Easy, breezy Baja California is where Los Angelenos go to play. But for Recent Yorkers, getting there was hardly hassle-free.
That’s until JetBlue added its day by day year-round flight from JFK to Los Cabos International Airport two years ago. Since then, tristaters make up 5% of the famed peninsula’s visitors, up from fewer than 1% in years prior.
But heading to Los Cabos doesn’t just mean one thing. Below is a primer to having a blast in southern Baja’s 4 most important regions, alongside their equivalents from our own nearby answer to the promontory: Long Island.
Is Montauk a must-do? Try Todos Santos
Hotelier turned wellness guru Chip Conley has his Modern Elder Academy campus here, which he calls a “midlife wisdom” school, an indication of the vibes here — come yoga-ready. This corner of Los Cabos has superb sandy beaches, however the breezy weather off the Pacific makes the water less ideal for swimmers than it’s for surfers.
San Pedrito’s exposed beach break is a year-round standout. Even when you can’t easily dip within the waters, the West Coast perch guarantees killer sunsets — head to the bar on Cerritos Beach, a rare swimmable stretch, for superb views. The dining scene is heavy on farm-to-table and food trucks: Try the huitlacoche ceviche on the restaurant at minimalist hotel Paradero or gorge on bargain-priced fish tacos on the Barracuda truck.
Stay: Check in on the recently reimagined, now-103-room Rancho Pescadero (doubles from $895), set in its own 30-acre gardens with indoor-outdoor rooms.
North Forker or nowhere? Hit the East Cape
Anchored by the town of Cabo Pulmo, that is probably the most countrified corner of the region: Be prepared that even cellular phone coverage might be spotty. It’s an area that the villagers declared a reserve three a long time ago to guard their waters from overfishing — a pioneering eco-tourism effort — they usually proceed to administer numbers.
Come now to dive or snorkel within the teeming Gulf of California, as many Cabo locals do each weekend: Among the many 10 most important dive sites, don’t miss the everlasting colony of bull sharks at El Pensador — book a visit with Cabo Pulmo Dive Shop. The beaches on this side are rockier, but swimmable; probably the most appealing is at Cabo Pulmo, where there’s also the one fringing reef on the Pacific Coast.
Stay: Until Amanvari opens here next 12 months, the one selection is the 4 Seasons Resort (doubles from $800) at the brand new Costa Palmas development — it has its own marina, so be at liberty to moor your superyacht right next to your villa.
East Hampton hedonist? Cabo San Lucas is good
Probably the most famous center in Baja stays its best place to party and yep, you’ll find Señor Frogs and Co. on the 20-mile “tourist strip.” But there are also loads of upscale options: Hit Bar Esquina, the ultra-cool grill and bar contained in the Bahia Hotel, with décor that’s a delicious mishmash of Mexico and Morocco while Sunset Monalisa has romantic tables for 2 on the clifftop overlooking El Arco, the recently collapsed arch at Baja’s southernmost tip.
Come, too, for sport fishing from the marina — Picante is a reliable operator — or browse for souvenirs contained in the gleaming Puerto Paraiso Mall, where local stores like Mi Mexico Magico selling artisanal goodies sit alongside the international brands.
Stay: The Waldorf Astoria’s a super bolt-hole here (doubles from $1,093). It’s minutes from the motion but separated by a specially built 650-foot tunnel which connects to the hotel’s site by itself self-contained beach.
Sag Harbor snob? Go to San José del Cabo
At the opposite end of the tourist trip from CSL, this artsy village-like hub is its antithesis.
With all cobblestone streets, colonial buildings and galleries — there are almost three dozen downtown. Standout art spots include Corsica Galleria, which focuses on well-known modern Mexican artists like sculptor Jorge Marín or contemporary specialist Casa Dahlia. Stroll around on Thursday nights when the streets are car-free and there’s live music.
Stuff yourself on locally caught seafood amongst a leafy garden in the humanities district at La Panga Antigua, and provides thanks for the trip on the nearby mission church: Tie a white ribbon to the rack near St. Charbel Makhlouf — it’s a convention for locals where they express their gratitude.
Stay: Zadun is a component of Ritz-Carlton’s toniest tier, Reserve (doubles from $1,499). The 115-room resort sits between two superb golf courses, one each designed by Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman.
