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When you're headed to a resort destination, you need different information than most travel guides can provide. Sure, you want to know about all the sights, great restaurants, and cool places to stay--but you also need detailed information on activities and sports, how to rent a condo, and which is the best grocery store to stock up on picnic supplies. Fodor's Pocket guides delivers all this and more in a convenient pocket-size book.
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Introducing Los Cabos
Los Cabos rises up like a sun-splashed oasis framed by El Arco, its dramatic stone arch. To appreciate Cabo's natural beauty you must look east to the sparkling aquamarine waters of the Sea of Cortes and gaze west as a fiery-orange sun descends slowly into the pounding Pacific Ocean. At the very tip of Mexico's Baja Peninsula, 1,669 km (1,035 mi) south of Tijuana, Los Cabos is a remote hot spot for fun seekers and sun worshippers.
Los Cabos comprises three distinct areas: the pleasant colonial town of San Jose[ac] del Cabo; outrageous, fun-loving Cabo San Lucas; and, connecting the two, the resort-filled Corridor -- a 33-km (20-mi) strip of land. The total population of Los Cabos is said to be around 50,000, although unofficial estimates inflate it to 100,000, citing the growing number of Mexicans migrating from the mainland in search of jobs.
Shops and markets overflow with beautiful ceramics, weavings, embroidered clothing, silver jewelry, and handicrafts from mainland Mexico. In many hotels, traditional mariachi bands entertain guests dining on authentic Mexican fare. Without these reminders, it would be easy to forget that Los Cabos is in Mexico, as American accents far outnumber Spanish on the streets. Adding to the tourist count are full- and part-time residents from the United States and Canada who buy condos, participate in time shares, or lease villas -- whatever it takes to prolong their stay in this sunny vacationland.
Los Cabos lays claim to more than 350 days of sunshine a year. Having a day's activity spoiled by rain is rare, except perhaps in August and September. The climate is dry and hot, tempered by low humidity and cool breezes off the Sea of Cortes. The hottest temperatures are from June through September, the coolest from December through April -- when a sweater or jacket is frequently needed in the evenings.
After a few days of sitting on the beach under a (a palm-thatch umbrella or roof), you'll soon discover there's more to enjoy than perfect weather, lovely resorts, and scenery scalloped by the Sea of Cortes. Centuries of waves crashing against the shoreline have carved out sandy coves amid huge rock outcroppings, making them perfect for swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving. In San Jos?'s estuary, where freshwater empties into the Sea of Cortes, kayaking is another favorite pastime.
There's a lot to do on land, too. Throughout Los Cabos, new golf courses are opening almost as fast as new hotels. There are now six courses, four with championship status, and more are on the drawing boards such famous designers as Jack Nicklaus, Robert Trent Jones Jr., Tom Fazio, Tom Weiskopf, and Roy Dye. If playing 18 holes isn't your bag, try hiking or bicycling through La Laguna mountain range, ATV (all-terrain vehicle) trips along the beaches and into the desert, or trail rides on horseback.
But as that golden orb kisses the western horizon, life in Cabo is only just beginning. Depending on your whim, you can watch the sunset while on a dinner cruise, dance barefoot at a beach party, or sample dusk-to-nearly-dawn nightlife in San Lucas -- the party town that some have dubbed "Cabo San Loco."
