Los Cabos (Baja Sur—San Jose Del Cabo/Cabo San

Overview

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The Baja Peninsula lies south of the US state of California, dividing the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California) to the east.In 1974 the Baja Peninsula received full Mexican statehood as two separate states. The northern part of the peninsula, starting at Tijuana, became the Mexican state of Baja Norte (North) and south of the Tropic of Cancer became the state of Baja Sur (South). Mexico now has 31 states.The capital of Baja Sur is La Paz, and the state is divided into 5 counties: La Paz, Mulege, Loreto, Comondu, and Los Cabos. While the entire peninsula experiences tourism the bulk of visitors come to Los Cabos for it’s beauty and activities. ...Read More

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Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort

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Hotel | "Hilton Los Cabos Golf & Beach Resort"

The Beach at the Hilton Los Cabos Photo - Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort, Los Cabos, Mexico

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The Hilton Los Cabos Golf and Beach Resort is on the “Tourist Corridor” of Los Cabos, a stretch of land between the Sea of Cortez and the main Hwy 1 at the tip of the Baja peninsula. The Hilton Los Cabos is a category-six resort, meaning it is one of Hilton’s top-tier resorts in the world. This hotel recently received the “Distinctive H” award for high sanitation standards, the only resort to do so in Los Cabos. All of the water at the hotel is purified, so you do not have to worry about drinking only bottled water. The Hilton Los Cabos has everything you need for a great beach vacation. They have two restaurants. The restaurant Fenicia is a formal cloth-napkin restaurant that features...Read More

The Hilton Los Cabos Golf and Beach Resort is on the “Tourist Corridor” of Los Cabos, a stretch of land between the Sea of Cortez and the main Hwy 1 at the tip of the Baja peninsula.

The Hilton Los Cabos is a category-six resort, meaning it is one of Hilton’s top-tier resorts in the world. This hotel recently received the “Distinctive H” award for high sanitation standards, the only resort to do so in Los Cabos. All of the water at the hotel is purified, so you do not have to worry about drinking only bottled water.

The Hilton Los Cabos has everything you need for a great beach vacation. They have two restaurants. The restaurant Fenicia is a formal cloth-napkin restaurant that features a limited menu of Mediterranean cuisine. There is also the more casual Hacienda Restaurant, which has a more varied menu that includes an excellent comprehensive breakfast buffet for $28 per person. For travelers on a budget, the Hilton has a small deli on the first floor where you can get a sandwich for around $4; and fruit, snacks, and souvenirs that are lower-priced. There is also a lobby bar open at night, and two swim-up sushi and drink bars by the pools.

This Hilton resort also goes the extra mile with services to make your vacation perfect. For an added charge they offer babysitting services including a children’s activity center, shoe shining, tennis court, a business center, private dining on the beach, the Ixchel Spa, National Car Rental service, two ocean-side golf courses (Cabo Real and El Dorado), floral arrangements, currency exchange services and an ATM, limo rentals and mail services. You can also schedule personal and business related functions at this hotel. The Hilton also has a number of water sports equipment for rent including kayaks and wave-runners.

In addition, the hotel offers a number of complimentary services, such as car parking and a concierge service that assists with activity booking and airline confirmation and lost luggage services. They can also assist with allergy related requests, like hypo-allergenic pillows and they have a doctor on call 24 hours a day. Each room also has a safe in which you can store your valuables. Many rooms also have Jacuzzis, robes and ocean views.

When it comes to the Hilton you get what you pay for, and you will pay dearly. A room at the Hilton Los Cabos will normally run around $200 to $400 per night—but for that perfect vacation, be it a honeymoon or anniversary, this hotel is guaranteed to give you what you are looking for and more. For more information on this hotel, see http://www.hiltonloscabos.com Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on May 2, 2006

Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort
Carretera Transp. Km. 19.5
Los Cabos, Mexico 23447
+52 (624) 1456500

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Villa Del Palmar

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Hotel

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The Villa Del Palmar is a great resort in a great location. This hotel is featured in many package deals floating around on the Internet. This resort features all the expected amenities of a beach resort—a beach location, a large pool, spa, gift shops, restaurants etc. This resort is ideal if you are traveling as a family as it has a great pool for kids in shape of a whale and waterfalls. It also has nightly themed event dinners which are great entertainment for the whole family. The ideal location means that the highlights of Cabo San Lucas are a quick 15-20 minute walk away, eliminating the hassles and expense of taxis and bus transportation.The rooms are spacious and apartment style. Many, if not a...Read More

