Story by Hilary Cadigan
I caught my first sight of Mexico through an airplane window. A cliff — green and brown and mottled like papier-mâché — jutted out of the ocean’s blue expanse, lined with a gash of white surf.
I’m not sure why I’d never visited the country before, but it could have to do with Mexico’s unfair stereotypes, somewhere between too dangerous and too touristy. Of Los Cabos, I was expecting the latter — a hokey haven packed with neon-green margarita bars blasting Katy Perry songs, and spring breakers engaging in wet T-shirt contests.
For the record, you can find all of these things here, and then some. Decades of unimpeded tourism have left their mark on the once-sleepy fishing region at the tip of the Baja California Sur peninsula. But if you opt out of a beach chair in a tiny roped-off square of resort-sanctioned sand, you can experience the best that Los Cabos has to offer: stunning natural beauty, killer cuisine and a burgeoning arts scene
Consider Bahia Hotel & Beach House (bahiacabo.com) for alternative lodging to resorts. Reasonably priced and centrally located, this stylish hotel sits not directly on the beach but two blocks from it — which feels like a boon, since it keeps you from limiting your experience to an all-inclusive. Rooms are simply but stylishly appointed, each with its own balcony or hammock. Grab a table at Bar Esquina, a better-than-it-needs-to-be hotel restaurant and bar that serves fresh ceviche, pizza and açaí bowls in the open-air dining room; or head down to the hotel's waterfront property, SUR Beach House, to enjoy the sand.
Insider tip
Reserve a paddleboard at the hotel concierge before bedtime, then wake up early for a sunrise cruise around the bay while the waters are calm.
Los Cabos is so named because it actually contains two separate cities: the heavily touristed Cabo San Lucas and its somewhat quieter sister, San Jose del Cabo. At the latter, you'll find a buzzing gallery district: cobbled streets lined with rainbow-painted studios, quaint cafes and historic churches. Don't miss the Thursday night Art Walks (artcabo.com), when the streets close to traffic and artists hawk their wares.
Credit: HANDOUT
Credit: HANDOUT
One of the coolest things about Los Cabos is its proximity to the Sonoran Desert, which stretches from the state of California to the tip of Baja California Sur. Driving down the coastal highway, you'll see the ocean on one side and a vast, dusty stretch dotted by cacti on the other. Consider renting an all-terrain vehicle and zipping through the desert with a local outfitter like Cabo Adventures (cabo-adventures.com/en).
The region features world-class eating and drinking, led by Mexican chefs who are pairing local produce with international flavors and artful spaces.
Credit: HANDOUT
Credit: HANDOUT
Amid the arid foothills of the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains, Flora's Field Kitchen (flora-farms.com) brings new meaning to the hackneyed term "farm to table." Chef Guillermo Tellez, the first-ever winner of James Beard's Felipe Rojas-Lombardi Award of Achievement for Hispanic Chefs, selects from the onsite farm's neat rows of produce to build his menus, and sources his meats from a ranch down the road. Don't miss the juicy pork chop, which feeds two, or the wood-fired pizzas topped with fresh veggies. House lager is brewed onsite and whimsical cocktails are packed with products from the garden, like carrot juice and hibiscus flowers.
Credit: Special
Credit: Special
Etched into the side of a cliff overlooking the Bay of Cabo San Lucas, Sunset MonaLisa (sunsetmonalisa.com) may be one of the world's most romantic places to dine. Born from an actual love story between an Italian man and a Mexican woman back in the early '90s, the restaurant now sits in the capable hands of Michelin-trained chef Paollo Della Corte, who cooks up house-made pastas and fresh-caught local seafood. Come in time for a sunset cocktail and stay for an Italian feast soundtracked by a trio of tableside singers and lit by tiered fire pits.
The newest concept restaurant from chef Alfonso "Poncho" Cadena and his architect brother Ignacio, CarbónCabrón's (carboncabron.com) name translates to "charred bastard." Walls are painted black, and floor-to-ceiling stacks of smoked wood logs separate communal tables. Margaritas are dyed with activated charcoal, and all food is cooked on an enormous wood-fire grill: caveman-sized bones full of parmesan-crusted marrow; smoky sweetbreads drenched in butter; elote charred on the outside, juicy-tender within. You'll leave reeking of campfire, but it'll be worth it.
You cannot visit Mexico without eating a street taco, and El Gran Pastor, a locally owned, no-frills stall is easy to access on foot and widely acclaimed for its masterful take on al pastor. Pork is roasted on a spit, caramelized to perfection and shaved into a fresh flour tortilla you can trick out with veggies and house-made salsas.
Finally, while most of the main beaches in Cabo San Lucas are packed tight with tourists, vendors and watersports, you can find unspoiled coastlines by stepping off the beaten path. Seek out national parks and protected sanctuaries like Cabo Pulmo or Bahia Santa Maria, or just ask some locals where they like to go for a quiet moment.
Insider tip
Some beaches are abandoned for good reason: The Pacific riptide can make them too dangerous for swimming.
Hilary Cadigan is the food editor at Creative Loafing and an Atlanta-based freelance writer.
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