This laid-back city on Mexico’s Gulf of California abounds with stargazing opportunities, picture-perfect beaches and world-class cuisine to please even the most seasoned gastronome. Once you lay eyes on the Baja Peninsula’s vast azure waters, it’s hard to look away. Resorts positioned along San José del Cabo’s beachfront highway offer sweeping views framed by golden sands. Follow along with our three-day tour of the seaside resort town.
Grand Velas Los Cabos resort
DAY ONE
MORNING
Check in to Grand Velas Los Cabos for three days of sun-soaked relaxation, easygoing activities and fine dining. After settling in and enjoying your welcome drink, it’s time to explore the lay of the land. Go for a walk around the beautifully landscaped grounds, past three pools where daily instructor-led activities range from aqua Pilates to guided meditation — all designed to reduce stress and enable recovery. Then, take a moment to admire the succulent garden of native Sonoran Desert plants, where saguaro cacti stand tall with their arms stretched overhead, while agave and golden barrel cacti sit low to the ground among spiky mesquite trees.
AFTERNOON
Spend your first afternoon getting to know Mexican cuisine and viticulture with a tasting course of three ceviches paired with white wines at Del Mar restaurant (at sister property Grand Velas Boutique). Tastings and cooking classes are held throughout both properties, which include dedicated spaces with ocean views.
Mexico was the first country in the Americas to produce wine thanks to Catholic missionaries who started planting vines in Veracruz in the mid-17th century, when Jesuits were permitted to produce communion wines of deep-red mission grapes. Those initial seeds of viticulture have since blossomed into more than 150 wineries in the Baja Peninsula.
In-pool bar at Grand Velas Los Cabos resort
The first pairing is a vegan ceviche of watermelon, soaked in ponzu (Japanese citrus sauce) to imbue a meaty flavor, topped with sliced avocado. Wash it down with Tres Raíces sauvignon blanc, which has notes of citrus, tropical fruit and a golden yellow hue.
Next is an aguachile, a variant of ceviche made without the lengthy marination process. Cabrilla fish — typically caught just offshore — is cured with lime juice along with cucumber, serrano peppers, cilantro and red onion. The refreshing citrus-based dish is paired with a pale-yellow sauvignon blanc by Baja California Norte, a family-owned vineyard in the Guadalupe Valley.
Up last is a spiny lobster ceviche. Chunks of firm, sweet lobster flesh are poached in a pico de gallo (salsa) of locally grown mango with star anise. The wine pairing is Monte Xanic sauvignon blanc, well-rounded with hints of white flowers and apples. Later on, take a dip and place an order at the swim-up bar for an Avo-Colada — Piña Colada with an avocado puree. Retire to your sunlounger and relax as you gaze out to the horizon beyond the infinity pool. Then, walk along the beach, marveling at the powerful, pounding waves before dressing for dinner.
Frida restaurant
EVENING
For your evening meal, head to Frida, a dining room dedicated to Frida Kahlo. Start with the duck confit tamales, from the Tribute to Corn section of the menu. Slow-cooked duck is wrapped in a velvety coat of huitlacoche — a mushroom-like fungus that grows on corn and considered a delicacy akin to truffles — into square bites accented with a bright green mole sauce, thickened with ground sunflower seeds.
Follow with the traditional tortilla soup, seasoned with dried pasilla chilis and creamy avocados, and poured tableside. A fresh red snapper entree pops with flavor, thanks to a duo of supporting sauces accented with tomatillo and morita chilis.
For dessert, it’s hard to choose between the churros and the chocolate mousse, so order both. The cacao-flavored mousse with rich mole, topped with a whimsical fried cricket is a nod to ancient Oaxacan cuisine.
Every Thursday night from November to June, there’s an Art Walk in downtown San José del Cabo. The streets are teeming with vendors and food trucks. Galleries stay open late and often host special exhibitions and artist talks. Stop off at Galeria de Ida Victoria for a broad variety of displays.
