I am considering Cabo next month for a sunny getaway. I have a good local hotel suggestion in the downtown area (thanks Bill) and 4-hr. nonstop flights available from Seattle.

Over at Trip Advisor a couple posters recently said horrible things about Cabo... calling it a filthy dump, that they feared for their personal safety, and that the taxis are run by the mafia.

I've been to Mexico many times but only Puerto Vallarta and La Paz. Am I crazy to go thru with this trip?
thanks in advance, Suze

Hello Suze:

I like this forums but at the same time you need to be cautious of what you read...I believe it is very exagerated this thing over the taxis, yes... there were many problems back in June and unfortunately some guests were afected by having to walk and not been able to get the transportation they had paid in advance, but that problem is controlled now and Mexico is safier than many other countries, believe me....Regards

Thank you. Yes you do need to read things "with a grain of salt". At this time I am planning to go ahead with the trip. Again, thank you for the reply.

Hummm, Suze. Knowing you the way I do here on Fodor's, I'm not sure if you will enjoy CSL, the town. It doesn't have the "culture" like PV, since it was built for the tourists. No one is actually"from" CSL. You would probably enjoy SJdC more, since it is a real, working, town.

We like Los Cabos because the plane ride is easy from CA and we like the desert meeting the sea. You should perhaps try side trips to the East Cape or Todos Santos. The whales will be there aplenty in Feb.

One thing I have always wanted to do is head up to Magdalena Bay to see the whales up close. There are day bus trips, but there is an air trip that is $$$ but could be worth it.

Let us know how it works out.

MY

Thanks Michelle. I'm just looking for a little sun & a quick getaway. I think I have realistic expectations of what to expect in Cabo and have a decent local style hotel (Mar de Cortez) downtown.

I've since had further correspondence with the "filty dump" poster (you can PM over at Trip Advisor) and as I suspected they had never been to Mexico before and admited they perhaps over stated things.

My reasoning, similar to yours, is the quick plane ride (nonstop, 4 hours), cheap plane ticket, and desire to see a new place.

Lordie knows I've talked trash about Cabo for long enough ("too touristy&quot maybe I should actually go there are see for myself!

Thanks for the input.

Suze,
We just returned. Yes, it was a good sun break, (and oh boy, did we need it this year, as I'm sure you do too) but I doubt if we'll be going back. We were in Puerto Vallarta last year and liked it MUCH MUCH better.

If you want details and to talk, e-mail me at [email protected] and I'll be happy to give you my phone no. and more info.

Hope this helps,
Paula

Thanks Paula for the kind offer, but I already bought the plane ticket and made my hotel reservation... so I will definitely be going to see for myself!

Since I've been to Puerto Vallarta 19 times already I wanted to branch out. Even if I don't care for it in the way that I like/love PV, it will be a fun change for me to explore something new (hopefully).

Hello Suze:
There is a very nice art district in San José del Cabo, I disagree on that comment that nobody is from Cabo, where did this person went to just bars??? Of course the main street is a tourism path!!!!
You will love the town in San José believe me, lots of art places, better restaurants than San Lucas, and more than 100,000 people originally from San José haha...Enjoy your trip, try all the local food go to Taqueria de Chef Table and Las Gorditas Torreon

Hi, Suze: I feel about Cabo the same way you feel about PV! Been there enough that even though I like it, I'm ready for something new. The BEST thing about Cabo is its accessability from the West Coast (I live in NoCal). As was pointed out earlier, there really is no history, as it is primarily a tourist town, but it's warmer than it is at home! I, too, will be there in February to escape the 20 degree weather here.......There are whales in Feb~we actually had a baby follow us as we were walking down the beach. I like to snorkel at Santa Maria Bay, Chileano Bay, and Lover's Beach, but go in the morning as it tends to get rough in the afternoon. San Jose has a lot more history and charm than CSL. It is cooler than PV, so take a light jacket for night time. Some of the resaurants I like are the Stoplight on the main drag and La Dulce (some of the best pizza I've ever had). It all depends on what you're looking for........
From your posts, you appear to be open minded and seem to find positive things about where ever you go~so you'll enjoy it!!

Thank you both very much. I appreciate the tips.

campanita~ If I wanted to visit San Jose del Cabo but since am staying in Cabo San Lucas, wouldn't that be an hour or so ddrive away? (back past the airport and on to the other side?). Could I do this by public bus as a day trip?

tenthumbs~ Thanks for the suggestions (Stoplight, La Dulce). What I'm always looking for is low-key places, friendly staff, moderate prices... even though I know I'm in the midst of a tourist haven.

One thing I enjoy is Mexican supermarkets. How would I get to a CCC, Soriano's, or (isn't there an )Aramburo from downtown? Are there any that would be walking distance? That's one thing I do for fun (no kidding)!

Suze, there is a Soriano's, but it's not within walking distance. We had a cab driver take us there; we negotiated a price, then he waited for us. There is also a membership type club whose name escapes me at the moment (I'll look into it and see if I can come up with it, it could be a CCC)where we get most of our beer and snacks when we go. There is a small store called Diana's where a lot of the locals shop~we were the only gringos in there! and of course, there is the obiquitous CostCo between SJD and CSL......My favorite dish at the Stoplight is their picante shrimp appetizer, then I save the sauce and pour it over their tamales. A good friend LOVES their blackened mahi~he always works up a good sweat!!

Is Diana's within walking distance then? That sounds more like what I'm looking for.

I definitely don't need a Costco-style place. My shopping is more for the experience than the groceries (I don't have a kitchen or even a frig).

Stop with the food already (just kidding) you're making me hungry!

I believe Diana's is about 4-5 blocks from the main drag, away from the marina. It is within walking distance. It's very small, but it's where the locals shop. There are places on the beach, like the Mango Deck and the Office, where you can have a drink with your toes in the sand and watch the antics of the spring break types....who knows, we may run into each other! I'll be there Feb 17-24! Another good place to eat is Sr Greenberg's, or at least it used to be........they had the best taco soup, with big chunks of fresh avacado in it....now I'M hungry!!!

Diana's it is. THANK YOU. I know other people like to go whale watching, fishing, etc. but I like to poke around in little local shops. I wasn't sure they'd be anything like that in Cabo, so this is great news.

They pronounced it "dee-on-ahs" and it was white with purple trim.....

Someone kindly posted an aerial wikimap of that area for me on TA. there's also an Aramburo shopping plaza about 3 blocks away from the hotel, near a Santander bank and internet cafe.

Being able to look at this map was brilliant, as now I have a much better feeling for the neighborhood.

Suze, here's another map of downtown ... http://www.loscabosguide.com/maps/dwntwncsl.htm

I think you are staying at the Mar de Cortez? It's #22 on the map and the supermarket is #6.

Here are other maps to the area ... http://www.loscabosguide.com/maps/maps.htm

Other than the Stoplight, I pretty much avoid whatever the main drag has to offer~it's a little too Americanized for me, with the Hard Rock Cafe, KFC, and Burger King. A few blocks away are some nice little restaurants that are unknown but great. Some of the best burritos I ever had were from a little place that sold them a la carte on one of the back streets!

A continuing thanks... for the maps and good advice. Yes I'm staying at Mar de Cortez (thanks to Bill's mention of it on an earlier thread).

I have no plans to frequent the main drag or tourist bars and will be happy kicking around back streets or picnicing from the grocery store (plus Spencers at my hotel looks very good).

Now all we have to do is count down...only 34 more days for me!!