the cabo san lucas guide

Cabo is my family’s favorite place for a quick and easy vacation. We’ve been going for 7+ years and stay at a variety of time shares/resorts during our visits. Below is a full guide of where to stay and shop and what to eat, drink and do.

stay

grand solmar land’s end resort
acre baja
pueblo bonita pacifico
sheraton hacienda del mar
the cape, a thompson hotel

eat

flora’s field kitchen
el farallon
acre
la lupita taco & mezcal
bar esquina
the office
tacos guss

drink

outpost
ocote
monkey business

do

lover’s beach
whale watching
golf
atvs

shop

la coyota
santo cabo

stay

Grand Solmar Land’s End Resort

website instagram | map

Nestled in between the cliffs of a giant rock formation (the one connected to the famous Arch) and the ocean, the views around the Grand Solmar Land’s End resort are unbeatable. Grand Solmar offers amenities like a variety of infinity pools, eight restaurants, hot tubs (and a grotto), swim up bars, three spas and a gym.

Start your morning with a workout class on the beach, or grab a latte at one of their coffeeshops nestled into the cliffs and take a walk on the beach to watch the sunrise.

Acre Baja

website | instagram |map

Located north of San Jose del Cabo, Acre Baja consists of twelve tree houses and is the perfect place for an unexpected Cabo vacation. While the rooms are small, you’ll have plenty to explore. A stay at Acre includes free yoga, breakfast and access to a private pool with incredible service all around. The resort also boasts a variety of animals, including donkeys, peacocks and rescue puppies that you can even adopt.

Wake up early to the roosters and grab your mat for yoga in the mango groves. Customize your mezcal cocktails at the pool bar and turn off your phone and other devices for the full experience.

For a full review of our stay at Acre Baja, click here.

others

There are hundreds of resorts in Cabo and they continue to build more, so the options are endless. As long as you take into consideration amenities you’re looking for onsite and how close you’d like to be to downtown, there are a lot of great resorts.

pueblo bonita pacifico 

website | instagram | map

If you like to golf, Pueblo Bonita is connected to Quivira, an award-winning golf course, located on the cliffs. Keep reading for more on Quivira.

sheraton hacienda del mar

website | instagram | map

If you’re visiting in January/February, be sure to watch the whales from the infinity pool.

the cape, a thompson hotel

website | instagram | map

The modern vibe of the Cape offers a unique Cabo experience and every corner is photo ready.

eat

Flora’s Field Kitchen at Flora Farms

website | instagram | map

Flora’s is located near Acre, and while it’s off the beaten path and away from both downtowns, it’s definitely worth the 45-minute drive from downtown Cabo San Lucas. The entire farm includes the restaurant, multiple shops, an organic market and even private cottages. Their alfresco dining experience is exactly what comes to mind when you think of farm to table, as everything on the menu is grown on the property or baked onsite. Even though it is out of the way, you will need a reservation.

Make a morning out of your trip to Flora’s, by visiting their shops and walking around the property. Don’t forget to try a Farmarita or Bloody Mary with your brunch. Dinner at Flora’s is also a memorable experience with string lights and live music.

El Farallon

website | instagram | map | menu

El Farallon is known as one of the best restaurants in Cabo, with a hard-to-get reservation. Located at the base of the cliffs of Pedregal, this award-winning restaurant is expensive, but would be perfect for a fancy date night.

Acre

website | instagram |map | menu

While I cover the full Acre experience (including their restaurant) in this blog post, i’ll hit the highlights on their restaurant here. Acre’s menus are so perfectly curated (and always changing), I’d recommend stopping here for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. The food is incredible, the cocktails are refreshing (some made with their own mezcal) and the decor is beautiful. 

Partake in a mezcal tasting before or after your meal and grab a bottle to take home if you can. Don’t miss the breakfast split (breakfast), tempura fish tacos (lunch) and seven-course chef’s menu (dinner).

La Lupita Taco & Mezcal

website | instagram | map | menu

A new(er) spot near Medano Beach, La Lupita is perfect for a dinner out with friends or family. The taco list is extensive and includes adventurous options like Cheese Crust Pastor (made with a cheese crust instead of a tortilla), Duck Mole and Octopus.

Grab dinner and drinks and stick around for the live music. The open-air restaurant hosts live bands on top of the roof of the building next door.

Bar Esquina

website | instagram | map | menu

Located near Medano Beach in the lobby of the Bahia Hotel, Bar Esquina is a lively (and a little bit pricey) restaurant, whether you’re heading there for brunch or dinner. They’ve also got a super trendy walk-up window, where you can order pastries, juices and coffee.

