Exploring Beyond the Resorts of Cabo San Lucas

by Meganin International Travelon Posted on

When someone says Cabo, you might immediately think of all-inclusive resorts and laying by the pool. I know I used to! As someone who likes to get off the beaten path and include a lot of variety in my travels, all inclusive packages and fancy resorts aren’t exactly my first choice. Sure, I love a good beach day as much as the next person, but I also like to explore the character of a place and get more of a local feel whenever I can.  

If you’re a restless soul like me, or just looking for a day adventuring beyond the resort, here are a few suggestions for getting out and exploring Cabo San Lucas!

DAY 1: Getting There

Airport Shuttle, Guacamayas, the Marina

Our trip started the Friday before Martin Luther King Jr. day, where we caught a red-eye flight out of Anchorage around midnight. After a quick layover in LAX, we arrived in Mexico a little after 11am. Up next was locating a shuttle. A bus felt like it would take forever, and we didn’t really want to spend the money on a private taxi.  Our AirBNB host had been really helpful when it came to laying out our transport options, and a shuttle felt like a good middle of the road option. We had three other stops to make for the passengers we shared our ride with, and with those stops it took us about an hour to get to our AirBNB in Cabo San Lucas.

Once we arrived, our host gave us a little orientation to Cabo, pointing out some of his favorite spots and giving us some general tips for how to have a good experience. After settling in a bit, we headed out in search of dinner. One of his recommendations had been Guacamayas. Since it was a short walk from the house, we started there!

The food was amazing. We really enjoyed the open atmosphere of the restaurant, the staff was friendly, and their Guacamayas special of cactus and chicken tacos was absolutely delicious! Once we were fat and happy, we headed toward the touristy side of town to wander around the marina.

Some shops may be closed at night, but all the salesman are still out and about, trying to sell you some tour or another. We kept to ourselves and lucked out with some wildlife sightings. There were pelicans absolutely everywhere and we also saw a few huge sea lions rolling around in the water. After walking around a bit, we made our way back to our AirBNB for the night.

Our AirBNB was right next to the old downtown Cabo, a short walk from the Plaza Amelia Wilkes. We really loved the location because it felt close enough to all the activity while also giving us enough space to recharge. If that sounds up your alley and you’re interested in the area, there were also two boutique hotels and a hostel that I’ve put on my list to check out in the future!

DAY 2: The Arch!

Kayaking Tour, Tacos de Guss, Baja Brewery

If you haven’t heard, the Cabo Arch is the thing to do in Cabo. Every single guy that hit us up our first night wandering around the marina was all, “Amigos, you wanna go to the arch?” It seems like everybody and his brother has some sort of tour or water taxi available to visit Cabo’s most popular attraction. We wanted to get out and get moving a bit, so we started looking into kayaking and stand-up paddle board options instead. We found Real Baja on AirBNB, and absolutely loved our tour! (If you’re not comfortable negotiating with the salesman around town who are trying to sell you tours, AirBNB Experiences, Viator, and TripAdvisor can be great options so you know what you’re getting into ahead of time, plus you can reviews provide some accountability!)

Our kayaking tour started at 10am on Playa la Empacadora, also known as Playa Corsario. We met our hosts, Hassan and Josue and also the other three members of our tiny tour group. We had a mix of kayakers and paddleboarders alike, and the tour started along the coast towards Land’s End, where the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean meet at El Arco.

It was a gorgeous day, with the added bonus of a sun dog. After battling a million other boats for a view (and complimentary pictures) of the arch, we started working our way back to the marina. Our first stop was Lovers’ Beach, which ironically is also connected to Divorce Beach. Both were beautiful, and we enjoyed a quick snack and some waters before heading to our next stop: Pelican rock.

Once we arrived at Pelican Rock, our hosts broke out the snorkel gear. There were so many fun fish in and around the base of Pelican Rock, plus a few large schools of fish moving through as well. In addition to snorkeling, a couple of brave souls scurried up to the top of Pelican Rock to jump off. All in all, it was the perfect end to a great morning.

Once we deposited our gear back at our starting point and thanked our hosts, it was time for lunch! We headed into town and settled on Tacos Guss, another suggestion from our AirBNB host. Instead of tacos, I opted to try their huarache and a strawberry margarita, because why not? After lunch we enjoyed a little siesta before heading back out to explore.

Our final attraction for the day was the Baja Brewing Company, with a stop along the way to watch some performers at the Plaza Amelia Wilkes. Once we arrived at the brewery, we found seats at the bar overlooking the city shoreline. The beer was ok, the appetizers were pretty good, but the view was what really made the evening. The face that we had a prime view of the nightly fireworks was definitely an added bonus!

