Although superb sportfishing is still a draw, there is more to do in Cabo than drop your line and wait for the Big One. World-class scuba diving, kayaking, and surfing are minutes away from Cabo harbor. Glass-bottom, daytime, and sunset cruises for all budgets let you enjoy the water without getting your feet wet. And a wealth of beaches are nearby. On land, take a walk -- or ride -- on the wild side, exploring Baja's southern deserts and oases on foot, ATV, Hummer, or horseback. Tamer but no less challenging are Los Cabos's top-ranked golf courses, with great sea views up and down the Corridor. And January through March, drop whatever else you had planned and motor out to Baja's migrating gray whales, for one of the most spectacular nature encounters anywhere.
Cabo is a port town, and no trip here is truly complete without getting out on the water at least once. If your boat is carrying fish, you can expect a visit from Pancho, too, an enormous male sea lion who keeps fit leaping onto the backs of fishing boats for treats! For most fishing cruises and excursions, try to make reservations at least a day in advance; keep in mind that some trips require a minimum number of people. Most sports and outings can be arranged through your hotel concierge; fishing also can be arranged directly at one of the fishing-fleet offices at the marina, which is on the south side of the harbor, while scuba and snorkeling go through the three dive outfitters in a building between the marina and Marina Boulevard.
Most businesses in this section are open from 10am to 2pm and 4 to 7pm.
ATV Trips
Expeditions on ATVs to visit La Candelaria, an isolated Indian village in the mountains 40km (25 miles) north of Cabo, are available through concierge and travel agencies. Lush with palms, mango trees, and bamboo, the settlement gets its water from an underground river that emerges at the pueblo. A 200-kilogram (440-lb.) weight limit per two-person vehicle applies. Cabo Sports (tel. 624/143-3399; www.cabosports.com) offers day trips to La Candelaria. Departing at 9am, the 5-hour La Candelaria tour costs around $90 per person or $110 for two on the same ATV.
Driving Tours
Baja Outback (tel. 624/142-9215; fax 624/142-3166; www.bajaoutback.com) offers a variety of vehicular adventures, including popular H2 Hummer tours in which you drive off-road to cruise desert and beachfront terrain in style. Communication devices link up to 10 vehicles in the caravan, allowing you to listen to the narrations of the guide as you drive. The choice of four routes includes treks to Todos Santos, the East Cape, Santiago and Cañón de la Zorra, and Rancho la Verdad. Tours depart at 9am and return at 3pm, with prices ranging from $95 to $245, depending upon the route, and include lunch. Inquire about multiday tours that focus on the Jesuit missions, migrating whales, and Baja cuisine. Visa, MasterCard, and American Express are accepted, and you must have your valid driver's license. Special group rates are also available.
If speed limits aren't your thing, Wide Open Baja Racing Experience (tel. 888/788-2252 or 949/340-1155 in the U.S., or 624/143-4170; office in Plaza Náutica; www.wideopencabo.com) gives you the chance to drive actual Chenowth Magnum race cars at their 600-hectare (1,500-acre) racing ranch on the Pacific coast. There's a varied terrain to drive, with twists, turns, sand washes, and plenty of bumps for thrill-seekers. The $250 price includes shuttle transportation from downtown Cabo to the ranch, driver orientation, and safety equipment.
Beaches
All along the curving sweep of sand known as Playa El Médano (Dune Beach), on the northeast side of the bay, you can rent snorkeling gear, boats, WaveRunners ($70-$90 per hour), kayaks, pedal boats, and windsurf boards. (You can also take windsurfing lessons.) This is the town's main beach; it's a great place for safe swimming, happy-hour imbibing, and people-watching from one of the many outdoor restaurants, such as the Office (tel. 624/143-3464; www.theofficeonthebeach.com) or Baja Cantina (tel. 624/143-1591), the less-expensive option, which is just as good and has a better atmosphere for all-day lounging along its shore. Médano has great views of Land's End, the rocky promontory that extends out from the harbor into the Pacific, and the lovely beaches that line it. Land's End's beaches are accessible from town by low tide -- just walk along the bottom of the cliffs from the east end of the harbor -- but involve a little scrambling over rocks. It's easier to hire a water taxi ($10-$14) to bring you out to Pelican Rock, with great snorkeling just twenty yards from shore, or Playa del Amor (Lovers' Beach), with rolling waves that are usually safe to swim in. From there, it's a surreally picturesque stroll to Divorce Beach, across the sandy break in the cliffs to the Pacific side -- but recent drownings here are a reminder that Divorce Beach is under no circumstances safe for swimming.
