the Family Dollar store are just blocks away for convenience and just up the road a mile is the IGA grocery. Ajo is truly a magical place. Come to the Ajo Hideaway and enjoy, you may not want to leave!
