36 Horas En Los Cabos

Julie and I actually spent about 96 hours in Los Cabos on our recent visit, but with Carnival Splendor and other cruise ships changing their Mexican Riviera itineraries to include two days in Cabo, I thought The New York Times template of 36 Hours In... might be appropriate. Besides, my youngest daughter Amy holds a summer copy editing job at the top rated newspaper in the world this summer, so it's almost like my blog is a distant cousin to The NY Times, no?

10:00 am

1. SNORKELING CHILENO BAY

Exploring undersea worlds in warm water remains a top allure of tropical destinations, especially for Southern Californians who already have year-round access to great sandy beaches and waves. The underwater environs of Chileno Bay will not be confused with the Great Barrier Reef in terms of colorful coral formations, Kaanapali Beach for variety of fish or Moorea for an overall mindblowing experience, but it definitely is worth checking out.

Playa Chileno is a lovely cove that's relatively uncrowded on weekdays.  We took a terrific pirate ship tour from the marina on our 2008 Mexican Riviera cruise, and reaching the area by sea remains a viable choice for cruisers. Arriving by car or taxi, however, allows you to enjoy the serenity of an almost deserted beach early. There's free parking and admission, with snorkeling equipment and other beach toys available for rent nearby. We brought our own masks and snorkels (a $30 to $60 investment every traveler should make), and our brother-in-law Brooks graciously transported us to and from the beach, so this was a freebie for us.



I personally prefer snorkeling from the beach rather than from a boat, partly because I get a little sea sick both on small water craft and after an extended time floating with my mask in the water. Chileno Bay is easily accessed by wading into kneedeep water, cleaning the mask with spit rinsed by sea water, and swimming out. Many people seem content with the snorkeling right there, but the variety is quite limited. By negotiating the narrow passageways between the craggy rocks where the waves break, an entirely new world opens up: parrot fish, giant trumpetfish, white spotted black guineafowl puffer with a third of his body inexplicably yellow, eel that decides to move between rocks, graceful black fish with fluorescent blue stripe on top...    After years of snorkeling, I should know the names of all the fish by now, but these familiar denizens of the shallows are like character actors you remember from the casts of old Humphrey Bogart or Clint Eastwood movies that you never quite know by name. A good travel tip to remember is to always do the MUST DO activities early in your trip, so that you don't become sidetracked and miss them.

Tuesday

1:30 pm

2.  PALAPAS Y BEER

That's actually the name I came up with for a restaurant I'll probably never open.  We really had lunch at Baja Blue, and as long as I'm leveling with you, we ate lunch there twice. The day we snorkeled at Chileno Bay, I had grilled fish tacos and draft Negra Modelo while Julie had Chicken Caesar Wrap and Coca Cola Lite. My sister shared her beef tacos with her Pomeranian Teddy, while my brother-in-law had tortilla soup and some other dish that is apparently as memorable as those fish names I keep forgetting. We all enjoyed our meals so much that we returned the next day at about the same time. Julie and my sister ordered the same lunches, while I went with the Mexican combo, that had a well-done Arranchera steak flanked by a chicken enchilada and chile relleno. The chile relleno was most notable, because it was nothing like the breaded and deep fried pepper I expected. It was a fresh pepper stuffed with zuchini and other vegetables with a light cheese sauce, totally unexpected and totally delicious. I also ate a few of the huge shrimp from Brooks's delicious shrimp cocktail. All the salsas were delicious too. The prices are quite reasonable, including cheap cervezas (20 pesos, or about $1.65).

By the way, this restaurant has a peak at the ocean around the Barcelo Hotel, and that corridor brings in cooling breezes to keep the temperature under the giant, open-sided palapa comfortable even with temperatures above 90 degrees on the adjacent street.

