Whenever you need to chill out, what’s better than a laid-back and fun escape? Los Cabos in Baja California Mexico fits the bill for me anytime. Cabo San Lucas is a popular party town and San José del Cabo is more luxurious and subdued. Both feature amazing resorts, azure seas, and festive colors everywhere.
Find a local guide in Los Cabos, here.
I’ve been there twice so far. Once in 2015 and then again in 2023. My daughter plans to be married there so I will be going back in January 2024. The first time I was there, we spent most of our time in Cabo San Lucas but stayed exclusively in San José del Cabo the 2nd time. Both were fabulous and I can’t wait to go back. Mexico has a cool exciting vibe and amazing food. It’s the perfect place to relax and have a good time no matter what part of the country you go.
Cabo San Lucas
Hurricane Patricia threatened to clobber parts of Mexico and Baja on the day we went to the airport the first time we were there and several friends and relatives sent worried text messages before takeoff.
“Are you crazy? Don’t go! It’s going to be the worst hurricane on record!”
All flights to Puerto Vallarta were canceled but Los Cabos was still a go. We wondered if we were making a huge mistake but the gate attendant told us the captain wasn’t worried, so we decided to chance it.
And we were so glad we did!
The weather was calm and sunny the entire time. The only remnants of the perilous hurricane were large waves slamming the shore causing a few beach cafes like the popular “Office on the Beach” to close temporarily.
The wild and crazy Los Cabos Airport
Resort towns in Mexico have timeshare hawkers at every turn. Pushing activities is a sure sign of hawkers so it’s best to avoid them. You also have to be careful about what taxi service you take to get to your hotel. Uber and Lyft are not allowed to pick you up at the airport, but they can take you back. They are much more affordable than taxis and only cost a fraction of what they charge in the United States.
As we waited for the driver we booked to arrive, we enjoyed a Corona just outside the airport exit.
Playa Grande Resort and Grand Spa
Our plan for our 3-night stay was to stay in Cabo San Lucas for two nights and then spend the last night in San José del Cabo. We were booked into the Playa Grande Resort and Grand Spa within walking distance of the Cabo San Lucas Marina and downtown.
The first thing we did after we checked into our room was to take a stroll around the marina.
It was beautiful, but it was a hot day so we spent the rest of the morning enjoying the pool area at our hotel. Tip: Bring plenty of sunscreen!
Playa Grande is an older resort but I enjoyed it because it wasn’t too huge and institutional and the food was wonderful.
The breakfast and snacks at the Calima and Brigantine restaurants were delightful and filling. I love Mexican breakfasts! They’re so full of flavor!
You can’t have a relaxing vacation without a spa visit
The Grand Spa at Playa Grande offers a variety of spa treatments. Most were beyond our budget. We decided to check out the fish spa, where tiny Garra Rufa fish nibble dead skin off your feet. My son tried it when he was stationed in Okinawa where it is popular.
The gentle knawing on my rough heels felt weird but I could feel them being exfoliated by the voracious fish. Given the condition of the bottom of my feet, I needed Piranhas. The experience was well worth it, though.
Our hideaway overlooking the Sea of Cortez
Our room was nicely decorated and had a comfortable bed, 2 bathrooms, and a kitchenette. I could easily live there.
The balcony overlooked the Pacific at Playa Solmar. It was a lovely sight to wake up to each morning even though swimming in it was banned because of the rough current.
Touring Cabo San Lucas
We signed up for a tour of both Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo. We were booked to stay at Hyatt Ziva in San José del Cabo that night and tried to get the tour operator to take our luggage along and drop us off there so we didn’t have to drive all the way back to Cabo after the tour. He told us he wasn’t allowed to legally so we had to go back to Cabo and drive all the way back to San José del Cabo, which is about 30 minutes.
Oh well, rules are rules.
Our boat ride to El Arco
Our guide took us to the Marina to board a glass-bottom boat for a spin around the rocks at El Arco. They sit at Land’s End and are a majestic landmark that is not to be missed. We had fun speeding around in the boat, saying hello to the sea lions, and pelicans, and viewing the spectacular rocks.
Our next stop was a glass-blowing factory located in a working-class section of Cabo San Lucas. It was impressive watching two of the locals form a colorful fish out of recycled glass.
Afterward, we had free time in town but most of us ended up at Pancho’s Restaurant and Tequila Bar for appetizers and beer.
A little glitch
An Ironman competition was taking place on the road that day and was snarling up traffic. It took forever to get to where we were supposed to stop in San José del Cabo for lunch. After we ate, our group decided to cancel the rest of our tour and go back to our hotels.
Note: Tour operators in Mexico may tell you traffic won’t be a problem or give you updates that could potentially take more time than you expected. They’re out to make a buck no matter what. Even still, our guide was a nice guy and did his best so we gave him a nice tip.
2 fabulous places to eat in Cabo
As we were only in Cabo San Lucas for two nights we wanted to experience the best of the best cuisine-wise. A friend who comes down to Los Cabos often recommended two taste-worthy establishments.
Hacienda Cocina e Cantina at the Hacienda Beach Club
Calle Gomez Farias S/N, El Medano, 23453 Cabo San Lucas, B.C.S.
+52 624 163 3144
Perched under a palm-frond palapa overlooking Medano Beach, with a star-lit sky overhead, we savored authentic, locally sourced Mexican cuisine made to perfection. My daughter and I shared Ceviche Verde (a mixture of raw sea bass, tomatillo sauce, and avocado) and Enchiladas De Langosta y Camaron (lobster and shrimp enchiladas with tomato, ancho chipotle sauce, avocado, fresh cheese, sour cream, and Mexican rice.)
