San José Del Cabo, Baja California Sur

Practicalities

Because the Los Cabos area is spread out and expensive taxi fares will quickly add up, renting a car is a viable option if you're staying more than a few days or want to explore the surrounding area. Note: AAA members enjoy discounts through Hertz for vehicles booked in the United States. Consult your local AAA club or phone Hertz, (800) 654-3080.

Taxis from San José del Cabo to Cabo San Lucas or the Corridor hotels are convenient but expensive, averaging $25-$30 depending on destination. The local Suburcabos buses are a much cheaper alternative, running regularly between the two Cabos; the fare for the 45-minute trip is 33 pesos. The Aguila/Peninsular bus line also provides service between the two towns.

Walking from the far eastern end of the beachfront hotel zone to downtown San José will take about 20 minutes. If you're staying at a hotel located west of town, you'll save time, energy and an approximate $6 (U.S.) taxi fare by taking the bus. City buses run along Paseo San José, the wide boulevard behind the hotel zone, during daylight hours. Flag down any eastbound bus and simply tell the driver, “La Plaza, por favor.” The fare is around 25 pesos per person, and exact change is appreciated.

In case of emergency dial 911 to reach local police or the fire department. There is a 24-hour medical clinic and pharmacy (Médica Los Cabos) on Calle Ignacio Zaragoza near the corner of Avenida Idelfonso Green, about 3 blocks west of the main plaza. English is spoken; phone (624) 142-2770. The Red Cross (Cruz Roja) is downtown on Boulevard Mijares, next to the post office; phone (624) 142-0316. To contact the local police at City Hall, phone (624) 142-0361.

City Layout

Mex. 1 runs along the western edge of town before turning west toward Cabo San Lucas and becoming the Corridor. Another main thoroughfare is north-south Boulevard Mijares. It begins at Avenida Zaragoza and heads south to Paseo San José, which follows the waterfront. San José's hotel zone is along this wide boulevard.

Avenida Zaragoza borders the south side of Plaza Mijares. The name commemorates Mexican naval officer José Antonio Mijares, who prevailed in a bloody skirmish against U.S. forces deployed from the frigate Portsmouth during the Mexican-American War. On the plaza's south side a yellow clock tower rises above the Palacio Municipal (City Hall), built in 1927. Inside, offices surround a shady courtyard where you'll find racks full of tourist brochures. The east side of the square is graced with a large fountain backed by the Jardín del Los Cabaños, a half-dozen bronze busts of historical big shots. A giant Mexican flag waves overhead. There's also a small but ornate wrought-iron bandstand.

Across Avenida Miguel Hidalgo from the plaza stands the twin-steepled San José Church; it was rebuilt in 1940 on the spot where the town's original mission stood. Above the entrance is a tiled mural depicting the unwelcome fate of San José mission founder Nicolás Tamaral—being dragged to his death toward fire by Indians. The church is usually open if you want to peek inside.

Things To Do

Beaches and Recreation

La Playita is a calm, pretty curve of sand at Pueblo la Playa, a small fishing village about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) east of San José and adjacent to the Puerto Los Cabos Marina. A cobbled walkway runs behind the beach, and there's an oceanfront playground for kids right on the sand. Palapa-shaded picnic tables, showers and restrooms are set back near the marina.

To reach La Playita, take Avenida Juárez heading east out of town, which becomes an elevated access road. Continue through several glorietas (traffic circles) for about 2.4 kilometers (1.5 miles) to the beach turn-off (signed “La Playa”), then take the paved beach access road about a mile.

The most popular surfing beach is Playa Costa Azul, a short distance south of San José at Mex. 1 Km marker 29. The Costa Azul Surf Shop at Km marker 28 rents boards by the day, and also offers lessons. Since surfing is a tricky art, most visitors will be content to watch the experts take on the waves from a lookout point at the top of a hill just south of the beach.

