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Archive for the ‘Los Cabos’ Category

Deal of the Day: Las Ventanas al Paraiso spa packages offer endless romance 

I have already written of my infatuation with Las Ventanas al Paraiso since visiting Los Cabos in May.  However, when I see the offers they have for spa and romance experiences through 2010, I have to re-visit their hotel here (I can wish to do it physically, though I can only do so with words).  Read more…

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At the end of May I got to go to Los Cabos for 4 days.  It was a wonderful working vacation for me.  I saw some beautiful properties that I genuinely enjoyed.  I met many warm and genuine people and had some great food (though maybe too much red snapper).  I stayed in a lovely casita at the Marqus Los Cabos, which included a plunge pool and amenity breakfasts every morning while watching the sun come up and listening to the ocean roaring right outside my patio door. 

I sailed on the New Zealand version of the America’s Cup Yacht Race boat.  Had a wonderful swedish massage at the Esperanza Spa  from Ulma.  Looked a horse in the eye and declined the ride.  Walked along the beach and had a good “wetting down” from a stray wave.  Experienced a cooking class with a Michelin-starred chef.  Drank such a great margarita (Las Ventanas al Paraiso’s  ”Welcoming Margarita”) that I was inspired to go to Bed Bath and Beyond when I returned to Seattle and purchase a soda siphon in order to make them myself.  And I might add, while not as perfect as Las Ventana’s Welcoming Margaritas, mine were plenty yummy. 

Without a doubt one of the best meals (and there were many delightful meals from many hotels and restaurants, but this one stood out in my memory) while there was at One and Only Parmilla.  We took a tour of the villa accommodations there at One andOnly Parmilla, then a golf cart ride to the restaurant, Agua Restaurant.  Our hosts included the One and OnlyParmilla, Cecilia Aragon-Bryant (Director of Public Relations),  the Los Cabos Visitor and Convention Bureau and Terramar Destinations, who provided our guide, Rico, for the evening.  The menu included a canape, 4 course dinner and dessert, provided by the Executive Chef, Larbi Dahrouch. 

The Thursday night Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo also stands out as a superb event to enjoy with the only cost being that of the delightful art one might feel inclined to purchase.  Our guide, Rico, led us up and down the hilly streets, and in and out of galleries too numerous to mention.  Wine, canapes, a delicious vanilla liqueur, margaritas all accompanied us on our rounds of the galleries.  See my Thursday Night Art Walk article at National Romance Travel Examiner for a more complete description.

I would go to Los Cabos again immediately if I could.  I fell in love with the place, the people, the food and the ambiance.  i really would like to stay at Las Ventanas al Paraiso or One and Only Parmilla each at least for a week!  Oh yes, the trip I went on was sponsored by the Los Cabos Visitor and Convention Bureau.  I appreciated everything they did to help me understand that the novel H1N1 virus was not in residence in Los Cabos!

I wrote several articles about this lovely trip in my National Romance Travel Examiner column  at Examiner.com.  Here are some of the links, I hope you read and enjoy them:

Sailing with the Cabo Adventures America’s Cup Yacht Race experience

Marquis Los Cabos – a resort for all senses

Marquis Los Cabos casita 704

An invitation to romance at Las Ventanas al Paraiso part 1

Las Ventanas – part 2 – more than a resort

There are more but that is for another posting……

Transportation  -  How am I going to get around the area?  This is always an interesting question.  I hate driving in foreign countries.  I prefer taxis or public transportation.  Taxis are not the way to go, though, here in Los Cabos.  Taxis cost about $40 to get between San Lucas and San Jose.  No way, baby.  But the buses are not so bad, inexpensive and relatively frequent.  There is a four-lane highway connecting the two cities and a new toll road from the airport to the Corridor.  However, it bypasses San Jose del Cabo and that would not be my intent.  So I guess I had better plan on renting a car whether I like that aspect or not. 

Lodging is, of course, a consideration.  “The Corridor” contains the resorts, a half-dozen or so championship style golf courses and the absolutely incredible beaches.  But I am not sure I want to stay in a resort.  There are about 85,000 people in residence in Los Cabos, with just over 10,000 rooms for visitors.  Most guests stay only 3-5 nights in Los Cabos.  That fits my itinerary well.  There are some boutique hotels in the Corridor as well and even some private villas.  I wonder what a villa for a 5 day stay will cost….I need to put that on my list of things to find out if I am going to seriously consider this area as my destination. 

Cabo San Lucas lies at the end of Los Cabos at “Lands End” about 20 miles southwest of San Jose del Cabo.  It is here you will find the El Arco (The Arch),  the area’s signature landmark.  It is here the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortes meet.  The resort development there consists of three distinct areas:  Playa Medano (high rise hotels and condos), Downtown/Marina (budget hotels and commercial development), and Playa Solmar (high rise hotels and condos).  There is a mix of rowdy bars and hip nightclubs, a fairly large choice in the restaurants and dining cuisines and shopping – home of the Puerto Paraiso mall.  

