Surefire ways to getyour heart racing By Chris Sands 
Ditch the shade umbrella. Leave the golf clubs at home. While Los Cabos has overabundance of fam- ily-friendly fun and relaxing pursuits, this article is for not for their eyes. This read is for thrill seekers only.
You are in the new epicenter of adventure. There has been an explosion of high-octane and invigorating activities options in Los Cabos, and we are here to provide a straightforward guide.
Southern Baja has been blessed with magnificent natural surroundings: divergent topography and shifting terrains, from desert and mountain vistas to the confluence of the Sea of Cortés and the Pacific Ocean. Translation: You can get crazy and go fast by air, land, or sea!
Let’s start with some altitude, and the incredible feeling of hurtling through space at breakneck speeds. Zip lining has become one of the most popular pastimes for the speed-obsessed set, and there are several local companies that excel in mid-air mountaineering. The Cabo Adventures (www.cabo-adventures.com) canopy course is located within the beautiful Boca de Sierra, a UNESCO-protected biosphere set against the backdrop of the Sierra de la Laguna mountain range. This rugged layout is not for the faint of heart: There is a series of high-wire challenges that include crazy ladders, hanging bridges, sheer wall climbs, rappelling descents, rope swings, and some very long, very fast, very scenic zip lines. Special Forces training would be a breeze after this course—though not nearly as fun.
Baja’s biggest theme park, Wild Canyon (www.wildca nyon.com.mx), is located in El Tule Canyon (this one is a little closer to most hotels). Wild Canyon’s Tortuga zip line course—like Cabo Adventures’—is pretty rigorous. After a succinct training and practice run, you’re soon racing above the verdant canyon floor on a series of harrowing zip lines. If you don’t feel like looking down—and, really, who could blame you?—enjoy the incredible views of the Sea of Cortés, which are visible throughout the adventure. Not scary enough? Try zip lining in the dark with Wild Canyon’s Moon Zipping tour. Still putting on a brave face? How about a bungee jump from a rocking gondola 300 feet above the canyon floor? Trust me, this one will have your complete attention. For the rest of your life, countdowns will cause small beads of sweat to form on your forehead and a slight tremor to develop just behind the knees.
Adrenaline is known to produce aphrodisiac-like effects, and Wild Canyon’s Sling Swing is a great way for couples to get their, ahem, juices flowing. The glass-bottom gondola is once again the jumping-off point, but now you and your special someone are racing toward the earth together! It’s even more thrilling when you complete the 240-degree pendulum arc backwards. Don’t worry. The screams will bring you closer together.
If you’re thinking 300 feet isn’t that high, perhaps I can interest you in a motorized hang glider tour with Cabo Sky Tours (www.skytourscabo.com). The best views in Los Cabos are from the passenger seat of Ernesto Magaña’s ultralight aircraft. Crest high above famed local landmarks like Land’s End and Lover’s Beach or cruise alongside the Tourist Corridor, above scenic Chileno Bay and picturesque Santa María Beach. There are several tour options of varying duration, all of which are worth every last peso. Cabo Sky Tours provides an incredible ride, but if at any point you feel as if you aren’t getting enough adrenaline, just ask Ernesto to put the plane into a free fall. That will fix things immediately.
Ready for a little terra firma? Become an off-road warrior. The peninsula is famed for rugged off-road challenges like the Baja 1000, and Los Cabos is ground zero for high-octane motorsports. Fasten your seatbelt for the three-hour Baja Buggys (www.bajabu ggys.com) All Terrain Xrail Adventure. Step on the gas and thrill to a high-speed exploration of pristine coastline, sandy riverbeds, scenic cactus strewn desert, and a 300-year-old aboriginal village. Shock-busting dune buggy adventures don’t get any better than this.
Wild Canyon, whom you last met when falling from a swaying gondola, will also test your reflexes with off-road ATV tours. The first two letters of that acronym stand for all-terrain, and at Wild Canyon they like to take things literally. Saddle up on one of their Can-Am Outlander 400s and go bouncing and careening over arroyo, beach, canyon, and mountain terrains, with bonus views of the Sea of Cortés.