The diving and snorkeling are superb at Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park, which protects the only coral reef in the Sea of Cortez. There are several reef fingers in Pulmo Bay (Bahía Pulmo), most of which are best left to divers. However, the inner reef can be easily accessed by snorkelers.

A handful of dive shops offer tours that depart from the village of Cabo Pulmo itself. Boats stop for exceptional snorkeling off rocky Mermaid Beach (Playa La Sirenita) and then visit a sea lion colony where you'll actually swim alongside the barking beasts. The Cabo Pulmo Dive Center is a long-established local dive shop; phone (624) 141-0726, or (562) 366-0722 (from the United States).

It's also possible to reach beautiful Mermaid Beach by car and a short hike. Just five minutes south of Cabo Pulmo village, look for the well-signed turn-off to Playa Arbolitos. A short dirt road leads to the beach, where palapa umbrellas and good snorkeling await. To find Mermaid Beach, face the ocean and look to your right. There's a narrow unmarked trail that climbs a hill and heads south along the bluffs. The hike takes about 15 minutes Note: Sections of the trail are narrow, with steep drop-offs; use caution. This trail is only recommended for people in fairly good physical condition.

To reach Cabo Pulmo by car, you can take one of two routes. The paved option involves driving north out of San José on Mex. 1 toward La Paz. At the town of Las Cuevas, head east toward the coast on a paved road that eventually veers south and approaches Cabo Pulmo from the north. Only the last 10.5 kilometers (6.5 mi.) are unpaved, but can still be negotiated by a regular passenger car.

The scenic route follows the unpaved East Cape Road (usually passable in a regular car), which heads east out of San José (follow Avenida Juárez out of town), veers north, skirts the coast and affords gorgeous views of stark, cactus-studded desert hills tumbling into the deep blue Sea of Cortez. One-way drive time is between 2.5 and 3 hours. You'll see an ever-growing number of luxury beachfront homes along the coastal road, but visitor services and gas stations are all but nonexistent.

Baja Wild offers full-day Cabo Pulmo kayak and snorkel trips that depart from the San José area and include round-trip, air-conditioned van transportation to the marine park. The company also organizes ATV, jeep and whale-watching tours. For tour fees and additional information phone (624) 122-0107 or (310) 601-7995 (from the United States).

Note: All beaches in Mexico are the property of the government and consequently are accessible to the public. Driving on beaches in Mexico is illegal.

Due to a combination of game fish migration patterns, bait supply, water temperature and ocean currents, the Gordo Banks, about 10 miles east of San José del Cabo, are considered to be among the richest fishing grounds in the Gulf of California. Gordo Banks Pangas, headquartered in the village of Pueblo la Playa, offers chartered 6-hour sport-fishing trips in outboard motor-powered pangas that are launched from the Puerto Los Cabos marina.

Rates for a standard 22-foot panga holding up to three passengers begin at about $210 (U.S.). Tackle and equipment are included; lunch, live bait and transportation to and from the launch area are not. Reservations should be made several months in advance for the October-November peak season; phone (624) 142-1147 or (619) 488-1859 (from the United States).

The nine-hole course at the Mayan Palace Beach & Golf Resort is the granddaddy of Los Cabos links. Although not the caliber of the world-class courses down the road, this public course suits duffers as well as intermediate golfers—and it's cheaper to play. Tee times are on a first-come, first-served basis; phone (624) 142-0900.

The Puerto Los Cabos Golf Club has a Jack Nicklaus signature layout, plus a second course designed by Greg Norman. Still a work in progress, nine holes of each course have been completed and can be played together for a combined 18 holes. Both courses are currently open to the public, but the Norman course will eventually be restricted to members and residents.

The expensive greens fees are somewhat mitigated by “comfort stations” at each nine, where golfers can take advantage of an unlimited bar and freshly grilled tacos. For rates and reservations, phone (624) 173-9400, 01 (800) 543-2044 (toll-free long distance within Mexico), or (877) 795-8727 (toll-free from the United States).

