|
The Tropic of Cancer is located within minutes, and the always-comfortable climate kisses visitors unaccustomed to such comfortable serenity. Ranchers and farmers cultivate the land with purpose and passion, always placing the interests of family and community above individual needs.
Witness the wondrous coexistence of lifestyles and traditions from natives who are ancestors of Pericues and pirates. During the 16th and 17th centuries their ancestors selected this eclectic region as a hideout to plunder the Spanish galleons that stopped at this provisioning point on the Manila trade route. Reflecting this centuries-long heritage, many residents from the towns have foreign surnames like Robinson, Green, Collins, and Rosseli.
Caduaño is a tiny town located about 25 miles from San José del Cabo. You will reach a row of rustic houses situated around a small plaza. This will be followed by an abandoned sugar mill that hasn't been operational since the previous century, when the village was a prosperous sugar cane producing community. As you continue driving through the network of dirt roads and paths, followed by vast vegetable plots and colorful fruit orchards, you will notice numerous cattle and sheep ranches. Caduaño is renowned for its delicious traditional homemade fruit candies.
Miraflores is the next magical town. Located about 5 miles down the road from Caduaño, this village is populated by ranchers and farmers who have become famous and world renowned over the years by making fabulous leather and furniture handcrafts. The church in Miraflores is located near the small plaza just past the post office and a few local grocery stores. Natives of Miraflores celebrate their patron saint day, the feast day of la Virgen de Guadalupe, on the 12th of December. Residents also celebrate a fair in July to celebrate the pitahaya harvesting season.
This picturesque village is also renowned for the longevity of its people. In a prior visit to this town I had the distinguished honor of being introduced to a 101-year old Miraflores native named Clotilde Robinson. Our encounter was a bittersweet experience since Mrs. Robinson was feeling lonely ever since her 104-year old cousin suddenly passed away the previous year.
Santiago is the third and largest colonial town, located about 35 miles from San José del Cabo. You will delight your eyes as you see the colorful agriculture farms and fruit orchards surrounded by thousands of majestic palm trees, which represent an important source of palm leaves for making palapa roofs throughout the Cape region.
As we bypass the small plaza, there are the post and telegraph offices, a gas station, some stores, and a market selling local fruit and vegetables. The town was founded as "Misión de Santiago el Apóstol" in 1723 and the natives celebrate its patron saint day, the feast day of St. James, on the 25th of July. Santiago has a small rustic museum located next to the church with interesting exhibits such as colonial artifacts and local fossils.
No visit to Santiago would be complete without a trip to the Santiago Zoo, which has a variety of animals endemic to the region. The animal exhibits are complemented by a masterfully cultivated decoration of gardens, featuring mango and avocado trees and a variety of cacti species and succulents endemic to the Southern Baja region.
There is no better way to end this amazing adventure of a day, than with a delicious lunch sitting in the gardens of the Restaurant and Hotel Palomar in Santiago. Caduaño, Santiago, and Miraflores are sacred unexplored places, with friendly native faces that display great satisfaction existing amid the traditional Mexican ways of living. The people of these magnificent villages pave the future with amazing moments from the past, and bring Baja California back to its roots.
An introduction into Caduaño, Santiago, and Miraflores
Article by Matthew B. Dexter and Arturo Ramos
|
