A Budget Weekend in Cabo San Lucas

Cabo San Lucas, once a sleepy fishing village at the tip of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, is a booming resort town known for its all-inclusive accommodations, its raging parties and its stunning natural beauty. It is a place that attracts both luxury vacationers and rowdy spring breakers. And, as a result, it is exactly the type of place that Dan and I generally try to avoid when planning our travels.

But, when Dan’s family sprung the idea of a long weekend in Cabo during a cold January weekend, we didn’t have to think twice before RSVPing with an emphatic “yes.”

 

TWO DAY CABO SAN LUCAS ITINERARY

While spending two days in Cabo San Lucas only allowed us to explore the tip of the iceberg (or peninsula in this case), it afforded us the weekend getaway we were craving. Without breaking the bank or forcing Dan to use his coveted vacation days, our budget weekend itinerary gave us a taste of Cabo’s vibrant city center, its sun-kissed beaches, and its surrounding scenery.

Traveling Mexico on a budget is entirely possible. Though Cabo San Lucas caters to resort-goers, its varied hotel and guesthouse options ensure that the city has something suitable for everyone—from families traveling to Cabo with kids, to longterm travelers backpacking Mexico and Central America.

 

DAY 1: ENJOYING THE CABO SAN LUCAS WATERFRONT

Though I tend to stray away from crowded beaches that are lined with hotels and high-rises, I couldn’t pass up an afternoon of soaking in the sun and sand during our budget weekend in Cabo San Lucas. So on our first full day in town, Dan and I met with his family and spent much of the morning enjoying the long strip of sand at Playa Medano.

 

• PLAYA MEDANO

Filled with sunbathing tourists, eyesore hotels and vendors selling tacky souvenirs, Playa Medano is a prototypical resort beach. Every few minutes, we encountered vendors trying to sell anything from bracelets, to T-shirts, to photo opportunities with sombrero-wearing iguanas.

Nevertheless, we enjoyed cooling off in the water and soaking up a bit of Vitamin D. Especially when we ventured to the less-developed eastern reaches of Playa Medano.

 

• ROCK FORMATIONS AT LAND’S END

In the afternoon, Dan and I hired a water taxi to take us around the jaw-dropping rock formations at Land’s End. Land’s End is where the Pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Cortez. The scenery there is dramatic, wild and in sharp contrast to the meticulously manicured waterfront at Medano Beach.

Our forty-five minute boat trip cost $8 per person and brought us past sunbathing seals, towering rock spires and Cabo’s famous natural sea arch. Boat trips around the area generally include a stop at Lovers Beach but, due to rough waves, the popular strip of beach was closed when we visited. Instead, our guide took us out in search of whales. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any.

Following our afternoon excursion, Dan and I headed back to Playa Medano. There, we joined his cousin and lounged on the beach until dinnertime, overpriced margaritas in hand.

 

DAY 2: TODOS SANTOS DAY TRIP

On our second day in Cabo San Lucas, Dan’s family and I piled into a rental car and drove to the colonial town of Todos Santos. The drive gave us the opportunity to see Baja’s sun-kissed mountains and admire the surrounding landscape’s tapestry of earthy colors. Everywhere we looked, saguaro cactuses sprouted out of the ground, speckling the mountainsides. It was a perfect opportunity to escape the sardine-like beaches of Cabo San Lucas and get a taste of the Baja California’s countryside.

 

• TODOS SANTOS

Todos Santos is a a small community that houses a mix of fishermen, surfers and expat hippies. The dusty streets of its little downtown boast a clutch of sophisticated galleries, colonial buildings and upscale boutiques.

In this picturesque and artsy community, it is easy to forget that Cabo San Lucas–with its cruise ships and partying tourists–sits only 50 kilometers to the south. For Todos Santos has resisted the cookie-cutter developments that plague the landscapes nearby.

I don’t expect Todos Santos to escape the wave of development indefinitely, however. Resorts and condos are already springing up in the area, and encroaching on the miles and miles of windswept Pacific coastline.

 

• PLAYA CERRITOS

Just a short drive up the Transpeninsular Highway from Todos Santos, sits Playa Cerritos. According to Dan’s cousin who lived in Baja a few years back, this beach was once a remote outpost, accessible only by a potholed, dusty road. Today, while the beach still offers a long and uninterrupted stretch of sand, developments have mushroomed up along its northern end.

We spent the afternoon walking along the shores of Playa Cerritos and marveling at its untouched golden shores. I tried to imprint the image in my memory, knowing that if I were to return, the place would likely be unrecognizable.

Playa Medano is far less developed than the stretches of sand near Cabo San Lucas. It reminded me of some of the golden sandy beaches near Sayulita, in Mexico’s Nayarit.

 

DEPARTURE DAY BONUS: LOVER’S BEACH

Dan and I had no intention of leaving Cabo without seeing the beaches that we were unable to visit during the first day of trip. So at 8AM on the day of our departure, we woke up early, headed toward the docks and found a fisherman that was willing to take us to Lover’s Beach (and the adjacent Divorce Beach).

In the early mornings, the town of Cabo San Lucas is remarkably quiet–a sharp contrast from the raucous atmosphere that descends on the resorts during the evening hours. The water is still, the beaches are empty and most tourists are still lying in bed and nursing their hangovers.

Save for two other people and a flock of seagulls, Lover’s Beach was completely desolate when we visited. It was magical. For forty minutes, we admired the towering rock sculptures, the azure ocean and the group of whales spouting water in the distance.

 

WHERE TO STAY IN CABO SAN LUCAS

During our two days in Cabo, Dan and I stayed at the Estancia Real Los Cabos. The accommodation was a step down from the luxurious El Dorado Condominiums that the rest of our group had chosen, but—with its central location, its air conditioning and its unbeatable price— it proved to be the good option for our budget weekend getaway.

Had we been a little more willing to spend a few extra extra dollars, I believe we would have loved staying at the Cabo Vista Hotel. The hotel’s clean and centrally located rooms make it one of the top Cabo accommodations for those traveling on a budget.

If you’re looking for a quieter all-inclusive escape away from the bustle of Cabo San Lucas, then you might want to consider the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos, one of the best all-inclusive resorts in Mexico.

 

GETTING AROUND CABO SAN LUCAS

Since Cabo San Lucas caters to all-inclusive vacationers, it can be a pricy place to get around. Dan and I were shocked to learn that taxis to and from the airport cost upwards of $80.

We realized that the steep price of traveling by taxi would be inhibitive for much of the local population, so we figured there must be an alternative. Finally, after a bit of digging, we learned of the $5 Ruta del Desierto Bus that runs between Cabo and the airport’s Terminal 2. The bus is a great alternative for travelers who want to avoid paying $17 per person for a shuttle or $80 for a taxi.

Four our day trip to Todos Santos, Dan and I rented a car and traveled with his family. Renting a car gave us the option to explore Cerritos Beach and other places on the Baja Peninsula.

If renting a car is not an option, however, ABC Bus travels between Cabo San Lucas and Todos Santos a few times a day.

 

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Most people come to Cabo San Lucas for the parties, but Dan and I were happy to find solitude at the southernmost tip of the Baja Peninsula. Our morning outing to Lover’s Beach was proof that, despite Cabo’s association with oversized resorts and tourists throwing back tequila shots, one doesn’t have to travel far to come face to face with pristine, untouched nature.

 

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