The tropic of Cancer is located at the northernmost latitude where the sun appears directly overhead at noon. This event occurs during the June solstice, when the northern hemisphere is tilted towards the sun to its maximum extent. Cabo San Lucas, located at the southernmost point of the Baja California peninsula in Mexico, is just a few miles south of it. 

At the end of October, the temperature is still high (97° F), but the air is very dry. The rainy season is gone, and the deserted hills and dunes are covered with all kinds of beautiful wild flora like a temporary dressing of the permanent cactus forest covering most of the land.  The flight from Miami to Mexico City is about 3 hours and then from Mexico City to the "Aeropuerto Internacional El Cabo" is an one hour and fifteen minutes flight.

From the airport to Cabo San Lucas it is about a 30 minute trip in a shuttle van that takes each tourist to their respective destination resort along the beautiful beaches in the peninsula. The charge for this service is about $15 for each passenger.

The big attraction of Cabo San Lucas is the ocean, and its weather. There is a blue sky all the time, and a low humidity that makes everything look so clear, and perfect for photography. At 7.15 a.m., the sun rises majestically, painting a spectrum of colors over the ocean surf.  We stayed at the "Me Cabo Nikki Beach Meliá Resort," right on the "Médano Beach," and very close to where all the action is, six blocks from downtown Cabo San Lucas. It consists of a small town with all kinds of tourist shops, handcrafts bazaars, Mexican restaurants, and a large, well-established marina with a very impressive sport fishing fleet. The resort has great service, decor, and fantastic seafood with sophisticated cuisine. The rooms are quite large with a wonderful view of the bay, the rocky arch, and mountains at the end of the peninsula. It is Cabo's signature picture. Médano Beach is one of the best beaches in the area. Some others are not friendly for swimmers, have too many rocks or swimming is not allowed because of the riptides' roughness. I suggest checking with the hotel before booking.

              

The history of Cabo San Lucas is very new. Around the sixties, Cabo San Lucas consisted of only a fish cannery factory and a small fishing town. It wasn't until the seventies when marlin sport fishing started to attract fishermen from all over the world. Today, Cabo San Lucas is considered one of the top fishing destinations for marlin in the world. During our stay, we witnessed a great three day fishing tournament with prizes over two million dollars.

                  

Renting a car for a day is a good idea. There is a nice "all day" tourist circuit to be driven from Cabo San Lucas to La Paz, the capital of South Baja California, along the west coast of the peninsula and coming back by the eastern side, with very interesting stops along the way. "Migriño" is a small town about 45 minutes from Cabo San Lucas, then "Todos los Santos" appears, where you can stop at the "Hotel California" , yes, the hotel from the Eagles song. It is a must, enjoying a cold "Margarita" on the rocks with some "tortillas y salsa de guacamole".

At the town "Los Barriles," there is a great straw-roof rustic restaurant named "El Barrilito" which serves "Huachinango frito", (deep fried whole snapper). The food is great, it has good service, and nice pricing. A 24 hour compact car rental, (we got a Nissan Tiida, which is the Versa in the US) runs for about $60 including insurance.  The highway #1 is in very good condition as it is well maintained and there are many signs to guide you in your direction.

If you like diving, there is very good snorkeling and scuba action in a place called "la roca del pelícano" (the pelican rock) not to far from the arch, where there are all kinds of parrot fish, angels, snappers, and hundreds more. At night, there is a nice restaurant right on the seashore, just a couple of blocks south from the "Me Cabo Meliá Hotel" called La Oficina, where the tables and chairs are placed right on the sand, beautifully surrounded by burning torches and local folk décor. A Mexican sommelier, called Rambo, goes around the tables feeding shots of tequila to the customers. At night there is a stage with great "Mariachis" and folkloric dances from ancient times—very good food and a wonderful atmosphere.

                 

Tourism is the engine that drives Cabo San Lucas. During our week stay, we saw the arrival of eight cruise ships. The most famous names: Carnival, Norwegian, Princess, etc., make a stop for a day or two, and while you might think this it takes away from the beauty, the ships enhance the view of the bay. Everywhere we went, the people were very friendly, and service was impeccable. This town knows how to pamper the tourist.

Cabo San Lucas is a great destination with a lot of fun and it is worthwhile to comeback. Check out the web for weekly packages, which run from $1,700 to $2,000 per person (Air from Miami + Hotel). Meals and drinks are not included, and can cost around $100 per day per person. Some resorts are "all inclusive" with great savings on your stay.

Nov 2008