February, 2020 - Following a short but intriguing trip to Mexico City, we're headed to the sun and sand of Los Cabos.
If you ask travelers who have visited Mexico, most will tell you (like us) they have been to the coastal cities to enjoy the sun and sand associated with them. We were happy to break that tradition on this trip and spend a few days immersed in the countries culture by spending a few days in Mexico City. A visit that I highly recommend, a destination that we will not only return to but has piqued our interest in exploring the culture and cuisine of many other inland cities of Mexico.
We arrived at SJD airport after a short domestic flight from Mexico City. Our friends AM&M arrived nearly the same time as us but were traveling from the states so they are in the international terminal. We waited until they cleared customs then grabbed our ride and headed over to pick them up. It's been about 10 years since our last visit here and boy have things changed! The airport is no longer a small rundown bus terminal but a sleek modern facility that has understands its travelers. With most people arriving from the US the transition is easy (except the gauntlet of timeshare salespeople). In fact, they have built an outdoor oasis in the parking lot across from baggage claim to get you in the Cabo frame of mind, complete with shade and several bars while you await your rides. A party atmosphere in the parking lot, When will other airports figure this out?
After a brief ride, we arrived at the resort. We're staying at the Marquis Los Cabo, an all-inclusive resort on the sand midway between the sleepy old town of San Jose del Cabo and the racus tourist town of Cabo San Lucas. Were not generally all-inclusive travelers but since it is Presidents weekend rates were high everywhere and this one made $$ sense for the quality level and package. It was a great choice, the facility, F&B, and service were all very nice.
Instead of a day by day review of this trip, I'll spare the long gaps of laying by the pool, walking on the beach and general relaxing that occurred and simply focus on the significant events. The biggest one is Mary's birthday that happens to be on Valentine's day so a lot of the fun had during this trip was focused on celebrating her special day
We spent some time in nearby San Jose del Cabo, a sleepy little village away from the clubs and parties of the port town of Cabo. I imagine this is what most of this area looked like before it became a major destination for fun in the sun. We spent time meandering up and down the narrow streets, wandering into the local shops to see works from local artisans and plenty of souvenirs. We stopped for a leisurely lunch at Jazmin's restaurant and experienced some excellent traditional food.
On Sunday we chartered a boat from the harbor in Cabo and headed out for a half-day on the water. We passed by the famous "el arco" or the Arch of Cabo San Lucas before heading out east into open waters. Along the way, we met up with several humpback whales, a few pelicans, dolphins, and an occasional sea lion. The crew provided a wonderful lunch of ceviche, chips and, guac for us while we motored along the coast. Overall a fun day on the water.
As I mentioned previously, we were very pleased with our selection of Marquis Los Cabos. The resort, poo,l and beach were very relaxing. Did I mention this is an adult-only resort, one of the key factors in our decision to stay here was the benefit of lounging by the pool without the constant screaming of children, I love children, but... It felt like an adult party with adult conversations, a few game areas around for a little competition, and plenty of other entertainment like the family of Iguanas hanging out near one of the pools, the vendors walking up and down the beach selling cigars, t-shirts, hats, and horse rides. The ocean is rough here and the resort suggests not going in due to the rip tides and surf, most Cabo resorts are the same. But here we did have a beautiful stretch of beach that you could overlook from the infinity-edge pool and its warm waters. The food, service, amenities, and facilities were very good here and offered diverse selections that were part of the all-inclusive package. Every day there is a broad selection of activities should you choose ranging from yoga to target shooting on the beach. Each night there was also a themed dinner available for guests with entertainment. On Valentine's day the provided a cupid parade(kind of cheesy) and a nice dinner on the beach. We would often see whale spouts and breaching in the distance and frequently saw small rays that would seemingly fly as they propelled themselves out of the water. Finally, the position of the hotel and rooms facing the water provided for spectacular sunrise and sunset views. I would highly recommend this place to anyone coming to the area.
On Valentine's night we ventured out to dinner @ Flora Farms to celebrate. Flora Farms is located about 30 minutes west beyond Los Cabos. An Organic farm that turned morphed over the years adding a restaurant, market and eventually a development of high-end homes to now having a wine tasting room, brewery, several boutique shops, and culinary classes. A fun destination to spend an afternoon exploring the grounds or taking a class. The restaurant is open-air with several seating areas and a market where you can purchase prepared foods, organic produce or hand made products. Dinner tonight was very busy of course, our waiter said they would have over 800 guests tonight, nearly double what a standard night would be. Despite these large numbers the service and food were very good and the atmosphere remained somewhat intimate.
A fun relaxing few days, we were happy to put our feet in the sand after a busy trip to Mexico City. Cabo has certainly changed since our last trip here. There are several new large, housing developments complete with golf courses and beach clubs along with many new high-end resorts and amenities for tourists. Home prices used to be a bargain here for those adventurous enough to buy property in Mexico, no longer the case as home prices in the area rival those in Southern California, many starting at over one million. I guess the convenience of quick 2.5 hour flights from Southern California has made this somewhat of a getaway for the Hollywood and Tech rich. Still, the popular destination for spring breakers too so choose your vacation dates and hotel locations wisely.
Comments