The Villa Del Palmar is a great resort in a great location. This hotel is featured in many package deals floating around on the Internet. This resort features all the expected amenities of a beach resort—a beach location, a large pool, spa, gift shops, restaurants etc. This resort is ideal if you are traveling as a family as it has a great pool for kids in shape of a whale and waterfalls. It also has nightly themed event dinners which are great entertainment for the whole family. The ideal location means that the highlights of Cabo San Lucas are a quick 15-20 minute walk away, eliminating the hassles and expense of taxis and bus transportation.The rooms are spacious and apartment style. Many, if not all, come equipped with refrigerators and full living rooms and kitchens. This allows you to cook and store food so you do not have to eat out all the time, great for the budget traveler and the traveling family.There are some major downsides to this hotel. If you are looking for a quiet and relaxing beach vacation you will not get it at the Villa Del Palmar. This resort is bustling with activity from hotel guests and the other two nearby hotel guests. The beach is roped off to keep the many Mexican vendors who peruse the beach away from tourists trying to sell them merchandise. However these ropes do little other than obstruct the view, because these vendors will set up shop right on the beach—often right in front of you, both obstructing the view and subjecting you to harassment as you try to relax. The view of the water is distracted by the dozens of people snorkeling, kayaking and boating.However, if you plan to be out and about in Cabo San Lucas, and are not planning to spend much time at the beach, you may not care about these downsides. Because of its prime location and amenities for low cost travel, it may be the perfect option for you. For more information on this hotel, see http://www.villadelpalmar-cabo.com/ Read Less

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on May 3, 2006

Villa Del Palmar
Cabo San Lucas
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
(800) 745-2226

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Waterfalls & Canyons

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Attraction | "Explore The Waterfalls & Canyons - Baja Wild"

An Oasis in the Desert Photo - Waterfalls & Canyons,

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The travel vendor Baja Wild (http://www.bajawild.com) offers a great day tour of Santiago and Canyon Falls in the La Zorra Canyon. There is also the opportunity to jump from the top of the canyon into the water for thrill-seekers. Other than your camera, sunscreen, bathing suit and towel you will not need to bring anything with you on this excursion. The tour guides bring and provide water, soft drinks and snacks. Be sure to wear comfortable, light clothing and good hiking shoes. It is also best to wear your bathing suit since there is no where to change prior to swimming. The guides at Baja Wild are extremely reliable and knowledgeable about the area and are a pleasure to be with. Baj...Read More

The travel vendor Baja Wild (http://www.bajawild.com) offers a great day tour of Santiago and Canyon Falls in the La Zorra Canyon. There is also the opportunity to jump from the top of the canyon into the water for thrill-seekers.

Other than your camera, sunscreen, bathing suit and towel you will not need to bring anything with you on this excursion. The tour guides bring and provide water, soft drinks and snacks. Be sure to wear comfortable, light clothing and good hiking shoes. It is also best to wear your bathing suit since there is no where to change prior to swimming.

The guides at Baja Wild are extremely reliable and knowledgeable about the area and are a pleasure to be with. Baja Wild offers complimentary transportation from resorts in Cabo San Lucas and within the Tourist Corridor. Note that Santiago is directly on top of the Tropic of Cancer and is extremely hot, so be sure to wear plenty of sunscreen and dress appropriately.

Note that Baja Wild does not run this tour all year depending on the weather so be sure to check with them or their website for more details. If you book through Baja Wild you can obtain a discount package with this hike as well as other activities, such as kayaking or surfing. At the time of this writing this tour is offered individually at a price $88 through Baja Wild’s website.

While the Baja Wild website advertises this activity as a hike, many other online vendors (such as Viator) do not focus on that point enough. Note that this tour is indeed a rigorous hike through unique granite formations and dry sparse mountainous land, which is in high temperatures most of the time. This tour is not well-suited for small children, the sick or disabled, or the elderly. I also do not recommend taking this trip after a long night of drinking in Cabo San Lucas, as this is a sometimes strenuous activity that requires all your faculties and energy.

One bad note is that this tour advertises fossil finding and impressive wildlife of which I saw neither. The speed at which we were hiking, which was faster than I prefer since I enjoy looking at wildlife and taking photos, did not allow for such stops and demonstrations. Fortunately, the group was limited to a small number of people so that the group can be broken out at different speeds. However, even with that it was far too fast to fully enjoy. That said, I still recommend this activity for hiking and outdoors enthusiasts.

