Cabo San Lucas: From Sea to Shinging Sea
Actually, it’s more like “from Pacific Ocean to the Sea of Cortez.” In fact, these two gorgeous bodies of water meet right at the southernmost point of the Baja California peninsula in a spot called Land’s End.
Marked by a spectacular 200-foot tall rock formation carved by the wind and the sea known as Los Arcos, it’s one of the area’s most photographed landmarks.
Land’s End lies within catamaran distance of the port of Cabo San Lucas. This is the home of the area’s world-famous deep-sea fishing fleet. More than 800 types of game fish await chartered boats, which come back to the dock laden with roosterfish, yellowtail, wahoo and tuna. Blue and Black Marlin are plentiful from June to December. San Lucas is a lively town, and has grown up quite a bit from the days when it catered solely to fishermen and spring breakers. By day, boat trips depart to round the giant arches and the resident sea lion colonies, and visitors flock to the upscale galleries, unique shops and seaside restaurants that serve fresh lobster and other delectable tidbits from the ocean’s bounty. Two minutes from the heart of downtown San Lucas, Medano Beach is very popular with locals and tourists alike. This beach is sheltered and is one of the very few swimmable beaches on the Pacific side (note: the Pacific undercurrents and strong waves can be dangerous, so please pay attention to the warnings on the beaches!). Jet skis are a favorite way to tool around under the bright Cabo sun, and on Medano it’s a cinch to rent one by the. Don’t hesitate to take a chair in one of the colorful beachside restaurants, either: margaritas and shrimp cocktails taste better with your toes in the sand. By night, the restaurants light up and a bevy of hotspots stay open until the wee hours, with patrons dancing away to the rhythm of live Latin music and stateside hits spun by top DJs. Insider tip: dinner, or cena, starts late in Mexico; think reservations at 9 p.m. instead of 6 p.m.
Head out of town down the Transpeninsular Highway and you’ll be tooling down a modern, four-lane roadway that leads you right past the Tourist Corridor. Once a stretch of some 30 kilometers of lonely road with the occasional hotel or pup tent set up by the water, today the Corridor is populated by some of the area’s finest accommodations. Hidden coves and private beaches with names like Barco Varado, Chileno, Palmilla, Santa Maria and Vista del Arco have helped make this the darling of the A-list crowd. Championship golf courses line the Corridor from San Lucas to San Jose: duffers will revel in the greens created by Weiskopf, Nicklaus, Robert Trent Jones II and Tom Fazio.
On the other end of the highway is the town of San Jose del Cabo. Known as San Lucas’ quieter cousin, San Jose has also evolved from more humble beginnings. Still a lovely town with distinct colonial flavor, visitors flock to the traditional square facing the cathedral. There is also something quite lovely that differentiates San Jose from the rest of Los Cabos: it is green and lush, thanks to its fresh-water estuary, the Estero San Jose. More that 200 species of birds can be seen in this sanctuary that is closed to boats. San Jose is also home to the international airport and Puerto Los Cabos, a modern development with a large marina, a waterfront town square and shopping district, private homes and villas, golf courses and five-star hotels. Note to the ecoconscious: much though has been put into conservation of the area, its wildlife and natural beauty.
Todos Santos, though somewhat out of way, is a must-see when visiting Los Cabos. About an hour away up Highway 19, Todos Santos was once a prosperous town with a fortune built on sugarcane. It fell into genteel disrepair for a while before being rescued by entrepreneurial spirits. Cobblestone streets are lined with open doorways that lead to tiny boutiques-less is more in this town, and the stores seem handpicked for cool wares. The community hums with workshops featuring creative writing, painting, gardening, cooking and ceramics. Tai Chi, yoga and meditation are popular. Cafes abound, many of them owned and operated by couples from abroad that came for a few days and stayed for the duration. Mexican architecture blends with modern lines, colonial flavor goes rock’n’roll, and desert design meets rustic chic in a handful of choice hotels, many of which offer in-room spa treatments and morning stretches by the beach.
Wherever one stays and whatever one’s interests, Los Cabos has it all, and best of all, this diverse destination is within easy reach of most U.S. cities.
www.CaboLaEstancia.com is the perfect location for your stay. Located on Medano Beach (Playa el Médano) it is on the main safe swimming beach in Cabo San Lucas and the most popular.
Retreat, Renew, Rejuvenate!
