Los Cabos
Located at the southern tip of Baja California Sur, Los Cabos truly has everything you need for a wonderful, relaxing, even exciting, vacation. Luxurious hotels for every budget, a warm tropical ocean for snorkeling and diving, miles of pristine beaches, adventure activities that include ATVs, horseback riding on the beach, professionally designed golf courses, world-class deep-
sea fishing, parasailing, zip lining and more. First class cuisine and local eateries abound for every palate. High-end shopping is nestled along side local craft and souvenir shops. Sip a margarita poolside or on a leisurely sunset sail, then head into town to experience Cabo's famous nightlife where you can party and dance until the wee hours of the morning.
Los Cabos is made up of three main hotel areas: Cabo San Lucas, the Corridor and San Jose del Cabo. Cabo San Lucas is famous for its nightlife, high-end shopping, numerous streets filled with local vendors, sport fishing and beautiful sunsets that fill the sky behind the famous Los Arcos. The Corridor is a 20-mile stretch of ocean-front coastline with luxurious all-inclusive resorts, plus two major snorkeling beaches, Santa Maria and Chileno Bay. San Jose del Cabo, the political seat of Los Cabos, still retains a small-time vibe despite Cabo’s explosive growth. Several major resorts, an estuary, district art center and first-class restaurants are there for those who like a quieter experience. San Jose also features Flora Farms, a 25-acre working farm in the foothills of the Sierra de Laguna Mountains. Their restaurant, Flora Farms Kitchen, serves handmade and home-grown food using farm-fresh ingredients. A drive from San Jose del Cabo to Cabo San Lucas is just 30 minutes along the coast.
Note: Some of the resorts in all three locations do not have swimmable beaches so if swimming in the ocean is your favorite thing to do, I can help you pick just the right resort to go to.
For those that want to explore other local towns near Cabo, Todos Santos is just one hour north of Cabo San Lucas and features a vibrant art community. La Paz, the commercial center and capital of Baja California Sur, is about 2 1/2 hours from Cabo. It’s a major city with over 250,000 residents. Walking the expansive Malecon, deep sea fishing, swimming with Whale Sharks and Sea Lions, plus some gorgeous beaches make it worth the trip for the more adventurous.
Read more about La Paz at my blog, here!
Photos: Swimming with the Sea Lions, La Paz at Isla EspÃritu Santo, horseback riding on Costa Azul Beach, San Jose del Cabo, luxurious Le Blanc Resort and Spa on the Cabo Corridor.
Finally, one hour north from the Cabo San Lucas Airport on the East Cape, is Cabo Pulmo National Park, one of the most successful national marine parks in the world. It offers some of the best diving and snorkeling in Baja and is home to the only Pacific coral reef in the Sea of Cortez; a snorkelers and divers dream come true.
Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta is more expansive than Cabo San Lucas and more rural. While Los Cabos has made the most of a desert setting, Puerto Vallarta has the Sierra Madre Mountains, jungles, and a wide variety of beautiful beaches. Cabo has its marina, surrounded by restaurants, bars and nightlife. Puerto Vallarta has the Malecón, a one-mile stretch of beachfront walkway filled with sculptures, restaurants, crafts and shops that winds its way from the oldest hotel (Hotel Rosita, founded in 1948) to the Cuale River. The Romantic Zone, a trendy area just steps away from the Malecón, features lively nightlife, plazas, coffee shops and art galleries. Heading south, the jungle gives way to world-class hotels featuring private beaches in lush settings. Heading north, find Nueva Vallarta with its first-class hotels and sandy beaches, and farther north still, the towns of Sayulita, famous for surfing, and Punta Mita with its elegant resorts and expansive sunset-facing beaches. If you were to drive from remote Mismaloya (home to the beautiful Vallarta Botanical Gardens) to the resorts of Punta Mita it would take you approximately 2- 3 hours, not accounting for traffic.
Photos: Colomitos Beach, only accessible by hike or boat, jungle tours, Our Lady of Guadelupe Church, Old Town.
Cancun
Cancun has something Cabo and Puerto Vallarta can’t touch. Its vibrant, multi-hued, turquoise warm Caribbean water. Options for where to stay and what to do are plentiful in Cancun. Choose from a wide array of resorts that stretch from the north at Playa Mujeres to two hours south in the town of Tulum. Most gravitate to the Zona Hotelera, a 14-mile stretch of luxurious resorts, restaurants and bars nestled on a narrow strip between the Caribbean Sea and the Laguna Nichupté. A 15-minute powerboat ride will take you to Isla Mujeres where golf carts and motor scooters are the main means of transportation to several first-class resorts, and North Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in all of Mexico.
Back on the mainland and farther south, unique resorts in Playa del Carmen, Akumal and Tulum mix swimming beaches with coral reefs that make for wonderful snorkeling and diving. Cancun is renowned for its cenotes, natural swimming holes formed from the collapse of limestone bedrock that reveal a subterranean world of fresh water, often with stalactites and interesting underwater natural sculptures. Cancun is also famous for its archeological Mayan ruins, the two most famous – Tulum and Chichén Itzá. Across the Cozumel Channel from Playa del Carmen, sits the island of Cozumel. Known mostly as a stop for cruise ships, all-inclusive resorts have crept up on its western coast and it's one of Mexico's best diving destinations. Crossing the channel takes about 45 minutes. A straight drive down the main highway of Quintana Roo from Playa Mujeres to Tulum will take about 2 hours.
Read more about our latest adventure in Cancun, here!
Photos: Swimming in crystal clear cenotes, gorgeous Caribbean water (this shot in Puerto Morelos), interesting Mayan ruins to explore.
For something a little off-the-beaten path, try Loretto. Direct flights out of LAX or, do what we did and drive the 6 hours from Cabo San Lucas! Go here to read my blog on this laid-back, ultra-serene destination.
And finally, for a more authentic Mexican vacation (download google translate if you don't speak Spanish), visit exquisite Guanajuato near the very center of Mexico. Take a short video tour here!
Each destination is unique; each has something for everyone to enjoy. Let me help you plan your next Mexico vacation! Email me here!
Tip: All photos are by the Seguras except where specifically noted. Click on the photos to view them in full size. (Recommended!)