Cabo San Lucas Travel Guide

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February 2, 2020
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Cabo San Lucas Travel Guide via @elanaloo & elanaloo.com

Luxurious & Adventurous
Travel Guide To Cabo San Lucas

Los Cabos, Mexico is absolutely beautiful, relaxing and has plenty to explore. I grew up going to Mexico but the first time I went to Cabo was five years ago, to celebrate our best friends getting married! It’s wild that these past five years have flown by but when I had a work opportunity with Athleta come up in La Paz, I knew I wanted to extend my stay and explore Cabo again. Here are my recommendations & up to date Cabo San Lucas Travel Guide from personal experience and from extensive research:

HOTELS IN CABO SAN LUCAS

Grand Solmar Rancho San Lucas

We stayed here during our 2020 trip and loved this new property! They have multiple pools & swim up bars, delicious restaurants on property, beach access, an incredible spa (one of the best massages I’ve ever had), kayaks & paddle boards for your use and absolutely stunning grounds.

We stayed in the Grand Studio Suite (the most ‘basic’ room) yet nothing felt basic about it. It was spacious, had a kitchen, a balcony, beautiful bathroom and sitting room. Their staff is so welcoming, kind and gracious – we felt so at home and can’t recommend it enough. It is a bit far from town but the property is glorious, relaxing and full of amenities so you don’t really worry or notice. If you do want to go to town, you can hop on their hourly shuttle over to Grand Solmar Land’s End and then take a short taxi ride into town.

Grand Solmar Land’s End

This is the original sister property of Grand Solmar Rancho San Lucas and this is where we stayed in 2015. We also loved this property. The rooms are so gorgeous & luxurious, the pools, the food, the beach, everything. This property is walking distance to town but definitely has a busier feel to it!

Playa Grande

This property is right next to Grand Solmar Land’s End and is more cost effective. We had many friends from the wedding party in 2015 stay there and said they loved it! It’s a colorful, beautiful property and one night we ventured over for one of their fiesta nights and the food was amazing!

The rest of these resorts I’ve only done research on but they are on our list to check out in the future:

One & Only Palmilla

The Cape Hotel

Esperanza Resort

Acre Baja

Viceroy Cabo San Lucas

Hotel Boutique Casa Bella

The grounds of Grand Solmar Rancho San Lucas – Cabo San Lucas Travel Guide via @elanaloo & elanaloo.com
Swimming at Grand Solmar Rancho San Lucas swim up bar – Cabo San Lucas Travel Guide via @elanaloo & elanaloo.com
Yucca Plant at Grand Solmar Rancho San Lucas – Cabo San Lucas Travel Guide via @elanaloo & elanaloo.com
Cabo San Lucas Travel Guide via @elanaloo & elanaloo.com
Sunset at the swim up bar of Grand Solmar Rancho San Lucas – Cabo San Lucas Travel Guide via @elanaloo & elanaloo.com
Archways of Grand Solmar Rancho San Lucas Resort – Cabo San Lucas Travel Guide via @elanaloo & elanaloo.com

BEST THINGS TO DO
IN CABO SAN LUCAS

SEASHINE ADVENTURES – YACHT CHARTERS

Yacht sounds a little lavish? Hear me out… When we were looking for boats in Cabo so we could get out on the water, we found Seashine Adventures and were blown away by the reviews of customer experiences. We were in Cabo celebrating our new site launch (!!!) and wanted a relaxing & private day out on the water.

Now, after experiencing it, I wish we had known about Seashine Adventures way back when we were here for our best friends’ wedding! This would have been perfect for a Bachelor or Bachelorette Party or for the day after the wedding (as a group or even just a gift to the bride and groom). Outside of a wedding, I would 100% book a trip with them for a family day out on the water. The cost split between a group is reasonable and if you want to splurge, you can just go as a couple or small group!

