Baja (near Cabo)

April 14, 2005 10:26 PM

We've bought tickets to the southern tip of Baja, Mexico for the third week in May. We'd like to stay outside of Cabo San Lucas, maybe in La Paz or Todos Santos. Any suggestions?

Puerto Rico didn't work out, so we're headed to Baja. We'll be flying into San Jose del Cabo and want to stay away from the spring break scene. Any suggestions? We've got about $1300 to spend for seven days (excluding air fare) total and would like to swim, snorkel, and eat fish tacos. My wife will have just graduated from law school and this will likely be our last vacation for quite a while. Keywords: beach; chill; snorkeling; pina colada.

posted by _sirmissalot_ to Travel & Transportation around Baja California, Mexico (4 answers total)

I haven't been down there in years, but I stayed at the International (Presidente) in San Jose which was quite nice. It was a all-inclusive place within walking distance of the town of San Jose which is the total opposite of Cabo San Lucas. On Sunday morning you can see all of the townsfolk in the zocalo after church. Over in Cabo it is all Americanized with KFC and tons of bars catering to the partygoers.

The hotel had two pools -- a big one with more activities and a smaller one called the quiet pool which was just that. The beach was private --- there's a lagoon on one side and there wasn't anything on the other side for a while (that part may have changed though).

There's a Westin hotel halfway between Cabo and San Jose I'd like to stay at next time. Friends have stayed there and said it was serene.

I rented a car and drove up to La Paz and didn't find it too remarkable (I'm not a snorkeler). What I loved about that drive was how barren it was after you got out of the tourist trap of Cabo. I imagined it must have been what California was like before the 30 million people moved in.

It has probably changed a lot since I was there last, but I'd imagine that San Jose hasn't changed much since I was down there.
posted by birdherder at 5:42 AM on April 15, 2005

Just came back. Stay in Todos Santos. It's a hour from Los Cabos and an hour from La Paz. Make sure you get on a boat
and go to the Sea of Cortez. Apparently Cafe Santa Fe is an outstanding restaurant in town.
posted by vega5960 at 5:45 AM on April 15, 2005

Todos Santos - smaller, sleepier, more welcoming. Cabo is a party town for sure.
posted by kokogiak at 8:01 AM on April 15, 2005

Best answer: We also just came back from nine days in Southern Baja. We stayed a few days in Cabo (ugh) a few in Todos Santos (here- highly recommended) Yes, the Cafe Santa Fe is astonishingly good. Snorkeling is not an option in Todos Santos, however- the water is more suited to surfing. We found some good snorkeling on Playa Chileno on the corridor, and then over in the Sea of Cortez- we spent a few days in La Paz (here) which was a good value and very well situated. La Paz is a nice quiet little Mexican city that hasn't been overrun by drunken gringos. We did some great scuba diving with these folks, they can also take you snorkeling. If you do any scuba at all, the Salvatierra wreck is worth the trip. We did all of that for a bit less than your stated budget, so you'll have lots of options.
posted by ambrosia at 8:23 AM on April 15, 2005