Cabo San Lucas Makes For A Perfect Getaway

Recently, I spent a week’s family vacation at the exquisite Esperanza Resort. From Los Angeles Cabo San Lucas is a brief two-hour flight, and the resort is no more than a 40-minute drive from the airport.

Visiting Cabo in May is terrific because the crowds are minimal and the weather is fantastic! The temperature was in the mid 80’s with no humidity. Nights were pleasant with a slight breeze. This comes as a surprise to many who think of Mexico as sweltering heat at that time of year!

The Esperanza Resort has stunning villas and casitas as large as 4 and 5 bedrooms. The private villas come with a personal concierge who caters to your every need, from grocery shopping to making dinner reservations, tour planning, and setting up your favorite poolside spot every day. They offer some of the best service I’ve experienced! If you want it, they will find it, or make it happen.

There are gorgeous infinity pools, family pools, ocean view pools, bars in the pools, poolside dining… there’s everything. Choose to spend your day at the hotel “having a do-nothing day”; or head off to Cabo San Lucas or San Jose del Cabo. In Cabo San Lucas, you can parasail, rent jet skis, banana boat, sail, paddleboard, fish, or head out on a catamaran or yacht.

Water sports activities line the beach, and there are so many great beachside restaurants for great breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. One of our top choices was lunch at The Office. Plan on a few hours or make it an entire day at the beach. There are cabanas for rent and lounge chairs. While in Cabo, you can also go to the Zip Lines and Adventure Park. Of course, if you are a golfer, you will be in heaven with so many great courses, including the Cabo Real Robert Trent Jones Course.

Did you know Cabo offers as much adventure in the aquatic atmosphere below the seas as there is above the surface? We scuba dived the five-million-year-old Sea of Cortez, enjoying the beautiful underwater seascapes, in some of the most biologically rich waters on the planet. Don’t worry if you are not certified; there are a number of PADI dive courses available, even at the Esperanza pool.

If you don’t want to go below the ocean, you can sky dive above it at Skydive El Sol in Cabo. Bicycling is also a popular activity. Our hotel provided bikes; and there are bike rental tours and daily community bicycling events. The Puerto Los Cabos Bicycle Experience combines nature, culture, and fitness.

Not enough to do? We were adventurous and explored the Baja California desert on the back of a camel on a desert excursion! These camels can carry two people and are friendly, trained, and safe. If camels are not your thing and horses are, head to the Cuadra San Francisco at Cabot Real, a great equestrian center where we took a trail ride through the canyons to the beach. If you are more advanced, they offer lessons in riding, jumping, and dressage. There are even romantic carriage rides!

So what are the best beaches to try? La Palyita is a golden sand beach accessed through Puetro Los Caogos. There are Deep Sea fishing boat rentals, swimming with dolphins, marina art walk, and seasonal whale watching. There is even a striking botanical garden nearby to enjoy. Our day there was fabulous!

At Coast Azul, at the base of the Mirado in San Jose Del Cabo, there are surf breaks and board rentals with lessons available. They picked us up at our hotel and took us out for two hours of lessons; and we were up surfing in no time. The Palmilla Hotel has a swimmable beach with small fishing boat rentals. If you are not staying at the Palmilla and wish to swim, try Chileno Bay, a swimmable beach with excellent snorkeling located about 10 minutes outside of Cabo. Santa Maria Bay is a beautiful aqua bay and protected marine sanctuary, great for swimming and snorkeling 5 minutes from Cabo. Finally, Lovers Beach and Divorce Beach is a sliver of beach at land’s end with the Pacific on one side and Sea of Cortez on the other, and is spectacular!

In San Jose Del Cabo, you will find amazing art galleries, a theme park, and swimming with dolphins. There is a Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman PLC Golf Course. There are many stay and play vacation opportunities to choose from. In addition, there is the weekly Art Walk, a free, self-guided tour through the galleries in historic San Jose celebrating art, craft, and creativity.

The amazing Nikki Beach has their White Party in May with events and parties throughout the entire weekend. By the way, June is the month of the Los Cabos Open Surf Tournament at point break at Costa Azul. The event not only includes a phenomenal surfing championship but also features beach concerts, a food fair, fashion shows, and art walks, as well as the best of the surf lifestyle.

You can explore the peninsula by getting in a car and driving. The desert, beaches, and mountains of the Baja Peninsula hold secret spots and off-the-beaten-path locations worthy of discovery. Rent a car, a jeep, or Baja buggy, throw in the picnic lunch and sunscreen, and hit the dirt road. You can enjoy this rare peninsula where the ocean collides with the soaring peaks of the Sierra La Laguna Mountains above the coastal shores of the Sea of Cortez.

If fishing is your thing, we spent a day on the Gordo Banks just ten miles from Marine at Puerto Los Cabos where we fished for Marlin, Sailfish, Yellowfin Tuna, Dorado, and more. It is home to some of the best sport fishing in the world.

For party goers, bars and clubs abound. The No Where Bar, Cabo Wabo, Passion, El Squid Roe, Nikki Beach and Rock and Brews are among the more popular ones.

One of the other great allures of visiting Cabo is the choice of many hotels and restaurants. Practically every hotel chain is represented! There is the exquisite One & Only Palmilla, which offers a beach for swimming, which many hotels do not have. Their restaurant, Aqua, is located on the deck overlooking the pool and beach, and although pricey it is fabulous. Great food, ambience, and excellent service. The Palmilla is a little oasis in the middle of the desert filled with exquisite tropical landscaping that goes on for acres.

At this time, Las Ventanas is undergoing a major renovation and will reopen in the late fall.

Other delicious restaurants not to be missed include: Nicki San for sushi, Edith’s for fabulous steaks and fish, and if you are cold, they have colorful ponchos, draping every chair. Mariachis will serenade you. The food is terrific, as is the service. Hacienda Beach Club and Residences has an incredible restaurant located next to the marina on beautiful Medano Beach called Hacienda Cantina y Cocina. Be sure to ask to sit outside and have an ocean view. Try for a table not near the bar, which can get noisy and distract from the delicious food, incredible service, and beautiful atmosphere.

Another hotel many may not be aware of is the Capella Pedregal.

Cut into the cliff, its architectural magnificence is striking. The hotel overlooks the jagged coastline and is breathtaking. Many of the rooms have an outdoor Jacuzzi, overlooking the ocean. The hotel is a favorite for couples and honeymooners because it is so romantic. We dined at their indoor restaurant, Don Manuel’s. The wonderful menu, terrific décor, and unrivaled service made it a fabulous evening. The finer restaurant, which sits on the cliff, is El Faralon. If one chooses not to dine there, there is comfortable lounge style bar seating overlooking the ocean, offering the same view as the restaurant itself, without the cost, which is pricey.

What about shopping? There are several large malls, such as the Puerto Paraiso Mall. Boulevard Mijares in San Jose Del Cabo is the main street and is lined with many shops and courtyard style mini malls, carrying silver jewelry, clothing, arts, and crafts. The traditional Mexican market is the Municipal Market with fresh fish, produce, meats, spices, clothes, and curios. There are even small juice stands and places to grab a quick meal.

Cabo San Lucas makes the perfect vacation getaway. If you are thinking about a destination wedding, Cabo is an excellent choi: the Esperanza had several destination weddings taking place during our stay.

Buen Viaje!

Raina Ring