The Best of Los Cabos

NEARLY SURROUNDED by a gorgeous coastline with jade-green coves and large sweeping bays, Baja California has enticed anglers for more than 50 years. Indeed, fishing was long the single essence of Cabo San Lucas. Cabo marine life is so rich that, in 1973, the Mexican government declared the area from Cabo San Lucas Harbor to the lighthouse at Cabo Falso a national monument.

The cape, dubbed Los Cabos by Mexican tourism, is the combined area of Cabo San Lucas and the still (gasp) unspoiled town of San José del Cabo, connected by a 19-mile corridor lined with resorts and seven top-flight golf courses along the coastline. A few years ago, the burrito burst, and salivating developers arrived packing jackhammers in one hand and cash in the other, along with a gaggle of Cabo San Lucas “Tequila Shooter” clubs, such as The Giggling Marlin, El Squid Roe, Margaritaville and Cabo Wabo.

The highway, opened in December 1973, can be as gorgeous as Sophia Loren’s bottom lip, and as tricky and devious as the Badlands of the Old West. It exposes a vast landscape of raw open land, great valleys wedged between towering, steep-sided mountain ranges and hundreds of ancient volcanoes fading into a timeless horizon. There are miles of glorious rock gardens where smooth-sided boulders are piled high on the desert floor in weird and wonderful patterns.

Along the way are rusted car shards——home to lizards and cranky sidewinders——and stands of rare cacti, background for hand-painted signs reading “BEST BAJA HAMBURGERS,” “SEE THE WHALES,” “CAR WASH/FISH TACOS” and hundreds of roadside memorials.

The highway is challenging, but the reward is a romantic rendezvous in Los Cabos, a place alive with Baja’s glamour.

——RICHARD CARROLL

Cantinas aside, it took Cabo a few chile rellenos to realize there might be more to a Baja holiday than hooking a fish. Fishing and diving remain a huge attraction, but golf has chipped in, as have spas, honeymooners and beach-loving travelers indulging themselves in all the water sports, including a swim with the dolphins and tours to the outback.

Here are arguably some of the best:

MOST ROMANTIC RESORT
Chic and fashionable Las Ventanas is the essence of a magical romantic resort. It offers a “Department of Romance” to create and fulfill desires and fantasies, such as a private, sea-front candlelit dinner accompanied by a guitarist. Staff can help stage wedding proposals with a message-in-a-bottle on the beach, or a rider on white horse carrying flowers and ring. A third of the resort’s business is weddings, honeymoons and anniversaries. (lasventanas.com)

BEST SPA PAMPERING
Fernando Garcia, Las Ventanas’ veteran spa technician——born near Loreto, trained in Mexico City——is a favorite among employees and has a large local clientele. An extensive range of services, healing rituals and organic products from around the world can be found in this tranquil setting. Having a dedicated “spa butler” is a step into bliss.

The best complimentary, 30-minute poolside foot massage, a first in Mexico, is offered at the One & Only Palmilla. (lasventanas.com; oneandonlyresorts.com)

BEST CHILDREN’S PROGRAM
When it’s time to take a break from the kids, the Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort’s Kids’ Club——for ages 4-12——will keep the younger set happy with their Ixchel spa menu, which includes a 25-minute back, neck and shoulders massage, 15-minute reflexology and 25-minute Baja herbal foot soak, as well as manicures and pedicures. (hiltonworldresorts.com)

MOST ROMANTIC DINING
The little chapel at the One & Only Palmilla——built in 1954 for the workers——is a sacred sentinel, for years an endearing landmark for those driving the tourist corridor. Dinner is served Tuesday nights in a small plaza at the foot of the chapel steps. Guests order from a square-sided tequila-bottle menu. The setting sun casts dancing shadows over the chapel and plaza while a duo serenades guests. (oneandonlyresorts.com)

BEST BOUTIQUE HOTEL
In San José del Cabo, Casa Natalia has 16 guestrooms and is an intimate, romantic booking (no children under 13 allowed). Dinner is served in candlelit Mi Cocina, offering European cooking traditions in an alfresco setting with 39 fluttering palms. (casanatalia.com)

