Los Cabos goes all year round

Brian Day

Some 900 miles down the arid Baja peninsula lies Los Cabos (the

capes), one of Mexico’s most popular vacation spots.

Many people think “Cabo” is just Cabo San Lucas, a jazzy

late-night town crammed with partying college kids and luxury yachts,

but the area is really made up of four separate and unique

destinations. Besides Cabo San Lucas, there is San Jose del Cabo, a

smaller colonial village 19 miles up the Sea of Cortes. Then there’s

the Corridor, a strip of beach connecting both towns. Finally, a few

miles up the Pacific side is Todos Santos, an emerging artist’s

colony that feels like Carmel circa 1962.

Los Cabos’ allure lies in a stark, beautiful desert landscape

tumbling into the flawless blue sea. The big news is how this area

has emerged as an all-season resort. Just a few years ago, many of

the best restaurants and shops closed during summer’s heat, but now,

things hop all year round, delighting locals and visitors alike. If

you love the loose and lazy ambience of Mexico combined with every

resort activity imaginable, Los Cabos is an exotic, close-by escape

from the mundane.

Opened last year, a fast new toll road takes visitors directly

from the airport (some 24 miles from San Lucas) into San Jose.

Founded in 1730 and filled with gorgeous colonial buildings,

“downtown” San Jose has a compact historic district shaded by tall

palms and easily explored on foot. It’s full of intriguing side

streets and good shops, boutiques and restaurants such as the

Tropicana, Morgan’s, Damiana and Mi Cocina. Out along the malecon

(beach road), modern new developments feature more good shops and

restaurants, such as Cielito Lindo and Las Jicamas at the Faro del

Cabo resort.

Coming soon to San Jose is Los Cabos’ proposed second marina,

Puerto Los Cabos. The project includes a surrounding community of

homes, shops and two more golf courses, bringing the total number of

courses in the immediate area to 12.

Recently upgraded, the modern Corridor road has permanent new

bridges (the old ones sometimes washed out during infrequent tropical

storms.)

Palmilla, one high-end resort, is scheduled to be renovated by a

South African investor. Opened last year, the 375 room Hilton Beach &

Golf Resort offers sweeping blue-water vistas and loads of amenities.

There’s excellent snorkeling at Bahia Chileno, a wide protected

bay next to the venerable Hotel Cabo San Lucas. The ocean here is

calm and clear, perfect for families with children. Another great

Corridor beach is Bahia Santa Maria, but if neither of these suit

you, the area has dozens of others for swimming, snorkeling, surfing,

fishing or just plain lazing around.

Cabo San Lucas is brash, bustling and colorful. This once-sleepy

fishing town has evolved, too, with new restaurants, shops, hotels

and clubs. The huge new Puerto Paraiso mall overlooking the yacht

harbor has American-style eateries such as Ruth’s Chris steakhouse

and Johnny Rocket’s, upscale Italian at Amarone, “nouvelle Mexican”

at Cinemomo and a Haagen-Daaz on the waterfront side.

Nightlife pulses everywhere. For dinner, a show and dancing

actually on the water, a new catamaran showboat called Cabo Rey

offers entertainers from Argentina. You can “get hoisted” at the

goofy Giggling Marlin on San Lucas’ main drag.

Sammy Hagar’s landmark club, Cabo Wabo, keeps packin’ ‘em in with

live rock, tequila tastings and frequent appearances by the

can’t-drive-55 man himself. San Lucas rocks well into the small hours

of the morning, and there’s more to do and see than you could

possibly fit into any 24-hour day.

Chilling out after a night of serious indulgence is easy -- just

drive an hour or so north to the tiny Pacific-side artists’ town of

Todos Santos. Many of the grand haciendas have been renovated as

galleries, and the creative scene keeps growing. The best restaurant

in town is still the Santa Fe, with its overgrown, shady courtyard

and perfectly presented food.

On your way out of town, stop by the Hotel California for a drink.

This venerable landmark -- was it, or was it not the Eagle’s famous

“Hotel California?” -- has been bought and redone by Canadian

investors.

Los Cabos is a uniquely exciting, versatile beach vacation

getaway. It’s much closer than Hawaii, warm and dry almost year round

and constantly reinventing itself with new attractions for

inquisitive and adventurous visitors. There’s lots to do and see or

you can simply unwind at a remote beach and enjoy the Mexican

sunshine.

* BRIAN DAY is a Corona del Mar resident.

* TRAVEL TALES runs on Thursdays. Have you, or someone you know,

gone on an interesting vacation? Tell us about your adventures in

about 400 words, accompanied by a couple of photos to choose from

that do not have the Daily Pilot in them, and send them to Travel

Tales, 330 W. Bay St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627; e-mail

coral.wilson@latimes.com; or fax to (949) 646-4170.