3:17 pm

3. LAS OLAS



Las Olas translates into English as the waves, which appropriately identifies this beach in San Jose Del Cabo, about 15 miles across the Golden Corridor from Cabo San Lucas.  There's a condo complex of the same name that has properties for rent there, plus the Cabo Surf Hotel, Myconos and a few other places to stay.  If you have about $1.7 million to spare, you can buy a unit at one of the best surf homes in the world, La Residencia.  In fact, I heard that one was on the market at a bargain price of a few hundred K less. 

The beach is public, and you can bring your own skim board or boogie board, rent water toys to suit your desires, or take lessons at Mike Doyle Surf School.  A rock jutting out about 100 yards before the main break results in an early break that propels surfers on an extra ride.  There's always a small queue around that outcropping, but the surf school stays closer to shore.  It looked to be very successful at turning gremmies into ho-daddies (although I should point out that most of the students, much to the assumed delight of the beach boy instructors, were nubile young ladies).

7:33 pm

4. SEINFELD AND CHOSTOMO

No, that's not a new law firm.  It means we settled in for the evening watching cable TV with some delicious take out burritos from Chostomo. I doubt The NY Times ever puts you into a comfy chair for the evening, but sometimes isn't that exactly what you want to do after a long day of fun in the sun? We went to the San Jose Del Cabo branch of the Chostomo regional chain. The tortillas are grilled and filled to order, and they taste great. I recommend Bistek Ranchero Con Queso, which my brother-in-law recommended to me. You can eat them on site or take them home. 

Wednesday

6:21 am

5. SUNRISE

When on vacation in a tropical area, force yourself to awaken for sunrise.  The advantage of not partying until the wee hours of the morning is that you enjoy these quiet morning rebirths unencumbered by pounding head or uncooperative eyelids.  Then again, if you are staying up really late, maybe you can stay up a little longer to catch this wonderful event.



8:52 am

6. BEACH WALK NEAR SAN JOSE DEL CABO

Another free activity that delivers great satisfaction.  You'll want to check for low tide, because if you hike at the wrong time, you may find yourself pummelled by waist-deep waves next to craggy rocks, which is not necessarily a good combination.  You'll see a few scurrying crabs, possibly some flying fish and several surfers, but the main stars are simply the rhythmic waves and the sandy shores highlighted by jagged rock formations.

11:06 am

7. TODOS SANTOS

Driving about an hour northwest from Cabo San Lucas will take you to Todos Santos, on the Pacific Ocean side of the Baja California peninsula.  On our way there, we stopped at Los Cerritos Beach, where my brother-in-law has surfed for years.  He was amazed by how much it has been developed in just the last year or two.  Hotels, condos and a beachside palapa restaurant surrounded by umbrellas commanded the shore.  Formerly, only an old trailer belonging to an entrepreneur he called Crazy Mary was by the sand, and even the rustic campground for surfers was up on a nearby hill.

We soon continued our journey to the artist village of Todos Santos.  Traditional Mexican architecture houses lots of restaurants and shops in this tourist mecca.  We took a quick walk around before heading to Todos Santos Caffe for lunch on their patio.  Without going into a full description of everyone's meals, I can strongly recommend the specialty of the house, chicken flautas.  Perhaps if I had read the menu more carefully, I wouldn't have been as surprised by the flavor, as I just went with the dish that bore the restaurant's name in the description.  It turned out to be a cross between Indian curry and Mexican food that was sweet, spicy and delicious.  Everyone else sampled mine and agreed it was the best, although none of their meals went uneaten either.



7:34 pm

8. ZIPPER'S

Zipper's is a palapa restaurant/bar on the beach at Las Olas.  Julie said, "This is exactly your kind of place," and she was right.  Perched just above the sand, it's very casual, with sports playing on televisions and live music.  It specifically brought to mind Iggie's on St. Thomas. Again, we enjoyed good meals. Julie's barbecued ribs and fries were the best, but it's enjoying the ambiance and company that makes a place like this special.

IF YOU GO

Call Wes at 310-546-9618 to help you plan your vacation.  That's all you really need to do.

Discover there's more to a port call or extended stay in Cabo San Lucas than just the marina, Cabo Wabo and Lover's Beach. Better service leads to better trips!