This day tour ends with a stop at a local ranch in town for lunch which is included in the price of the tour. Our experience at this local restaurant was quite good and was the perfect ending to an interesting day excursion.
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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on May 2, 2006

Waterfalls & Canyons
Canyon Falls, Sierra De La Lagunas - La Zorra Canyon
Baja, Mexico

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Cabo Dolphins

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Attraction

A Fish Called Frida Photo - Cabo Dolphins, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

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Cabo Dolphins, which opened in February 2006, is a facility in Cabo San Lucas where you can swim with Pacific bottlenose dolphins under the guidance of a professional dolphin trainer. I was very fortunate to have a unique experience on my swim. Normally the activity takes 40 people and splits them into 4 groups of 10, to swim with 1 of 4 dolphins. However, I booked a late swim (5pm) and there were only 5 of us to swim with the 4 dolphins. Because there were less people, we were able to get more swims with the dolphins. We did a belly swim, a dorsal swim, and a considerably long free swim with the dolphins. To increase your chances of getting this same type of experience, I suggest booking a ve...Read More

Cabo Dolphins, which opened in February 2006, is a facility in Cabo San Lucas where you can swim with Pacific bottlenose dolphins under the guidance of a professional dolphin trainer.

I was very fortunate to have a unique experience on my swim. Normally the activity takes 40 people and splits them into 4 groups of 10, to swim with 1 of 4 dolphins. However, I booked a late swim (5pm) and there were only 5 of us to swim with the 4 dolphins. Because there were less people, we were able to get more swims with the dolphins. We did a belly swim, a dorsal swim, and a considerably long free swim with the dolphins. To increase your chances of getting this same type of experience, I suggest booking a very late or very early swim.

Because this is a new facility and a very popular activity I highly suggest booking this activity in advance of your trip. Cabo Dolphins is the only facility in Los Cabos that offers dolphin swims and they take a limited number of participants for each timeslot. You can book it online through the Cabo Dolphins website, http://www.cabodolphins.com/ and by doing you save 10% on the $165 fee.

Many people are hesitant to participate in this activity because it is in a pool and not in open water; I WOULD NOT let that dissuade you as I’m not sure swimming with dolphins in open water is possible, at least under the guidance of a trainer, and this is a truly great experience not to be missed.

You will have to provide your own transportation to Cabo Dolphins, which is in Cabo San Lucas. You will be required to wear a life jacket, which they will provide for you.

Cabo Dolphins does not allow cameras, bags, or things of any kind in the facility, and you will be required to remove any and all jewelry. They will provide you with a locker to store your belongings in while you do your swim. You will also be required to shower prior to the dive and not re-apply any sunscreen, another reason I suggest doing the very early or very late swim. While they do provide showers for you before and after your swim, you will still leave the facility smelling like fish—so don’t plan a fancy dinner afterwards, unless it’s seafood.

While they do not allow cameras in the facility, they do have a photographer onsite to photograph you with the dolphins and you can purchase these photos at an additional cost of $15 each. You can also get a CD with these pictures on it. This may seem like a rip-off, and it is, but frankly if you’re spending $165 to swim with dolphins you’ll probably want the picture to prove it. Since they have Kodak kiosks right there in the facility you will be able to leave the facility with both CD and photos in hand.
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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on May 2, 2006

Cabo Dolphins
Bldv. Paseo de la Marina (esquina Malecon)
Aachen, Germany
+52 (322) 297-1212

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Motosol Horseback Riding

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Attraction | "Motosol Horseback Riding - Los Cabos - San Jose De"

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I booked my first activity in Baja through a company called Viator for a horseback ride on the beach led by the local vendor Motosol. This activity did not leave me with a good first impression of Baja, and actually left me wishing I had gone to Bermuda instead – fortunately I felt very differently by the time I left.The area that Motosol bases their horseback rides and ATV rides out of can only be described as sparse and was really nothing I sat on a plane for 6 hours to see. As with most horseback ride tours the group members are put together by time slots rather than experience. Most of my group was made up of experienced to semi-experienced horseback riders. The experienced riders ...Read More

I booked my first activity in Baja through a company called Viator for a horseback ride on the beach led by the local vendor Motosol. This activity did not leave me with a good first impression of Baja, and actually left me wishing I had gone to Bermuda instead – fortunately I felt very differently by the time I left.

The area that Motosol bases their horseback rides and ATV rides out of can only be described as sparse and was really nothing I sat on a plane for 6 hours to see.

