Cruises from Cabo San Lucas
At the southernmost tip of the 800 mile long Baja Peninsula, where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific Ocean, is the tropical paradise of Cabo San Lucas. What was merely a fishing village just twenty years ago, visited occasionally by California surfers and sport fishermen, has grown into one of Mexico’s leading tourist destinations. In recent years Cabo San Lucas has become an expensive international resort and the focus of Los Cabos. Despite all of the development, the town has been kept relatively pristine.
Cabo San Lucas enjoys an average temperature of 80°F and approximately 350 days of sunshine every year. Summer runs from the end of July through September and is generally hot and humid, with the possibility of short storms. Though hurricanes have hit the area, they usually pass safely to the south. When this happens Cabo may suffer rain for a day or two. Winter months bring cooler temperatures, with lows in December averaging 65° to 70°F and daytime highs between 73° and 80°F.
The small harbour faces a rocky peninsula, “Lands End”, and guarding it are the famous rock archways, El Arcos. The ocean floor drops to depths of around 1,200ft just off these rocks. An extraordinary phenomenon that has not been recorded anywhere else in the world, is an undersea waterfall. There is a deep canyon formed by the San Andreas Fault, where a cascade of sand continuously flows to the canyon floor. The whole of San Lucas Bay is a marine sanctuary and underwater park.
A reliable source of clean drinking water from underground springs, along with the sheltered bay, made this a regular anchorage for treasure ships from the Orient. Also drawn to the clean water and the possible treasure, were pirates who waited in hidden coves around the cape. This area is where some of the most famous pirates in the Pacific raided and plundered and even today, treasure hunters show up with a shovel and a dream of finding hidden gold and jewels.
The packed nightclubs and bars of Cabo San Lucas attract a young crowd for an evening of dancing, drinking and mingling. If you prefer a more relaxing vacation, the town offers miles of fabulous public beaches and crystal clear water. Perhaps a round of golf is more to your liking at one of the championship golf courses. Cabo San Lucas is especially popular with sports fishermen who crowd there all year round due to its status as the Mecca of big game trophy fish. If an underwater adventure is what you seek, you can go deep sea diving. There are fabulous black coral reef gardens, majestic sea turtles, a variety of tropical fish and don’t forget the undersea waterfalls. If you are feeling a little less adventurous there are glass-bottomed boats that tour the harbour. If you travel just outside of town you will find the historic lighthouse, Cabo Falso, “False Cape”.
There are plenty of taxis to be had, however, be prepared to pay between $15 and $25 and try to agree on a price before you enter the cab. There is also a very good bus service, which runs between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose, every 20 minutes at a cost of $2.50 per person. For excursions beyond the city limits rental cars are likely to be the cheapest option. Budget, Alamo, Dollar and National are among the rental agencies with offices in the town.
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