Rich man, poor man, you can treasure a vacation in Cabo. Whether prince or pauper, or somewhere in between, you’ll find what you want at the prices you want. By David Mandich. Los Cabos Magazine Issue #16 Spring 2008.
Over the years, people have come to Los Cabos on Spanish galleons, horseback, jeep, private yacht, and small plane. Today folks arrive by jet, cruise ship, Cadillac, kayak, bicycle and even by burro, as did one Englishman who wrote a charming book about his journey down the Baja on his ass. Today, over 2 million visitors arrive annually by jet. One can fly from most major cities in the US and Canada on a variety of fluctuating fares, depending on season, advance purchase and other airline regulations.
Instead of seeing the Baja Peninsula from 35,000 feet, you can probably save a few bucks and make a two-day 1,100-mile drive down the longest peninsula in the world from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas. You’ll be dazzled by some of the most spectacular desert and coastal scenery to be found on this side of the planet. Warning: Don’t drive at night because hitting livestock on a lonely, dark desert highway will be a hundred times worse than the worst Tequila hangover you can imagine. Plan on a night’s rest in a motel mid-way in Guerro Negro. Optionally, take your time, stopping every few hundred miles and enjoy this scenery at a more relaxed pace.
Those driving from the American southwest will enjoy the breathtaking desert scenery of northern Mexico, including the Hollywood cowboy movie location town of Durango and the pine forested Sierra Madre Mountains. A dramatic twisty mountain road through Copper Canyon rewards you with the beautiful seaside port and resort town of Mazatlan on the eastern side of the Sea of Cortez. From there, catch a ferry to La Paz the capital city of Baja Sur. Continuing on to Cabo, stop for a great meal in Todos Santos on the Pacific side of the peninsula about an hour north of Cabo San Lucas. The village is rich with art galleries and award winning restaurants, and maintains a charming colonial ambience. It was designated a “Pueblo Magico” in 2006 by the Mexican government in recognition of preserving Mexico’s colonial architectural heritage from modern development.
For extreme budget vacationers, one can still find that place in the sun where the only footprints in the sand suggest that you are not alone. El Tule beach, located about midway along the Los Cabos corridor, is a great camping spot. At other beaches and coves on the Pacific side north of Cabo San Lucas and along the Sea of Cortés east of San Jose’s Playita, gentle Baja breezes and the sound of the surf will be your inspiration for an “aaah.” moment. Of course, when Mother Nature decides she wants to show off a little, breezes may change to gusts and the surf may become wild and menacing. Use common sense. All beaches in Mexico within 20 meters of the high water mark are public property so if you can access the beach without trespassing, it’s all yours. (See information about Pacific beaches on page 103. Note: Even though it sounds like a spirited idea, driving on the beach is prohibited in Mexico. It endangers the protected turtles and potentially destroys their nests.
For the extremely more pampered, villas, resorts, and boutique hotels abound. Luxury homes on the cliffs at Lands End overlook the Pacific Ocean and have views almost all the way to Tahiti. These luxury accommodations are available to rent for several hundred to several thousand dollars per night. Earth, Sea & Sky Vacations at www.cabovillas.com can assist you with finding a luxury villa or resort rental unit. New fractional ownership options are becoming more popular in some of the up-scale developments. For more moderately priced town homes, condos, or apartments, go to www.bajamemories.com for listings.
Cabo has fabulous golf courses ranging from signature Cabo del Sol and Palmilla, both associated with luxury waterfront resort hotels, are some of the most groomed, challenging and posh courses in the world, with fees that are on par with Pebble Beach or Augusta. The nine-hole public course in San Jose is just the thing for the weekend warrior.
Playa Grande Resort on Solmar beach in Cabo San Lucas features its award winning Thalassotherapy Spa with every kind of self-indulgent relaxation and beauty treatment known to man- and womankind. Alternatively, boutique Cabo Surf Hotel in San Jose del Cabo features the intimate Sea Spa for pampering relaxation or to soothe the muscle pain of active vacationers. A renowned surf school and a Gidget-approved wedding venue for a fraction of the price of the bigger resorts are other featured amenities. Jump onto the sand and grab your board because there’s always that favorite and free sport of surfing world-class waves.
If your Hummer is full of pirate’s gold, hang around the bar at the Las Ventanas, where lavish accommodations and personalized service are priced up to thousands of dollars a night. You may rub elbows with the likes of Bill Gates instead of surfers and turtles who would be your neighbors when camping on the beach. Or bop downtown for those two-for-one beers.
Folks into the whimsical should try the boutique hotel Casa Raphael in Cabo San Lucas or the Hotel California an hour north on the Pacific side in Todos Santos. Both are unique venues for dining, reasonably priced rooms, and creative décor, and each overflows with its own music, legends and lore. Other affordable hotels include the beach-front Marbella Suites about midway between the two Cabos on the corridor and the Best Western Quinta del Sol a few blocks off Cabo’s Medano Beach. Casa Bentley in Todos Santos boasts quiet suites and a lush tropical garden at medium-range prices.
A Cabo vacation includes many fun-filled cost-variant options for activities ranging from simple snorkeling in a marine preserve, shopping for fire opals and artisan crafts, to chartering a sports fishing boat to catch big game. One can party all night in sizzling nightclubs, rent horses, ATV’s, scooters and surfboards. There are dolphins to pet at Cabo Adventures, whale-watching tours during season, Chenowth Magnum racecars to drive at Wide Open, and catamarans like the Tropicat on which to enjoy a sunset wine and jazz cruise. You can sail on the Buccaneer Queen pirate ship, skip along the sea on an America’s Cup racing yacht and play a round of golf – all on the same day. Enjoy a memorable dinner dance tango floorshow cruise on the110’ motor vessel Cabo Rey or get towed 600’ up in the air behind a speeding boat.
But, after all, it is said that one comes to Cabo for two things: fishing and hiding. Take out that fully crewed fishing yacht or have a hot stone massage or relax poolside with a cool refreshing beverage served by a uniformed butler. Or bait a fishing pole, take a hike to the hot springs, or pop yourself a cool one. Money spent or saved, Los Cabos is a paradise on any budget.
Be sure to check out www.loscabosguide.com for more details (and discount vouchers) for accommodations and exciting things to do on your Cabo dream vacation.