As with most horseback ride tours the group members are put together by time slots rather than experience. Most of my group was made up of experienced to semi-experienced horseback riders. The experienced riders took off with our only English-speaking guide. There were only two guides in all - clearly this was not enough for a group of 12 people with mixed experience levels.

I am not an experienced rider though I have ridden horses before. I was stuck in back riding with the other guide named Herman, a seedy little man who claimed to not know English but knew enough English to continually hit on me and creep me out for most of the ride. He sat on his horse backwards, staring at me with a sketchy smile asking me repeatedly if I had a boyfriend, telling me how romantic it would be to be alone in the jungle together, and how much he wanted to see me in a bikini.

Fifteen minutes into the ride we had to cross a lake full of rancid, nasty water. The water was about 4 feet deep and I had to put my feet on top of the horse in order to keep them out of this wretched swamp. I got about half-way through it when I saw the remainder of my group returning from their ride down the beach. As they crossed I asked them if the beach was worth seeing and they said it was not – and because the guide I was with was so shady I decided to follow them back.

On the way back a young woman fell off her horse. I imagine she fell off in her haste to keep up with the group of experienced riders. If nothing else Motosol was able to get a car to her and an ambulance was called timely to check her for serious injury.

After talking to some people in Cabo I learned that there is a better horseback ride through the Sierra De La Laguna mountain range and that one is significantly better than the one on the beach by Motosol.

If you have booked a horseback ride through a company such as Viator, be sure to find out first the name of the local vendor. I can tell you that the horseback ride offered through Viator in Los Cabos is indeed the Motosol horseback ride, and strongly advise against it.
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Member Rating 1 out of 5 on May 2, 2006

Motosol Horseback Riding
San Jose Del Cabo
Cabo San Jose, Mexico

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Los Cabos Sunset Dinner Cruise

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Attraction

Sea Lion Colony at Cabo San Lucas Photo - Los Cabos Sunset Dinner Cruise, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

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If you are visiting Los Cabos I highly recommend taking the Los Cabos Sunset Dinner Cruise. The Sunrider boat cruises around Lovers Beach, the sea lion colony, the famous arch and other interesting rock formations around Cabo San Lucas.The boat has two levels—the level below is air-conditioned and near the bar and you can look out the windows at the scenery, or you can stay on the upper deck outside for prime viewing and photographing.In addition to providing a lovely grilled Mexican buffet, the Los Cabos Sunset Cruise provides a full open bar of free drinks. You will need to hold on tightly to these drinks as the boat often gets rocky. Also bring a light jacket or sweater as it does get a bit windy a...Read More

If you are visiting Los Cabos I highly recommend taking the Los Cabos Sunset Dinner Cruise. The Sunrider boat cruises around Lovers Beach, the sea lion colony, the famous arch and other interesting rock formations around Cabo San Lucas.The boat has two levels—the level below is air-conditioned and near the bar and you can look out the windows at the scenery, or you can stay on the upper deck outside for prime viewing and photographing.In addition to providing a lovely grilled Mexican buffet, the Los Cabos Sunset Cruise provides a full open bar of free drinks. You will need to hold on tightly to these drinks as the boat often gets rocky. Also bring a light jacket or sweater as it does get a bit windy and cool out on the boat.In addition to the great food, depending on the time of year you visit Cabo you may be able to see some whales on the cruise. While sightings of whales are not guaranteed taking this tour may be a great way to combine a boat cruise, dinner, a "booze cruise" and a whale watching tour all in one. Because of this, I definitely felt I got my money’s worth on this tour.You can purchase a ticket to secure your seat through a company such as Viator for about $56. (http://www.viator.com/tours/Los-Cabos/2222SUNDIN/Los-Cabos-Sunset-Dinner-Cruise) Note that if you wait until the day of departure you can buy a ticket for $45, subject to availability. Many large groups take this tour so if you are only in Cabo for a short time I recommend booking this activity in advance.Note that this tour attracts all tourists, from families to spring break partiers (read: free drinks) so be ready for anything. Also note that the boat does get rocky, so if you are prone to motion sickness take appropriate precautions including some Dramamine or other motion sickness prophylactic. That said, despite the fact that drinks are free I suggest limiting your alcohol intake to what you know you can handle. This isn’t a good place to get sick given there is a good amount of people, a small staircase and one bathroom.The atmosphere is generally light and you’ll meet people from all over the world on this cruise as it is a popular activity in Los Cabos. They play music on the boat and the staff has a microphone to alert the group of any whale or significant wildlife sightings.The Sunrider boat is at the Marina at Cabo San Lucas. Be sure to arrive on time as this boat leaves at 5:30pm. Note that you will need to provide your own transportation to the marina.I looked into other sunset cruises but decided on this one because it seemed to offer the best dinner option and the best boating experience. All in all, this tour is well worth the money and I would very highly recommend it. Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on May 2, 2006

