Cabo isn’t just for fishing and golf anymore!
PHOTO JASON CANTERWhen my friend said she was hosting her 40th birthday in Cabo for a week for a dozen or so folks, I wasn’t sure what to expect from a tequila swilling, beer guzzling, sports mecca. But don’t plan an event abroad and expect me to pass!
So here we go…
Weather forecast for Cabo in November is sunny and high 80’s everyday. Nice! After a quick flight from SFO, an end around the timeshare hawkers, and a 50-minute taxi ride, we arrive at a villa at the top of the very upscale neighborhood of Pedregal, overlooking Cabo. The first clue that this is going to be a nice place is (a) it is called a villa (duh!) and (b) it has a name, “Clara Vista!” We find a spacious 4 floor, 6+ bedroom, 7 bath home built into the top of the hillside, complete with a huge entertaining area, gorgeous infinity pool, hot tub, fire pit, outdoor dining area, balconies on every floor outside head to toe windows, all to provide a million dollar, breathtaking, 270+ degree view of the Pacific Ocean and Cabo San Lucas bay as far as the eye can see. The house also comes with Carlos. He is a 24×7 concierge, who attended to anything we needed: groceries, reservations, cleaning, laundry, fixes, etc. Not the typical way I roll, but I can get used to it.
PHOTO JASON CANTERWe plan to never leave the house. But we do. Fantastic dinners by night at Nick-san, Mi Casa, Bar Esquina (great live music by a guy who sounds a lot like John Mayer), followed by most of us heading home to avoid touristy joints like El Squid Roe, Cabo Wabo, and the Giggling Marlin with loud whistling men with “holstered Tequila”.
Days are spent lounging at the villa, whale watching poolside (literally), scuba diving, people watching at “The Office”, and water taxis traveling to Lovers Beach near the famous arch at the stunning rock formations at Lands End.
PHOTO JASON CANTERSome useful tips:
1. Take a trip to Land’s End. Diving is (unexpectedly) spectacular, but also snorkeling, sunbathing, swimming, and just sight seeing are great, so there’s something for everyone. Water is 81 degrees all the way down and it is like swimming in an aquarium. Negotiate with a water taxi for $10/person round trip for a quick tour of the arch, and pay only if you know you are leaving right then or switch boats (I.e. Otherwise you sit around waiting for them to fill your boat).
2. For the Beach: Pack a cooler of drinks, snacks to take as most have either no amenities or very expensive amenities that may not suit your taste.
3. When traveling with a large, close group, rent a house (or villa!), have a chef catered meal (we did two). This is all cheaper than staying at luxury hotels, cheaper than high end restaurants, and more enjoyable when you have a ready made party/group.
4. “The Office” in Mendano Beach is not only a great name (as in, “what are you doing? Just busy day at the office…), but also has top-notch food (tortilla soup, tuna tataki, grilled fish, lobster, ceviche, etc), drinks, people watching, and a view of Land’s End. It is surrounded by typical touristy, noisy bars during the day, but is a bit of an oasis, and you can always get a table, hear yourself think, enjoy a great meal/drink and just soak in the action taking place from a safe distance.
5. Negotiate cabs ahead of time. You can’t always change the price, but there is definitely a different price for people who ask before they get in and those who do after they get out….
6. On the way out of town for an afternoon flight, make a brunch/lunch reservation at Flora Farms. It is 20 minutes from the airport, and it is amazing. Everything here is from heirloom seeds from 1930 or older, and according to our guide, is like “eating out of your grandmother’s garden.” It is not just vegetarian, and there’s a wonderful array of fresh pastries, brunch items, grass fed meats, pizzas, refreshing herbaceous juices and cocktails, and desserts.
As for language skills, I find the most useful phrase, based on how many times I said it, to be “Tres Generaciones margarita, on the rocks with salt, skinny…no sugar, no agave, no mix, gracias!”
