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As you approach the Los Cabos ("The Capes") region by air at the southern tip of Baja California, Mexico, you are struck by the stark contrast between the desert brown of the landscape and the incredible blue sea bordering it on three sides. The desert is punctuated by rugged mountain ridges, tapering down to a spine of rock projecting seaward from the tip. This rocky spine divides the Pacific Ocean from the Sea of Cortez, and is simply called Land's End. Two relatively small towns fringe the coast to the east of Land's End - San Jose Del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas. San Jose Del Cabo is the more sedate of the two. More established than its younger brother, it offers wide beaches, horseback riding and excellent golfing. It also is near the international airport serving the Los Cabos area. The airport appears to have been developed anticipating a great deal of growth yet to come - not too hard to imagine. It is served from the USA by Mexicana, AeroMexico, Aero California, America West, Continental, American and Alaska Airlines, depending on where you live. About twenty miles west, developing around the "root" of the Land's End spine, lies the burgeoning town of Cabo San Lucas. The resident population is about 25,000 and growing fast. Cabo San Lucas has been a destination for deep sea fishing for decades and a refuge for pirates in antiquity. It now boasts of being the home of "The World's Finest Billfishing", based largely on the annual Bisbee fishing tournament which awards cash prizes totaling over $2.5 million dollars! During October through December, over 150 boats race to the open ocean for the best spots. Marlin, dorado (Mahi Mahi), bluefin tuna and wahoo are available almost year round. Because of the sportfishing industry, the marina is large and well established. Charter boats are readily available for $300 to $700 a day depending on the size and degree of luxury you want. I personally recommend Alan Clancy's fleet at ABC Sports Cabo. He can be reached by E-mail at abcsportscabo@prodigy.net.mx . He helped us out with a 120 lb. Striped Marlin which will soon be hanging over my mantle. Catching that beast and fighting it for about 45 minutes is an experience I'll always remember. The excitement of watching such a fish dancing along the wave-tops, trying to throw the hook on light tackle, will get your heart up to its target rate big time. You really have the feeling that it is a pretty evenly matched man-against-beast contest! Aside from the fishing, many other water sports are now offered. They include jetskiing, snorkeling, world class scuba diving and even parasailing. Sunset romantic cruises by power or sail are very popular, and the same boats such as the Kaleidescope or La Princesa offer daytime trips to Land's End and the Arch. Part way along the Land's End "spine" is a small unique beach - Lover's Beach - that has beach frontage on both the Pacific and Sea of Cortez. It is only accessible by boat and offers some intriguing possibilities. Whale watching cruises also go out daily; the waters nearby are in the migration route for Humpback, Blue, Gray and Sperm whales. Cabo also has gained some notoriety in recent years as a college Spring Break destination for U.S. west coast schools. The locals still seem to welcome them with open arms, but with warnings about mixing alcohol with driving, diving and so on. Cabo San Lucas is made to order as a golfing destination. With about 300 days of sunshine a year, temperatures always between mid-70s and mid-80s except August and September, and sandy soil very responsive to irrigation, excellent golf courses have sprung up in recent years. Along the route from San Jose Del Cabo are two courses designed by Jack Nicklaus and one by Robert Trent Jones II. Closer to Cabo along this 22-mile route is another Jack Nicklaus course, Cabo Del Sol. Just north of Cabo is the Cabo San Lucas Country Club. All have ocean views and most have oceanside holes. Cabo is currently being reborn as a luxury resort as well. Condo and timeshare complexes by the dozen are completed or under construction, and you can expect to be bombarded by their salespeople beginning at the airport. They are extremely competitive, offering all kinds of "perks" to see their properties. Yes - I confess we took part and in fact ended up buying a timeshare. But I like to think we worked the "perks" to the max and drove a hard bargain on the property. If you prefer familiar, mainline hotel names, both Hilton and Marriott have recently opened incredible resort complexes along the road from the airport to Cabo. But I have to point out that, while they probably offer a wonderful beach experience, they are much further away from both the marina and the downtown area. There are several very nice hotels in the downtown and marina areas, such as the Marina Fiesta Resort, Bahia Condo Hotel and the Cabo Inn. Also, the Cabo Villas Resort on Medano Beach (the timeshare we bought into) offers beautiful suites by the beach and beach clubs such as Billigan's Island, and it's only a short walk from the marina and downtown areas. Transportation is moderately priced and readily available. From the airport, you can go to Cabo by large vans operated by the airport authority. Cost was about $25 one way into Cabo. Taxi service around Cabo is a curious mix of privately owned vans (not cars) and rickshaw-style cycles powered by local talent. Ask for the price up front! The downtown area adjoins the marina and is a mix of the old Mexican fishing village and the clubs catering to the Spring Break and general gringo tourists. A large Super Market has pretty much all the food, produce and notions you might need. Along the main street, Lazaro Cardenas, you will find such memorable clubs as El Squid Roe, Hard Rock Café, Cabo Wabo, The Wild Coyote and The Giggling Marlin that never close! Shopping, though, is pretty much limited to the usual Mexican trinkets and souvenirs. Restaurants along the marina, Medano Beach and Lazaro Cardenas cater to the American gringo. Seafood is of course the specialty. The meals we tried were all excellent. For those interested in the desert itself, and those of the more adventuresome, Land's End Excursions offers serious off-roading using actual Baja racing trucks and rails. All in all, Cabo San Lucas has a lot to offer the water enthusiast, golfer, romantic couple, beach bum, fisherman, off-roader or anyone who appreciates natural beauty. Although is on the edge of a desert, it is basically a beach resort. My wife, who is definitely not a fan of the desert, enjoyed it thoroughly, and we look forward to many return visits. She even hinted she might enjoy living there!
Norman Keegan is a regular contributing writer to The Traveler Back to TheTraveler. |