Los Cabos Sunset Dinner Cruise
Dock 4 in Cabo San Lucas Marina
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

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Buccaneer Queen

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Attraction | "The Buccaneer Queen - El Buccaneero"

The Cabo San Lucas Arch Photo - Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

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No trip to Cabo San Lucas is complete without a tour on a pirate ship. The Buccaneer Queen is a 96-feet long ship that has been used in movies and television commercials and now gives boat tours in the water around Cabo San Lucas. There are different types of tours you can take on the Buccaneer Queen: The Sunset Cruise and the daytime Snorkeling Tour, which start at 11am and 6pm respectively. The boat can also be privately chartered and the Buccaneer Queen also offers whale-watching tours on season from January through April. The boat can be found in the main marina in Cabo San Lucas near the Hotel Hacienda and is unmistakably easy to spot with its bright black and gold décor. You will...Read More

No trip to Cabo San Lucas is complete without a tour on a pirate ship. The Buccaneer Queen is a 96-feet long ship that has been used in movies and television commercials and now gives boat tours in the water around Cabo San Lucas.

There are different types of tours you can take on the Buccaneer Queen: The Sunset Cruise and the daytime Snorkeling Tour, which start at 11am and 6pm respectively. The boat can also be privately chartered and the Buccaneer Queen also offers whale-watching tours on season from January through April.

The boat can be found in the main marina in Cabo San Lucas near the Hotel Hacienda and is unmistakably easy to spot with its bright black and gold décor. You will need to provide your own transportation to the marina. If you are staying directly in Cabo San Lucas you should be able to walk to the marina or take a short taxi ride.

You can book reservations through a company such as Viator or you can contact the Buccaneer Queen ship directly at:

Phone: (624) 144-4217 and 144-4218.
Monday through Friday 10:30am to 2:30pm; 6pm to 8pm
E-mail: bbucanero@prodigy.net.mx.

Currently the 11am snorkeling tour is offered at $50 if you book directly with the Buccaneer Queen. Note that the Buccaneer Queen participates in the Prepaid Voucher Program. (See my Planning Activities review for more information).

The staff of the Buccaneer Queen dresses up like pirates and is knowledgeable about the area and its history. They have props, hats and plastic swords that they have your wear to take pictures in pirate regalia. This is especially fun if you have children. In addition to taking pictures that they try to sell you later they also eagerly take pictures with your own camera.

A trip on the Buccaneer Queen is good year-round as with most boat tours in Cabo San Lucas, and the view from the boat is amazing. This tour is particularly well known and popular. The optional snorkeling is around Chileno Bay and is a tried and true endeavor – they systematically get the group ready, including lending out snorkeling gear (mask, snorkel and fins) free of charge, and then they have the group jump in the water one at a time and snorkel around the rocks. The snorkeling group returns back to the boat 35 minutes later in like manner.

After snorkeling they serve sandwiches and sides for lunch. For us they served tuna sandwiches, though I’m not sure if it is the same everyday. If you are vegetarian or have special dietary needs you may want to check with the staff to see how they can meet your individual needs. More importantly, the ship has an open bar–all alcoholic and non-alcohol beverages are free. The bar is a full one, so in addition to canned beverages they also have liquor and can make mixed drinks. That said, I highly suggest not drinking heavily before a snorkel for obvious reasons.
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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on May 2, 2006

Buccaneer Queen
Cabo San Lucas Marina
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
+52 (624) 144-4217

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Rancho Tours

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Attraction | "El Rancho Tours - Todos Santos"

Galeria Logan Photo - Todos Santos, Mexico

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Todos Santos is a small town north of Cabo San Lucas on the west coast of Baja Sur. It is about an hour’s drive from Cabo San Lucas on Route 19. Todos Santos was established by Jaime Bravo in 1723 as the mission of Nuestra Senora del Pilar. It is an all-Catholic town, and is now a predominantly quiet artists community riddled with crunchy gringos transplanted from the U.S., and is a great place to relax and spend the day enjoying its laid-back culture. The town’s three main industries are farming, fishing, and tourism. Todos Santos is also an unofficial tribute to the Eagles–and yes, I mean the band. A couple of decades ago there was a widespread rumor that the song “Hotel California” was...Read More

