Los Cabos, at the end of the Baja Peninsula, is the district between two former fishing villages -- Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. With the sea and white-sand beaches backed by stark mountains and desert landscapes, Los Cabos remains a popular resort area.
You may already know about the award-winning hotels and resorts, championship golf courses, rejuvenating spas, world-class sport fishing, and water sports. Here are some other activities worth discovering while in Los Cabos:
Take a Cooking Class at an Organic Farm
Huerta Los Tamarindos Cooking School (Animas Bajas, San Jose del Cabo; tel. 624/105-6031; www.huertalostamarindos.com) 4 hours; $85, plus tax
All the produce served at the Tequila Restaurant (www.tequilarestaurant.com) in San Jose del Cabo is from their organic farm Los Tamarindos. Now, you can visit the farm and take a cooking class. Go on a short farm tour, then pick fresh herbs and vegetables to be used in the two-hour class. Learn about Mexican wines and enjoy a family-style lunch of the Mexican-Mediterranean dishes you prepared with the chef.
Race Like the Wind: Sail to the Arch
America's Cup Yacht Racing (Cabo Adventures, tel. 888/526-2238; www.cabo-adventures.com) 3 hours; $100 for adults, $70 for children
Usually only professional yacht racers get to experience the thrill of a prestigious America's Cup challenge. On this tour, you'll join the crew on an exciting race to El Arco, a natural stone arch.
Become an Explorer: Go on a Fossil Hunt
Fossil Hunt on the East Cape (Baja Outback, tel. 624/142-9215; www.bajaoutback.com) 8 hours; $183, includes snacks, lunch and equipment
Explore the collection of fossils in the Rancho Lengua de Buey dry riverbed. Afterwards, relax on the beaches near Cabo Pulmo or go swimming, snorkeling, and kayaking at Los Arbolitos. The Sea of Cortez has an impressive coral reef, and it's a treat to discover this marine sanctuary.
Sign Up for an Eco Tour: Baja Sea Turtle Watch & Rescue
Baja Outback (tel. 624/142-9215; www.bajaoutback.com) Aug.-Nov.; 3 hours; $75 for adults, $45 for children
Baja Wild (tel. 624/172-6300; www.bajawild.com) Sept.-Nov.; 2 hours; Cost: Adult, $70 for adults; $50 for children
Every year, from the end of summer through the fall, five species of sea turtles return to the beaches of Los Cabos to lay their eggs in the sand. To protect this instinctual ritual, official Sea Turtle Watch and Rescue Sites have been set up along the beaches. Both Baja Outback and Baja Wild offer eco-tours and special programs to help with the sea turtle conservation effort. Visitors to Los Cabos can "adopt" baby sea turtles and help release them back into the ocean.
Learn How to Ride the Waves at Surf School
Mario Surf School (Todos Santos, Pescadero; tel. 612/142-6156; www.mariosurfschool.com) $60 for one-hour lessons, $80 for two-hour lessons
Todos Santos, about an hour north of Cabo San Lucas, has some of the best surf breaks in all of Baja. So, why not sign up for some surfing lessons? If you're already an expert, instructors will take you on a great surfing safari.
Where to Stay
There are all kinds of accommodations in Los Cabos, from quaint hotels to fancy resorts. For seasonal deals and hotel packages along with discounts on golf, fishing, and spa treatments, check out www.visitloscabos.travel. Here are a few nice options:
Sheraton Hacienda del Mar Golf & Spa Resort (Cabo Del Sol, Cabo San Lucas; tel. 624/145-8000; www.sheratonloscabos.com) The hacienda-style resort is on 28 acres along a private beach with gardens. There are three swimming pools and a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course.
Esperanza, Auberge Resort (Punta Ballena, Cabo San Lucas; tel. 866/331-2226; www.esperanzaresort.com) If this celebrity hideaway is out of your price range, just go for a spa treatment or lunch. Leave time to admire all the exceptional sculptures by well-known Mexican artists on the grounds.
Guaycura Hotel (Colonia Centro, Todos Santos; tel. 877- 448-2928; www.guaycura.com.mx) If you head up to Todos Santos to surf, why not spend the night? The hotel is in an historic building in the center of this picturesque Pueblo Mágico (magic town).
Getting There
There are direct flights to Los Cabos from Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, San Diego, and San Francisco. Connections are available from many other cities.
Talk with fellow Frommer's travelers on our Baja California Travel Forum.
