Spotlight: Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Spotlight: Cabo San Lucas (Spanish for "Saint Luke Cape"), also known simply as Cabo, is a resort city at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. "Cabo" means “cape” in Spanish, as in the cape of a peninsula, where two large bodies of water meet. In this case, Cabo is located at the confluence of the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of California. Cabo San Lucas and the neighboring San Jose del Cabo are often referred to as Los Cabos, and form a metropolitan area of more than 350,000 inhabitants, many of which are transplants from the United States, including many celebrities: George Clooney, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Aniston, Cindy Crawford, Sylvester Stallone, Britney Spears, and Madonna - among others. The Los Cabos Corridor has numerous resorts and timeshares along the coast between Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo.

Cabo San Lucas

The Cape of Baja California

Activities: Cabo San Lucas is rated as one of Mexico's top tourist destinations and is a popular stop for Cruise ships. Access to the area can be by ship, car (via Mexican Federal Highway 1), or airplane (Los Cabos International Airport). Some of Cabo’s main attractions include: beaches, scuba diving, Balnearios (spa resorts), the famous sea arch "El Arco de Cabo San Lucas," and a wide variety of marine wildlife including rays, sharks, mahi-mahi, and striped marlin. In the winter, pods of whales can be observed in the area. They bear their calves in the warm waters of the Gulf of California after traveling up to 10,000 kilometers (6,000 mi) from Alaska and Siberia. One of the most popular beaches along the Corridor is Chileno Bay, home to tropical fish, sea turtles, invertebrates and sponges. The clear waters offer snorkelers a cheap way to observe beautiful sea life up close and personal. Another option is to view the wildlife via a "glass-bottom" boat (which today are usually made from high-strength, impact-resistant acrylic or polycarbonate).

Fish as viewed from the glass-bottom boat

Another view of fish under the boat

A view through the bench

Travelling out to the Arch

     The Arch of Cabo San Lucas, simply known locally as “El Arco,” is a large, 200-foot tall (61 meters) granite arch located at the southern tip of the peninsula. It is adjacent to “Lovers Beach” on the Gulf side of the peninsula and “Divorce Beach” on the Ocean side of the peninsula. It is technically only accessible by boat since approaching by land would require a dangerous climb over large rocks by land. Approaching the arch by boat can be treacherous due to the clashing currents from the confluence of the two large bodies of water, so you should use a professional boat captain. Getting a clear picture might require some patience due to the large number of tourists that visit daily.

El Arco de San Lucas

The Arch from the Pacific side

Other unique rock formations include the Window to the Pacific, the Scooby-Doo Rock, and the Baja California Rock.

The Window to the Pacific

Baja California Rock

- Location: The southernmost tip of Baja California.

- Hours: Although the Arch is technically never "closed," most water taxis and tour boats are available from about 7 am to 6 pm. 

- Cost: Individual water taxis or glass bottomed boats are from $20 - $25 USD per person, but will probably be more expensive if you book it through a cruise ship. A private tour will allow more individual flexibility, but will probably cost about $150.

- Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Things You Should Know: - Make sure that you wear sunscreen or you will get burned.

Activities: Playa Corsario is a nice, tranquil public beach with crystal clear waters. The calm waters are perfect for wading, swimming, or snorkeling. Also, it is a lot less crowded than the more well-known Medano Beach. However, there isn't really any shade, so you might want to bring your own. Although it is within walking distance of where the cruise ships dock, it will take you about 5-10 minutes to walk there, so you might want to rent a taxi or uber if you are carrying heavy items or are travelling with small children.

Playa Corsario

Wading in the clear, blue waters

- Location: Right next to the Mexican Naval Base. From the Cabo San Lucas cruise port, you can simply walk down Boulevard Marina, passing the Sandos Finisterra and continuing just past the Naval Base.

- Hours: There is no gate, but recommended visitor hours are during daylight hours (roughly from 7 am to 6 pm) 

- Cost: Free

- Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

- Things You Should Know: - Since most tourists to the area don’t rent cars, travel within the city is often by taxi, uber, or buses (mostly used by locals, but a cheaper option for those with pesos).

Nearby: - San José del Cabo is about 49 kilometers north-east of Cabo San Lucas. It is known for its historic center, art gallery district, Plaza Mijares, and San Jose Estuary, and is also the location of the Los Cabos International Airport.

Todos Santos is a small tourist town about 76 kilometers north of Cabo San Lucas. It is known for it’s Hotel California, art galleries, and Los Cerritos Beach (a surfing mecca).

Cabo Pulmo National Park is 132 kilometers northeast of Cabo San Lucas. It is famous for being the best snorkeling and scuba diving location in the region due to its protected coral reef.

La Paz, the capital of Baja California, is 157 kilometers due north of Cabo San Lucas. This town is famous for its stunning Balandra Beach and Espiritu Santo Island, where whale sharks can be spotted swimming (seasonally).