Los Cabos stretches along the southernmost tip of the Baja Peninsula between both the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez.  The resort areas of Los Cabos consists of 3 areas—Cabo San Lucas, San Jose del Cabo and the Corridor (between both towns).  It can be confusing since Los Cabos is also known as Baja California Sur but it is 100% in Mexico. map of cabo

 

Over the past 20 years, Los Cabos has evolved from a small fishing village to one of Mexico’s most popular resort destination with hotels and resorts to fit most needs and budgets.  The majority of luxury resorts and golf courses have been built along the corridor, making the 20 mile long corridor as popular as both towns.  Cabo San Lucas has the party reputation- bars, restaurants and shops all centered around the marina.  San Jose del Cabo, to the east, is the sleepy town with shops and art galleries along the main plaza and narrow streets.  The Corridor is full of resorts and condos built into golf communities and it’s home to some of the best beaches for water sports.

When is the best time to go to Los Cabos?

Peak season in Los Cabos runs from mid December until the end of Easter week and those will be the times with the highest hotel and golf rates.

  • Spring break (which can be from March into April) is also a crowded time.
  • Weekends are pretty busy year round (2 hours from Los Angeles makes it a great weekend get away and a great spot for bachelor and bachelorette parties).
  • Whale watching season runs December through April.
  • Sport Fishing starts in mid-October.
  • Hurricane season runs from August through October and Los Cabos typically doesn’t get hit with as many hurricanes as the Caribbean but winds and rough seas can be felt in Cabo when there is a storm elsewhere along Mexico’s Pacific Coast.   Hurricane Odile in September 2014 was a major storm to hit Cabo causing lots of damage, especially along the corridor where some resorts have taken up to a year to re-open.
  • Rainy season is typically August and September.
  • The winter months can be down right chilly (with evening temperatures averaging in the 50’s) and you will find may of the luxury resorts with in room fire places and outdoor fire pits.

What makes Los Cabos different than the Cancun/Riviera Maya resort areas?

pelican beach2

View of Pelican Beach from the One and Only Palmilla

I think what stuck us the most of the difference between Los Cabos and the Caribbean coast of Mexico is the topography.  Where as the Riviera Maya is lush, tropical and flat, Los Cabos is a desert surrounded by mountains and rocky coast lines.  Hotels and condos are built along the coast into the mountain sides and in many cases the beaches are not level with the hotels.  In fact, to get to the beach from one of the resorts that My Vacation Lady stayed at, we needed to walk through a tunnel to get to the beach.

Most of the beaches in Los Cabos aren’t safe for swimming due to strong undertows but there are a number of swimmable beaches in Cabo, along the Corridor and in the San Jose del Cabos area.  There are red flags at most of the beaches and, even a black one (that we were told meant– don’t even think about it!)

Infinity pool at Secrets Puerto Los Cabos

Infinity pool at Secrets Puerto Los Cabos

Another thing that struck us was the absolutely GORGEOUS infinity pools at most of the resorts.  I can’t remember seeing one resort without a beautiful infinity pool.  The pools are definitely the highlights of the resorts and while most have beautiful ocean views, there are few resorts that are actually located on swimmable beaches.

What is there to do in Los Cabos?

On our flight over to Los Cabos, we saw a combination of golfers, fisherman, couples and families.

  • This area is definitely a GOLF destination with 10 courses in the area, most with stunning mountain, desert and ocean views.  There are 2 public course, 6 semi private ones that allow guests, as well as members to play and 2 private courses, open only to members.  Some of the top golfers have designed courses there from Jack Nicklaus, Tom Weiskopf, Robert Trent Jones II and Greg Norman, to name a few.
  • Deep Sea Fishing is another big draw to Los Cabos.  With marlin, shark and dorado available all year round to sailfish, tuna, rooster fish and yellow tail available during other times of the year, this is a destination that many fishing fanatics will come for weeks at a time.
  • Watersports– from snorkling, kayaking, stand up paddle boards, sunset cruises, surfing, glass bottom boat rides to swimming with dolphins, Los Cabos is a haven for water sports.  For certified divers, Cabo offers a unique spectacle of nature– you can watch the sand falling under the water!
  • Land activities-  between horseback riding on the beach, ATV tours, mountain biking, zip lining, waterfall and canyon tours, shopping and 4×4 jeep tours, there is certainly enough to keep most travelers occupied.
  • Spas- While the men are playing golf, the women need some diversion and we saw some spectacular spas in Cabo.  The surprise spa that we saw was at the Sandos Finisterra that was carved out of the side of the mountain and one wall of the spa was the original stone!

What are the highlights of Los Cabos?

From December to March, whale watching is a must see.  In fact, at many of the suites in some of the top resorts, telescopes are standard equipment.  Whales are particularly abundant in early March and you can take a boat trip to get up close and personal with the whales.

El Arco

El Arco

Land’s End– Known for its exceptional views and photo ops, Land’s End is comprised of a large cluster of rock formations that were carved into fantastic shapes by years of being blasted by the wind and seas. During low tide, you can walk along Lover’s Beach which will give you a better view of an eroded passageway called the Arch of Poseidon. You can also check out  Los Frailes, two rock islets that are frequented by sea lions.  Hop on a boat (panga) right from the marina in Cabo and head to El Arco (the Arch)- the jagged “arch” in the rocks that fills partially with the tide.

Lover’s Beach –  take a water taxi from the marina or Medano Beach, pack a lunch, bring snorkeling gear and a towel and you’re ready for a fun day of sunning, swimming and snorkeling.  There are beach vendors selling drinks.  Divorce Beach is accessible through the gap in the rocks that leads to the Pacific side of Land’s End and is named for it’s dangerous undertow and shore break. Swimming is only recommended at Lover’s where a short swim will take you to a great snorkeling area.

Medano Beach- is the safest swimming beach and it’s right in the middle of the action of Cabo San Lucas.  It’s a great place to spend the day and people watch, enjoy water sports and there are some great shopping, dining and drinking establishments within a short walk.

Day Trips – if you are staying in Cabo, take a day trip out to San Jose del Cabos.  In the winter, on Thursday afternoons there is an Art Walk along Alvaro Obregon Street, where there are lots of galleries.  Mingle with the artists who are displaying their works.  You can also take a Shopping and Art Gallery Tour which will include dinner, as well as a guided tour of the top art galleries and some of the unique boutiques.  If you’re staying in San Jose del Cabo or on the corridor, a day trip into Cabo is a must.  You can take a taxi (which can be a bit pricey) or a tour or take the public bus for only a few dollars in each direction.

Take a day trip to La Paz, with authentic Bajan charm, or the East Cape (about 70 km north of San Jose del Cabo) and is a great spot for kite surfing, wind surfing and surfing.  It’s a bit more remote and secluded and really appeals to hard core sports enthusiasts.

Who would enjoy Los Cabos?

If swimming in a calm beach is your top priority, Los Cabos may not be the ideal destination for you.  If you want a resort destination with great resorts, top notch dining, water sports, golf, fishing and spas Cabo is definitely worth a look.  This is a great honeymoon destination, as well as a great spot for families and singles.  There are resorts ranging from 5+ star luxury resorts to 2 adult only all inclusive resorts to family friendly all inclusive resorts and others that cater to groups and destination weddings.

For more information on vacations, honeymoons and destination weddings in Los Cabos, My Vacation Lady can help.  With our experience and contacts in Los Cabos, we can design a dream vacation or honeymoon for you.