The Puerto Paraiso Entertainment Plaza is the most ambitious commercial shopping and entertainment center project ever constructed in the southern Baja peninsula. When completed it will offer tourists a world of entertainment, dining, shopping, cinemas, and lodging spread out over 50,000 square meters on three levels. Not your ordinary shopping center experience, Puerto Paraiso is designed to appeal to all ages and activity levels. Located marina-side between Plaza Bonita Mall and Marina Fiesta Resort in the heart of Cabo San Lucas, the refined Puerto Paraiso combines indoor shopping and entertainment with cascading waterfalls, restaurants, and open areas for strolling and relaxing.
The architecture is a marriage of classical Mexican-colonial design elements and sleek, modern amenities. Floors are rich with inlaid mosaics in marble and canterra stone, decidedly luxurious and expertly finished.
The marina level is a combination of shops featuring trendy boutiques, and leading chains known through-out the Western World such as Guess, Quicksilver, Mossimo and Dolce & Gabbana. Margarita Partridge, known for her Tropica clothing line produced in Cabo San Lucas, has opened Tropica Calypso Swimwear in a beautiful two-level location near the main entrance. The store features the Tropica line as well as a wide selection of swimwear and beachwear.
Look for artist Kaki Bassi’s new gallery at a desireable marina side location. It is a fabulous two-level space hanging Bassi’s rupestrian and representational works, along with other local and mainland Mexican artists.
Notable jewelry stores include Joyeria México Lindo’s newest location for custom-made jewelry near Tropica Calypso Swimwear; Plaza del Sol next to the main entrance; and Tanya Moss, a young Mexican designer with contemporary styles, near Kaki Bassi.
For gorgeous lingerie and swim-wear there’s Intimissimi, owned by Cristina Lopez from Guadalajara, next to Hagen Dazs’ marina-side location. As time goes on, Puerto Paraiso will certainly mature and realize its full com-plement of retail stores.
In late 2001, Ramon Marcos, the developer of Puerto Paraiso, opened Ruth’s Chris Steak House, a highly successful, Atlanta-based franchise restaurant in a stunning marina-side location. Expertly managed by Merida native Hector Ojeda, the 180-seat restaurant is setting a new standard for style, ex-cellent food and outstanding service in downtown Cabo San Lucas. Other restaurants at the entertainment plaza include Johnny Rocket’s, Houlihans, 100% Natural and Cinamomo Cocina and Lounge.
Puerto Paraiso Plaza’s upper levels have ten cinemas, a 12-lane bowling alley, a youth-oriented video arcade, and a fast food court with Burger King, McDonalds, Subway, Dominos Pizza, and Taco Inn.
Future plans for the development include much more than entertainment and shopping. Puerto Paraiso will encompass both a Five-Star and a Gran Turismo hotel, a Spa, pools, tennis courts, a convention center, a condo-hotel, and underground parking areas.
Puerto Paraiso, constructed by the 60-year-old Frel Ingenieros y Arquitectos of México City, has already radically altered the face of Cabo San Lucas. This once casual, beachy little village has now entered the world of upscale mega-development. What it will ultimately evolve into as a community is anyone’s guess.