Todos Santos is a small town north of Cabo San Lucas on the west coast of Baja Sur. It is about an hour’s drive from Cabo San Lucas on Route 19. Todos Santos was established by Jaime Bravo in 1723 as the mission of Nuestra Senora del Pilar. It is an all-Catholic town, and is now a predominantly quiet artists community riddled with crunchy gringos transplanted from the U.S., and is a great place to relax and spend the day enjoying its laid-back culture. The town’s three main industries are farming, fishing, and tourism.

Todos Santos is also an unofficial tribute to the Eagles–and yes, I mean the band. A couple of decades ago there was a widespread rumor that the song “Hotel California” was based on a small local hotel in Todos Santos, still to this day named “Hotel California.” Although Don Henley has outright denied allegations of even knowing that this hotel existed at the time of writing the song, and also stating that the song wasn’t about a hotel at all but an idea, this place still seems to have a dusty western Eagle’s magic about it despite its blatant irrelevance to the band’s rock history.

There is a great little restaurant across the street from “Hotel California” appropriately named “Tequila Sunrise” that serves excellent food and margaritas – and of course there is the official “Hotel California” store which sells plenty of overpriced souvenirs for die-hard Eagle’s fans. Note that while the tour does stop for lunch it is at your expense.

There are also “candy stores”, where you can purchase homemade Mexican candies and pastries and plenty of art galleries and quaint little shops to stroll through.

This tour was run by El Rachos Tours, who begins the tour by picking up all group members at their respective hotels in the Los Cabos area. They also stop at an organic farm called Elias Calles where you can pick a small bucket of fresh, organic strawberries for $1.

This is an excellent laid back tour that fits well into Baja life. I wouldn’t recommend this tour if you only have a few days in Los Cabos and want to focus on water activities. However, if you have an extra day or so, I would very much recommend it .
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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on May 2, 2006

Rancho Tours
Todos Santos, Mexico
Todos Santos, Mexico

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Getting Around Los Cabos - Cabo San Lucas / San Jose Del Cabo and the Tourist Corridor

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Story/Tip

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Highway 1 can be taken from Tijuana in Baja Norte, just south of the U.S. State of California, all the way through the Baja peninsula to Los Cabos. Once you get to Highway 1 in Los Cabos, you will be in the “Tourist Corridor”—the stretch of highway which runs southwest from San Jose Del Cabo to Cabo San Lucas. This is where many of the high-end resorts are located, overlooking the Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California).There are many different transportation options in Los Cabos. Many activity vendors provide transportation free of charge. You can also rent a car, but if you are not a citizen of Mexico you will be required to purchase rental car insurance. I heard a few horror stories of car accid...Read More

Highway 1 can be taken from Tijuana in Baja Norte, just south of the U.S. State of California, all the way through the Baja peninsula to Los Cabos. Once you get to Highway 1 in Los Cabos, you will be in the “Tourist Corridor”—the stretch of highway which runs southwest from San Jose Del Cabo to Cabo San Lucas. This is where many of the high-end resorts are located, overlooking the Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California).

There are many different transportation options in Los Cabos. Many activity vendors provide transportation free of charge. You can also rent a car, but if you are not a citizen of Mexico you will be required to purchase rental car insurance. I heard a few horror stories of car accidents and corruption within the local courts, and decided, for me, it wasn’t worth the risk—though many tourists do rent cars. You can also take a charter bus that runs back and forth between San Jose Del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas for about $6, or you can take the public bus that makes many stops on Highway 1. Taking the public bus is the cheapest option and is only 3 pesos–a little over $1. You will see the bus stops along Highway 1 as they are frequent and are on the respective side of the highway in which they are going. Estimated wait time for the buses is about 15 to 20 minutes. A more fun way to get around town once you are in Cabo San Lucas is to take a water taxi or glass bottom boat, which is about $6.

Once you are in Cabo San Lucas, do not take for granted that the directions given to you by people in Los Cabos are correct—I found that many locals do not speak English well and give quick directions to the general vicinity of an establishment rather than clear-cut directions.

