Adopted from HEMISPHERES MAGAZINE,
January 2007

Named for the slender cape extending eastward from Baja California’s southernmost tip, the town of Cabo San Lucas boasts the only marine preserve in Mexico that falls within city limits. Created in 1973, the 14-square-mile patch of protected sea and shore designates special boat lanes, boating speed limits, and restricted fishing and recreation-craft areas, all under the watchful eye of Grupo Ecológico de Cabo San Lucas. Nowhere else among Mexico’s top-drawing seaside resorts will you find such pristine beaches within so short a distance (five to 10 minutes by boat taxi) of the town center.

In addition to Cabo’s traditional triple-header of deep-sea fishing, surfing, and scuba diving, it’s the drama of the surroundings that most rewards a visit. You can veg on the beach amid inspiring seaside scenery. But for those who are enticed inland, there’s the broader Baja experience of stark, dramatic vistas and historical rancho tours that you shouldn’t miss.

DAY ONE /

After breakfast, grab a snorkel, and head for Bahía San Lucas. Along the west embankment of Cabo’s modest bay—one of Mexico’s deepest natural ports—hop on one of the white-painted water taxis for a 15-minute ride to Playa del Amor (Love Beach). Also known as Playa del Amante (Lover’s Beach), this wide, pristine, golden expanse of sand is perhaps the only public beach in the country where you won’t be badgered by beach-blanket peddlers. Just off the southeast end of the beach lies a series of coral-encrusted rocks suitable for snorkeling, where the Sea of Cortez showcases colorful schools of fish. The beach extends across the tip of the cape to a second, equally pristine beachfront facing the Pacific.

When it’s time to move on, hail a passing water taxi to the bay’s southeastern flank, and stroll to Playa el Médano, Cabo’s largest, most popular public beach. Make your way past the sunbathers and Frisbee throwers to the jumble of tables and chairs planted in the sand at The Office, the perfect spot for a barefoot seafood lunch.

Most Cabo visitors know little about the world that lies just inland in the cactus-studded hills of Baja’s Cape Region. A Baja Outback Hummer tour to Rancho la Verdad not only provides an alternative to beach lounging and marine recreation, but also is a chance to experience the self-sufficient ranching lifestyle of Baja’s desert interior. Guests drive the Hummer following a guide who narrates the history and culture of the region through a communication-linked system. After you’ve tried your hand at saddling horses or picking desert-grown fruit and vegetables, navigate your H2 Hummer to the Bajacaliforniano villages of El Sauzal and Las Pilas before heading back to Cabo in the late afternoon.

If your visit includes a Thursday, stop off at Plaza de Toros La Sanluqueña, the city’s former bullring, at 5:30 p.m. to watch charreada, Mexico’s colorful equivalent to rodeo, while downing tamales and cold Mexican beer.

If it’s not a Thursday, taxi back to the harbor for a lively sunset cruise aboard the Pez Gato, a large catamaran moored at the marina. Watch the sun set behind El Arco, a 203-foot-tall natural rock arch gracing Baja California’s southernmost tip, also known as Land’s End. As the lights of moored yachts, restaurants, and hotels lining the bay emerge in the twilight, the Pez Gato crew spins the latest cumbia hits as the tequila flows; you’d have to be a stone not to become immersed in the Mexican spirit of alegría (cheerfulness).

DAY TWO /

Often referred to as “Marlin Alley,” the waters off Cabo San Lucas boast the best marlin fishing in North America, and sportfishing remains Cabo’s No. 1 outdoor activity. The biggest trophy of all, the marlín azul, can reach 16 feet in length and weigh close to a ton. The non-pros will also find plenty of hard-fighting wahoo and dorado (dolphinfish, no relation to dolphins). To arrange a morning expedition, contact Minerva’s Sportfishing Charters, which, like most local outfitters, practices a strict tag-and-release policy for sailfish.

There’s more to the Cape Region than its tourist capital, so rent a car for the remainder of the day and point the hood ornament toward La Paz, the capital of Baja California Sur. The two-hour drive traverses every imaginable Cape Region terrain, from the sandy plains north of San José del Cabo to the forested hills of El Triunfo, before ending in La Paz, a bayside city of 200,000.

A few blocks away you’ll find Plaza Constitución, where the Museo de Antropología e Historia de Baja California Sur holds an informative collection of exhibits on Baja history, from prehistoric cave art through the Spanish colonial era. On the opposite side of the plaza looms the towered Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Paz. In 1860, the brick edifice replaced La Paz’s smaller, original 1720 mission church and today is the most venerated place of Catholic worship in Baja California Sur.

Drive back through the hills and across the plains to the Nautical Corridor, a stretch of Mexico 1 between San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas. This area boasts the distinction of having more world-class luxury spas than any other part of Mexico, and Esperanza is arguably the best of the best. Designed by Auberge de Soleil of Napa Valley fame, Esperanza offers signature treatments that use local herbs and minerals from the sea and the desert. Try the unique Pasaje de Agua (water passage), which moves you from a warm-spring soaking pool to a steam cave and finally a cool waterfall rinse.

After pampering your body, it’s time to indulge your palate with a taste of Mexico’s finest boutique tequilas at 6 El Agave. If you’re so inclined, light up a Partagas or other habano from El Agave’s Cuban cigar humidor.

DAY THREE /

It’s back on the road today for a 47-mile drive up the Cape Region’s scenic Pacific coast to Todos Santos, Baja’s “unknown” destination. Paved, two-lane Mexico 19 heads west out of Cabo San Lucas before making a long, lazy arc to the north.

After passing several virtually deserted beaches, including lengthy Playa Migriño, you’ll arrive at Todos Santos, a town wedged between Arroyo de la Reforma and the foothills of the lofty Sierra de la Laguna. Spanish priests established a farming community here in 1724 to supply the arid La Paz mission community with fruits, vegetables, sugarcane, and wine. Behind the century-old brick and adobe façades lives a small colony of artists, surfers, and organic farmers who have found Todos Santos the ideal place to follow their independent pursuits.

At the nearby Centro Cultural, home-grown exhibits chronicle the town’s surprisingly rich history, culture, and art. The museum’s pottery collection includes classic local ranchware, as well as rare older ceramics produced by Pericú Indians.

For lunch head to Café Santa Fé, housed in a 160-year-old casona (large house) with 18-inch-thick adobe walls, where the menu emphasizes local seafood and fresh herbs and vegetables grown by owners Ezio and Paula Colombo. A favorite with visiting Hollywood insiders, the Santa Fé is often booked up during the peak season in December and January.

Although Cabo San Lucas itself is chock-a-block with crafts shops, few compare in quality with Todos Santos’ Mangos, a small locale with an excellent selection of arts and crafts carefully collected on the Mexican mainland by an American expatriate.

It’s always difficult to tear oneself away from idyllic Todos Santos, but you’ll want to head back to Cabo San Lucas while it’s still light. Cap off your three perfect days with a starlit walk along the town’s spiritual heart, Bahía de San Lucas.

Joe Cummings first arrived in the Cape Region in 1993 to research Moon Handbooks: Baja and ended up building a house near the beach in Todos Santos.