How to get to Cabo, Where to Stay, What to do while you're there, and What to pack
I'm mad at myself that it took me 35 years to finally visit Cabo. Honestly, a big part of never going was the fear of getting "Montezuma's Revenge" or what people call it when you get sick from drinking the water in Mexico. We all remember that scene in the Sex and The City Movie where Charlotte accidentally opens her mouth in the shower and gets sick. I will go into tips for not getting sick later on. But, I am happy to say that neither Sean and I got sick on our trip and had the best time!
What/Where is Cabo?
"Cabo" actually refers to two major cities in Baja California, Mexico - Cabo San Lucas and San Jose Del Cabo. It is at the very tip of Baja California. The word Cabo means "the cape" in Spanish.
How to get to Cabo and where to stay?
If you live on the West Coast or Denver like me, Cabo is a super short flight. From Denver it was only 3 hours. And there are non-stop flights on Southwest.
Once you get to Cabo - we flew into the San Jose Del Cabo (SJD) airport - you have to go through customs. There is a form you fill out on the plane before you land and when you get there, they will look over the form and make sure you aren't bringing any weird stuff in (drugs, weapons, etc.) They will then stamp your passport and let you on your way, unless you get randomly picked for a luggage check. You press this button and it is either green to go ahead or red which means they will go through your stuff. We got "green" and didn't get stopped. We traveled on a Monday and maybe waited 15 minutes in line for the customs process. It can take over an hour so just be ready.
Pro tip - arrange transportation ahead of time! If you are staying at a hotel, they will likely have a shuttle service you can arrange with them before your trip. So when you get to the airport, they will be waiting for you with a sign for the hotel. Once you exit the customs area (before you get outside) there is this room with a ton of people lined up asking if you need a cab or trying to get you to sign up for a timeshare presentation. Just say "no, gracias!" and keep on walking until you are outside. The hotel will tell you which row to wait by. All these instructions will be provided by your hotel as well.
Where to stay in Cabo? The options are endless! Are you looking for a laid-back relaxing vacation by the pool? Do you want a small, boutique hotel? Or are you looking to party and go dancing on tables in your mini skirt at Squid Roe? (IYKYK)
I would definitely do research on Trip Advisor and see what seems best for you. The area of San Jose del Cabo is a little quieter and Cabo San Lucas is more of the party atmosphere. And then the area we stayed, called the Tourist Corridor, it is almost like Las Vegas with one huge resort next to the other along the main highway next to the ocean.
We stayed at the Westin Los Cabos which was about 30 minutes between each of the two Cabo towns. Sean has a connection with Marriott and we did do a timeshare presentation in order to get a discounted room price. The presentation wasn't too painful and they weren't pushy when we told them no.
We spent the majority of our time at the hotel relaxing. It is a resort, so there is tons of stuff to do while you're there. Since it is a time-share location, I believe each room has a kitchenette. This is great so you can get food and waters and cook some meals in the room.
Pro tip - there is a Costco in Cabo! We didn't have a car so we took an Uber to Costco and gave the driver a very big tip in order for him to wait while we shopped. We grabbed a ton of bottled waters, snacks and breakfast stuff so we can save money and at least didn't go out for one meal a day. And yes, Uber is safe to use in Cabo. We were told that Ubers are actually safer to use than cabs. And we had a great experience only using Ubers.
What to do in Cabo?
For our first Cabo trip, we had a few things we had planned, and then left the rest of our schedule open for relaxation and seeing what we felt like doing. Unfortunately, one of the things we planned - a snorkeling day trip - got cancelled the night before due to boat issues. But it worked out in our favor because we were able to spend a whole day lounging by the pool. And even got to see a couple whales from the pool!
At the Westin
The Westin had a lot of options for things to do during the day that are free for people staying. Every morning they have yoga on the beach at 8am that I got to do one of the mornings. It felt great and I highly recommend it!
They also had beach volleyball every afternoon. Sean participated in that while I got to watch the game from the pool.
There is also tons of activities for kids and they even have a Kid's Club that I believe is basically a way to have babysitting while you are there. We don't have kids so I didn't look too closely at the club schedule.
They also have a tennis/ pickleball court where you can get rackets to play. And while we were at the pool they had a table tennis tournament where some of the workers competed too.
The Food
- This was on the top of everyone's lists and I understand why! It is this beautiful literal oasis in the desert. You drive down this dirt road surrounded by not much, and make a turn and see this lush garden farm. They have a spa, restaurant, shops and even places to stay. We had lunch and you can tell everything was made super fresh from ingredients at the farm.
- This was another must-do place that multiple people recommended to me. It is a pre-fix menu with options to choose. It is also named as the "best view in Cabo" and it really was! It is this open-air restaurant with view of the famous Cabo Arch and a sunset view over the mountains. It is a little pricey, but on top of the amazing food, they had a sunset conch shell ceremony as well as live music after the sun set.
