Cabo San Lucas & San Jose del Cabo: The final flounce

the time had come to wrap up my #make2020flouncyagain adventures in Mexico. kinda sad but also kinda not because i was mentally ready to go (you know how at the end of your trip you’re always ready to go home no matter if it’s 1 week or 6 months)… and also physically ready to go (bed bugs) and ALSO I AM OFF TO MY FAVOURITE PLACE IN THE WORLD IN A FEW WEEKS SO THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL IS V V BRIGHT EEE. also get some r&r in quarantine and then get to spend time with my bebes so ya everything is todo bien :) <3

as a refresher, here are my other Mexico blog posts in case you’re planning a similar trip! (or in case you’re looking for some inspo and would like me to plan your trip through my business Adventurelust!):

for my last few days in mexico i headed up to my last stop in Baja California, Los Cabos: 2 nights in cabo san lucas and one night in san jose del cabo.

i’ve actually been to both of these spots before like 5 years ago but that was when i was a tourist, not a traveller, so i was interested to see things through new eyes.

… it was not ideal.

the marina of cabo san lucas is an absolute ZOO. a zoo you guys. i travel for off-the-beaten-path spots, special experiences, deep connections, discovering hidden gems and finding magic in the place that i am in. it was hard to find any of that through the flashing neon lights and blaring american oldies coming from the hard rock cafe and señor frogs. i actually felt a sense of reverse culture shock walking past all the gigantic shiny designer brand stores along the marina, and if one more vendor asked me if i wanted a tour to the arch, weed, cocaine, or a mexican boyfriend, i was gonna lose it on them. lose it you guys.

BUT!! i was not here for the land dwellers. i came to cabo to explore the underwater world, which i had NO IDEA is one of the most epic underwater worlds on the planet. marine lovers here are BLESSED with so many incredible animals, from manta rays to all different kinds of sharks to dolphins, marlins, humpback whales, grey whales, even sperm whales, the works. 1/3 of the world’s marine mammals pass by the baja peninsula. i specifically came here to try and see the schools of thousands of jumping mobula rays that had been frequenting the area recently.

i didn’t find those particular mobula rays (cause sometimes the wildlife gods like to leave some stuff on my bucket list) but i did see other larger mobula rays, had a couple of distant humpack spottings, and one of the most — jk, THE MOST, magical dolphin encounter of my life. they were riding the bow as i went on a sunrise adventure with Dive Ninja Expeditions. i absolutely shed a tear.

Dive Ninjas are amazing because they are super conservation-focused, and i joined Jay and the other Ninjas for a clean-up dive at Pelican Rock down by the arch. they also do epic expeditions where they get to spend a more intimate experience and help with the conservation, research, and funding of incredible marine animals that we don’t know enough about. they are beautiful humans and i was so happy to get to spend the day with them! i have a media article coming on this experience soon so stay tuned to my portfolio!

on our clean-up dive, we got to slide through the schools of thousands and thousands (millions? anyone? of sardines up near the water’s surface, which was a crazy and cool experience. must. do. sarine. run. in. south. africa. thanks Ninja Juan from the epic photo!

it was such a privilege and a relief to discover the other side of cabo, the non-touristy cabo, and i’ve learned there is a lot of incredible nature to be explored right outside the tourist centre, including hikes, waterfalls, hotsprings, and amazing beaches (Todos Santos and Cerritos are only about an hour drive away and they felt very remote and authentic!!).

as far as recos for cabo the town, if you’re there for diving or a stopover en route to the airport or your other baja adventures, Cabo Inn was a great, super affordable and central and traditional Mexican hotel. if you’re not looking for a big fancy resort vacation, this was a great option! also go to Tropical Kitchen for yummy healthy food (i had veggie wraps with Dive Ninjas and an acai bowl after and both were delish). i went to this market across from Mezcaleria for dinner and wine, which was no El Arbol but NOT BAD. the European restaurant next to Cabo Inn looked good. apparently the pizza at Josefa’s is good. that’s about all i got for you guys.

ok onto San Jose del Cabo for my last night before the airport, this little town is much quieter and less touristy and adorable and had MANY amazing places to eat!! any of the beautiful vibey spots around Baja Brewing — La Lupita (omg the tacos el pastor and the shrimp with chipotle were TODIEFOR), i loved the bar at Secret Garden, and the burger place at the end of that road looked like a vibe as well.

the cute and quaint streets of San Jose del Cabo

also go to the Estuary for a magical sunset with beautiful birds, the lagoon and the ocean (thank you Camilla for taking me here!!). coffee at Coffee Lab is a MUST, it also is a bar at night and is just the cutest outdoor space. finally, YOU MUST GO TO the mercado organico on Saturday 9am-3pm, make sure you walk down the dirt road to the actual market not the wannabe one before it. the most amazing samples including a sushi roll from the poke place, an unbelievable pesto quesadilla and yummiest spinach empanada. also baked goods. and people are doing yoga and little kids are belly dancing it’s soso adorable and such a fun vibe.

okay amigos! that’s it for my time in Mexico, i hope you enjoyed following along, and please leave me any comments below or message me if you have any questions or if there’s anything i can do to make your trip as magical as it deserves to be!

leaving the blog posts here again for your browsing pleasure <3