A Corridor, Cabo Azul, and a Magical Town in Baja California Sur

at the Marina in Cabo San Lucas

some of Cabo Azul's facilities and activities

Last week’s post was about Los Cabos, about the towns of San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas. This post focuses on the Corridor that links the two Cape towns, the resort where we stayed, and one of the 83 designated Magico Pueblos of Mexico nearby.

Corridor Turistico

Between San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas is Corridor Turistico, extending 33 kilometers. It is lined by world-class resorts sought after by international jet-setters. Los Cabos is known for its golf courses, considered the best in the world. It is also known for sports fishing and as the World Capital of Marlin Fishing.

our Villa in Cabo Azul

Construction of new hotels and resorts all along the Corridor continues unabated even if the geographical location exposes it to events such as hurricanes, tropical storms, and earthquakes. Hurricane Odile, whose landfall occurred on Sept. 15, 2014, devastated the beaches and hotels. Even the beach at Cabo Azul, where we stayed, still isn’t swimmable.

pools, beach, dining

Cabo Azul

The resort, a timeshare of our Diamond International Resorts membership, had just completed its rehabilitation last September. Closer to San Jose del Cabo than Cabo San Lucas on the Corridor, it is where we experienced luxury living.

After being greeted by a spacious lobby, we marveled at the majestic chapel that had a view of the pools, the beach, and all the cabanas. It also had a full fitness center, a well-stocked mini-grocery with a deli for quick meals, and a fine dining restaurant. At the beach, you can not only watch a glorious sunrise but also play volleyball, buy cheap Mexican goods from among wandering vendors, ride a horse, and, at the end of the day, dine among the stars.

Bill went on almost daily hikes while I lounged around our one-bedroom Villa which was about 900+ square feet not including the sizeable patio. He even enjoyed Cabo’s Iron Man swimming, running, and biking event, like those held all over America. I loved the system of pools that wrapped around the villas, with the different lounging facilities and the swim-up bar. And I don’t even know how to swim! One night Bill took me to dinner at Javier, the Hotel’s excellent and exclusive restaurant. From its beachfront location, we watched the sunset. When it got darker, there were lighted balloons dancing in the sky.

body art competition

We could walk to the supermarket chain La Comer whose deli of inexpensive local Mexican food was our principal source of delicious daily dishes. Luckily, they allowed the tasting of small samples. We didn’t get those that were too spicy but always found one or two that surprised us with those unique Mexican flavors. Around the supermarket were Mexican, Greek, Chinese, American, and Japanese fast food stores which we also sampled. There was a McDonald's, too, but surprisingly, we never felt the urge to go there.

One other night there was a pageant of body art at the Plaza in front of the resort. We watched it while having dinner from a sidewalk table of a favorite Mexicana Restaurant. 

Los Tamarindos: organic farm to table experience

Another night the Resort hosted an exclusive event for members. Three vans took us to Los Tamarindos for a farm-to-table experience. First, we toured vast vegetable patches and learned about organic farming. Next, we chopped, sliced and diced the vegetables we picked from the garden. I even learned how to make tortillas. Dinner was not just healthy; it was authentic Mexican, spicy, creamy, and bold.

Todos Santos

One day Bill and I rented a car and drove to Todos Santos, 85 kilometers north of Cabo San Lucas, and 105 kilometers west of San Jose del Cabo. A new Los Cabos Toll Road that connects the two cape towns shortened the ride to just 30 minutes plus another 30 minutes north of the exit. Todos Santos crosses the Tropic of Cancer, 3 kilometers from the Pacific Ocean.

Known for rescued turtle releases throughout the year, Todos Santos’s climate is mild, giving rise to an oasis that is excellent for fruit crops, palm trees and other plants different from the surrounding desert vegetation. There are many beaches, but we chose to go to Punta Lobos, negotiating narrow one-car dry mud trails through thick foliage to where fishermen start and end their days. Other beaches are known for high waves, ideal for surfing. Sadly, we never found the turtle sanctuary.

Shopping is concentrated on a couple of downtown blocks dotted by small old-style Spanish brick buildings with banderitas or small hanging fiesta flags. The Plaza, with the historic Mission Church at one end, a concrete stage at the other, and towering coconut trees around it, looks like the spot for town events. And we loved the inexpensive tacos and enchiladas at the colorfully decorated Mi Pueblito.

Magico Pueblos (or magical towns), a program developed by Mexico’s Ministry of Tourism, recognizes places with a strong indigenous past, a legacy of the old Spanish colonial empire, valued for the preservation of traditions, or important sites of historical events in Mexico. In 2001, Huasca de Ocampo was the first town to be cited. Today there are 83 such pueblos and Todos Santos is one of two in Baja California Sur.

Our three weeks in Los Cabos was a perfect balance of sight-seeing, food trips, cultural immersion, and homey relaxation. We always fall for Mexican vacations. Last year it was Mazatlan; next year, we will spend the Christmas holidays in Cozumel, an island off Cancun. If it were left to Bill, he would like to relocate to Mexico. But he is afraid I cannot be happy, contained in one place!