CABO – we’ve all seen the ads and people we know have vacationed there, which makes it a hot destination especially for those of us who live in California. I recently got back from a trip to Cabo San Lucas or Cabo as it is most commonly known as. The last time I visited was about 8 years ago and we hadn’t gone back because it wasn’t necessarily our favorite beach destination in Mexico, but we found a great deal on the flight (more on that later), so we booked the trip. When we were there last, we purchased a timeshare, one that could be used in several resorts throughout Mexico so the subsequent years we decided to check those out instead of going back to Cabo. We went to the one in Cancun a couple of times, and we also visited the two in Puerto Vallarta. If you follow me on social media, then you must’ve seen the post I shared saying I was not very fond of Cabo, and here I’ll explain why. Now, people have varying opinions, and for the most part everyone I know loves Cabo. Love is not a word I would use when referencing Cabo, and here’s why. I’m going to break it down in pros and cons so you can better understand it and so I can better explain it.
PROs
It’s a short flight from LA; about 3 hours. We actually flew from Tijuana so it was more like a little over 2 hours. The short flying time makes it a great destination because it can easily be a weekend getaway versus other beach destinations in Mexico where the flight time is longer. This is why Cabo tends to be a favorite location for people in California, especially the SoCal area.
It’s all in US dollars. Even though the currency is the Mexican peso because you are in Mexico after all, the US dollar is used more which makes it easier for people who don’t like calculating the price equivalent or asking for the prices in US dollars. Also makes it easier since you won’t have to exchange your currency for pesos.
It’s a pretty safe place compared to other places in Mexico. The Baja peninsula isn’t necessarily a route for drug cartels which means no one is fighting for control of the territory, which in turn means no cartel related violence.
It’s a very chill, laid-back place which means it’s perfect for resting by the pool or beach. Because there’s pretty much nowhere to go outside of San Jose del Cabo and Todos Santos, you have a lot of free time to yourself and to rest. If this is what you’re looking for, then it’s a great place to visit. On the other hand, it’s also a party place so if that’s what you’re looking for, then you’ll find that as well. Just make sure to choose your resort accordingly based on the activities you’d like to do while you’re there so you don’t find yourself complaining about the party ambiance in the hotel when all you wanna do is sleep and relax, and vice versa.
CONs
It’s way too Americanized, at least for my taste. It honestly never felt like I was in Mexico, but rather at a resort in Laguna Beach. While there’s nothing wrong with that, that’s not necessarily what I’m looking for when I travel to Mexico. There’s English everywhere; hardly any Spanish is spoken. But that didn’t stop me from speaking Spanish; I spoke in Spanish to everyone. It just means English is spoken everywhere by everyone which in turn doesn’t feel like you’re in Mexico. Everything is catered to the Americans coming from the states which for example, means the Mexican food isn’t really Mexican. Everything is handled in English and in US dollars which in turn makes everything more expensive. When I visit Mexico, I want to feel like I’m in Mexico. I want to speak the language, I wanna deal in pesos (because it’s a major win for us), I wanna eat authentic Mexican food, etc. That’s not the feeling I get when I’m in Cabo. Now, on the other hand, if you’re not Latino or are simply not bothered by that, then you’ll enjoy it. This is just based on my preferences.
There’s nothing to do. Besides partying which I already mentioned, there’s very few things to do, and I’m not necessarily talking about water activities. While there are water activities to do (which aren’t really my thing), there’s a sunset cruise you can take and that’s about it. For example there’s no ferry you can take to a close by island or a town close by you can drive to or take a tour to besides San Jose del Cabo and Todos Santos. San Jose del Cabo just has a small plaza you can visit as well as Todos Santos which is a few streets plus a small plaza. Neither one will take you a full day. When I vacation in Mexico, believe it or not, it’s rarely to rest, but more so to explore. If you’ve been following along for a while now, you know that even when we visit beach destinations, some of those days are left for exploring nearby areas and maybe one day for actual resting. Cabo doesn’t have anywhere close by to go so for me it ends up being a waste of time and money because if I wanted to sit by a pool or the beach for days at a time, I’d book a resort in Laguna Beach or something like that where I wouldn’t necessarily have to spend so much money traveling.
The beaches are not the best. It’s essentially the same ocean we have in LA and for those that live here, you know we don’t have great beaches with the exception of maybe a few. I prefer beaches in the Atlantic or Caribbean with the crystal clear waters and white sand. That’s not what you’ll find here. Also, many of the beaches the resorts are located on have rocky sand so that’s something you really need to research before booking one. The resort we stayed at which is where we have our timeshare at is located on one of the best beaches there so we didn’t have an issue with that. But that’s not the case everywhere.
It’s pricey. If you live in California, then expect pretty much the same prices. To say that about a Mexican resort location is to say it’s expensive. California is expensive but we’re used to it because we live here, but that’s not what you expect when going to Mexico. You expect everything to be cheaper and expect to get more for your money. That’s not the case here so be prepared to spend. If you live elsewhere in the US outside of California then it will be expensive. A local tour guide that took us to Todos Santos during our stay was telling us that there is pretty much no Mexican (national) tourism in Cabo because it’s an expensive location to visit and vacation in. That’s why there’s so many tourists from the states and no actual Mexican tourists. That’s not the case at the other locations in Mexico we’ve visited.
IN CONCLUSION
Would I visit again? Yes, because our timeshare is there, but it would probably be for 2-3 days max and probably once the new resort that’s part of our timeshare has opened so we can check out a new one. Would I recommend it? It’s not my fave. It doesn’t even make my list. If someone asked me about visiting, I’d give them the pros and cons I’ve listed here and let them decide because I know I wish I would’ve known these things before visiting the first time. The first time we visited we were slightly disappointed which is why I like to share with people what I now know so they know what to expect.
Out of all the beach resort destinations we’ve visited in Mexico (Cancun, Tulum, Mazatlan, Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, etc.), Cabo would probably make it to the last place on that list. Like I said, this is my personal opinion and the experience I’ve had, so that doesn’t mean you won’t like it. I know people that love it; it’s just not my type of place. If you’re planning on visiting or looking to visit in the future, I hope this post helped you and you now know what to expect. Nonetheless, that doesn’t mean we didn’t enjoy our time there, because we did and made the best of the trip so there will be another post on Cabo with more pictures from our visit, so stay tuned!
