A group of single women in their 30s are planning on going on a vacation this winter and are looking for advice on where to go. We are currently looking into Cabo San Lucas. Our requirements are good beaches, some nightlife and some water/outdoor activities (hiking, snorkeling, etc). Any recommendations you have would be appreciated.

Thanks!

If good beaches are required, I don't know if Cabo is for you. While they are beautiful, the water is cold and currents make most beaches not safe for swimming.
Try Playa Del Carmen or Isla Mujeres for beautiful swimming beaches!

Cabo San Lucas beaches are very rough , no snorkeling there.You may want to check them out if there're exceptions.

The Caribbean side of Mexico has the best beaches. 5 of us *girls* went to Playa del Carmen recently and had the time of our lives. We took a day trip into Cancun and liked it very much. We decided to go there on our next *girl* trip.

BTW, the ages in our group ranged from 24-48. What a blast!

The beaches are nicer on the Caribbean side (Playa del Carmen maybe?). I'd skip Cabo. Having said that...

Puerto Vallarta is a very nice, safe, charming, beautiful destination for women traveling solo. Lots to see and do. All kinds of choices for hotels and resorts. A true normal Mexican downtown to explore. But with great restaurants, shopping, activities.

I would have to agree with Suze on Puerto Vallarta. I am in my 30's and have travelled to PV solo numerous times in the last 8 years and feel much safer there then I do in my own hometown.

If I were you, I wouldn't go anywhere near Cabo unless you are all party animals. I would suggest Playa del Carmen or Huatalco or almost anywhere else in Mexico, but I would not go to Cabo. This is just my opinion, but I know many people that have been there over the years and most have not been too impressed.

I would seriously recommend Puerto Vallarta overt Cancun unless you like to go to places with absolutely no character whatsoever.

We were in PV last March. It has great restaurants and shopping but the beaches aren't very good. If the beach is important go to the Caribbean side.
Have fun wherever you decide to go!

Lewis

The beaches at Cancun aren't exactly amazing. OK so the sand is whiter and so is a bit cooler underfoot, but there are hardly any waves. The water may be slightly more blue in Cancun but then you have to put up with that horrific high rise skyline that completely ruins the backdrop to the beach. Also, at least when I was there, there were far too many jet bikers (not even jet skiers!), most of whom seemed to come from Texas, paradfing around on their bikes whooping and shoutiong "Year ha!"

UKUKUK

No big deal but, I said the Caribbean side not especially Cancun. I LOVED PV, will definately go again, but the beach sucked, water cold, not blue, couldn't snorkel.

The original poster said "Our requirements are good beaches, some nightlife and some water/outdoor activities (hiking, snorkeling, etc)"

PV nightlife, shopping and food SI SI, beaches NO!

I think outside of PV either up or down the coast there are nice beaches.

Just returned from Cancun last night. The weather was perfect (rained some but mostly late at night). I don't know where UK stayed, but we had great waves on our beach. The hotels at the north end of the hotel zone have a calmer surf than the hotels in the middle or at the south end.

Didn't see any Texans riding bikes or anything else there this past week. You'll find some people with very strong opinions on certain Mexican destinations. Cancun can be as great or as disgusting as you make it. The same can be said for PV, PDC, Cozumel, and any of the other places.

Personally, I love Cancun, mainly for the beaches. You can have a quiet relaxing vacation there, or you can have a wild and crazy time there - depends on your tastes and what you like to do. Cancun offers a wide variety of activities and is a beautiful place to go on vacation.

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La Paz

It's on the Baja peninsula, north of Cabo and described as being "what Cabo used to be 20 yrs ago".

I have been to Cabo San Lucas three times and have driven there twice from California. It has its faults, however, I doubt the first two posters have never been there. One thing Cabo does have are some very nice beaches. The tip of Cabo divides the Pacific ocean and the sea of Cortez. The Pacific side can be dangerous, but no one goes to that side and it is hard to get to. Everything is on the Cortez side where the water is very warm, clear, and without waves. It is like a big warm bath, ideal for snorkeling and swimming. There is a very long corridor about thirty miles long with various beaches. The beach in Cabo is great with many water sports, but it also has a very strong party atmosphere. Up the corridor there are two seclduded beach coves, chileno and santa Maria, with very safe and calm water with some very good snorkelling. You can take a bus or taxi to these beaches.

If your goal is "good beaches, some nightlife some water/outdoor activities", Cabo will fullfill your needs. There is plenty to do there and there is a variety of nightlife. Also a lot of great food.

One drawback about Cabo is that it can be an expensive destination.

One poster mentioned La Paz. I have been there twice also, and while I really liked it there, there is not a lot to do there and the beaches are not that good or convenient to get to. It is a very large and thriving city with very little tourist infrastructure. If you did go to Cabo and had the time, i would recommend renting a car and taking a day trip to Todos Santos (an artist village on the Pacific coast) and La Paz, and even spending a night in La Paz, but La Paz will not keep you entertained for an extended period.

I love Cabo but also have some mixed feelings about it. Lots to do, great food, great beaches and friendly people, great weather; on the downside, the town of Cabo is a little too "Americanized" for me and a little on the expensive side. The party atmosphere sometimes goes a little overbaoard and the timeshare hackers and the vendors can be a lttle too much. If you do go there make an effort to explore the area a little and definately make a trip to the town of San Jose, which is at the other end of the corridor.

I spent a couple weeks in La Paz a few years ago. I found it a beautiful, peaceful, quiet Mexican town. It does not at all fit what the Original Poster mentioned wanting to find for their vacation.

The beaches are not good in town, you need a car to drive north or south. I just don't think La Paz has the tourist infrastructure in place for quantity of restaurants, nightlife, etc. Great place, don't get me wrong, but I wouldn't send a group of single women there to party.

I've been to Cancun more times than I can count and consider it my home away from home. I was in Cabo San Lucas for the first time in August and am heading back at the end of the month. The beaches there can't compare to those in Cancun, but I enjoyed every minute of my stay. I had heard a lot of unfavorable things about Cabo before I went, but was pleasantly suprised when I arrived.