For the longest time, I didn’t understand the appeal of Los Cabos. The idea of a resort town, set in an arid desert with basically non-swimmable beaches didn’t seem like the place I would want to visit.  And then it got devasted by Hurricane Odile 2014, and that took it off the radar for a little while.

Odile wreaked havoc on the Baja California peninsula and forced many major resorts to shut down, renovate, and rebuild completely. Three years later, Los Cabos rose out of the ashes, more glorious than ever.

Numerous new resorts have opened: Grand Velas, Le Blanc, Montage, Hard Rock Los Cabos, Garza Blanca, and many more. There is no shortage of properties to stay at, from less expensive to most extravagant really. You have plenty of choices both all-inclusive and not, depending on your preference.

Los Cabos consists of three resort areas:

• San Jose del Cabo which is a quaint, authentic Mexican town, bustling with tourists as well as locals. It offers a beautiful art district and a real Mexican experience. It is very close to the International Airport making it fast to get to.
• The Zona Hotelera, the hotel zone, which is a desert corridor, spans for about 20 miles between the two towns. Backed by desert and hills, resorts are set between the main road and the Sea of Cortez.
• Cabo San Lucas, furthest away from the airport is more artificial with a marina, shopping mall, movie theater and all the entertainment one could want. It is also where the boats to the famous Arch depart from.

The fact that you can have three completely different experiences within a reasonably small distance is one of my favorite things about Los Cabos. The local people are amiable and helpful. Food is generally excellent. The highlight though is the ocean, scrap the fact that it is mainly non-swimmable. Watching the waves is utterly fascinating. The brute force, the crashing sound, the power these waves have, it’s incredible. Admiring them over the edge of an infinity pool, or doused in the sunset from your balcony, is phenomenal!

This is the eighth destination highlight of twelve, leading up to the National #PlanForVacation Day on January 29, 2019. Don’t let your vacation days go to waste, plan a trip!

STEFANIE PICHONNAT
Stefanie Pichonnat is the owner of Cumar Gold Travel; a boutique travel firm specialized in creating customized travel itineraries. She specializes in creating experiences across Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America. To plan a trip contact her at stefanie@aav-travel.com