There are a number of different activities you can do in the Los Cabos areas, from water sports such as kayaking and snorkeling to extreme sports such as skydiving, and cultural experiences such as art tours through the small town of Todos Santos and La Paz. You can find tours online by doing a Google search, book through your hotel once you get there or use a company such as Viator. For more information on planning activities see my other journal entries on “Planning Activities in Los Cabos” and “Viator and Grayline”

There are several package deals going on for the Los Cabos area, most for staying in Cabo San Lucas. For more information on the pros and cons of staying directly in Los Cabos, see my Journal Entry entitled “Where to Stay in Los Cabos”
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Planning Activities in Los Cabos - Cabo San Lucas - San Jose Del Cabo - Tourist Corridor

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You’ve booked your reservations for your vacation and you have some activities in mind but you aren’t sure how or when to book them. Where do you start?One option is to wait until you get there and make reservations as you go. This gives you an advantage in that you aren’t locked into any activities on a particular day. You may also be able to realize a savings by doing a same-day booking. This may work best if you are considering an activity but aren’t sure whether or not you really want to do it. The choice to book in advance or not may be more dependent on the type of activity you are contemplating. For example, if you are determined to go scuba diving you should have no ...Read More

You’ve booked your reservations for your vacation and you have some activities in mind but you aren’t sure how or when to book them. Where do you start?

One option is to wait until you get there and make reservations as you go. This gives you an advantage in that you aren’t locked into any activities on a particular day. You may also be able to realize a savings by doing a same-day booking. This may work best if you are considering an activity but aren’t sure whether or not you really want to do it.

The choice to book in advance or not may be more dependent on the type of activity you are contemplating. For example, if you are determined to go scuba diving you should have no trouble since there are many diving vendors in Cabo San Lucas. However, there is only one facility where you can swim with dolphins, and they book up very fast (See my review on Cabo Dolphins). In some cases if you book online with the vendor you will be able to realize a savings right away, for example if you book online with Cabo Dolphins at http://www.cabodolphins.com you will get a 10% discount. Also, by booking in advance you may also be able to realize a group discount if you are going with a number of people.

Some places like Cabo San Lucas also participate in a pre-paid voucher program. For more information on this, see this website: http://www.loscabosdiscounts.com/, pre-paid vouchers can be used for activities, restaurants and hotels. Beware though that you may be limiting your options to a select number of vendors and restaurants that participate in this plan if you purchase these vouchers.

Please do not get stuck in the trap of timeshare demonstrations as a way to get free tickets and discounts to activities. In the end it isn’t worth the time unless you are truly interested in this type of investment. Often they say their presentation will only be 70 minutes long but then they turn out to be about 4 hours or longer and the tickets and discounts are not worth the time you wasted there. It often causes more stress and anxiety than anything – and didn’t you go on vacation to get away from that?

Also note that if you are a member of AAA, be sure to check out their travel website: http://travel.aaa.com. AAA may also have discounts on airfare, hotels and rental cars and insurance.

Many local travel vendors offer money saving packages if you book a number of tours through them. For example, Baja Wild (http://www.bajawild.com) offers a special where you can get three tours for a discounted price. Be sure to pick a reputable vendor. (See my reviews of Baja Wild and Motosol for examples of good / bad vendors.)

Whatever way you decide to book your activity, if you enjoyed your activity and experienced good service, be sure to tip your tour guides appropriately.

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Viator / Grayline - Los Cabos - Cabo San Lucas - San Jose Del Cabo

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Booking tours online through Viator can enable you to plan some of your vacation activities ahead so you have less to think about once you get to your destination.While in some cases you may save money and time booking through Viator, note that it is smart to do some research prior to booking a tour with so-called prepaid vouchers. If you do use prepaid vouchers, DO NOT forget them, as they are needed by the local travel vendors to get paid by the booking company, and they won’t take you on the tour without them. (See my review on Planning Activities.)Viator (http://www.viator.com/) offer a variety of tours, but when you check out the local travel vendor’s website online you may see th...Read More

Booking tours online through Viator can enable you to plan some of your vacation activities ahead so you have less to think about once you get to your destination.

While in some cases you may save money and time booking through Viator, note that it is smart to do some research prior to booking a tour with so-called prepaid vouchers. If you do use prepaid vouchers, DO NOT forget them, as they are needed by the local travel vendors to get paid by the booking company, and they won’t take you on the tour without them. (See my review on Planning Activities.)

Viator (http://www.viator.com/) offer a variety of tours, but when you check out the local travel vendor’s website online you may see that the Viator’s prices are sometimes a bit higher than if you book with the local vendor.