Their crew is so hospitable and welcoming. The food was phenomenal (fresh salsa, pico de gallo, guacamole – fresh ceviche – tacos, quesadillas, cocktails, etc) all made on the boat. We loved that we got to see the glimmering light pour through El Arco (the famous natural rock arch in Cabo), explore the coastline on the Pacific Ocean side, then explore the Sea of Cortez coastline, watch whales breach from the top deck, swim and paddle board in the Santa Maria bay – overall, our experience was above & beyond. Definitely a highlight of our trip & something we will 100% do again!

Couple on Seashine Adventures Yacht in Cabo – Cabo San Lucas Travel Guide via @elanaloo & elanaloo.com
El Arco – Cabo San Lucas Travel Guide via @elanaloo & elanaloo.com
Seashine Adventures – Cabo San Lucas Travel Guide via @elanaloo & elanaloo.com
Paddle boarding the Sea of Cortez in Santa Maria Bay – Cabo San Lucas Travel Guide via @elanaloo & elanaloo.com
Margaritas at sea – Cabo San Lucas Travel Guide via @elanaloo & elanaloo.com

HIKE MT. SOLMAR

If you want to see arguably the most gorgeous view from above Cabo San Lucas, you need to hike with Enrique! Enrique is a local man and dog trainer who rehabilitates dogs and owns the land you hike on to get to the summit. He walks a group of the dogs, each morning at 8:30 am and each afternoon at 4:30 pm (most days) and welcomes the public to join him. The schedule is posted on the fence along the road as you head to Playa Corsario, next to the Naval base south of the marina. He doesn’t charge anything but I recommend tipping him well as he shares a beautiful story and is so generous to share this view with all that he does.

We learned about this hike in 2015 from the staff at Grand Solmar Land’s End (way before I made this Cabo San Lucas Travel Guide) but didn’t have a chance to experience it until 2020 and it was as spectacular as they said. The meeting place is just down the road from the Grand Solmar Land’s End & Playa Grande properties. You can walk from there and you’ll see a chainlink fence with information on it & a big yellow building behind the fence – don’t be a minute past 8:30am because they’ll already be gone!

Views from the best hike in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico – Cabo San Lucas Travel Guide via @elanaloo & elanaloo.com

VISIT EL ARCO, LOVER’S BEACH & DIVORCE BEACH

When making a Cabo San Lucas Travel Guide, these spots are a must!

This is the southernmost tip of the Baja Peninsula called Land’s End and these granite rocks have been eroded by the ocean waves for 30 million years. This point is where the Sea of Cortez & Pacific Ocean meet. I asked our Seashine Adventures boat captain why they are called Lover’s Beach & Divorce Beach and he explained that it is because Lover’s Beach is on the calm, sheltered side of the Sea of Cortez and that Divorce Beach is on the intense, tumultuous side of the Pacific Ocean – love that. To visit these beaches is to feel the incredible forces of nature and its beauty at work here.  

Lover’s Beach or Playa del Amor is the shoreline you see in the shadows of the arch at Land’s End. Since it is on the sheltered side, it’s also an excellent spot to visit if you’re interested in diving or snorkeling. The abundance of vibrantly colored sea life is fully on display! The beach is surrounded by towering rocks and the turquoise water is stunning.

The neighboring Divorce Beach is equally beautiful and accessible by walking through a gap in the rocks to the Pacific Ocean side. Divorce Beach or Playa del Divorcio is a great spot to take a long walk along the stretch of beach, to relax, sunbath and read a book but it is really dangerous to swim at Divorce Beach. Be aware – watch the ebb and flow of the tides as things do get rough here at times.  There are strong currents, crashing waves and rips tides there so again, don’t swim on this side. This awe-inspiring, secluded beach is not to be missed.

Access to Lover’s Beach & Divorce Beach is on the half-mile Land’s End headland, and it is only accessible by water. Water taxis (called pangas locally), paddle boards and kayaks (rented from El Médano Beach) are your most common ways to get out there. Have a mini-adventure—rent snorkel gear, take a water taxi  (be sure to arrange your return trip as well) or kayak — then go explore, snorkel and enjoy.

