Cabo San Lucas

“Resting at the tip of the Baja Peninsula are the sparkling resorts of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, known as “the capes,” or Los Cabos (los-KAH-bows) in Spanish.Once used as a frequent provision stop for pirates awaiting passage of the Manila Galleons, today Los Cabos is headed for resort stardom. In the last fifteen years, it has evolved from a sleepy hideaway for recluse fishermen and yacht owners into one of Mexico’s most popular resort destinations. This is due largely to improved roads and air access, plus heavy investment by FONATUR (the government’s agency in charge of new resort development) and the private sector. “

“Los Cabos differs in many respects from its “Mexican Riviera” counterparts. Because of its geographic separation and isolation from mainland Mexico, Los Cabos’ visitor industry developed with closer ties to the U.S. (mostly California) than to the rest of Mexico. A “north-of-the-border” atmosphere and attitude give the area an appealing cultural duality. American products fill store shelves, dollars are the preferred currency, U.S.-made cars are everywhere and much of the resort development has been dominated by North American enterprises. Despite these foreign trappings, there’s no denying the resort’s strong Mexico-by-the-sea atmosphere. ”
http://www.allaboutcabo.com/
http://www.aboutcabo.net/http://www.flyfisherman.com/mca/dbcabo/ http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/north_america/cabo_san_lucas/

Hotels:
http://www.cabosiestasuites.com/
The Mar de Cortez http://www.mardecortez.com/
Olas Hotel
Riu Palace
Melia San Lucas- close to downtown
Villa Del Palmar http://www.villadelpalmarcabo.com/
Hotel Finesterra
Hotel Hacienda Beach Resort (http://www.haciendacabo.com/)
Cabo Vista Villa Suites
http://www.pueblobonito.com/

San Jose del Cab is a smaller town, about 20 miles East, without all the craziness. The downtown has a plaza lined with restaurants and outdoor tables, it’s just a small Mexican town in many ways. It also has some cheap hotels. I always liked the Colli, which seems very European. The Diana is way cheap, a favorite among backpackers. There is a highway bus between the two towns by day.

Condos: www.bentoncabo.com

Snorkeling/Beaches:
http://www.stormpages.com/snorklebum/Sitecabo.htm
Lover’s beach- glass bottom boat
Chileno beach
Santa Maria Cove

Fishing:
http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?forum=35;guest=10699236
http://www.allcoastsportfishing.com/forum/dcboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=357
http://www.elbudster.com/
http://www.piscessportfishing.com/
Cabos San Lucas Harbor or the Medrano Beach in San Jose de Cabo

Nightlife:
El Squid Roe
Cabo Wabo
Bodyshot Nightclub
Pez Gato-booze cruise

Restaurants:
Try the Garden Lobster, breakfast is $1.00 and 2 for 1 happy hour until 6 pm!

One place you must try for dinner is The La Golondrina Trailer Park Restaurant….(no IT IS NOT a trailer park)…..here is the website: http://www.thetrailerparkrestaurant.com/It is ABSOLUTELY stunning at night…make reservations for after dark….there are ancient trees with intertwined branches that create the “ceiling” of this outdoor restaurant….lanterns hang from various branches creating a warm glow…it is soooo beautiful, you must experience it! The prices are reasonable and the food is great!

The Office- for breakfast especially http://www.theofficeonthebeach.com/

Mi Casa- http://www.loscabosguide.com/dining/micasa1.htm

Must Sees:

You must get to see a close-up of ‘The Arch’. It has been formed by the tremendous waves which crash upon the southern tip of Baja California. It is the only place in the world where one beach is situated on two different bodies of water. It’s pretty cool to see the dark blue of the Pacific Ocean right across from the emerald green of The Sea of Cortez. Lover’s Beach is also near-by (which contrary to beliefs….. is not longer a nude beach…. maybe it used to be, but not anymore)

