Cabo San Lucas
My original idea for this trip was to get some sun, some much needed R+R, as well as sleep, read, and eat as many tacos as possible. While my intention may have been in the right place, it turns out what I really needed was some serious partying and flirting with a side of tacos and naps in the sun. We sometimes set out with one intention but another shows up and you just have to roll with it. Good thing I'm pretty flexible, travel with an open mind, and try not to take myself too seriously.
Cabo is the PERFECT place for 30somethings to have 'adult' spring break. When winter starts to grab a hold of you and drive you mad, ESCAPE to Cabo for a little fun in the sun with occasional tequila showers. Personally, I think February kinda sucks, so it's the perfect month to take a quick trip to reset and remind yourself that summer exists and on the way back to us! So while it's fairly inexpensive to stay at one of the resorts in Cabo, I recommend you rent a condo instead so you can get away from the resorts and explore a bit more of the local scene with the option to party resort/ spring break style if you want. You can pay a day rate at any of the resorts to party for the day, enjoy the pools, etc. but it's nice to have a bit of separation from all of the party animals when you want it! I chose a place to stay up in Le Pedregal in a cute, simple, and inexpensive condo I rented through AirBnB. I loved that I had to walk a bit to get to the beach and nightlife; it was a great way to explore the local scene and find some off the beaten path tacos stands and local snowbird bars. I've decided I am a 'snowbird in training' after this trip, I LOVE Mexico and can totally see myself being here part time!
DAY TIME ADVENTURES
Hike Mt. Solomar: Awesome little hike to the tip of Cabo, amazing views of the city and out to the Pacific and back to the mountains of the Baja. It's a bit more challenging than I had anticipated, but it was a great way to sweat out the night before and feel like I've done something active before laying like a bum and drinking in the sun all day! You'll find the trailhead by walking through a puppy training/ rescue center, the owner is super kind and can help you if you need. It's a very rocky trail with a lot of scrambling to get to the top, it is very exposed, so sunscreen is a must. Once you make it to the top the views are incredible and the water is crystal clear. You'll also get super jealous of the resort just at the base of the rocks - I'll stay there next time!
Beach at SUR Beach House: I found this spot on our second or third day when we needed some rest from a super late night. It has very chill beach club vibe and is just past some of the more crazy party sections on the beach. All of the tables, chairs, etc. are roped off in a private area so that the beach vendors cannot bother you. We received 5 start service both days we hung out here. The facilities are amazing, the staff are super attentive, prices are moderate and the food is great! Our second day they reserved us a private table right at the front of the beach and they brought us a free bottle of champagne for coming back. I will be back on my next trip. They really know how to treat people with amazing service and it's nice to have a private section to call home base when you're on Medano beach.
Horseback Riding at the end of Medano Beach: We wandered all the way down Medano beach on our first day and found some cabelleros (cowboys) to take us on a horseback ride. It was $20pp, they tried for $40 and I got them down - NEVER pay full price if you can haggle a little you're bound to find a better deal! It was a simple ride on some older horses, we road down a dirt road and then cut up along the beach. I wandered up to a wedding and crashed a few photos before taking off at a canter to the other side of the beach. Needless to say the guide wasn't very happy with me, but I had a good time and made some LA kids smile with my antics.
Learn to say 'NO GACIAS' to all of the beach vendors, but also know that they may hold the key to some of the more adult adventures if you're into that kind of thing.
NIGHT TIME ADVENTURES
La Perrona: Some of the best tacos I have ever had. The steak is marinated ALL day long and the owner is super friendly. This place is NOT easy to find, it just happened to be right by the dirt road entry to where I was staying so it worked in my favor! Small amazing local taco stand, he only makes 2 types of tacos. Travel up to Le Pedegral by foot and you'll come across this taco stand across from an OXXO. Make sure to have the cucumber drink to wash the tacos down with and to get some extra hydration before your night out dancing!
La Biblioteca: A Richard Sandoval restaurant in the new Breathless resort. I basically had tequila for dinner here, what's the point in a whole meal when I really just wanted to try all of the tequila? I had a side of elote to keep me in check, don't worry! To be frank and honest, the service here needs some serious work BUT it's right on the beach, has a beautiful outdoor seating space and some pretty awesome tequila flight options. It's a little more touristy than I usually go for, but it was a fun experience and it lead to an amazing night out. I ended up running into an old college buddy here - TOTALLY random and we went out dancing until the sun came up!
Mandala: When I walked past Mandala on the first day with my girlfriend I said to her, "no way I'll be going in there, no clubbing for me." Obviously, I have a problem with lying to myself, and we ended up there later that night...with my old college friend and the huge bachelor party he was with. It's a pretty standard club with usual club music, but really fun to go with a bachelor party that gets a table and is crazy poppin bottles all night! As I used to say in my early 20s, there's nothing better than poppin' bottles and flyin private. So, go dance your face off, there's no cover and if you're not feeling it there are like 20 other bars right next to it you can pop into as well. I ended up here 3 out of the 5 nights I was in Cabo...so as you can tell I enjoyed my time sweating it out dancing on the tables and making random new friends.
While Miami may be the place where the heat is on, Cabo is the place where the BEAT IS ON! Get your 'old', 30something ass in gear and go get all Springbreakers in the streets of Cabo. It's really fun and a great place to have an all out, reminiscent of college, long weekend. You may even get lucky and actually run into old college friends. Heck, you may even get lucky...there's always a chance if you want it! So, I may not have had a long weekend of R+R in Cabo, but it ended up being the perfect reset to help get me through the last few gloomy grey weeks here in PDX. I highly suggest adding Cabo to your list of go-to winter places! Plus it's super cheap if you do it right!
travel light, travel often,
J
