Best of 2024 - Los Cabos Part 2
Another year is drawing to a close. Time to look back on so many activities and trips - from Namibia to Los Cabos in Mexico. These two destinations were also among my annual highlights for 2024.
Award-winning resorts & culinary delights at their finest
Let's stay with the latter, which is located near the lively center of Cabo San Lucas on a pristine sandy beach. As the name suggests, the ambience is typical Mexican pueblo style in bright orange with several buildings and a huge pool area. The three towers "The Towers at Pacifica" are brand new here with 47 elegant suites, club status, butler service, their own restaurant, bar and beach lounge. Snacks and all kinds of drinks are served around the clock in the VIP lounge with panoramic terrace. I really liked the dine-around offer at the Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach Resort with shuttle from hotel to hotel. I was also able to try the fine fusion cuisine in the restaurant "La Frida", a tribute to Frida Kahlo, with authentic Mexican cuisine and a twist of modern ingredients. Plus the best margaritas!
The ambience at The Cape Hotel, a Thompson Hotel that opened in June 2015, is completely the opposite. Stylish all in black, the exterior shines in golden light, especially at night, and signals a location for hippsters from afar. They mainly meet in the rooftop bar on the 6th floor. The hotel is also very popular with the wedding crowd, who rush through the lobby smelling of party dress. The hotel is also located on one of the most sought-after white sandy beaches in Los Cabos: the world-famous surfer's paradise Monuments Beach. All 161 rooms and suites offer unobstructed views of the Sea of Cortez and the famous local landmark, El Arco - a unique natural phenomenon made of granite that has been shaped into an arch by centuries of wind and sea. Even though the sea is too rough here, guests have two pools at their disposal, including an infinity pool with a swim-up bar. The restaurant "Manta" offers a wide range of regionally inspired food and drinks and the bar outside serves drinks and snacks at any time of day.
The best hotel for me was the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal, which I remember not only as an absolute luxury hotel. Luxury because of its secluded location snuggled up to a rocky area that can only be reached through an illuminated tunnel. Luxury because of its unique location between dramatic cliffs and the shimmering Pacific Ocean, surrounded by rugged hills on almost 10 hectares of pristine Baja California beach. Luxury, because of the unusually warm service, the spacious suites with private pool on the terrace, the many amenities and the freshly prepared snacks for 5 o'clock tea in the room. The design is reminiscent of a Mexican village with a colorful tiled breakfast room, authentic cuisine, either by the pool or in the main restaurant Don Manuel. The best place to dine, however, is at El Farallon on a cliff overlooking the sea. We enjoyed particularly fine fish cuisine here after a champagne tasting at sunset. You should definitely make a reservation here, as the open restaurant is really overrun by guests. Unfortunately, we didn't have time for the great spa, Luna y Mar, because of golf, but at least we managed to go coffee tasting and sunset sailing, which can be booked daily from Cabo San Lucas around three hours before sunset. This involves sailing along the coast and its beautiful rock formations at Land's End, past Cabo's famous rock "El Arco", and then enjoying a magnificent and colorful Pacific sunset at the tip of Baja. We were lucky enough to spot a family of whales, which naturally attracted the attention of all the boats and kept us entertained for a whole hour.
Between nightlife, art and unspoiled nature
This headline already shows how diverse this country is. This can also be seen in the cities and what they have to offer - mainly Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, which are connected by a 32 km long road. In between, one luxury resort follows the next, the green of the championship courses shimmers through and long, bright sandy beaches stretch along the sea. Cabo San Lucas was founded in 1828 and was only registered as a fishing village in the 20th century - primarily as a hotspot for sport fishermen. It was not until the 1970s that the upswing began with wealthy Americans, the large marina in the center, shopping malls and lively markets as well as the nightlife offerings and fine cuisine right by the sea. In the Sur restaurant - all in white - we enjoyed sumptuous fish cuisine accompanied by wine, good music, great service and the best cocktails. Afterwards, you could jump straight into the Caribbean blue water from here.
San Jose del Cabo, on the other hand, became famous as a Jesuit mission in the 1730s and has retained its charm to this day. You should definitely take a stroll through the picturesque little town and take a look at the numerous galleries and souvenir stores. One of the highlights of San José del Cabo is the art walk, which takes place every Thursday evening from November to June. This is when the charming streets are transformed into a lively art gallery showcasing local artists and their works. The galleries open their doors to visitors and some also offer refreshments. There are different styles of art to discover, from contemporary to traditional Mexican art - all accompanied by live music, which also fosters a sense of community and connects locals with tourists.
The Lumbre restaurant could be a great way to end the day. Incidentally, the restaurant scene here boasts 18 Michelin-starred restaurants. And many more are still on various lists for awards. Reason enough for the next Los Cabos trip!
Thanks to everyone who became friends with me in Los Cabos, to Gabriel Fonseca for the entire organization and to all my flight partners. See you again!
More info:
www.visitloscabos.travel
EMail: germany@visitloscabos.travel
www.golfscape.com www.pueblobonito.com
www.guestreservations.com
www.waldorfastorialoscabospedregal.com
Text: Elsa-Maria Honecker
Photos: Martin Steinbach, www.fleaky.de/Elsa-Maria Honecker