Shopping

If you want a good deal rather than pricey quality try Curios Carmela, at the corner of Boulevard Mijares and Coronado. It's a huge store packed to the rafters with ceramic plates, glassware, blankets, toys, clothing, decorative items and cheap Mexico mementos.

More than a dozen art galleries dot Avenida Obregón and the narrow streets behind the San José Church. Easily explored on foot, the area is known as the San José del Cabo Art District, and behind its pastel storefronts you'll find some of the most interesting shopping in all of Los Cabos. A free guide map is available at the galleries.

At the corner of Avenida Obregón and Morelos, a colorful mural featuring Frida Kahlo serves as a backdrop for the gourmet coffee patio at El Armario, the self-proclaimed “cutest shop in town.” Housed in an old gas station building, the gallery sells handmade folk art, unusual gift items and jewelry, plus eye-pleasing abstract paintings by up-and-coming local artists.

Old Town Gallery, Avenida Obregón #1505, features paintings by local artists and a nice selection of original crystal sculptures. The Mata Ortiz Pottery Gallery, on Obregón near Calle Morelos, sells much sought-after Mata Ortiz pottery, as well as paintings and exquisite jewelry. Across the street is Corsica Galería de Arte, which deals in contemporary works by internationally known Mexican artists like Leonardo Nierman and Manuel Felguerez. Unless you've got a few thousand extra U.S. dollars burning a hole in your pocket, you'll have to be content with simply admiring Corsica's museum-quality paintings, large-scale sculptures and various objets d'art.

Art Walk, which takes place Thursday evenings from 5-9 during the high tourist season (November through June), is a good time to check out the district. The galleries stay open late, and many provide cocktails or wine to sip as you stroll. Several also offer artist-in-residence demonstrations, and all will happily wrap purchases for shipping or carrying home.

For a more down-to-earth shopping experience, walk through the Municipal Market (Mercado Municipal), off Calle Manuel Doblado. Locals gather here to buy fish, produce and flowers. Next door, a large yellow building houses a half-dozen lonchería stands where you can get a fairly inexpensive lunch. Lonchería Ely dishes up outstanding pozole (hominy stew), while Lonchería Sonia makes a mean fish taco. Seating is at communal tables, packed with locals at lunchtime.

The outdoor Organic Market (Mercado Orgánico) offers produce, plants, flowers, eggs, cheeses, baked goods and locally prepared food like tamales. Art and craft vendors sell jewelry, textiles, wood carvings and paintings. It's open Saturdays 9-3, November through April. The market, northeast of downtown on a dirt road off Avenida Centenario, is hard to find if you're not familiar with the city; ask a local how to get there.

Dining and Nightlife

Even more casual is Zippers Bar and Grill, just south of town on the road to Cabo San Lucas (Mex. 1 Km marker 28.5). This surfer and gringo hangout at Playa Costa Azul serves up burgers, fries, ribs, steaks, seafood and Mexican standards, usually with a helping of TV sports events, and you can chow down in your bathing suit if you wish.

Compared to Cabo San Lucas, nightlife in San José is downright sedate. The TVs at Shooters Sports Bar, at the corner of Boulevard Mijares and Calle Manuel Doblado, are tuned to NFL, NHL, NBA and MLB action. The Tropicana Bar & Grill at the Tropicana Inn, Blvd. Mijares #30, is a longtime local gathering place that sometimes has live music.

Baja Brewing Co., on Calle Morelos just north of Avenida Obregón (in the Art District), is owned by a couple of beer aficionados from Colorado. The on-site brewery produces impressive ales and lagers, and the kitchen (open late) turns out tasty pub grub and thin-crust pizzas. There's sports on TV as well as live salsa and reggae music on most nights.

For most visitors, however, a stroll around Plaza Mijares makes for a pleasant evening. It's safe, the trees are wrapped in twinkling lights, and the plaza is filled with vendors and families.