I fell in love with the Mexican state of Baja California Sur about five minutes off the plane from LAX. But I was prepared to hate Cabo. All I had heard of the party town at the peninsula’s tip was a turn-off: a Cabo Wabo/Hard Rock nightmare, a booze-addled seaside theme park, the refuge of washed-up MTV stars of yore.

Turns out, not so much. First, the entertainment strip feeding that reputation is surprisingly small. And while the endless Spring Break is there if you want it — a trip to Cabo’s wild-and-crazy Medano Beach is fun just to say you’ve been — it’s far from the whole story. Get a block off the strip and you’ll find the more enchanting Mexico: friendly, safe, affordable, with fantastic eats and shopping — did we mention friendly? — and accommodations that look as though they should cost a lot more than they do.

While we’re busting Cabo myths, let’s get a couple more out of the way:

1. "The water is cold." In nine days of diving in mid- to late October, I never used a wetsuit — just a bathing suit and 1 mm hooded vest — and my computer never registered lower than 81 degrees F. October is generally regarded as one of the most comfortable times to dive Cabo; at other times of the year you’ll need that 7mm, but you’ll also be seeing more of the big boys— whales, orcas, pelagic sharks — November to March.

2. "Boat rides are long." Five minutes too long? That’s about what it takes to get from Cabo’s impressive marina to excellent sites close to the iconic Arch that is the universal symbol of Cabo San Lucas. Some of the best sites we dived in Cabo were visible not only from the marina but from my nearby hotel balcony, perched halfway up the surrounding cliffs.

Sound good so far? On the next few pages you’ll find suggestions for diving, accommodations and restaurants that will show you the best of Cabo, and make you wonder why you haven’t yet explored the fantastic diving here, just a two hour plane ride from Los Angeles.

DIVING IN LOS CABOS: MANTA SCUBA

Manta Scuba
**Address: Blvd. Marina 7D Local 37, Centro, Cabo San Lucas Toll free: 877-287-1120
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: caboscuba.com

For checking out Cabo’s most iconic — and most easily reached — dive sites, there’s no better choice than Manta Scuba, with a shop right on Cabo’s large marina where its three boats depart. The Point (also called Land’s End), and Pelican Rock — with the spire of Neptune’s Finger jutting up between — are two of Manta manager Hagai Tzur’s favorites. This finger of land that separates the Pacific from the Sea of Cortez offers dive sites that have something for everyone, with: varying depths that reveal different types of structures and animals.

New divers find a perfect spot to get more comfortable in the shallows close to Lover’s Beach, while for more experienced divers there are the Sand Falls, allegedly discovered by Jacques Cousteau 40 years ago. These falls are the product of a 3,000-foot trench that creates a “waterfall” effect as sand cascades over the stair-stepped wall and into the abyss. Divers of all levels get a kick out of the resident sea lions that zoom in and out of view at any second, along with squadrons of mobula rays, baitballs of truly enormous proportions, schools of surgeon and barberfish, turtles, nudis and more. There’s even a small wreck at the end of the point, barely outside the bay and into the Pacific proper, nearly flattened by time and tides, but home to even more types of small aquatic life.

Gail Greager, 59, from Richland, Wash., was one of the 16 divers and four guides on Manta’s spacious 38-foot Super Manta our first morning, as we headed for Pelican Rock, just outside the marina. She and her husband, Eric, have been diving with Manta so often they’re practically family.
“They’ve become friends,” says the Manta Scuba customer of more than 10 years. “They put safety first — that’s important, they’re very conscientious — but they’re fun and easy to be with, and very accommodating. Both of our boys were certified through Manta, and now one is a divemaster. If we trust them with our kids, that’s some testament!”

The dives were their own testament. Pelican Rock, which ranges from about 20 feet to 120, attracts beginners and classes in its shallows, but offers deep pinnacles with frogfish, tarantula-like hermit crabs, nudis, scorpionfish and other macro life for more advanced divers. Swim east just a little bit and you’ll find yourself at Sand Falls, where you can spend a lot of time watching grains run through the proverbial hour glass. Several of the sites along the peninsula that end at Cabo’s picturesque Arch are close enough to traverse on a single dive — look to the open ocean here for eagle and mobula rays. Land’s End/The Point is another gorgeous dive where sea lions bomb through huge mackerel bait balls, scattering mobula rays as they go. A majestic, solitary pinnacle just off the end of the point rises from a pristine sand floor; a school of large bumphead parrotfish seemed to rule this fishy outcrop, where those sea lions and mobula rays often will put on a final show for your safety stop.

Manta Scuba also runs day trips to the East Cape region of the Baja peninsula to storied Cabo Pulmo Marine Park — a closely protected reserve since 1996 where you can see huge, mesmerizing bait balls, giant grouper, and bull and whale sharks — and out to the Gordo Banks seamount, where hammerheads and other pelagics are the draw.

