Los Cabos Travel Guide

The region encompassing the cities of San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas is known as Los Cabos. Though only about 20 miles apart, these two cities along the coastal corridor are distinct in character. José del Cabo grew from a Jesuit mission, established in 1730, and has the character of a small town with fine restaurants, cafés, and boutiques. On Thursday evenings from November through June, Art Walk (artcabo.com), in the city’s gallery district, provides a survey of contemporary painting, sculpture, and photography by Mexican and international artists. For a break along the walk, visitors can slip into the cantina at the Baja Brewing Company (1277 Morelos, San José del Cabo; +52-624-142-5294) to sample a small batch ale or signature Mexican IPA. Cabo San Lucas, a one-time fishing village, is known today for its lively marina and fashionable nightlife, bars and restaurants. It is the scene of annual events, such as the Los Cabos International Film Festival (+52-55-658-5106; cabosfilmfestival.com), held in November, a showcase for Mexican, U.S., and Canadian films and documentaries.

Restaurants in Los Cabos, rustic-chic to fine-dining, draw chefs from throughout Mexico and beyond who come to make their mark on the vibrant and ever evolving culinary scene. Café Flora, a small organic restaurant that opened in the late 1990’s in San José del Cabo, emerged at the vanguard of the local food movement. Its success gave rise to a farm and Flora’s Field Kitchen (Km 30 Carretera Transpeninsular San José del Cabo; +52-624-142-1000), where among fields of vegetables and herbs, diners chose from dishes like a risotto of garden-fresh vegetables or mesquite-wood roasted chicken. At his Toro Latin Kitchen & Bar (Km 6.5 Carretera Transpeninsular, Punta Ballena; +52-624-104-3184), innovative Mexican chef Richard Sandoval fuses the food traditions of Mexico and Latin America with the Japanese- and Chinese-Peruvian blended cuisines to create a tantalizing pan-Latin menu. Dishes include white fish Peruvian ceviche and miso-chipotle escolar fish, with grilled asparagus and daikon radish. Los Tres Gallos (corner of Leona Vicario and 20 de Noviembre, Cabo San Lucas; +52-624-130-7709), named after three luminaries of the golden age of Mexican cinema—actors Pedro Infante, Jorge Negrete, and Javier Solís—is a deserved mainstay in downtown Cabo San Lucas. The restaurant’s unassuming setting, which includes a gracious patio, belies superb Mexican cuisine, including such classics as chicken in mole sauces, enchiladas in salsa verde; and the ever popular tacos de mar, a trio of lobster, shrimp, and scallop.

In 1535, 16 years after he set foot in Mexico, Spanish explorer Hernando Cortés led an expedition to the Baja California peninsula. Others followed and in the late 17th-century, Jesuit, then Franciscan, and Dominican missionaries arrived to establish churches and settlements. Confronted by a hot and arid climate, neither the explorers nor missionaries could imagine the biodiversity the seas and landscape encompassed. One of the most extraordinary sites, Cabo Pulmo National Park, lies two and half hours north of Paradisus, on the Sea of Cortez or Gulf of California, described by Jacques Cousteau as the “aquarium of the world.” A National Marine Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site, it has one of the largest and most diverse coral reefs in North America. In its waters flourish more than 800 species of marine life, including five of the seven types of endangered sea turtles, sharks ranging from hammerhead to whitetip, sea mammals, including the endemic gulf porpoise or vaquita, and an astounding array of fish, silver mackerel, gulf grouper, blowfish, manta rays, and beyond. As might be expected, Cabo Pulmo offers exceptional snorkeling and diving. Ecotour operators include Eco Adventures (+52-624-157-4072) and Mar y Sierra (+52-624-168-5186).

Whether it is zip-lining across a canyon, horseback riding, hurtling along off-road trails in an ATV, or birding, Los Cabos provides seemingly as many land sports and activities as along its coastal waters. Varied ecosystems, set between 1,300 and 6,800 feet, encompass semi-desert, scrub, oak forests, and piney woods, in the foothills and mountains of Sierra de la Laguna reserve. Located approximately 80 miles north of Los Cabos, it is filled with surprises. Hiking, trekking, mountain biking, and camping bring visitors to close encounters with diverse fauna—iguana, owl, and even the rarely spotted ring-tailed cat. Swimming holes and natural springs supply refreshing breaks from hikes through canyons. Visitors can spend the day or take up multi-day treks.

The Arch or Arco is the most recognizable landmark in Los Cabos. The jutting promontory, lies at the southern tip of the peninsula, also known as Land’s End, where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific Ocean. There are many angles from which to take it in, including up-close from a ship excursion. But it can be appreciated from a distance, too. One of the best views is from Sunset Monalisa (Km. 5.5 Carretera Transpeninsular, Cabo San Lucas; +52-624-145-8160) restaurant and its terraces. Popular year-round, especially at twilight, this vantage point also affords the thrill of spotting whales during their winter migration.