Cabo San Lucas, B.C.S, Overview

[03/30/2020] I will preface this post by mentioning that we traveled to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico from February 13-20, 2020. While the COVID-19 outbreak did not affect our travel, at the time it was only a mild concern. The spread has rapidly progressed since then, and it is strongly advised to avoid any international travel, or even leaving your home unless necessary.

Visiting the Baja California coast in Cabo San Lucas was an incredible experience I will never forget. I have so much to share with you, so I am dividing our adventures in Mexico into a series of blog posts. This initial post will serve as more of an overview, with follow-up posts to further detail our experiences. We will begin with our travel from St. Louis to Houston to Los Cabos, and visit the Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach Resort.

Our journey begins with an early, 5:30 AM Southwest Airlines flight from St. Louis to our connecting flight in Houston, before reaching Los Cabos. We were leaving Missouri during a typical Midwestern winter freeze, which required deicing the plane before takeoff. A completely normal procedure, but one that spiked my flight anxiety quite a bit. Takeoff went smoothly and we were soon on our way to Texas. I do not know what it is about Houston, but every time I’ve flown there I have had a rough and abrupt landing. Nevertheless, we quickly made our way to our connecting flight and were soon onward to Mexico.

Upon arrival into Mexico, we made our way through customs and left the airport to locate our transportation service, Grayline Los Cabos. There are many transportation services available at the Los Cabos International Airport, and we selected Grayline upon recommendation. We enjoyed a scenic drive along the coastline, observing mountainous terrain and glistening seascapes. Finally, our much-anticipated vacation has begun.

Travel Tip: Travelers are extended a 10% discount if shuttles are booked through the live chat function on the Grayline website. Through this service, Ashley R. kindly assisted me in booking our shuttle. Given the time changes, I appreciated having a customer service rep available to ensure I was booking the correct time and location.

Part I: Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach Resort

Paraíso Escondido S/N, Paraiso Escondido, Centro

23450 Cabo San Lucas, B.C.S., Mexico

Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach is a beautiful resort that I would be glad to visit again. Our official honeymoon was a most generous gift from Matt’s mother and step-father, who are timeshare owners at the resort. I can see why they love Sunset Beach so much. The property itself is stunningly beautiful, the views are unmatched, and the level of service is outstanding. Built into an upward sloping hill, each unit has a view facing the ocean, a unique feature of the resort.

We checked into a very comfortable Executive Ocean View Suite, which offers one large private bedroom with two queen beds and two full bathrooms. There is a nicely equipped kitchen (only missing a dishwasher which truthfully, is not necessary to have) and a large living room space with a TV, dining table and a sleeper-sofa. Because we stayed in an end-unit, we also enjoyed a larger balcony. With nearly 1,100 square feet of living space, the Executive Suite is plenty of space for a newlywed couple and can accommodate up to 6 people.

Upon check in, guests are given building options to choose from. After mulling over the available options, we selected a room in Building 21 on the 8th floor. Building 21 is located along the top-most row of buildings, in the North-East corner of the resort. While this building is further from the beach, it is closer to the Sky Pool and the Market at Quivira, which serves as the main hub for dining and entertainment.

Pueblo Bonito operates several sister resorts in Cabo San Lucas, with Sunset Beach being the largest (so far):

• Sunset Beach (largest resort, family-friendly)
• Pacifica (adults-only Resort)
• Rosé
• Los Cabos (formerly Blanco)
• and the new Montecristo Estates (luxury villas)

Vacationers can enjoy their all-inclusive benefits across the sister resorts, which is something we happily took advantage of. The resort offers free bus transportation across the resorts for guests, making trips a breeze. We visited Rosé several times during our week-long stay as this resort is closer to town, with the marina and entertainment a short one mile walk away.

Travel Tip: Free transportation between sister resorts is booked with the Market at Quivira bellboy, and can only be booked the day of transport. Shuttles depart every hour at PB, and at every half-hour from Rosé. Spots fill up quickly, so I recommend booking in the morning to ensure you secure your desired time. I reserved our spots early in the morning without issue.

Part II: Pueblo Bonito Rosé, a Greco-Roman Fantasy

Medano 450, El Medano Ejidal, Centro

23410 Cabo San Lucas, B.C.S., Mexico

If you would like to visit town or are interested in booking an excursion, Rosé is a great place to make your home base.

Travel Tip: Once you arrive to Rosé from Sunset Beach, immediately visit the bellboy to book your return trip to your resort. Shuttles depart from Rosé at every half-hour.

Unlike the mostly barren waterfront at Sunset Beach, the beach at Rosé is filled with sun-loungers, vendors, and on-the-sand restaurants. Due to the topography and strong currents along Sunset Beach, swimming (and entering the water in general) is strictly prohibited. The calmer waters at Rosé allow for more water-centric activities, and the location is close to the marina where you can book excursions.

We opted to take a glass-bottom boat tour to see the arch of Cabo San Lucas, known locally as El Arco. Spanish for “Land’s End”, El Arco marks the southern-most end of the Baja Peninsula.

Part III: Exploring Cabo San Lucas

Local cuisine, visiting the marina and booking excursions

While the dining at Sunset Beach is for the most part, terrific, we desired more local fare so we decided to walk from Rosé into town. A brisk one-mile walk will take you to the local marina, where tourists can book excursions, visit a large shopping center, and dine at various restaurants. Marina Cabo San Lucas is a busy place, with vendors eager to secure your business.

We visited The Office on the Beach and Mi Casa for more local, authentic meals and thoroughly enjoyed both restaurants. The Office on the Beach is located – you guessed it – literally on the beach, but it also offers dining in areas that are elevated above the sand. With a massive selection of tequila and the most incredible catch-of-the-day Sea Bass tacos I’ve ever had, The Office was a great place to unwind.

Mi Casa is located deeper into town, and is absolutely worth the trek. My in-laws love Mi Casa and suggested we make the visit. I’m glad we did. The restaurant itself is visually interesting, with part of the restaurant in an open-air seating concept. We visited Mi Casa for lunch, but have heard it is even more beautiful in the evenings, under their many lit lanterns.

I have so much more to share about our trip to Cabo San Lucas. Stay tuned for more in-depth, follow up posts to come!