Lover’s and Divorce Beaches are less populated in the morning, and both are perfect spots for picnic brunches.
So pack your own supplies and head out to beat the crowds!

Cabo San Lucas Travel Guide via @elanaloo & elanaloo.com
Cabo San Lucas Travel Guide via @elanaloo & elanaloo.com

VISIT TODOS SANTOS

Todos Santos is a town about 1 Hour north west of Cabo San Lucas. Some go for the surf breaks. Others, to wander the cobblestone streets lined with tiny artisan shops and refurbished haciendas in the old part of town. The area is so enchanting that the Mexican government designated Todos Santos a Pueblo Mágico—one of just 100 or so small towns honored for its natural beauty, cultural riches, or historical relevance. It’s worth it to go explore & stay a while.

Places To Stay

Hotel San Cristobal

Hacienda Cerritos

Hotel California

Downtown Shopping

The shopping is wonderful in Todos Santos – so many artisans, makers and creative souls that are willing to tell you about their process or the meaning behind something. We love this place & highly recommend spending some time here if you love pottery, textiles and art.

VISIT LA PAZ

We didn’t spend a bunch of time exploring La Paz, sadly (since I was there for work) but would love to come back! We were chatting with some local guys who said it’s one of the safest towns in Mexico and it was certainly one of the most beautiful.

Playa Balandra

This beach is breathtaking! It’s one very large bay with about 7 different beaches. We went by boat and explored the beach with the least people but you can also drive and park at the beach and then walk/swim/paddle board/kayak across to the different sandy beaches. There are cacti growing on the rocky hills surrounding the beaches, the water is bright turquoise and it’s unlike anywhere else I’ve been. There are a few different hiking spots with spectacular views! Please be sure to wear reef safe sunscreen (read more here) when visiting any beach – this came to mind here in particular because of how much wildlife comes in and out of this bay. It was gorgeous & I would highly recommend!

Hotel & Restaurants

We were only there for a short time so I don’t have a plethora of recommendations but we stayed at Hotel La Paz – CostaBaja which was about 10-15 minutes out of town, right by the harbor and it was nice. Check out Sorstis Restaurant or Oliva Al Mare for dinner (both Italian – not Mexican – but with amazing menus). When we go back, I might check this place out to stay…

Lobito/Espiritú

(two companies owned by father & son)
If you want to get out on the water, these guys were really nice! There is a lot of wildlife in La Paz but sadly, the water clarity really leaves something to be desired. Coming from Kona, where our water clarity is some of the best in the world, it’s hard to compare!

BEST PLACES TO EAT
IN CABO SAN LUCAS

Acre Baja

BAJA BREWING CO.

LA LUPITA Tacos & Mezcal

FLORA FARMS Organic soil to table restaurant

LA REVOLUCIÓN COMEDOR DE BAJA CALIFORNIA

LOS TAMARINDOS

MI CASA

AVOIDING WASTE WHILE TRAVELING

When traveling it’s so easy to create massive amounts of waste. Especially when visiting Mexico, many tourists feel the need to drink out of plastic water bottles because that water is “cleaner” (first of all, read this post to understand how toxic water is in plastic bottles). We avoided single-use plastic throughout our entire trip with a few easy tools – including self-cleaning reusable water bottles:

 

Cabo San Lucas Travel Guide via @elanaloo & elanaloo.com

Well, that’s all I’ve got for ya! Cabo San Lucas is an amazing place with so much to explore – each time you go you’ll find more to explore but I hope our Cabo San Lucas Travel Guide gives you a great starting point. As always, travel mindfully, explore deeply & tread lightly xx

Meet the writer

I'M ELANA JADALLAH

Thanks for reading! I'm a photographer, writer & environmental advocate excited to be sharing regenerative solutions, ideas & concepts for our lives & businesses with you. 

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