Hi all,
I'm going to Cabo 6/30-7/4. First time in Mexico. I'm not the sit on the beach/pool resort type person. Do you have any recommendation on where to stay and what to do?

I also want to spend at least one day scuba diving. Any dive operator recommmendation and/or where to dive?

<b>Do you have any recommendation on where to stay </b>

Would depend on your budget and whether you want to be on the Pacific beach (non-swimming, more isolated), marina (close to boats), downtown (cheap, stumbling distance from the best bars), Medano Beach (swimming beach where most people stay) or the Corridor (expensive, more isolated).

<b> ... and what to do?</b>

The most popular non-beach type activities are fishing (usually excellent early July for both marlin and smaller gamefish), golfing at one of the world class courses in the corridor, or raising hell at one of the famous bars like Cabo Wabo, Giggling Marlin or Squid Roe.

For a change of pace rent a car one day and drive around the lower penninsula, say counter-clockwise thru San Jose, East Cape (stopping at one of the fishing hotels), maybe detouring into La Paz for lunch, then to the Pacific side for Todos Santos and then back to Cabo. It's a different world once you get a few miles out of Los Cabos.

<b>Any dive operator recommmendation and/or where to dive?</b>

I was more the fishing and partying kind of tourist at Cabo, but friends who dive there say the sand falls near the Arch are good, Gordo (Gorda) Banks is incredible for highly skilled divers (open ocean over a deep reef, with many large fish and sometimes large schools of hammerhead sharks), and Cabo Pulmo a bit further up the Baja side is exceptional, with a nice reef and many fish in a protected preserve with shallower waters (and not as tough a dive as Gordo). Dunno about the operators, I think there are just a couple.

Bill

Sorry, but I wrote <b>&quot;Cabo Pulmo a bit further up the Baja side&quot;</b> and &quot;Baja side&quot; doesn't make sense (it's all Baja). I meant to say &quot;Cortez side&quot; (as opposed to the Pacific side) since Cabo Pulmo is north-east of Cabo San Lucas, beyond San Jose ...

Thanks Bill, for your response.

I guess I need to do some more research by reading the books. But I like your driving around recommendation. Since I have 3 full days there + 2 half days, I was thinking of doing 1 day of diving/snorkling, 1 day drive around, 1 day hiking/kayaking. And maybe spend a little time on the beach even though it's not my thing

Cabo Pulmo sounds like the dive for me since I'm only a beginner. The friend I'm going with doesn't dive though. Hopefully I can find a dive/snorkel tour combo so we both can go together.

dmk, here's a link to Cabo dives ... http://www.cabosanlucastours.net/Scuba-Diving.htm ... for beginner level diving plus snorkeling for your friend I would recommend the 'local dives' (near the harbor and arch), both Chileno and Santa Maria bays in the corridor (these usually get a catamaran or two each day with snorkelers though, plus drive-ups) and finally Cabo Pulmo, which is a couple hours drive from Cabo but will have few people and incredible diving/snorkeling. There's a 'snorkeling' link on this web page you can check out as well.

I think my friends went with Amigos (don't know about the company with this web site, but they have a nice web site with good info on the dives

Bill

Apparently a coworker of mine dove Cabo Pulmo and he said that it's the best dive he ever had. I think that sealed the deal

I googled your &quot;Amigos&quot; recommendation and found this:
http://www.amigosdelmar.com/
and I saw random posting saying they're good too. So I think I'll go with them.

Now I'm thinking that I should stay north of Cabo - maybe even La Paz. I think I would enjoy the Sea of Cortez more.

thanks,
dian