Cabo San Lucas

Cabo San Lucas and neighboring San José del Cabo (see separate listing within this region)—plus the 20-mile stretch of highway between them—are collectively known as Los Cabos. This is one of Mexico's leading resort areas, rivaling such hotspots as Cancún and Puerto Vallarta, and its popularity shows no sign of slowing down.

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Although Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo are united under a common name, each area has a distinct personality. Cabo San Lucas, the more populated of the two, draws golfers and sport-fishing fans as well as Generations X and Y, who come for the surfing, beaches and rowdy nightlife. Very much a playground packed with activities, Cabo is also more Americanized, especially the area near the marina where malls and stateside fast-food chains are numerous.

San José del Cabo is a much more traditional Mexican small town, complete with a central plaza and cathedral. It's quieter and more family-oriented than Cabo San Lucas, but also offers a growing number of sophisticated shops, galleries and restaurants.

Overall, Los Cabos has a more pronounced “north of the border” feel than other Mexican resort areas, due in part to its geographic isolation from the Mexican mainland and a tourism infrastructure with close ties to California and other Western states. American cars, products and dollars are all highly visible.

But Los Cabos also has a by-the-seaside feel that is distinctly Mexican, and an unspoiled grandeur of its desert setting. It's a setting that comes at a price, however. If you're in search of a bargain Mexican vacation, you won't find it in Los Cabos. Hotels, restaurants, taxis, shops and tour operators charge some of the steepest prices in Mexico; locals jokingly refer to Cabo San Lucas as “Caro San Lucas” (caro means expensive). That said, prices for goods and services do drop the farther you stray from the main tourist areas.