DIVING IN LOS CABOS: NAUTILUS DIVE TECH

Nautilus Dive Tech
** **Address: 20 de Noviembre Y Melchor Ocampo, 23450 Cabo San Lucas
Phone (from US): 707-478-5725, 707-481-2932
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: nautilusdivetech.com

You’ve done the iconic sites, and now you’re wondering what else waits for you in the waters around Cabo? That’s what Nautilus Dive Tech owner Casey Omholt wonders every day. He and his team like nothing better than finding out. If you’re looking for technical or rebreather diving, this is the shop for you — Omholt has developed his own, the Nautilus Rebreather, made in the U.S. and assembled in Mexico.

Technical exploration and development of new or forgotten dive sites, often using rebreathers, is a passion for Omholt and the entire Nautilus Dive Tech staff. Qualified customers are always welcome to come along — Nautilus offers a full range of instruction, with a 15-foot-deep onsite pool where PADI and ANDI rec and tec courses are offered, if you would like to become one of those qualified divers — but there are also plenty of identified sites ready and waiting not far from Cabo’s large central marina where Nautilus launches its two boats.

On our first morning we head out on 30-foot Abyss to a site Omholt calls Robert’s Rocks, a short ride from the Cabo marina along the “Corridor,” the stretch of coast from Cabo to San Jose del Cabo, 20 miles to the northeast. It seemed like pretty much the entire shop came with us — “We’re a dive shop,” Omholt says with a laugh, “we dive.” Many of his local staff are also commercial or salvage divers, “so ‘fun dives’ are really just that for them,” Omholt explains. From the bonhomie on the boat it was clear that staff and customers were having a ball.

After a thorough safety briefing from Omholt, we drop down about 90 feet to a pretty pinnacle set about with huge boulders where manta and turtles are common. (A humpback mother and calf had been seen near here just the day before). The site is overflowing with zebra eel, octopus and all of Baja’s unique varieties of morays, angelfish, sergeant majors, chromis, hawkfish, barracuda and more, all easy to spot in 80 to 100 feet of crystal viz.

Our next dive, at nearby Los Morros, is equally pretty, with boulders festooned with green and purple vegetation, and schooling sergeant majors on top along with banner and butterflyfish and a juvenile wounded wrasse, all swaying gently in a light surge that rocked us like a cradle, with soft morning sun streaming all around.

On another day Omholt leads us on a dive that traverses three sites: Middle Wall, through Sand Falls, to Pelican Rock. We go deep to see what lies beneath, moving away from the concentrations of divers at shallower depths. Flying over the edge of the wall head-first into darkness, I think with a thrill that this is as close to being an astronaut as I’m ever going to get, exploring an inner space that’s almost as virgin as the vast outer one high above.

The sand falls were very active lower down; it was tempting to just stay and watch. But the zebra and jewel moray, yellow and purple sponges, cup corals and bumphead parrotfish we encountered as we wound our way back up made the entire passage an interesting one.

Nautilus is also a good place to meet local divers. From monthly events designed to get the neighborhood involved in diving to forming a dive club with barbecues and special trips, “no other shop in Cabo caters to the local dive community like Nautilus,” says Roxanne Ziegler, 48, a Nautilus Dive Tech customer who relocated to Cabo from Vancouver. Coming from colder climes, Ziegler especially appreciates Cabo’s warmer waters and “the bigger life: sea lions, mantas, turtles, even the odd white tip shark.”

“Casey and his crew are always exploring activities to keep interest up in the local diving community as well as catering to visitors,” says diver Luke Suen, 30, another Vancouver transplant. “They’re very welcoming, and eager to help you progress in your diving experiences, knowledge and learning.”

ACCOMMODATIONS IN LOS CABOS

Sandos Finisterra
**Los Cabos Address: Blvd. Marina S/N Col. Centro23450 Cabo San Lucas (Baja California Sur)Mexico
Phone: +52 624145 6700 /Toll free: 1-866-336-4083
Email: [email protected]
Web: sandos.com

Chic, cliff-side Sandos Finisterra Los Cabos boasts what has to be one of the most stunning approaches to any hotel anywhere. It’s made the more surprising because it’s not visible until you enter the street-level gates and make a sharp skyward turn. The drama continues everywhere you look throughout the renovated and much expanded all-inclusive hotel, with breathtaking views from both sides of its saddleback perch: Cabo’s bustling marina and the huge Bahia San Lucas to the north and east, and the Pacific to the south, where a series of terraced swimming pools flows down almost to beach level. The original, much smaller Hotel Finisterra was favored in the late ’70s by rockers like the Rolling Stones (Keith Richards was married here). Today it occupies some of the ritziest real estate in Cabo but is surprisingly affordable, starting at as little as $133 US per person per night for enormous standard rooms with sea views, or $172 US for its elegant Finisterra Suites, including fine dining and top-shelf alcohol. Sophisticated Spa Sandos, nestled in the rocks, is a soothing study in innovative design; the new CupCake Café offers a different way to get your bliss on. How many hotels offer you sunrise over one ocean and sunset over another? Not many.