Recap:  So I will shop, hopefully get to visit some of the locals and get to know them, take the whale watching boat trip on one of the days I am there, visit the architecture and culture of San Jose and San Lucas, take a day to visit and photograph the estuary, its inhabitants  and the fresh water lagoon, and at least one day I will lay in the sun on a secluded beach and get warm all the way through to my core.  I can rent a car to get around and I would like to stay in a private villa instead of a resort. So as the last step in looking at Los Cabos, how will I get there and what are its strongest selling points? 

Getting There  -  Los Cabos International Airport receives more than 200 flights each week.  There are three terminals.  There is the main terminal on the northern end of the airport, the Charter terminal on the southern end  and a third for private jets.  The Charter terminal is where Delta Airline and Alaska Airlines call home (as well as a number of the charter planes).  Airlines with regular service to Los Cabos include Aerocalifornia, Aeromexico, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, America West/US Airways, Continental, Delta, Frontier, Mexicana and United.  There are also several seasonal charter services.  Non-stop service or a convenient connection is available from Seattle. 

 Documentation Requirements  -  I, naturally, have a passport.  Passport are going to be required in just a short time so anyone who does not have one should get one ASAP or do not plan to travel until they do.  Right now as I write this, US citizens need proof of citizenship: either a valid passport, or original birth certificate (with the raised stamp) and a photo ID.  A Mexican Tourist Permit is also required and issued free of charge upon arrival, after proof of citizenship is shown, or may be provided by the airlines in advance.  I will need to keep this with me at all times and needs to be returned to an immigration official at the time of my departure.  I will not have any children accompanying me but as an FYI for anyone who does, children under the age of 18 who are traveling alone or with only one parent need notarized consent from the non-traveling parent(s). 

The Up Side Tips: 

ü      The time zone is Mountain Standard Time. 

ü      Phone calls to Los Cabos from the US , I must dial 011-52-624 and the seven digit local number.

ü      Tipping is like in the US: 15-20% of the bill at the restaurants.  I found out I should look at my hotel bill carefully as many hotels impose a 10%-15% service charge for non food and beverage gratuities.  If my bill does not include this, porters should be tipped $1-$2 per bag and hotel maids $1-$2 per day. 

ü      It is still best to drink bottled water, although all hotels either purify their water or serve purified water. 

ü      Most people who work in the resorts speak English so I should not have any major language barrier  issues. 

ü      The electricity is 120 cycles/60 volts, the same as in the US.  I will not have to pack a converter going here. 

ü      And the biggest Up-Side selling point:  the sun shines more than 300 days a year in Los Cabos with an average temperature of 82 degrees Fahrenheit.  I really like that!   

I am including the main tourist website here in case anyone wants to go check it out:  www.visitloscabos.org 

So I have exhausted the research on Los Cabos.  Sweet dreams of Los Cabos, Mexico. 

Shopping is always an interest as I have to bring back one “remembrance item” whenever I visit someplace new.  In fact if I really like a place, I go back and each time I bring home a new remembrance so that I can look at the item and remember the good times.  So Los Cabos has “American-style” malls.  Mmmmmm.  That does not cause my heart to beat fast.  If I want “ American-style malls”, I am right here in the heart of them.   Dollars are used here instead of pesos, which makes my stay very easy.  That is a selling point for making this my vacation choice.  However, American items fill the stores and many are owned by Americans.  Again, I live in America.  Why do I want to go to a place where I find the same old stuff when I shop?  On the other hand there is an “art walk” every Thursday evening and I can get Cuban cigars, Mexican handicrafts, jewelry and apparel, and unique gifts here, as well. 

Golf is not my game in any way, shape or form.  So I am not interested in the incredible golf packages offered by the resorts.   I have read about the golf courses there and they rival any course to be found in Hawaii and the US.  For anyone who plays golf as an avocation, Los Cabos could very well be their ideal vacation.   

Lying on the beach has some appeal of course but swimming and water sports, while popular and plentiful, do not happen to be my thing either.  The under tows can be very strong and it pays to be very careful where you decide to play in the water.  I am neither a fisher-person nor a diver nor snorkler.  I enjoyed fishing for marlin and mahimahi in Hawaii but to spend a day on a boat fishing is not my idea of a vacation.  I can appreciate the folks who live for it.  I have known many of them.  And I have arranged wonderful fishing expeditions for them.  It is just not my idea of MY vacation.   

Ah, but there is a day at a spa, being totally spoiled.  I have never done an entire day of spoiled rotten spa treatments.  Maybe it is time to consider that as one of my excursions.  The resorts all have spa packages so I need to look at those packages and consider one of my days being dedicated to being spoiled.   

Eco-tourism/adventures is next on my list of interests: 

Los Cabos has biodiversity.  Although it would seem that man-made resorts overpower all else in the area, there are rugged deserts, unique flora and fauna, and the mountains.  It is also the migratory home and birthing place for hundreds of whales.  There are scientific studies that declare that 90% of the migrating whales travel south to Los Cabos.  From December through March a whale watching excursion is a must-do activity.  My plan is to visit Mexico in late January or early February so that fits in well with my itinerary.