Cruises
Glass-bottom boats leave from the town marina daily every 45 minutes between 9am and 4pm. They cost $14 per person for a 1-hour tour, which passes sea lions and pelicans on its way to the famous El Arco (Rock Arch) at Land's End, where the Pacific and the Sea of Cortez meet. Boats can drop you off at Playa del Amor (Lovers' Beach) if you wish to snorkel or sun; make sure you understand which boat will pick you up -- it's usually a smaller one run by the same company that ferries people back at regular intervals. Check the timing to make sure you have the correct boat, or expect an additional $10 charge for boarding a competitor's boat.
A number of daylong and sunset cruises come in a variety of flavors. They cost $30 to $50 per person, depending on the boat, duration of cruise, and amenities; most include at least snacks and many serve meals and have an open bar. A sunset cruise on the 13m (43-ft.) catamaran Pez Gato (tel. 624/143-3797; www.pezgatocabo.com) departs from the Tesoro Resort dock (Dock no. 4, 50m/164 ft. from the main dock) between 5 and 6pm, depending on the season. A 2-hour cruise costs $30, open bar included. Their January to March whale-watching tours ($30, including drinks, children 5 to 11 half-price) leave at 10am and 2pm and return two hours later. The swanker Tropicat (owned by the same company) hosts jazz and wine cruises for $50. And Ecocat (tel. 624/157-4685; http://caboecotours.com) claims to be the largest catamaran in Mexico, offering a selection of cruises from $30 to $50. Pirate cruises ★ ($30-$78 adults, kids 4-12 half-price) are designed with kids in mind, offering the same sunset, whale-watching, and daytime excursions as the cats, but under sail on tall ships, with costumed crew and a pirate show. Choose from the 19th-century Sunderland (tel. 624/105-0955; www.thecabopirateship.com) and the Buccaneer Queen (tel. 800/745-2226 in the U.S., or through Cabo San Lucas Tours, tel. 800/822-4577; www.cabotallships.com).
Land Sports
Aside from the obvious -- golf and horseback riding -- Cabo is hot on mountain biking, rock climbing, and hiking as well.
Golf -- Most of Los Cabos's world-famous golf is in the Corridor, driving east toward San José. But an 18-hole course designed by Roy Dye is at the Cabo San Lucas Country Club, formerly the Raven Club (tel. 888/328-8501 in the U.S., or 624/143-4653; fax 624/143-5809; www.golfincabo.com). The entire course overlooks the juncture of the Pacific Ocean and Sea of Cortez, including the famous rocks of Land's End. It includes a 607-yard, par-5 7th hole. High season greens fees are $150 for 18 holes, $120 for the noon rate, and $79 after 2pm. In summer, greens fees drop significantly.
The lowest greens fees in the area are at the public 9-hole Mayan Palace Golf Los Cabos (tel. 624/142-0900 or 142-0901) in San José del Cabo. Greens fees are just 1,225 pesos for 18 holes with equipment; rates drop to 787 pesos for 18 holes in summer. All greens fees include the use of a cart.
Hiking -- An increasing array of adventure tours and extreme sports are available in the Los Cabos area. Baja Outback (tel. 624/142-9200; www.bajaoutback.com) leads daylong tours into the foothills of the Sierra de la Laguna, 2 hours north of Los Cabos, focusing on waterfalls or canyons and stopping in traditional mountain villages, for $115 including lunch; private two-person tours are also available. Baja Wild (tel. 624/142-5300; www.bajawild.com) offers canyons and waterfalls in one tour ($110), skipping the cultural visits. The range runs north to south in the Baja peninsula and reaches elevations of more than 2,100m (7,000 ft.), accommodating a unique biosphere where oak and pine trees flourish. Although you sense you are in Baja's desert landscape, you'll be awed by the amount of wildlife you'll see: frogs, doves, Monarch butterflies, deer, giant golden eagles, lizards, and much more. There are also cool, spring-fed mountain pools to soothe your muscles after the 8km (5-mile) round-trip hike. Group sizes are limited to about eight, and transportation to the hiking area is by air-conditioned minivan.
Horseback Riding -- For horseback riding, Cuadra San Francisco Equestrian Center comes highly recommended. You can also rent horses through Rancho Colín (tel. 624/143-3652) for $25 per hour. Tours for sunset riding on Sea of Cortez beaches cost $35 per hour, the 2-hour desert and beach trail ride is $60, and the 3 1/2-hour tour through the mountains is $80. The ranch is open daily from 8am to noon and 2 to 5pm, and is across from the Hotel Club Las Cascadas.
Yoga -- Many hotels offer yoga, but if yours doesn't, the San Lucas Yoga Shala (Matamoros btw. Obregón and Carranza; tel. 624/144-7419) offers kundalini, hatha, and vinyasa classes.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