Camino Aventura (www.caminoaven tura.mx) has always been a couples’ favorite for its seaside horseback rides, but the activities outfit is also a popular stop for fans of the Can-Am Outlander 400s. Whereas Wild Canyon’s off-road tour introduces you to the rugged beauty of El Tule and environs, Camino Aventura showcases the desert and beach terrains surrounding Migriño, which hugs the Pacific Coast north of Cabo San Lucas. If waves breaking on a secluded beach aren’t enough to spark your interest, rev the throttle and head for the high country of La Candelaria, which is the rustic home of the region’s legendary mountain potters.
Now that you’re dusty from Baja’s backroads, it’s time to cool off with the hottest new extreme water sport in Los Cabos: FlyBoarding. For the uninitiated, this fun-filled futuristic flight involves a water-propelled board with boots attached to a long length of hose. The hose is attached to a Jet Ski and sends a rush of water every time the throttle is revved, powering thrill-seekers airborne. Welcome to the 21st century! Taking one of these pressure-packed rides up to 35 feet in the air will not only get the blood pumping but it will also certainly impress the bikini set on Médano Beach. Feel like a superhero as you levitate out of the water, controlling height and direction with your feet. Cabo FlyBoard (www.caboflyboard .com) is the first authorized FlyBoard rental and distribution business in Baja California Sur, and it offers all the training you’ll need for yourself as well as the entire family.
Cabo Expeditions (www.caboexpedi tions.com.mx) is another great parasailing outfit. Let the youngsters enjoy their cool undersea Sea Trek and Snuba (a hybrid of snorkeling and scuba diving) tours, and encourage the slower-paced members of the family to sign up for Cabo Expeditions’ excellent city tours and unforgettable trips to the gorgeous uninhabited Isla Espíritu Santo off the coast of La Paz. Save the parasailing for the bold at heart, who can float above the hurly-burly maritime traffic of Cabo San Lucas Bay without a care in the world.
The whole family, including children ages 8 and up, can enjoy the thrill of a lifetime with Cabo Expeditions’ whale shark tour. During the daylong outing, you can swim alongside the largest fish in the world, gentle giants that measure some 30 feet long. The enormous whale sharks won’t bite, but it’s nevertheless exhilarating to look one in the eyes.
If you’re into extreme sports, you’re definitely into speed, and there’s no better way to get a high-speed introduction to Los Cabos than a fast boat tour. Like the wind in your hair? Baja Buggys isn’t just another top stop on the off-road circuit. The company also boasts killer jet boats with massive 440-horsepower diesel engines. Cruising isn’t the word for these seagoing beasts, which power over the local waters at speeds of over 40 knots. Want a challenge? Try not to hold on during the full-speed 360-degree turns.
Caborey, king of the dinner cruisers, offers speed-demon sightseeing aboard their Rolls Royce fast boat. This is a fantastic jet-powered adventure and a perfect way to take in Chileno and Santa María Bays, Lover’s Beach, the Arch, and the old lighthouse in about an hour’s time. If you’re a cruise ship passenger or a short-term visitor, this is a full-bore tour that will satisfy your thirst for local knowledge without testing your time constraints.
Don’t think fishing is an extreme sport? You try reeling in a monster marlin. There’s a reason the world’s richest fishing tournament, Bisbee’s Black & Blue, is based in Los Cabos. The Southern Baja waters are teeming with big fish, from blue, black, and striped marlin to tuna, dorado, and myriad other deep-sea denizens dear to the heart of die-hard anglers. The big ones bite year round in these parts, so check out top local charters companies like Silverados Sportfishing (www.silveradosportfi shing.com), Fly Hooker (www.flyhoo ker.com), and Picante Bluewater (www.picantesportfishing.com). Now that you’re finished flying through the air, let a line and have some fun.
