For the most part, I am not a spontaneous person, but I enjoy indulging my loved ones in their spontaneity, especially when travel is involved. So when my partner suggested that we go to Cabo—a trip that would give us respite from our busy work schedules—I needed no convincing. Plus, I love finding new reasons to fall in love with Mexico.

San José Del Cabo

It’s early June in Cabo, and already unbearably hot. The sun pricks at my skin like several tiny needles, an uncomfortable reminder that living in Northern California, where it’s cool almost year-round, has rendered my heat tolerance abysmal. Thankfully, we don’t suffer for long; a taxi soon arrives, offering relief in the form of A/C, as we make our way to San José del Cabo. 

Of the two cities that make up Los Cabos, San José is a little more laid-back, and since we were seeking a do-as-little-as-possible vacation, we chose the quieter of the two towns and booked an all-inclusive stay at Hyatt Ziva.

Our days were marked by little more than eating, sunbathing (albeit under shade because—did I mention?—the sun was sweltering), and enjoying the beauty of Mexico’s Pacific Coast.

La Paz

We should have spent all our time at Hyatt Ziva, and I would have been content. However, I had heard a lot about another town on the peninsula that was famous for its beaches: La Paz. Although the resort is a beachfront property, like many of the beaches in Cabo, swimming was prohibited due to the strong and dangerous currents. But what good is it to stay right on the beach without access to the ocean?

With this mindset, I suggested that we take a little road trip, which led me to plan what was probably an ill-advised excursion to La Paz.

Our day was supposed to start with visits to Playa El Tecolote and Playa Balandra, then end with sunset drinks at a rooftop restaurant in the main town. Only one of those three things proved possible. First, it took nearly three hours to reach Playa El Tecolote, even though my research showed a 90-minute journey. Turns out, I had accidentally looked up a street in town with the same name, instead of the beach. By the time we were ready to visit Playa Balandra, the entrance had closed for the day. Finally, since we needed to return to catch the last dinner seating at our resort, we forfeited the rooftop drinks and instead watched the sunset from the backseat of our hired car.

On the bright side, we did get to swim freely in the ocean with no dangerous currents in sight, gaze out at a gorgeous horizon framed by mountains and a brilliant blue sky, and watch a dreamy sunset as Cabo’s landscape, with its desert-like plains, coastal bluffs, and rolling hills, unfurled around us. None of this would have been possible if we had remained at the resort.

I may be consoling myself here, but the truth is, even our “ill-advised” adventure could not dampen the trip for me.

This visit to Cabo gave me exactly what I needed and more. We took mid-afternoon naps and moonlit walks around the resort, ate delicious meals we didn’t have to think about preparing, lounged poolside, cooled down with icy margaritas, and enjoyed each other’s company in the unique way that being on vacation affords—free from our usual obligations, with our time entirely our own.

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You can read another travel story from Mexico here, or type “Mexico” in the search bar below to find all my stories from this wonderful country.

Good to Know

Peninsula: refers to the Baja California peninsula, where Los Cabos and La Paz are situated.

Where we stayed: Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos.   

Where we ate: Since we booked all-inclusive and our meals were covered, we ate almost all our meals at Hyatt Ziva. My favorite restaurants on the property were Hacienda Baja Grill, Bon Vivant, and the buffet at La Plaza. 

How we got there: We flew United Airlines direct from San Francisco International to Los Cabos International Airport.

How we got around: We took one of the taxis stationed right outside the airport, as Ubers are not allowed to pick up there. They can drop off, though, so we took a taxi to catch our flight out of Cabo. 

For our road trip to La Paz, we used Uber to get us there, and then negotiated a price with our driver to bring us back. It would be difficult to get an Uber back to San Jose del Cabo from La Paz.

Visiting La Paz Beaches:

Playa El Tecolote: This is not a fancy beach with symmetrically lined matching umbrellas and uniformed waiters. When we visited in June, there was some seaweed washed up on the shore, which is fairly normal. If any of those are a problem for you, I would skip this spot. 

Playa Balandra: Since we didn’t get to visit, I don’t know what it’s like, but if you want to make it in, arrive before 4pm, as they limit entry to avoid overtourism. 

As always,  

Thank you for reading.

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Same Footprints, Different Sands