El Arco of Cabo San Lucas
DAY TWO
MORNING
Wake up early for the 20-minute drive to the marina for a boat tour to Land’s End and the iconic El Arco in the Sea of Cortez. Vessels of all kinds — kayaks, stand-up paddleboards and glass-bottom boats — make the round trip. Rancho Tours offers private charters in one-, two- and three-hour increments in pontoon boats helmed by an experienced captain. It’s a 10-minute journey to the arch, passing idyllic coves carved from tall cliffs and the popular Lovers Beach.
You can spot King Angelfish with their bright orange coloring and yellowtail surgeonfish from the boat deck. It’s also possible to kayak the distance, thanks to several sandy beach pit stops and calm waters along the well-traveled route. You’re almost guaranteed to spot a sea lion in the marina, and you could possibly end up seeing manta rays and sea turtles in the harbor, too.
Beach in San José del Cabo
AFTERNOON
Have lunch at one of the many restaurants that line the marina. Local favorites include Los Deseos or Baja Lobster Company, where the outdoor oyster bar serves fresh catch with a view. Order a dozen Baja Nautilus oysters with an ice-cold Pacifico Clara beer and raise a glass while reciting the local mantra, “No bad days in Cabo.” Later in the afternoon, meet up with a scent designer in the resort’s wellness center to create a customized fragrance that guests can take home in the form of a room spray or essential oil blend. Select from primary aromas and decide how much of each selection to add to the mixture to create a signature blend. The final product is a sensory reminder of your trip. Then, head back to the room to recharge for the evening with a quick siesta.
Chicken tacos with avocado crema
EVENING
Tonight’s dinner is at Michelin-starred Cocina de Autor at the Grand Velas Los Cabos resort. A visionary tasting menu takes guests on a culinary journey from the coast to the interior of the country. A single oyster — cultivated by Bendito Mar, a regenerative aquaculture sea farm — is dressed with lemon verbena oil and green strawberry, and topped with a shiso blossom from the resort’s dedicated farmland in Miraflores. Next is the half-moon scallop, designed to echo the semi-circular shape of the resort and topped with an avocado mousse and seared chilis. Decadent wagyu beef is served in an appealing cube shape and enhanced with beetroot and oestra caviar. Finally, a coconut mousse energized by mango, yuzu and passion fruit is paired with a glass of sparkling moscato.
After dinner, head to the outdoor terrace to participate in the resort’s stargazing experience. A former NASA astronomer gives a guided tour of the heavens, pointing out the constellations while detailing how the ancient Maya calendar relates to the night sky. The powerful telescope brings Saturn’s rings and Jupiter’s moons into focus as you search for shooting stars.
Sunrise yoga at Grand Velas Los Cabos resort
DAY THREE
MORNING
Rise with the sun and listen for a knock at the door, signaling the arrival of a fresh cappuccino and pastry basket. Then, adjust your binoculars to the horizon and spend a few minutes in search of the marine mammals that attract visitors to this coastline by the million. Humpback and gray whales migrate to the Sea of Cortez from December to April to give birth, drawn by the deep water and protected ecosystems. Dolphins, sea turtles, sea lions and reef sharks are commonly found in this area. Sea animals who commute to the Baja Peninsula annually are the cornerstone of its robust maritime community offering fishing and snorkeling excursions. Consider booking a private sailing excursion with a dedicated whale-watcher, available from sunrise to sunset. The arrival of whale sharks each November kicks off specialized tours where visitors can swim alongside the ocean’s largest fish.
SE Spa
AFTERNOON
Today’s wellness agenda reflects a legacy of healing and restoration evident in the Baja region that dates to the Maya civilization. The Mayan temazcal ceremony draws upon elements of water, fire and earth to awaken wisdom passed down by generations. Although you can seek alternative treatment centers, many of today’s sweat lodges are now housed in luxurious spa facilities with therapeutic steam baths that incorporate detoxifying local herbs and medicinal tonics. Indulge in a hot stone massage, a black algae facial or a sea salt scrub for a restorative afternoon. Try it for yourself at the Playa Grande Spa by Solmar.
