Email this page  Print this page  del.icio.us  digg

Aha! Baja

Los Cabos

Millions of years ago, when the Baja Peninsula slid westward along the San Andreas Fault, who knew what a hot vacation spot its tip would become?

The towns of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo are the bookends on an 18-mile corridor of activity that has become famous for its water sports and golfing.

The more traditional San Jose del Cabo, an 18th-century mission town to the north founded by Jesuits, has retained much of its yesteryear charm. Call it the quieter of the two municipal entities.

Discovered in 1537 by Hernan Cortez's navigator Francisco de Ulloa, the southern town of Cabo San Lucas is now reachable by air in less than three hours.

Part of Mexico's tierra caliente, summer temperatures in Los Cabos are hot and humid most of the year, making water sports such as surfing and windsurfing very popular.

Deep-sea diving and sport fishing also rank high among things to do in this sun-drenched desert oasis at the tip of Baja California Sur. Situated approximately 1,050 miles south of San Diego and with the Sierra de la Laguna mountains as backdrop, Los Cabos (the capes) provide an aquatic wonderland for scuba divers and snorkelers, which means even children can get in on the watery action. The Sea of Cortes, which separates Baja from mainland Mexico, supports more than 800 marine vertebrate species.

According to the Los Cabos Tourism Board, beginning divers can enjoy the 50-foot views of Cabo Pulmo, a reef with crystalline waters and abundant sea life. The more experienced can dive to Pelican Rock's underwater sand falls. Originally discovered by the late French diving legend Jacques Cousteau, divers can see sand cascade off an underwater cliff as it drops beyond sight to more than 1,200 feet. If you are into watching whales, make plans for January, February and March, prime months for seeing hundreds of whales as they journey to lagoons just north of Los Cabos.

But if you'd rather catch than watch, tourism officials claim there are more striped marlins caught within 20 miles of Cabo San Lucas than anywhere in the world, an assertion tested by avid sports fishermen from mid-October through December. Dorado (mahi mahi), yellowfin tuna and wahoo are available at various times throughout the year.

About 500 fishing boats are based in Los Cabos. Luxury yachts as well as less expensive 20- to 24-foot pangas are available for hire. Tourism officials estimate half-day excursions on smaller boats will cost anglers about $80-$120 per half-day; full-day trips including tackle, bait and food go for $400 and up.

Don't possess sea legs? Los Cabos boasts five championship golf courses (three of them designed by Jack Nicklaus) that combine desert ambiance with the challenges of playing oceanside. One course, Cabo del Sol, has 1½ miles of shoreline and has been rated as one of the Top 10 public golf courses in the world by Golf Digest magazine.

For more information, call 1(866) 567-2226 or contact the Los Cabos Tourism Board, 2950 31st St. Suite 36, Santa Monica, Calif., 90403 or by e-mail, loscabostourismboard@yahoo.com.