True Traveler: Insider's Guide
True Baja Sur
At the south end of the peninsula separating the Sea of Cortez from the Pacific ocean, Baja Sur runs the gamut from spring break fiesta in Cabo San Lucas to boho-chic in artsy Todos Santos, and from the historic charm of San Jose del Cabo to La Paz, a city on the brink of a tourism bonanza thanks to new developments on its quiet shores. Whatever your getaway desires, Baja Sur can quench it.
Thread Count
The new luxury CostaBaja Resort & Spa is at the center of a 550-acre golf and marina development 10 minutes north of La Paz featuring an oceanfront 18-hole Gary Player golf course and rooms designed for privacy and views (Carretera a Pichilingue, Km 7.5, 877-392-5525).
South of Todos Santos sits Rancho Pescadero, which combines the vibe of a beachside surf camp with the elegance of a top-tier boutique hotel thanks to 27 tastefully appointed rooms and suites (off Hwy 19 near Km 62, 612-135-5849).
Check into Cabo’s new Grand Solmar resort next to the majestic rocky outcropping known as Land’s End. The property’s multiple pools and restaurants are tucked into and around the massive boulders that form Cabo’s iconic landmark (Avenida Playa Grande, 624-145-7575).
Food Fix
La Paz’s charming Corazón Café serves locally caught seafood and organic veggies in a romantic courtyard setting (Revolucion 385, 612-128-8985).
Tequila is an institution in San Jose del Cabo, boasting an array of celebrity visitors as well as a garlicky pulpo al guajillo (octopus with chiles) that’ll knock your socks off (Manuel Doblado 1011, 624-142-1155).
At the upscale Todos Santos surf resort Rancho Pescadero, guests pick their own veggies from the on-site organic garden and then the resort’s skilled chefs cook up a feast (off Hwy 19 near Km 62, 612-135-5849).
Night Out
To experience Cabo’s wild side—tequila shots and high-energy dance music—dance your way to Mandala (Lazaro Cardenas 1112, 624-143-2054).
Beer aficionados can sip blondes and stouts at Baja Brewing Company, one of Baja Sur’s only craft breweries with locations in San Jose del Cabo (Morelos 1227, 624-146-9995) and Cabo San Lucas’ Medano Beach (Cabovillas Resort, 624-143-9199).
In La Paz, start an evening off at La Encantada, a charming courtyard gallery-cafe featuring live jazz and wine and cheese pairings (1245 Belisario Dominguez, 612-140-0391). Continue the party down the block at La Pazion, a Latin dance club that offers salsa lessons for newbies before the pros take to the floor (Belisario Domingues between Cheves and Sinatra, 612-129-4222). Finish up the night where everybody else does, at Las Varitas, which doesn’t shut its doors until 4 a.m. (Independencia 111, 612-123-1590).
Don’t Miss
La Paz’s malecón, or seaside boardwalk, is ideal for a mid-afternoon coffee break, evening club hopping or Saturday-night strolls. Look for La Fuente, an ice cream parlor with unusual flavors such as almond tequila.
Todos Santos, on the Pacific side, is known for its lively art scene, which rivals that of Taos, New Mexico (and in fact includes many Taos transplants).
In San Jose del Cabo, stop into Huerta Los Tamarindos, an organic farm that supplies top local restaurants with fresh tomatoes, basil and eight varieties of eggplant, among other heirloom vegetables (Las Animas Bajas, 624-105-6031).
Stone’s Throw
Isla Espiritu Santo, an island and protected nature preserve in the Sea of Cortez, is home to dozens of secluded beaches and inlets including Los Islotes at its northern tip where sea lions breed. For a guided tour, call Rebequitas; they’ll get you close enough to snorkel with sea lion pups (612-151-9395, rebequitaseacortez@hotmail.com).
The Lowdown:
Former Van Halen singer Sammy Hagar came to Cabo San Lucas for a 10-day vacation in the 1980s and wound up a local institution thanks to his bar Cabo Wabo Cantina (Vicente Guerrero at Cárdenas, 624-143-1188). Here, he shares his favorite Baja haunts:
EATS
You have fantastic high-end restaurants like Agua (at the One & Only Palmilla Resort, Km 7.5 Transpeninsular Hwy, 624-146-7000) and Nick-San (Blvd Marina, Plaza de La Danza, 624-143-2491), a sushi place with a little Mexican twist—expensive but as good as you’re going to get anywhere in the world.
I prefer taco stands over everything else, and I like going to get tacos at Gardenias in Cabo (Camino al Hacienda and Niños Heroes).
BEACH
I like the Sea of Cortez side. Find some dirt roads heading out towards the East Cape from San Jose; you’ll find some amazing beaches where nobody’s there—beautiful water, gorgeous white sand without a footprint anywhere.
What $100 Buys You in Baja Sur
The Water Lily body treatment at CostaBaja’s Espiritu Spa, to ameliorate that sunburn (Carretera a Pichilingue, Km 7.5, 612-123-6018).
17 lobster tacos at Bizmarkcito on the malecón in La Paz (Paseo Álvaro Obregón and Hidalgo)
View True Baja Sur in a larger map
Other City Guides
- Albuquerque
- Anchorage
- Aspen
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Boston
- Bozeman
- Branson
- Cabo San Lucas
- Cancún
- Chicago
- Columbus
- Costa Rica
- Dallas
- Denver
- Detroit
- Durango
- Ft Myers
- Ft. Lauderdale/Miami
- Green Bay
- Hartford
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo
- Jackson Hole
- Kansas City
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Louisville
- Mazatlán
- Milwaukee
- Minneapolis/Saint Paul
- Nashville
- New Orleans
- New York City
- Omaha
- Orange County
- Orlando
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- Pittsburgh
- Portland
- Puerto Vallarta
- Raleigh-Durham
- Rapid City
- Riviera Maya
- Sacramento
- Salt Lake City
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- Santa Barbara
- Seattle
- St. Louis
- Steamboat Springs
- Tampa
- Tucson
- Washington DC
Advertising | Contact Us | Sitemap
© 2012 Wild Blue Yonder Travel Network & Mphasis, Incorporated
All rights reserved. No part of this site may be reproduced without our written permission.
Facebook | Twitter