Sunset Mona Lisa
Carretera Transpeninsular Kilometro 6.5, Cabo Bello Plaza del Rey 7 y 8, 23455 Cabo San Lucas, B.C.S., Mexico
+52 624 145 8160
Elegant tables sit on a tiered rock terrace overlooking the bay with a mind-boggling view of El Arco. It’s a romantic restaurant founded by Giorgio Battaglia of Florence, Italy in 1984. The palapa was destroyed by Hurricane Juliette in 2001 and the restaurant was taken over by a group of impassioned Italians. Chef Paolo Della Corte works his magic creating mouth-watering dishes and decadent desserts.
We arrived two hours earlier than our reservation because we wanted to catch the sunset.
Our hostess seated us right away giving us a choice view at a table on top of the terrace. As the sun descended, a waiter ceremoniously blew a conch shell.
We delighted in eating fresh seasonal seafood, luscious chocolate soufflé for dessert, and a chocolate liqueur aperitif.
A wedding had just ended at Taittinger Terrace Bar next to the restaurant where you can sip high-end champagne, enjoy cocktails and eat delectable appetizers pre-dinner.
San José del Cabo
During our first visit to Los Cabos my daughter and I stayed at the inclusive Hyatt Ziva in San José del Cabo. It is next to the sea in the main part of town. The resort is stunning and because it is inclusive you don’t have to pay extra for meals. As lovely as it was, I am not a fan of inclusive resorts and prefer to venture into the surrounding area to enjoy local cuisine. I found the food at the resort to be mediocre compared to what you can get at the multitude of fine restaurants in Los Cabos.
On our second trip to Los Cabos, we stayed exclusively in San José del Cabo with our main objective to search out restaurants and hotels for the wedding. We stayed three nights in three separate hotels; The Hyatt, as we came in at night and would be leaving the next morning, Mar del Cabo by Velas Resorts, and JW Marriott Los Cabos Beach Resort & Spa.
I’m a lover of boutique hotels and loved the ambiance at Mar del Cabo. If I were to go by myself, I wouldn’t mind staying there. It’s small, quaint, and filled with gorgeous Bougainvillea. We were offered a welcome drink when we arrived which I absolutely loved. It was a mix of club soda, cranberry juice, lime juice, and mint.
The hotel has steps that go all the way down to the beach and no elevators so it’s quite a workout going up and down but great exercise. It wasn’t suitable for the wedding and unfortunately had major construction of a huge new hotel next to it. Otherwise, it was charming.
The wedding will be at Flora Farms, which is in the foothills of the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains north of San Jose del Cabo. It’s a 25-acre working farm that offers farm-to-table cuisine and is a popular wedding destination with a busy restaurant.
Driving there in our Uber it almost seemed like we were being kidnapped as we drove up an unpaved road up a hill in a sketchy neighborhood. But, when we arrived it was lovely. There were even rescue dogs that wander the premises and are well taken care of and very friendly.
Art District Art Gallery District – San Jose del Cabo
The seaside is fun and touristy but the art district in San Jose del Cabo is where all the action is with colorful galleries, restaurants, bars, and quaint little boutique hotels. We enjoyed amazing tacos at La Lupita, which was on our list of restaurants to check out for the welcome dinner. I ate a taco with fried grasshoppers in it and it was delicious! Not that I go around eating bugs . . . but when in Mexico . . .
We ultimately decided to stay at the J.W. Marriott when we come back in January as it is close to Flora Farms and even though it’s a huge complex you don’t feel like you are surrounded by throngs of tourists. The tacos at the pool bar were astounding as well. I didn’t expect that of a chain hotel but my brisket taco blew me out of the water.
What to wear in Baja, Mexico
When I was packing to go to Los Cabos I saw that the weather was about 75 degrees but didn’t take into account that it would feel hotter and more humid as it’s closer to the equator. I should have brought more resort-style clothing but brought jeans and some uncomfortably warm clothes instead. Go full-on resort when you are there and most importantly, bring a wide-brimmed straw hat.
What’s your favorite vacation spot to go to de-stress? Please leave a comment below.
Janet says
Wow, sounds fantastic. I sure wish I could have joined you! That civechi really sounded good. That’s one of my all time favorite foods. And those views! So glad you two had a great time and were not bothered by Patricia.
Rebecca Forstadt-Olkowski says
Darn Janet! We wish you could have been there with us. It was so much fun and the perfect place to relax. We’ll have to figure out a way to all get there again.
Jenn says
This trip looks heavenly! I could really go for a beach vacation right now. And a massage and a nice long soak in a hot tub.
Rebecca Forstadt-Olkowski says
Beach vacations are wonderful. I wish I was still there. Our trip was much too short. It’s a great place to go to relax and renew.
Diane says
Oh this looks divine from start to finish!
Rebecca Forstadt-Olkowski says
It was and I just went back again.
Jennifer says
Those little fish nibbling your feet are fun. Haven’t done it on the feet but at an aquarium we visited once, they had us put our hands in the water to have them nibble. Loved all your pictures.
Laurie Stone says
Looks awesome. I love Mexico. The people are so nice, the scenery is magnificent and the food is great! Looks like an awesome trip!
Carol Cassara says
So far, Mexico has only been someplace I’ve read about. Haven’t had the itch to visit.