Wyndham Cabo San Lucas
** **Address: Boulevard Marina S N, Cabo San Lucas
Phone: 877-999-3223
Web: wyndham.com

Want to roll out of bed and straight onto your dive boat? The Wyndham Cabo San Lucas sits right on Cabo’s marina, as close as you can get to where most dive boats depart for Cabo’s myriad nearby dive sites. Divers are a prime audience that Wyndham Cabo is trying to attract with recent renovations, aimed at making this 286-room hotel and plaza a water-centric, adult-oriented sportsmen’s playground. The newly revamped marina-side pool and sundeck offer more places to unwind, and the hotel’s iconic lighthouse tower has been transformed into a tequila museum, with tastings. No need for an all-inclusive here: The hotel is surrounded on all sides by the marina’s shops, bars and restaurants.

DINING IN LOS CABOS

Salvatore’s Italian Restaurante
**Address: Calle Emiliano Zapata between Guerrero & Hidalgo, Cabo San Lucas
Phone: 52 624 105 1044
Web: facebook.com/salvatores.cabosanlucas

Tucked into a romantic, European-style hidden garden with a central tiled reflecting pool, this wildly popular Italian eatery buzzes nightly with happy diners. Super-charming, with a familial feel, the open-air restaurant with second-story gallery pays homage to the Rat Pack era; you can picture Frank here with his mama. Portions of mostly traditional Italian dishes are huge, and fairly priced.

Mis Suenos Restaurant and Bar
** **Address: Calle Marina No. 39 Int. No. LOC Q, Cabo San Lucas
Phone: +52 624 143 0981
Web: facebook.com/MisSuenosCabo

Located right on the marina, where there’s always something to see and plenty of beautiful people strolling by — not to mention yachts that will really take your breath away — Mis Suenos’ Mexican and international specialties include seafood enchiladas and rellenos to die for.

El Hacienda de Coyote
** **A****ddress: Ave. Cabo San Lucas & Blvd Marina, Cabo San Lucas
Phone: +52 624 129 9515
Email: [email protected]
Web: haciendaelcoyote.com

Local charm and gourmet Mexican cuisine combine to make this restaurant across from the Cabo marina a must. Try the arrachera tacos (skirt steak, guacamole, coriander and onion) and a Mexican red wine. You’ll be surprised, and glad.

The Office
** **Address: Playa El Médano, Cabo San Lucas
Phone: +52 624 143 3464
Email: [email protected]
Web: theofficeonthebeach.com

Medano Beach gives you the tequila-shots-in-the-navel crowd — The Office makes a great place to push your toes in the sand while you watch others happily make fools of themselves. It’s an excellent if not cheap choice for appetizers and drinks; be sure to step inside and check out the artwork and lighting. There’s also a small gift shop on the street side with more than the usual T-shirts and hats.

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** Los Claros
** Web: clarosjr.com

Some say Los Claros has the best seafood tacos in Los Cabos. Super fresh, super good, and only about 15 to 20 pesos each, or about a dollar to $1.50. Locations in Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo.

Next Page: Off-Gassing in Todos Santos

OFF-GASSING: TODOS SANTOS

Hotel California
** **Address: Benito Juarez e/Morelos y Marquez de Leon Col. Centro, Todos Santos
Phone: 52-612-145-0525
Email: [email protected]
Web: hotelcaliforniabaja.com

It’s not that Hotel California, but it might as well be. Arriving after dark in Todos Santos, an hour-long beeline up Mexico’s Highway 19 from Cabo, is like arriving in the ’70s — 1970s or 1870s? Hard to say. With its long corridors, billowy drapes and hidden courtyards, the hotel easily stands in for the title character from the Eagles’ 1977 hit. Extensively renovated in the early 2000s, the 1940s-era hotel incorporates artwork from around the globe in its 11 uniquely appointed rooms and public areas, giving the feeling of a modern boutique hotel that hasn’t lost touch with its Old West past. The tiny town seems at first like a set from a John Ford film. But look carefully as you stroll Todos Santos’ neatly gridded streets and you’ll find fine-dining restaurants like Tres Galline (Three Hens) that wouldn't be out of place in that other California, and watering holes like La Copa Bar at The Todos Santos Inn, where you may feel you’ve entered a time machine scented by fine whiskey and old leather. Come morning, after a breakfast of omelets and baked goods at the hotel or at nearby Caffé Todos Santos, you’ll watch storefronts shuttered the night before metamorphose into silver shops, fine-arts and crafts galleries and more. And you’ll have a much better appreciation of the wide-open Pacific views along your ocean-side drive to Los Cabos International Airport in San Jose del Cabo, about an hour and a half back down 19 and Highway 1.