Before booking with a company like this, I would advise you do some searches on IGoUGo.com, TripAdvisor.com, and other related sites to find recommended tours, and try to book directly with the vendor rather than using a third party company. You may be able to more easily negotiate a better deals on group bookings this way as well.

I booked several transfers and tours through Viator, and when transportation wasn’t directly provided by the local travel vendor a company called Grayline transported me where I needed to go. I found Grayline to be reliable and extremely on time, and they had comfortable vans to transport a number of passengers and their luggage.

In many cases, Grayline is who you will need to work with to change or cancel reservations if needed. Viator does not offer its customers a phone number, so you will either have to work through Grayline or email them at support@viator.com. I found Grayline to be efficient with the local vendors to make these types of changes. At one point they even rearranged my schedule to fit a tour in that I wanted to do.

In the case of airport transfers, Grayline was extremely reasonable. They were on time and the cost for round trip transfers was little more than the cost of a one-way taxi. The round-trip transfer cost from the airport in Los Cabos to the hotel and back was $31. A one-way taxi into Cabo San Lucas from the airport costs about that much. Be sure to confirm your pick-up times for each leg of the transfer the day before as they sometimes pick up other people, and they may have earlier flights than you.

No matter what company you book your activity with, try to book priority tours in advance and in the beginning of your trip. This will secure your spot in the case of tight booking and if the trip gets cancelled (as they sometimes do) you will have enough time in your itinerary to make adjustments.
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San Jose Del Cabo vs. Cabo San Lucas

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Prior to making reservations in Los Cabos, you should first decide what type of vacation you want to have and plan accordingly.If you are looking for sun, fun and fiesta and do not want to deal with the hassles and expense of transportation, then Cabo San Lucas is for you. Cabos San Lucas is a fiesta town with an abundance of activity options such as snorkeling, kayaking, diving, dolphin swims, fishing, boat tours, parasailing, sunset cruises and glass bottom boat rides as well as restaurants and places to shop. If you are traveling with a group, into water activities, sports or have children you are probably better off staying in Cabo San Lucas. There are many package deals to Cabo San Lucas, many of...Read More

Prior to making reservations in Los Cabos, you should first decide what type of vacation you want to have and plan accordingly.If you are looking for sun, fun and fiesta and do not want to deal with the hassles and expense of transportation, then Cabo San Lucas is for you. Cabos San Lucas is a fiesta town with an abundance of activity options such as snorkeling, kayaking, diving, dolphin swims, fishing, boat tours, parasailing, sunset cruises and glass bottom boat rides as well as restaurants and places to shop. If you are traveling with a group, into water activities, sports or have children you are probably better off staying in Cabo San Lucas. There are many package deals to Cabo San Lucas, many of them all-inclusive, available online through websites such as Travelzoo.com and Expedia.com.This variety of activity is part of the downside of staying in Cabo San Lucas. Because there are many tourists the view of the ocean is often ruined with an abundance of human activity. Local vendors peruse the beaches setting up stands of goods and approach, even sometimes harass, tourists to buy their goods—making relaxing on the beach somewhat of an effort. Because the drinking age is 18 in Mexico the town tends to attract groups of 18 to 21 year old party-goers and the nightlife is loud and runs rampant in pure drunken debauchery.Many visitors coming to Los Cabos stay in what is called the "Tourist Corridor", the line of resorts on the beaches skirting the Sea of Cortez northeast of Cabo San Lucas to San Jose del Cabo. Transportation within Los Cabos, including to Cabo San Lucas, is made possible by the main route Highway 1, which follows the corridor. (See my review "Getting Around in Los Cabos")If you are looking for a relaxing beach vacation, or to be pampered in an exclusive resort then consider staying in San Jose Del Cabo or in the "tourist corridor". Most of the resorts here have all the elements for you to achieve a relaxing beach vacation: multiple restaurants, spas, a pristine beach view, nearby activities, concierge activity planning, comfortable beach chairs, swim-up beach bars and cafes, etc. Also, the vendors found on the beaches of Cabo San Lucas do not often peruse the beaches in the corridor because there are further out and not as crowded.Note that while many activity vendors do provide transportation to activities outside of Cabo San Lucas you will be hard pressed to find vendors that will bring you into Cabo San Lucas free of charge. While the transportation back and forth between Cabo San Lucas and the Tourist Corridor may be more expensive and hassling, the peace and quiet you find on the beaches and at the resort may be worth this choice if you are looking for a relaxing beach vacation. Read Less

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