Los Cabos | The misunderstood beauty

The tourist region of Los Cabos, which stretches between the two cabos (cities) of Cabo San Lucas, the festive, and San José del Cabo, the “boho”, is one of the most beautiful destinations on the continent. However, it remains somewhat misunderstood. And yet…

Offering a unique combination of desert climate, striking landscapes, transparent waters and sandy beaches, Los Cabos is a unique destination that stands out for several reasons. Nicknamed “the end of the world”, the Los Cabos region is located at the tip of the Baja California Sur peninsula, which extends from California to Mexico, where the Sea of ​​Cortez – also nicknamed the aquarium of the world by Jacques Cousteau, the water is so transparent and teeming with life – meets the Pacific Ocean.

A miracle ? The hurricane Normawhich raged in Baja California last October, spared its shores, its landscapes, its decor.

Little-known destination

Despite its exceptional geographical location, its 360 days of annual sunshine and its rich Mexican culture with Californian influence, Los Cabos is not always the first choice for travelers looking for sun and beach. Cancun, by comparison, welcomes 10 times more tourists annually.

“The first obstacle to tourism in Los Cabos is the preconceived idea that you cannot swim in the sea,” explains Rodrigo Esponda, regional director of tourism for Los Cabos. We are at the tip of the continent, which creates strong currents in places. »

Its atypical geography makes Los Cabos a destination where certain sections of the coastal zone, which extends 30 km between Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo, are indeed rockier and the waves stronger. But according to official figures from According to the Los Cabos Tourism Office, 43% of the area’s beaches are suitable for swimming and most Pacific Ocean hotels are within walking distance of these beaches.

An official guide, available on the Tourist Office website, designates sites suitable for swimming and specifies the distances from each hotel complex in the region. For example, the furthest hotel from a swimmable beach is 6 kilometers away, but often you only need to walk a few minutes to find a small, quiet bay.

In other areas of Mexico popular with tourists, resorts line miles of beach in a linear fashion. In Cabo, both because of its geographic location and strict regulations, developers cannot build hotel complexes too close together. The hotels are therefore most often scattered, sometimes on the hillside, in the mountains or on the seafront. Each hotel here offers a distinct decor and stay experience.

A gastronomy from farm to table

Another distinctive feature of Los Cabos: its strong gastronomic culture, even if it is in a desert climate. There are excellent restaurants, both in its luxury hotels and in San José del Cabo – more interesting to visit than its big brother Cabo San Lucas – and surprising farm-to-table addresses.

In the village of Animas Bajas, which stands in the middle of the desert about ten kilometers from San José del Cabo, there is practically nothing, with the exception of three family farms where herbs and flowers are grown. , plants, fruits and vegetables to meet the needs of restaurants, hotels and markets in the region. Over time, these farms opened public markets, then restaurants and, now, are among the most sought-after gourmet restaurants in the region.

To get there, you have to venture off the beaten track, but it’s worth the effort. The most popular, Flora Farms, offers a café, a wine bar, a boutique, a market, an excellent restaurant and even a few vacation homes available for weekly rental. For the record, these lands are former sugar cane plantations. Farmers seeking food self-sufficiency realized, around ten years ago, that the altitude and their location made the soil fertile.

Surprisingly, Los Cabos appeals to all our senses.