San Jose del Cabo-Romance Meets Rest and Relaxation
- Abigail Gaston
- Dec 12, 2018
- 9 min read
It is no secret that Jeff and I love to travel! But, you know what appears to be a well-kept secret from the mass amount of travelers who escape to beautiful Mexico? This lovely authentic Mexican destination just 20 miles northeast of Cabo San Lucas called San Jose del Cabo. San Jose del Cabo is the perfect romance meets rest and relaxation spot.
There are multiple reasons for Jeff and I to hold the memories of this lovely Mexico vacation in high regards, and to keep it a secret from other couples who wish to book a romantic vacation together themselves. However, we truly want to provide other couples with an opportunity to experience a Utopian-like getaway; therefore, why would we keep this well-kept secret a secret from our fellow love-birds?
I must admit that the discovery of this super cute Hispanic city, so full of originality and minimally touched by loud tourism, came completely by accident. About the time we first got the travel bug (for the record, I believe it was always there, what changed is that we stopped making excuses, and instead turned our wanderlust into wander-must), a very close friend of mine had just returned from Cabo San Lucas with her boyfriend. One evening during a delicious catch-up dinner, she filled my vacation curiosity with many wonderful details of the beautiful, natural landscape and the bustling, fun nightlife of Cabo San Lucas.
My friend went on and on that night about how she had an amazing time relaxing under the hot Mexican sun on the beaches of the Sea of Cortez and at the edge of the resort pool during the day and enjoyed the hopping party scene at night.
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With these extremely pleasant visuals in mind, I just had to turn my daydreams of Cabo San Lucas into a reality; I too wanted to this experience. That said, with this being Jeff's and my first trip together, I also wanted a little more romance than "the party scene" would provide. I did not want college spring break; I wanted something that is almost embarrassing to say out loud; I wanted that quixotic type of silly, impulsive amor vacation feeling. I mean, it was our first vacation after all.
While researching different resorts in Cabo San Lucas and trying to get the best bang for our buck, I came upon this 4-star resort called Posada Real Los Cabos that offered free buffet style breakfast daily and all inclusive beverages, alcoholic and non-alcoholic, all day until 12:00 a.m. The pictures were nice, the reviews were pleasant, and the price was excellent (or at least so I thought; I now know a few more secrets for an even cheaper experience with even more amenities).
Flights + resort + amenities = $1,200.00 each
The few trips I had been on leading up to our Mexican escape had been planned and booked through a travel agency. This was my very first Expedia assisted vacation. I was what my current self would call a “Newbie.” Little did I know I had scheduled our vacation thirty minutes outside Cabo San Lucas. Whoops! Although this was an accident that ended up being a tremendous adventure, and we ended up getting two cities for the price of one, essentially I goofed!
When we landed at Cabo San Lucas International, we told the airport shuttle booth our resort name and they directed us to the “San Jose del Cabo side” of the shuttle pickup area. I did not really read too much into it; we were too excited to get to our resort and get settled in for a six night, seven day relaxing stay under the hot Mexican sun. This was the dream vacation I had heard so much about through my friend and I was ready for it.
About 15 minutes later, while sharing a ride with 4 other couples in an airport shuttle, we discovered that we were heading to a smaller town about thirty minutes outside Cabo San Lucas (or a forty minute bus ride). Initially, we were a bit disappointed by this news. However, other travelers in the shuttle who were going to surrounding resorts in San Jose del Cabo informed us that it really is a beautiful area; nice and relaxing, plus quieter than Cabo San Lucas. But, Cabo San Lucas is an easy commute southwest for the days we would want to head over to the busier area.
I am not too sure that the quietness of the area really mattered to us much, but we were happy to hear that people had previously visited and had decided to return. In fact, one couple loved the area so much that they had been traveling to the same resort in San Jose del Cabo for Thanksgiving week every year for the past three. They stated that they could go elsewhere, but they love San Jose del Cabo so much and look forward to it each year.
That affirmation, mixed with the fact that we left a winter snow storm behind us in Michigan, was enough to remind us that we were simply happy just to be in sunny, warm Mexico, and we were going to make the most of our Latin vacation!
Posada Real Los Cabo is one of the smaller resorts in San Jose del Cabo. However, with that said, they do a wonderful job providing guests with a grand experience of Mexican authenticity and culture. From deliciously crafted foods and beverages, to flea market like shopping experiences. I must note here that my boyfriend had “the best chicken tacos of his life” at the swim-up bar at this resort, and to this day he still compares chicken tacos to Posada Real Los Cabos’ chicken tacos. Another wonderful feature that Posada Real Los Cabo offers is nightly live Hispanic music in the lobby bar area.
There were a few aspects of Posada Real that we were not particularly keen on; however, they were tolerable. The service of the staff, the fact that we had a wonderful walkout patio with a great view, and the features already discussed above, far made up for the few displeasure's we encountered.
