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In a land known for its inexpensive travel destinations, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, is one of the priciest—and one of the most popular—as travelers are willing to pay handsomely for what the area has to offer: fine beaches, world-class restaurants, sumptuous resorts, excellent golf courses, lively nightlife and some of the best sportfishing in the world.

Los Cabos, the name Mexican tourism officials bestowed upon two once-remote Baja California communities—Cabo San Lucas and nearby San Jose del Cabo—are connected by a stretch of coast, known as the Corredor Turistico (Tourist Corridor), that saw rapid development beginning in the 1990s. The high-tone resorts it contains are sought out by Hollywood's A-listers. John Travolta, Jennifer Aniston, George Clooney, Susan Sarandon, Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon and Britney Spears are among its visitors, celebrating birthdays at its reclusive and exclusive hideaways.

Visitors from abroad often find Cabo San Lucas—and the whole Los Cabos area—one of the most Americanized resorts in Mexico with English as common as Spanish, many expatriates running businesses, and prices on restaurant menus, in shops and in bars given in dollars instead of Mexican pesos. The Baja port also receives several cruise liners a week, which has spurred the building of the strip malls and eateries around the marina.

Its climate, geography, terrain and former life as the last frontier on the Baja Peninsula all bring visitors to Cabo San Lucas, as do the deep blue sea, coves and beaches, dramatic rock formations and desert landscapes.

Must See or Do

Sights—Romantic sunsets over Land's End and El Arco; driving the Eastern Cape Road to Todos Santos in a rental car and finding isolated beaches; the shops along Calle Zaragoza and Boulevard Mijares.

Memorable Meals—Traditional Mexican fare and creative tequila drinks at the colorful Mi Casa in the heart of Cabo San Lucas; incredible lobster at Lorenzillo's; an epic meal in a spectacular setting at El Farallon.

Late Night—Dancing the night away at frenetic El Squid Roe or The Giggling Marlin; shaking to the rhythms at Passion Nightclub or Pink Kitty Cabo; chilling out at Barometro; catching a glimpse of rock's elite at Cabo Wabo.

Walks—Strolling the marina or Playa Medano; picnicking at Playa del Amor after exploring the trails; vestiges of Old Mexico in downtown San Jose del Cabo; traversing horseshoe-shaped Bahia Santa Maria.

Especially for Kids—Whale-watching, swimming with dolphins, riding glass-bottomed boats, snorkeling and other activities organized by child-friendly resorts.

Geography

Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, as well as a 20-mi/32-km stretch of shoreline called the Corredor Turistico (Tourist Corridor) that connects these two towns, combine to make the Los Cabos region.

The four-lane highway traversing the Corridor parallels the coast and is lined with upscale resort developments and golf courses. Los Cabos lies at the southern end of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula in the state of Baja California Sur. The dramatic juxtaposition of desert against the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean and Sea of Cortez is striking.

The Baja Peninsula is bounded to the west by the Pacific Ocean and to the east by the Sea of Cortez, which is also sometimes called the Gulf of California. Los Cabos' most distinctive geographic feature is El Arco, a wave-cut arch and headland jutting out into the sea at Land's End, the tip of the Baja Peninsula.

Note: Some businesses in Los Cabos are located on unnumbered streets and labeled as "s/n," or sin numero (without number). Most taxi drivers are able to recognize places by their names.

History

Seafarers have long been attracted to the shores of what is now Los Cabos. In the late-16th and early-17th centuries, legend has it that notorious English seafarers such as Sir Francis Drake and Thomas Cavendish concealed themselves in the bays and coves along the southern coast of the Baja Peninsula, slipping out to ambush passing Spanish galleons. Later, Spanish missionaries attempted to convert the Guaycura and Pericu natives, but by the early 1800s, European diseases had decimated the indigenous population.

After the missionaries moved on, the rocky spires and arches that characterize the southern tip of Baja went pretty much unnoticed until after World War II. That's when private planes began flying in celebrities—Bing Crosby and John Wayne among them—to go deep-sea fishing. Because the area was remote and difficult to reach, it remained the private hideaway of a few well-heeled travelers until the 1970s, when the Mexican government completed the Transpeninsular Highway.

The highway gave Californians a straight, 1,060-mi-/1,705-km-long shot to the tip of Baja. This improved access and the area's beautiful setting made it a natural pick when the Mexican government went scouting for resort sites, and construction has been going on in earnest since 1976.

Today, Cabo San Lucas and the Los Cabos areas are internationally renowned tourist destinations that attract more than a million visitors each year. All this development has brought prosperity to the region, as well as crowding and environmental concerns.

Potpourri

John Steinbeck wrote The Log from the Sea of Cortez about a boat trek he made with his good friend Ed Ricketts down the Pacific coast and into the Sea of Cortez in 1940.

The wealthiest landowners in the region trace their family fortunes back to the first major businesses in Cabo San Lucas: fish canneries.

The estuary near the Holiday Inn Resort Los Cabos was once a place where pirates lurked; today it is a bird sanctuary.

Many people consider Los Cabos to be the world's capital for marlin and billfish fishing; the water around the area is said to have 850 species of fish.

Location

As your ship approaches Los Cabos, the dry, brown Baja California landscape gives way to an oasis of lush resorts and golf courses. Cruise ships call at Cabo San Lucas, anchoring offshore. Passengers are tendered to the dock at Muelle Principal (main dock), next to the modern, full-service Marina Cabo San Lucas.

The marina itself has restaurants, bars, tour and fishing operators, a state-of-the-art cinema, an Internet cafe, pay phones, restrooms, duty-free shops and a modern shopping mall. Phone 143-1251. http://www.igy-cabosanlucas.com.

Tour operators have stands at the marina and will beckon you to take a glass-bottomed-boat ride, dive or snorkel tours, or an all-terrain-vehicle (ATV) or horseback ride. Time-share salespeople are prevalent, although becoming less so in light of new regulations against pressuring tourists. Taxis and tour buses await passengers in the marina's parking lot, but many visitors take advantage of the facilities right in front of them.

The beaches nearby also have beach toys, including Jet Skis, banana boats, kayaks, parasailing, boat rentals and so on. A second shore-shuttle route goes directly to Playa Medano and some of its 24-hour-happy-hour restaurants and bars right on the sand.

A large artisans market a half-block from the marina sells a huge variety of standard-looking and bizarre Mexican souvenirs. Just off the marina are two malls side by side filled with higher-end handicrafts shops. From the marina, it's a five-minute stroll to Boulevard Marina, which leads into the heart of downtown Cabo San Lucas.

Shore Excursions

Typical shore excursions are a tour of the artists' colony of Todos Santos, a snorkeling yacht cruise, a ride in an ATV over the dunes, horseback riding or snorkeling off the coast. Check with your ship's shore-excursion staff or your travel agent for additional information.

Keep in mind that few ships stay in port more than a half-day. Some cruise ships remain in port 8 am-6 pm, others 6 am-1:30 pm; still others have different schedules. If your ship is staying a half-day or longer in port, consider booking a rental car for your day ashore before even embarking on your cruise. Because cab prices are sky-high in Cabo, having a prearranged set of wheels will allow you to explore destinations such as the artists' colony of Todos Santos, on the Pacific side, or just hop around to beaches, shops and restaurants without paying a fortune in cab fare.