DAY 3: Hiking

Cerros de la Z, Fishy pedicure, Sunset at Empacadora

The next morning started with more amazing views. We made our way through our neighborhood to get to the start of the Cerros de la Z hike, which takes you up to the Cabo San Lucas observatory. Once you’ve reached the edge of the neighborhoods where the “trail” starts, it’s a very straightforward, paved path that you follow the rest of the way. Because it was fairly early in the day there was some shade here and there, and from the observatory you can enjoy a 360 view of the ocean and ever-expanding city. We really appreciated the birds’ eye view and the opportunity to get out and get moving!

Afterwards we made our way to Tacos Guss for round two of deliciousness, this time adding a strawberry pina colada to the mix! After lunch we walked around town, exploring the various markets and vendors and eventually making our way into one of the fishy pedicure shops. The first time I experienced fish like these was in Prague, and having the little fish nibble at my feet after our hike was quite the treat. They munch on all the old, dead skin and

After lunch we continued walking around town, taking in all the vibrant, colorful sights and sounds typical to Mexico. Our day ended with a quiet sunset on a local beach, complete with some coffee and ice cream from Lands End Coffee Roaster and California Ranch Market, and then some trip-planning for our final full day.

DAY 4: Todos Santos

Viator Tour, Los Claros

Day 4 was a busy day of exploring other points of interest in Baja Sur through a Viator tour. We had debated back and forth about whether we wanted to rent a car and drive ourselves for the day, but in the end it felt simpler to just book a tour. Plus, there were lots of little stops made along the way in addition to exploring the town itself, and neither of us was really in the mood to drive.

Although the ultimate destination of our tour was Todos Santos, we really enjoyed seeing the variety of little stops that we made throughout the day. We stopped in for a weaving demonstration from a family of artisans, enjoyed a tequila tasting, and browsed a small sweets stand before arriving in Todos Santos. Once there, we visited the cathedral, the whale statue, and Aztec calendar mosaic before making our way to a small pearl shop.

The pearl shop was our last scheduled “attraction” for the day, after which we went to Hotel California for lunch. After lunch we had a little bit of free time to roam Todos Santos. The town is recognized as part of Mexico’s Pueblos Mágicos project, which literally translates to “magical towns.” The project is run by the Mexican Secretary of Tourism and began in 2001, with 132 towns currently making up the list.

The Pueblo Mágico (Magical Town) designation is awarded to those communities that over time have maintained their original architecture, traditions, history and culture. As well as to those that have been of great relevance to the country’s history.The Pueblos Mágicos (Magical Towns) are defined as places with great symbolism and legends, they are towns whose historical importance has been fundamental for the development of history and that enhance the national identity in each of its spots. These places have a special magic that connects the visitor with our roots and traditions. With exceptional beauty, these are destinations that will most definitely captivate you.

visitmexico.com

Todos Santos really was pretty magical, with beautiful brick buildings and lots of small-town charm. Although we appreciated the variety of the tour, I really would have liked more time to explore Todos Santos itself. In the future I’d like to spend more time there, at least an overnight or maybe a few days.

Once we got back to Cabo San Lucas, we spent a little time at the beach before making our way to a local facility for our Covid tests. With negative tests in hand for our re-entry into the United States, it felt like we could enjoy our last night in Baja with one less thing to worry about. We made our way to Papagallo’s market and ended up watching an artist work on a huichol piece. Huichol is a traditional form of Mexican art where tiny beads are embedded into a layer of beeswax on a flat or sculptural surface. His work was absolutely beautiful, and we ended up picking up a tiny piece to bring home.

Our final shopping stops for the day included Cobalto Pottery and The Mexican Hand. While the majority of the Papagallo’s stalls and the markets near the Marina had felt very touristy and impersonal, these shops had a much more genuine and sincere air to them. We also really liked the Mi Casa restaurant’s gift shop and Novedades Ivonne. In general, we found that the blocks nearest to the Plaza Amelia Wilkes had the best shopping.

After wandering around, our evening ended with dinner at Los Claros. I had their doradito con queso special with marlin, and it was fantastic. That, a bottle of Pacifico, and some flan for dessert made for a great end to the day before heading back to our AirBNB to pack.

DAY 5: Head Home

Breakfast at Casasola

Day 5 featured a filling breakfast at Casasola Cafe before making our way to the airport. Casasola was one of the fancier places we chose to eat at and the only spot where we had to deal with any sort of wait. Once we were seated, we enjoyed some smoothies and a really great breakfast of machaca. We grabbed an uber outside and then it was back to Alaska!

All in all, it was beautiful to get out of Alaska in January and this trip felt well-paced. That being said, travel begets more travel, and I inevitably have some ‘next time notes’ of things that we either didn’t quite have time for or discovered along the way. These are a few things still on my list:

Dinner Cruise/Wine Cruise

More hiking! (Maybe to the arch?)

Eat some Italian food (no joke)

Fishing charter

More time in Todos Santos

Thursday Art Walks in San Jose del Cabo