Los Cabos (The Capes) en Baja California Sur!

the welcome sign 

From LAX, we flew to the Los Cabos International Airport in Baja California Sur (BCS), one of the 31 states that make up Mexico. To the north is another state, Baja California which means below California as it is. Together, both states comprise the Baja Peninsula bordered by the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean. At BCS’ south end is one of its five municipalities, Los Cabos which means “the capes.”  San Jose del Cabo is the county seat, and just 32 kilometers west of it is Cabo San Lucas, a major tourist spot.

Old Town: San Jose del Cabo

Plaza Mijares

Halloween Night

A kilometer away from the sea, San Jose del Cabo is Old Town, provides a contrast between pretty beaches and interior desert geography with hills covered by a wide variety of cacti and other desert vegetation. The main tourist attraction is Plaza Mijares, just opposite the legendary Church of San Jose where we heard Mass on Sundays. We were lucky to witness two nights when the Plaza magically transformed into festive expressions of Mexican traditions and way of life.

at the cemetery

The first was on Oct. 31, Dias de las Brujas (Halloween). Bill and I watched the musical variety show on a makeshift stage but we had the most fun as colorfully costumed children swarmed upon us when we reached into our bag of goodies. On Nov. 2, Dias de las Muertos (Day of the Dead), it was in the Cemetery, halfway between the Plaza and the beaches, where families prayed and feasted at loved ones’ graves, much like what I remember we did in the Philippines.

Thursday Art Walk

Every Thursday evening there is an Art Walk when local artists display their art at makeshift platforms all around the Plaza. When we were there, the whole town came alive, especially in and around Boulevard Mijares, the main street where there is a wide variety of places to eat and shop. Luckily, we found Jasmine where lively Mexican songs and dances were being performed on the street just in front of the restaurant patio. We chose to dine there and loved the savory Mexican dishes.

Cape Town: Cabo San Lucas

Playa Medano

Lovers' Beach, sea lions, pelicans, and Land's End

The other town is Cabo San Lucas (population, over 200,000), where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific Ocean. It is a port of call for many cruise ships. We found out that February when whales end their journey from Alaska, mate, and give birth to calves would have been the best time to be in Cabo. A 45-minute public bus ride took us to town, and we got off at Puerto Paraiso, a major shopping mall that features three floors of shops, a food court, a cinema complex, a casino, and the Marina.

Lovers' Beach

From the Mall, it was a short walk to Playa Medano where we had a view of the rock formations that define the area where the two bodies of water meet. Excited, we went back to the Marina and rented a boat which took us to Lovers’ Beach, a secluded place between the rocks, and The Arch that was sculpted by the sea and now the city’s iconic symbol. We were pleasantly surprised by a colony of sea lions that inhabit the rocks and all the pelicans that are around! No wonder the area has recently been declared a World Heritage Site.