However, because I truly believe that honesty is the best policy, I will let you in on the specifics that we did not care for at Posada Real. First, the bed was really hard. So hard, that it was a bit difficult to get a real good night sleep (hopefully, they have put in some upgrades in this area). Second, and this really was not a huge deal; however, there was a small store on the property but the hours appeared to be odd. I believe they closed pretty early and opened later in the morning. That said, there are multiple stores between 1 minute and 5 minutes walk.
As for the surrounding area, it is absolutely beautiful! The beaches are made up of white sand and they are quieter than the ones in Cabo San Lucas. Therefore, if you are looking for a romantic picnic destination or a peaceful area where you can relax and catch up on your reading or sleep even, then you definitely should vacation in San Jose del Cabo.
The roads and sidewalks are very safe and clean as well. I was told by locals that the city really keeps up on the appearance of San Jose del Cabo because many American's come there to live year during the winter months, some even year-round, and therefore they want to make sure the area is beautiful and the sidewalks and roads are safe from holes and debris for walkers, runners, and bikers. After visiting Cabo San Lucas, I realized that the roads and sidewalks in San Jose del Cabo are actually cleaner and more put together than the roads and streets in Cabo San Lucas, and the landscapes of all the business that lined the streets were perfectly manicured; I was highly impressed.
The bus stop is about a five minute walk from Posada Real and many other nearby resorts. Jeff and I walked to and from the bus stop during morning time, mid-day, and at night, and not one time did we feel threatened or scared.
The restaurants and shopping centers are very clean as well, and the employees are extremely kind and helpful when it comes to directions and information about the city. Also, we met many U.S. Citizens who live in San Jose del Cabo full-time; the U.S. Natives we met either retired to San Jose del Cabo, have a job that they complete remotely and can live anywhere in the world but choose San Jose del Cabo, or actually work in or near San Jose del Cabo. In my opinion, this speaks volumes for the area!
The lovely little authentic town of San Jose del Cabo…
For a good three days of our trip, we thought what we had already seen was it, and we were okay with that. However, we were pleasantly surprised that there was this adorable and fun, genuine Hispanic downtown about five minutes from our resort. San Jose del Cabo's downtown is going in the opposite direction of Cabo San Lucas, so we never passed it on the bus. One perfect evening, we ventured downtown for dinner and a little shopping. What we found was so much more than what we expected.
Downtown San Jose del Cabo is absolutely charming. There are many local pubs and restaurants that line the main and side streets, as well as numerous little local souvenir, clothing and antique shops, and shops selling authentic Mexican treats and alcoholic drinks that we took back to our hotel for a late night romantic patio snack and night cap under the stars.
The best part of downtown San Jose del Cabo was the entertainment (and the churros) . At the end of the main street, just before entering the town square, we came upon a pretty large crowd huddled around something exciting. As we were walking, taking in the Mexican cultures pleasantries, and exploring the adorable shops (I must add that much of the merchandise was handmade), we heard clapping, cheering, and music coming from the large crowd. The people appeared to be having a wonderful time and I felt the urge to join in as quickly as possible!
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Jeff and I turned our leisurely stroll into a brisk walk; we did not want to miss out on the fun! As we came up on the crowd, we noticed a group of children in authentic Mexican dress dancing to a band of bongo drums and two guitars. It was so fun; they were all so wonderful. It was an event that I hoped to see but had not yet seen in the few days we spent roaming Cabo San Lucas and the area we thought was downtown San Jose del Cabo.
Beyond the crowd where the street met the town square, we noticed street vendors and food trucks. This is when we had our very first churro! It was amazing!! Fresh and hot out of the…deep fryer. They definitely are not nutritionally sensible, but they were crispy on the outside, soft, warm, and almost gooey on the inside and sprinkled with the perfect amount of cinnamon and sugar. At that moment in time, I could have sworn they were the best thing I have ever tasted. They were the best dang churros we have ever had. Maybe it was the moment, maybe it was the experience, but maybe it simply was the best churro ever!
Now, although I truly believe that San Jose del Cabo is a lovely Mexican city and truly worthy of your travel time, if you are looking for a more upbeat place to vacation, San Jose del Cabo may not be right for you. It is the perfect place for some R&R, but if you are looking for busy beaches with tourist attractions, night life, and hustle and bustle, Cabo San Lucas is likely your best bet in the Baja California Sur area. Maybe book your vacation in Cabo San Lucas and take a half-day trip to San Jose del Cabo to check out this little authentic town; it is worth the bus ride, I promise.
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Interested in visiting Cabo San Lucas during your San Jose del Cabo vacation?
The fastest way to get from San Jose del Cabo to Cabo San Lucas is by taxi. Taxi will get you there in about 25 minutes but will cost you a hefty $40 plus tip. In my opinion, the most economical mode of transportation is by bus. There is one bus stop from San Jose del Cabo to Cabo San Lucas and it is across the street from the “Mega,” a grocery super-center similar to Walmart. The bus fare is an easy $2 per person. The bus ride from San Jose del Cabo to Cabo San Lucas takes roughly 40 minutes, but it is a beautiful ride; there are lots of scenic photo opportunities and the buses themselves are modern, clean, and comfortable.
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