Water Wine Travel™

Last Christmas, I decided to surprise my family with trip to Los Cabos, Mexico. Remember this post about it? Last week we spent four glorious days enjoying the sun!  The scariest part of our trip? The ride from our home to Newark International Airport.  Although we left at 5:30 in the morning, and there was no traffic, our cabdriver decided to put the pedal to the metal.  I said a silent prayer for a safe journey.  The most annoying part  of our journey? The cabbie who sped out of the taxi line at 1:30 in the morning  (in Newark!) when he realized we would be his fare.  I guess that dude didn’t get the memo – we’re post-racial now.  I’m sure the cabbie that took us home was happy with the generous tip.

When we arrived in San Jose del Cabo in Baja California Sur, Mexico  in six hours. Los Cabos is comprised of two towns, San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas.  A 20 mile corridor  links the two towns.  The corridor is lined by  expansive cliffs, resorts, golf courses and sparkling blue and turquoise waters.

Sea of Cortes

We spent over an hour in line at customs.  A few people I spoke to said it was an unusually long wait for Cabos.  However, if you decide to visit and have young children or someone with you who can’t stand for long periods of time, this may be an issue.

Once we exited customs, we entered a scene that felt like the twilight zone.  I had been warned by the concierge at Cabo Azul that there would be time-share salespeople at the airport who would try to divert us.  The resort had pre-arranged our transportation from the airport to avoid any hassles.  What they neglected to mention was how aggressive these folks can be.  Some began yelling and screaming that we were going the wrong way.  I kept moving to the exit to meet our shuttle but one almost convinced Big P that he was airport security.  What a turn-off.

Cabo Azul is about a 15 minute ride from the airport.  We had to wait a half hour for our room to be ready for the 4 pm check-in. During that time we met with the concierge who offered us a $200 resort credit, free breakfast, transportation back to the airport, and 10% off tour packages, food  and drinks if we attended a “presentation.” Normally, I shun time share presentations but I was interested in what the resort had to offer.  I decided to keep an open mind. Also, they were not pushy and  200 bucks is 200 bucks any way you slice it.

We had a mediocre breakfast at Javier’s, the onsite restaurant at Cabo Azul.  From the photos, on my previous post, you can see that the resort is gorgeous.  We had a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom villa.  The master bedroom had a huge soaking whirlpool tub.  The furnishings are a dark chocolate teak, with backlit mirrors, soothing white and cream linens and drapery.  The ensuite kitchen had full size GE appliances – including  a dishwasher. We didn’t cook during our stay… but it was tempting.

The landscaping is pristine, the resort spotless.  Cream colored terry covered chaises were in abundance and the kids loved the outdoor beds – some placed strategically in the water.   In the evening, gas torches and fire pits light up the night. There are  3 pools and two hot-tubs.  Cabo Azul is currently building an extension. Luckily we did not hear any construction noise at all during our stay. The beach outside  is not recommended for swimming but is great for picnics, sunning or beach walks.

Cabo Azul

Pros: Gorgeous, full service resort in a great location.  Large spacious rooms (1 bedroom, 2 bedroom and 3 bedroom villas) with fully equipped kitchens. Clean, safe, beautiful  beach with very few vendors.

Cons: No beach swimming at the hotel  and no lifeguards poolside.

Time Share presentation:  They had a great product, but it wasn’t for us.  No hard sell or irritating salespeople. You can purchase points to use at various Pacific Monarch resorts or affiliates worldwide. Attendance at a 90 minute presentation gets you the goodies I mentioned above.

Insider Tip:

Cabo Azul has a great chapel with seating, overlooking the ocean, lovely for a destination wedding.

Laundry facilities are  available on site  that take US quarters.

Popular activities like whale watching (in winter months)  sell out quickly for weekends.  If you plan on doing it – book in advance.

We loved the horseback riding tour of the beach. Gentle horses, kind operators and 18 years in the business (Baja Horses)

Horseback riding on the beach