Add a custom juice to your breakfast/brunch order, like the orange, carrot, ginger and don’t miss the croque madame.

The Office

websitemap | menu

The Office is an institution in Cabo, perfect for an afternoon of eating, drinking and of course, people watching. The Office is settled into a nice spot on Medano Beach (which boasts a long stretch of bars for the “spring break” crowd), covered in umbrellas and you can dig your feet into the sand while you eat.

Walk along the beach while you wait for your table and enjoy margaritas the size of your head.

Tacos Guss

map

My favorite go-to spot for authentic tacos. Tacos Guss is a 24-hour casual restaurant, located in the middle of downtown Cabo San Lucas. In case your $2 taco isn’t enough, the restaurant provides you with a variety of sauces, salsas, free guacamole and chips to nosh on while you wait. And you’ll receive a platter of accompaniments for your tacos including onions, cilantro, pico de gallo, cucumbers, etc. They recently added a bar to the restaurant, meaning you can eat and drink on a budget.

Tacos Guss makes their tortillas fresh, meaning their tacos, quesadillas and burritos are wrapped in soft tortillas that melt in your mouth.

 

drink

While the majority of the drinks I consume in Cabo are margaritas I whip up in the room (tequila, cointreau, fresh lime juice, agave nectar, you can’t go wrong) there are a couple places that are worth heading out to grab a drink at.

Outpost

website | instagram | map | menu

A new(er) spot to downtown Cabo San Lucas, Outpost is a sister restaurant to Flora Farm’s. While they serve a full dinner menu on the lower level, their happy hour is a deal you can’t miss. From 3-6 pm every day, you can order 3 x 1 cocktails and they’ll bring them out one at a time. 

Mix and match your cocktails and order a few tapas on the rooftop. All herbs in the drinks are grown on the rooftop garden.

Ocote (Previously La Biblioteca de Tequila)

website | map

Located in the Marina, Ocote boasts over 150 tequilas, mezcals and agave spirits, making it the perfect place to test a variety or indulge in a delicious margarita made from the finest ingredients.

Order off the menu and choose your favorite tequila or mezcal (or a new kind) in a spicy margarita, paloma, etc.

Monkey Business

map

If you’re heading out downtown for a night out, Monkey Business is an excellent spot to grab a margarita, decorated with fruit and spices. It’s a tiny bar, but the bartenders are super friendly and make a mean beverage.

 

do

Visit Lover’s Beach (and the Arch)

The Grand Solmar Land’s End resort is located just a hike away from the famous Lover’s (and Divorce) Beach. The hike includes climbing giant rock formations near the edge of the water, but the views were incredible and made the final destination even better. If you’re staying elsewhere, you can grab a water taxi from the marina for a few dollars and take the ride over to the beach and swing by the Arch for a few photos along the way.

Watch the Whales

November – January is prime whale-watching season and you can watch them from the comfort of a pool chair at your resort. There are also tons of whale-watching tours that depart from the marina, but make sure you’re traveling during the peak times to get the best views of adult (and baby!) Humpback Whales. Orcas are also known to make rare appearances.

Hit the Links at Quivira

website | map

I went golfing for the first time (ever) at Quivira. The 18-hole course hugs the coast and includes four “comfort stations” along the way, where you rest and enjoy the scenery, and get served by bartenders and chefs, who are cooking up quick bites like shrimp quesadillas, kobe burgers and chicken salad croissants.

Take lots of pictures, the views are some of the best in Cabo San Lucas.

Ride ATVs

A few years ago, we traveled to Cabo with two other couples and planned an ATV tour through Cactus ATV Tours. When we arrived, our tour guide was feeling generous and upgraded us to the side-by-side roadsters, which were initially out of our price range. The tour was incredible, as we cruised through back roads, rocky areas, beaches and along the water. While it was near impossible to take photos during the ride, we stopped in a few locations where photos were a must.

 

shop

La Coyota

map

Owned by the creator of The Office, La Coyota is off the beaten path, but definitely worth a visit. La Coyota is a colonial-style hacienda, converted into a shop, where each room has a different theme of products and pieces, like pottery, furniture, clothing, linens and sculptures. My favorite area was located upstairs, and I went home with a pillow sham with tassels and a rug for our kitchen.

Santo Cabo

Santo Cabo sells local homemade body care and beauty products. They sell the products in three locations: Outpost, Flora Farm’s and in the San Jose Art District. We stopped in at Outpost, but I’ve previously been to the shop at Flora Farms, which is also beautiful.

Thanks for reading. I’d love to hear your favorite places to visit and things to do while in Cabo!

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