Los Cabos – A Mexican Paradise
Choyeros land
Los Cabos is a magical place located in the state of Baja California Sur, México. It encompasses Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo, which are united by a 32 km (20 miles) – Touristic Resort Corridor with beach-front hotels and properties, including a golf course. Baja California is a peninsula that, as some local people remark, is quite different from what one can find in the rest of the country. And there are some reasons for that to happen. Firstly, and more obvious, water surrounds most of the area, and it is not easy to move to other cities. Secondly, only a few Mexican families lived in the area a hundred years ago. Those families are known as “Choyeros” which means those born in south-California. But it also refers to their particular lifestyle. A true Choyero is not a wild person but can be quite cheeky. They don’t tend to speak as loud as other Mexicans. However, if they get angry, the earth can start shaking, and people might need to run.
Los Cabos inhabitants
The population has been growing very fast. In 1900 Saint Luke Cape had only 140 inhabitants; in 2020, that number increased to 202.694. Most of those inhabitants are from other countries, most likely from the United States. These people came here for holidays, to do business or to retire. Spanish is the most spoken language in Los Cabos as it is the mother tongue of Mexican people. And as mentioned before, many people from the United States live here, so English is commonly spoken almost everywhere. Nowadays, there is a very small percentage – 1,92% – of people who speak the indigenous tongue. Of that percentage, you will see in the following map the two more common languages in this area.
Data source: Inegi
Orale guey, ¡que chido este lugar!
In the title, you can read, “Right on, dude, what an awesome place!“ and this is a very typical slang expression you will hear if you come for a visit. A lot of people came and decided to stay here for a living. However, a significant number of people come every year just for tourism. Cabo is well known for its luxurious hotels, live music, amazing beaches, whale watching, trekkings, amazing spots to see the sunset and sunrise, and, last but not least, scuba diving locations – I will explain later why it is called “the world’s aquarium.” Just as the typical Mexican food spices up any dish, Mexican people add the perfect flavor to this place. They are chatty and welcoming. My partner and I decided to come here for a few months for all the reasons mentioned above. Here we are, already set up in a beautiful apartment close enough to the city center, planning all the places we would like to visit in the surroundings.
Cabo San Lucas & San José del Cabo
When we first came, we only knew Cabo San Lucas, and once here, we started listening to people talking about San José del Cabo. We can absolutely confirm that both are paradisiacal and beautiful places, but there is the main difference between them. In Cabo San Lucas, there is more room for “desmadre“ which could mean excesses. There are many bars and places to party and listen to loud music – it is famous for its nightlife. You can also find a lot of stands that offer tours, including boat tours to the Sea Arch – you can see it in the first picture of this article. One of the most famous spots is a rock formation located where Mar de Cortés meets the Pacific Ocean. Looking at it from a certain distance, you might see a triceratops drinking water. Others say it is just a natural formation representing the beginning and end. Many local people believe that an arch is a magical place as only some lucky people can walk through it. That only happens once in a while when a combination of factors – which includes a low tide level – occurs.
On the other hand, San José del Cabo is sometimes called a “laid-back colonial gem.” There you can still find cobblestone streets, a church dating to the 1700s, and well-preserved historical buildings. You can meet artists in gallery openings and find many local stores. It is best if you can enjoy this place by walking around on foot and if you can choose to visit it on Thursdays from 5:00 pm. The main streets are closed to cars, so only people walking are allowed. The main square is full of local handicrafts and more open galleries showing sculptures, paintings, and jewelry. I think it is worth visiting both of them and enjoying the best of each place. And I highly recommend you not to miss the third place very near, Cabo Pulmo.
The world Aquarium
Cabo Pulmo, which is located 130 km distance from Cabo San Lucas, is a Protected Natural Area designated a Natural World Heritage site by UNESCO. The only hard coral reef area in the Gulf of California can be found there. It was called the World Aquarium by the famous oceanographer Jacques Cousteau. Nowadays, there are 800 species of marine life living in it. It is a perfect example of ecotourism if you are looking for a quiet and more natural place in Los Cabos. If you are into marine life, you can see five of the seven turtle species that are under threat of extinction in the world. There are different types of sharks, including bull, tiger, hammerhead, blacktip, and great white sharks.
A beautiful surprise
Thank you for reading so far! I will be here for a few months traveling around this amazing place, so if you are curious, want to ask anything, or share the experiences you have had in this place, please feel free to do so! What do you think? Do you agree? Have you traveled and shared time with locals? We’d love to hear from you! Written by Virginia González If you liked this read, here is a link to Virginia’s previous article as she takes us on an emotional journey to Italy to find her Italian roots!