Restaurants at the Westin Los Cabos-
El Ciruelo - This restaurant is on the other side of the Westin Resort "Baja Point." It's dinner only and serves mostly seafood. I tried my first oyster! The servers came around and we got to try oysters and plantain chips as included appetizers. For our meals Sean and I split tuna tacos and crab tacos (that were more like egg rolls).
Cucina Cosera- We definitely didn't realize this was more of an Italian/ Mediterranean place until we saw the menu. This is the largest restaurant at the resort and it is also where they have a breakfast buffet in the morning. I forgot to take photos of this place minus the view!
La Cantina Sports Bar- This place has your traditional "bar food" with a Mexican flair. If you want a burger, this is the place to go. They also have wings, nachos, as well as tacos. I got a caesar salad and it was better than I expected. And Sean got a flank steak huarache.
Margaritas Swim Bar- Surprisingly, these were my favorite tacos I got the entire trip! But maybe it was because I was really hungry and they were also the first tacos I got on the trip! This is the pool restaurant that you can order from your seat and they bring the food out to your lounge chair. There also actually is a swim-up bar which Sean and I have always wanted to go to one. And bonus points that they had a non-alcoholic Corona!
Mercadito - They also had a little market where you can get snacks, pool items, alcohol and other necessities. There is also a Starbucks that you can just charge to your room.
Tourist Activities
San Jose Del Cabo-
Thursday Art Walk - We didn't get to experience this but I would like to check it out next time I'm in Cabo. We did walk around San Jose Del Cabo but we ended up in a not-so-nice section of town. If only we did better navigation and realized we were only 2 blocks in the wrong direction from the art galleries and restaurants that this town has to offer.
Cabo San Lucas -
Massage at Sand Bar - How can you say no to a $35 hour massage by the ocean? The only downside is that you are in a room with a bunch of other people. It is open air, so you get the sounds and breeze from the ocean. But if you are looking for a more private experience, this might not be for you. The massage was wonderful though and for that price, it can't be beat. There is also a restaurant connected to the massage place so once you are done with your massage, you can stay and enjoy the ocean view.
Harbor area- The main tourist area is near the harbor in Cabo San Lucas. This is where you will find a bunch of shops and restaurants with people offering you 2 for 1 drinks and wanting you to stop in your store. It reminded me of Pier 39 in SF or Downtown LA. All the shops were selling a lot of the same stuff as each other, and I didn't want to go shopping in a place that people were yelling at me to stop in. So I would say you can skip this area unless you are looking for a fun souvenir.
Everything you need to pack
Clothes
I packed:
2 dresses
3 t-shirts
cream colored linen pants
one workout set for yoga
jean jacket
1 body suit
2 pairs of linen shorts
4 bathing suits
pj set
-We ended up not going snorkeling but I bought this rash guard that I now have when I don't feel like putting sunscreen on my entire top half.
-I can't find the exact matching set I'm wearing in this photo, but here is a similar set.
Shoes
I would bring one good pair of walking sandals, one cute pair of sandals or heels to wear for a nice dinner out and sneakers. I have two pairs of these Allbirds Tree Runners (white and black) and I love them! They are so comfy!
Accessories
-This electronics organizer to help keep all your cords condensed. I got this for Sean and ended up using it myself!
-The blue sunglasses I'm wearing in this photo:
-I cannot put on false eyelashes to save my life! So I usually get extensions but they are pricey! So I found these "lash clusters" that just stick on under your natural lash. They are super easy and you can reuse them a few times.
-We feel very lucky that we did not get sick but I did get this activated charcoal that can help with tummy issues. It's also good if you drink too much.
-Also bought for snorkeling but I ended up using this in the pool. There are these cool waterproof phone pouches so you can use your phone in water and it doesn't ruin your phone.
The outlets in Mexico are the same as the US, so you don't need to bring any adapters, FYI.
(If you want to buy anything, just click on the links provided. I may make a small commission out of anything purchased and I'd be really grateful if you did!)
Extra Tips for Traveling to Mexico
The water situation - Yes, it is true that you can't drink the tap water in Mexico. The good thing is that pretty much everywhere you go - hotels, restaurants, etc., use filtered water for their ice and water, so it really isn't an issue. I was super worried about getting ice in my drinks, but I did not have any issues. As long as you are going to reputable places, you should be fine! Also - we drank a lot of "agua minerale" which is sparkling water.
Safety - Overall, we felt pretty safe wandering around Cabo. We did not venture out at night or go to any nightclubs, so I can't speak to how it feels at night. But obviously if you do go out at night, just be aware of your surroundings.
Flying back to the US- When you land back in the US, you will again have to go through customs before you go to baggage claim. You will have to declare if you are bringing any food, etc. back into the states with you.
I hope this guide helps you with your trip planning! I'm happy to answer any questions you may have and let me know if there is anything I missed!
Thanks for reading!
-Lex
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