THE PLAN:
A three day Pre-Christmas Escape! I know the holiday season is behind us now, but at the time Christmas planning, parties (as much as I love me a good party), Christmas music and especially Christmas shopping can have me feeling borderline homicidal at times. The plan was for a quick pre-Christmas holiday getaway for some sunshine and relaxation before all of the holiday hell (I mean, fun.)
Cabo is a place that we have heard great things about from many different people, but we still had never ventured there. After doing some research, looking at pictures and finding out that this beautiful-looking spot was just over four hours flying time direct from Calgary, we were sold.
GETTING THERE:
We found an awesome deal online and booked the Royal Solaris Los Cabos.
[Nico’s Travel Tip: Check your currency when booking online to avoid a not so nice credit card surprise!]
We booked direct, non-stop flights through WestJet. I am sure you could find an awesome package deal, but we booked our air and property separately.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION:
Cabo is located on the Baha California Peninsula, below the state of California. It has a completely different landscape and feel than the Cancun/ Playa del Carmen side of Mexico. It is definitely more rugged and has a very cool desert vibe to it. I fell in love immediately.
THE DIGS:
We stayed at the San Jose del Cabo airport (SJD), grabbed a taxi and was at our home for the next three days in under 30 minutes.
The Royal Solaris San Jose del Cabo is a family-owned all-inclusive resort.
We ended up extending our stay for an extra two nights because we loved it so much. That’s how good this place was.
The property is a gorgeous place that showcases Mexican architecture. It is also beach-front and had great reviews on Trip Advisor. The pools were beautiful, there was a more action-packed area with music and pool volleyball as well as a quiet music-free pool.
The beach was beautiful and vast and the ocean extremely rough. To swim or not to swim is up to you, however please know that it isn’t recommended. I got as far as shin-deep to feel the sea water on my skin, but that was it.
[Nico’s Travel Tip: We like upgrades and always if there are any available. We asked for any possible upgrades to an ocean-facing room and the upgrade gods answered! We ended up with a sicksuite with a full-on resort and ocean view. The balcony was massive and had two chairs and a table, two sun loungers and a jetted jacuzzi. All for $15 USD extraper night. If you don't ask, you'll never know.]
THE SIESTA AND THE FIESTA: Cabo has two distinct sides; the quieter San Jose side and the more livelier San Lucas side. It is fun and easy to explore both sides with only a 25-minute taxi ride separating the two areas.
San Jose del Cabo: We left the resort, setting off on foot to discover what this side had to offer. This laid-back, calm side of Cabo was totally our speed and ended up being our favourite out of the two.
Tim and I discovered a tequila shop and art shop, aptly named Tequila and Art. This tequila and art boutique has been in the same family for generations and I eat that kind of personal shit right up. This place was very cool and different from places I have been to before. They make their own flavoured tequila and were generous with the samples. My favouite was a coconut flavoured tequila that the store owner insisted is delicious poured over a couple scoops of ice cream.
Tequila and Art also featured paintings, statues and sculptures. It was laid out in a way that encouraged questions, conversation and a nice visit, which is exactly what we did.
In San Jose del Cabo, we discovered art stores, an amazing rooftop restaurant offering up spectacular food (more about that later) and great views of the streets below. We also found cafes and the Baja Brewing Company, windows with colourful, artsy looking skulls displayed, an open courtyard with shops and benches to rest, churches and music. We spent hours wandering around getting lost in this very safe and beautiful place.
Cabo San Lucas:The marina is definitely where the party’s at. There are more American style restaurants and bars, (Senor Frog’s and Squid Row) souvenir shops in close proximity. It is an exciting place and I am glad we went.
If you wander away from the marina to do a little exploring on foot, there are some super cool spots like Tacos Guss which had THE best Mexican food that I have eaten. If you feel adventurous, you can buy and eat seasoned crickets. I wasn't sure what to expect, but they were pretty good. It was kind of like eating sunflower seeds with the shell on.
We ended also ended up on a sunset cruise that sailed from the marina located in the Sea of Cortez, out on the choppy pacific, enjoying views of Cabo from the ocean. We viewed the famous El Arco, the Arch of Cabo San Lucas. El Arco is a rock formation right on the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula where the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean meet. On the Sea of Cortez side there is a beach called Lovers Beach where the water is calm(er) and popular with snorkelers. On the Pacific side, the beach is called Divorce Beach. Divorce Beach is beautiful to look at but deadly to those who have been pulled out into the ocean by a rogue wave or powerful undertow. It is not recommended to swim at Divorce Beach.
Time Share Info: If you have 90 minutes to spare and like freebies, consider taking a time share tour. We ended up with a delicious breakfast, a tour of a gorgeous resort (and great photo ops!), a free Mexican blanket, two bottles of tequila and a free sunset cruise complete with food and drinks. Oh, and a taxi ride to and from our hotel. We listened to what they had to say and politely declined at the end because we are not looking for a time share right now.
EAT UP!:
I love food and the restaurants that we visited did not disappoint.
Pancho’s at Royal Solaris Los Cabos: The resort’s Mexican restaurant was really good. One would expect the Mexican food in Mexico to be pretty good and this place was up to par.
Rock & Brews, San Jose del Cabo:It’s an American rock music chain with lots of TV’s that happened to be right outside the resort. We went in and had nachos with every nacho fixing known to man. It was insanely good and so were the prices.
Tacos Guss, Cabo san Lucas: [pronounced ‘goose’] had the very best food that I have eaten in a long time. The best Mexican food that I have enjoyed hands down. A hidden gem. I want to go back right now.
I learned about this place from the guy that I bought popcorn from at the airport in Calgary before our flight. He asked where I was headed and when I told him that we were off to Cabo, he said that we absolutely must eat there. I am so glad that we listened to his advice. What a place. From the outside, it doesn’t look like the fanciest joint, but it’s a cute and cozy spot and the food! I still think about it.
Crickets, Cabo san Lucas: No, that’s not the name of a restaurant. Tim and I were wandering around the marina and came across vendors selling dried, seasoned crickets. I’ve never eaten a cricket before and decided to try one. It was crunchy and tasted pretty decent. I didn’t end up buying a full pack of the crickets, but I am glad I tried it.
Baha Brewing Company, San Jose del Cabo: The cutest shady courtyard eating area. We sampled some of their brews [thumbs up] while sharing some appetizers.
The View Restaurant, Bar and Gallery, San Jose del Cabo: The tastiest food that we had on the San Jose del Cabos side. It was warm and I loved the relaxed vibe from the roof top. We enjoyed the art gallery [see IG Stories Highlights entitled 'Cabo'] before eating, enjoying sunshine and views of the colourful streets below.
THE VERDICT:
Another amazing short getaway where we packed in everything we wanted to do and still have time for relaxation. Can’t wait to go back. As always, if you have any short getaway questions - drop me a line!
Also, check out my saved Instagram Stories Highlights entitled ‘Cabo’ for more photos and videos. Featuring Tim in some Mexican wrestling masks that he acquired. (Mysterio, anyone?]