MOST-SECLUDED HIDEAWAY
Celebrities always seem to be the first to discover the gems of travel, like the intimate and colorful Posada La Poza, in Todos Santos (45 minutes north of Cabo via Highway 19). La Poza is a glorious Mexican-hacienda oasis. The service and attention to guests is European exquisite. Cuisine is brilliantly presented, and the menu of fine Mexican wines is by far the best on the peninsula. (lapoza.com)

BEST GOLF
A tough pick. Visitors here discover some of the more gorgeous courses in the world, all with ocean views. They include Cabo del Sol, Cabo Real and El Dorado. But Palmilla has the first Jack Nicklaus signature course in Mexico. Palmilla is divided into the Arroyo Nine (best for beginners), the Mountain Nine (most challenging) and the Ocean Nine. (oneandonlyresorts.com)

BEST BEACHES
For ocean swimmers, Los Cabos waters are deep, with tricky, offshore currents and heavy surf that rattles the beach like a mariachi band. Lifeguards are virtually nonexistent on Mexican beaches, but Santa Maria Bay is okay, and the public Medano beach in front of the former Hacienda Hotel in Cabo San Lucas (near the marina) is roped off. Be forewarned: You’ll be approached by a steady stream of vendors selling everything from rugs to wedding rings. (cabotravel.com)

BEST CANTINA
Owned by one-time Van Halen front man Sammy Hagar, Cabo Wabo has been voted one of the top 10 party spots in the world. Hagar pours signature silver, reposado and anejo tequilas, and his place offers extensive dining. Live music plays till the roosters stir. It’s a gathering place for sunburned ladies with a dancing crowd at Cabo Wabo fluttering lashes and roving eyes. Guys show off shoulder tattoos and order in broken cantina Spanish. (cabowabo.com)

BEST ADVENTURE TOURS
The One & Only Palmilla has yellow off-road H2 Hummers. They’re the only way to experience unspoiled regions on the cape. Tours range from easy to challenging and include snorkeling and scuba diving, kayaking, canyon hikes and rappelling. Led by experienced guides, Cajon de Yeneka is a three- to four-hour off-road escapade along dry riverbeds and through canyons that lead to waterfalls. (oneandonlyresorts.com)

BEST FISHING & DIVING
All the local hotels and resorts have ties to Cabo fishing fleets. The Solmar Fishing Fleet has long been numero uno. During a live-aboard diving trip, the Solmar V sails 250 miles south to the Socorro Islands to let passengers dive with the giant Pacific manta ray, cavort with dolphins and dodge great white sharks.

Amigos del Mar, the oldest diving shop in Cabo San Lucas, is the place to hook up for a diver’s day trip to Gordo Banks and Cabo Pulmo or to dive the great Cabo sand banks. (solmar.com/sportfishing; amigosdelmar.com)

BEST TACO
No taco in Los Cabos can challenge one from Alfredo’s taco stand, overlooking the Hilton’s pool. The Hilton folks found Alfredo working at his own small street stand, tasted his wares and convinced him to move to the Hilton——where they built him a new stand. Alfredo’s tacos are on the standard of Mexico City’s, highlighted by his undisclosed pastor sesame seed–based sauce and tucked into two corn tortillas. (hiltonworldresorts.com)

BEST MARGARITAS
The best Margarita in town is always the next one. But the Hotel California in Todos Santos uses its own tequila and mix, leaving the taste of tequila lingering on your tongue. The Hilton’s Margarita, made with fresh lime juice, mineral water and little salt, also ranks among the best. As does La Poza’s, which is served in a champagne glass with a touch of bubbly. (loscabosguide.com/todossantos/ hotelcalifornia.htm)

BEST ROADSIDE STOP
Art & Beer is a must-stop, 10 miles from Todos Santos on Highway 19. A favorite with Los Cabos residents, the funky palapa-style art gallery/bar/restaurant is open to the desert and the Pacific Ocean. They serve a Clamato dandy made with fresh clams, vodka, orange juice and 17 different spices. (cabosource.com/art_and_beer.php)

MOST AUTHENTIC LOCALE
San José del Cabo has somehow retained the feeling of old Mexico. The twin-spired Parroquia de San José, built on the site of the original 1730s mission and capped with a bell from Spain, dominates the plaza, surrounded by distinctive restaurants and boutiques. Damiana, in an 18th-century hacienda with a sweet patio, serves classic Mexican cuisine; nearby La Panga is another perfect spot for lunch or dinner. (loscabosguide.com)

The Best of Los Cabos

GETTING THERE