Activity people will be more than happy with what is on offer here: some of the best sport fishing in the world, golf courses, horse back riding, scuba diving, sailing - all the recreation that top resorts offer today, with great golf. \r\n\r\nWe combined something we get a real charge out of - JET SKIING - with one of the specialties of this locale, WHALE WATCHING. You have the freedom to move quickly and go where you want, rather than deal with one of those giant cattle-call, touristic tours.\r\n\r\nWhen you leave shore with your guide, the trick is to keep an eye on the horizon so you’ll be able to see a water spray from the blowhole against the sky. The feeling of being on the hunt for these amazing creatures is exciting enough, but it blows your mind when you actually cross them. Watching these giants heave their humps up and down, breaking the ocean’s surface and diving for fun is mesmerizing. But when you get lucky you keep your distance - if the jet skis frighten a group off they may not resurface for ages, even 100s of metres away.\r\n\r\nWhen you do strike gold the big boats with 150 tourists arrive - not so easy to frighten off. It’s a different experience than playing and interacting with dolphins (which is also available for US$165 per person). But that is part of the whale’s mystery - you can never really frolic and get too close…
We were about 10 or 15 minutes further away from Cabo town than any of the other Hotels we looked at but we could live with that - and it made our\r\n\r\nHummer ride more worthwhile because anything less would have been a tease.\r\n\r\nIf smaller San Jose del Cabo has the colonial charm, Cabo San Lucas is where the action is. There are pumping bars and the buzz of nightlife, but the city is incredibly commercialized. Case in point: the taxi rank is outside the Hard Rock Café. Very Cancun. But if you are staying at one of the nearby hotels on my shortlist, like Esperenza, Las Ventanas or our “One and Only” you never feel crowded because the resorts are spread out much more over the 14km Cabo coastline. And clientele are looking for chic serenity, not promotional-sized cocktails.
The marina complex at Cabo San Lucas has pleasant, alfresco dining - although it is a little high-volume and touristic for my tastes. Josh and Noah had made a deal with me: I only drink about 3 beers a year so I made a commitment to drink a ritual Corona in Mexico with them. I don’t encourage underage drinking (at 15 and 17); it’s more about breaking in slowly under supervision. And in Mexico, nothing stresses you out, let alone the bartenders! The boys were pretty excited to be sitting at the bar with their dad. Noah looked a little too suspiciously baby faced but it was a nice father/son moment. And we weren’t slamming down tequila shots in a seedy part of Cabo town; just having a few light beers in well lit downtown…
People seeking nightlife and fun will enjoy the proximity to this party town but those looking for the path less traveled with find the path here far too worn down.
A visit to this pretty town only five minutes away from the resort is an absolute must, and you only need one visit to get a sense of what a Mexican mission town was originally like. The look is a time warp: not many roads, a traditional square with beautiful Mexican tiles around it, the sound of church bells and a tinkling fountain - and a good selection of bars, restaurants and shops. Yes- there are touristy shops that sell the local wares, but we found quite a few gift shops, and jewelry stores that had a Mexican flare.
I had some amazing runs right along the beaches fringing the Sea of Cortez. I had to negotiate my way around the rocks that would jut out between each beach, a pattern that repeated over and over along the sands on the water’s edge, making my job harder - excellent. Sometimes there were paths over rocks that were so low that I actually had to wait for the tide to go out and then quickly make a dash for it. One day I actually got the timing wrong and a wave hit me, pushing me against the rocks, drenching me and destroying my iPod all in one go. It was major ocean force, so I could have easily hit my head against a jagged edge - and I was so isolated that nobody would have seen me. It was one of those dangerous incidents that you survive by mere chance.
After that I no longer ran entirely along the beachfront, but through the gorgeous golf courses on the main road, weaving through the private residences on the hills. I may have nine lives, but I definitely need a Jonathan-proof iPod - I go through them as regularly as a 7-year-old!
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