“Cabo is diverse in activities. There really isn’t just one to recommend. With it being a small town you can do a lot on your vacation. Here are list of a few things to do: ATV tours, Jet Skies, Glass Factory, San Jose, The Office Mexican Fiesta, Para sailing, Lovers Beach, Santa Maria Bay,& Chileano Pez Gato or Jungle Cruise, & of course Eating and drinking!!! If you are adventurous you can take the ATV tour to Candalaria. But if you are not up to an all day tour you can take a tour to the old light house and watch a sun set or ride the dunes. San Jose offers a quiet approach to old Mexico with cobblestone streets and little stores with knick knacks. Great for shopping or just to get away from the hussle and bussle of Cabo. The Office Mexican fiesta offers a little culture with traditional mexican dances and a piñata for the kids. Jet skies give you an opportunity to explore the shore line of Cabo. Para sailing gives you a bird’s eye view of Cabo. Lovers Beach is a great romantic place. They do have some good snorkeling over there also. Make sure to pack water and something to eat as it is remote. The only way in and out is by boat. (Unless you’re an avid hiker) There are many beaches besides Playa Medano, but they require a car to get there. The most famous ones are Santa Maria Bay and Chileano. They are on the highway towards to San Jose. They are great for snorkeling. Chileano is where a lot of locals hang out. Once again you must pack a lunch and bring water there are not restaurants out there. They do have a place to rent snorkel gear and umbrellas and stuff like that. The Jungle Boat and Pez Gato cruises are wonderful. They sail two times a day. Once in the morning and once at night. The day trip takes you out to Santa Maria bay to snorkel and at night you tour the bay of Cabo San Lucas and the arch. Both are open bars, so no driving afterwards!!! Cabo is full of restaurants and places to try local flavor. Pacifico beer tastes great after a long day at the beach!! ”

Other towns:

“The town of Todos Santos, about an hour’s drive north of Cabos San Lucas on the Pacific side, is still an unspoiled and undiscovered Baja paradise. The drive through the desert is on a good road (Hwy19) and has some great views of the Pacific Ocean. You know you are getting close to Todos Santos when you see orchards of mangos and papayas. It’s just a little past the Pescadero Surf Camp. There are underground springs from the mountains that make this a fertile place for agriculture. They practice organic farming here. Todos Santos is said to be the home of the Hotel California from the Eagles song and the gift shop across the street from the Hotel capitalizes on the legend with Hotel California T-shirts and souvenirs. The Hotel is now open again after being closed for years. This town has an artists colony and many artists open their homes to visitors to view their gallery. There are some nice B&B’s, galleries, a bookstore and cinema, gift shops, and friendly family-owned restaurants in this tiny town on a flowered hillside overlooking an undeveloped shoreline. One of the best restaurants in all of Mexico is here, the Cafe Santa Fe, which specializes in Northern Italian food. I had the Ravioli stuffed with spinach and ricotta with Gorgonzola sauce. I thought I died and went to heaven. Dessert was awesome Tiramisu. Lovely ambience dining out on the tropical patio or inside among the colorful paintings. This meal was worth splurging for, worth the trip alone but it is not open everyday and there are other places to eat as well. Todos Santos has been likened to Carmel in Northern California or Santa Fe, NM but I think it’s more like Taos, New Mexico because it is not so exclusive and overrun with one class of people YET. It is a refreshing change from the overdone Cabos San Lucas. See website for more info: http://todossantos-baja.com/ “

“On the eastern end of the tip of the Baja California peninsula, San José del Cabo offers a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere. The city is small and the hotels are spread out. Deep-sea and ‘panga’ fishing to the teeming waters of the Sea of Cortez can be arranged. Other activities include whale watching and golf in the championship courses that are sprouting throughout the area. The marsh north of the city serves as a nesting area for many bird species during the ‘wet’ season. If the purpose of your vacation is to relax, you are much more likely to achieve your goal by staying in San Jose del Cabo than in Cabo San Lucas. Cabo San Lucas tends to survive at a more frenzied pace than San Jose del Cabo and is certainly worth a visit for those staying in San Jose del Cabo. The restaurants and nightlife in Cabo San Lucas are world class. But for a casual pace with a nice flavor of real Mexico San Jose del Cabo is hard to beat!”