Cabo San Lucas

In Cabo San Lucas there's a massive hotel on every available plot of waterfront turf. A pedestrian walkway lined with restaurants, bars, and shops anchored by the sleek Puerto Paraíso mall curves around the entire perimeter of Cabo San Lucas harbor, itself packed with wall-to-wall sport fishing and pleasure yachts. Unfortunately, a five-story hotel complex at one edge of the harbor blocks a small portion of the water view and sea breezes from the town's side streets, but it can't be denied that Cabo is a carnival and a parade, all at once. The short Pacific coast beach in downtown San Lucas is more peaceful, though monstrous hotel projects have gobbled up much of the sand here too. An entire new tourism area dubbed Cabo Pacifica, by its Pueblo Bonito developers has blossomed on the Pacific, west of downtown. In late 2007 this ultra-exclusive development received a marketing name change, and was dubbed the Quivira, after a mythical beach of golden sand searched for, but never found, by the Spanish galleons. Construction began on Quivira in early 2008, and will continue for several years. Several major hotels and at least two world-class championship golf courses are included in the Quivira master plan.