But make no mistake. It was Hagar and his hard-rocking Van Halen bandmates who put the destination on the musical map back in 1988; and it’s Hagar’s Cabo Wabo Cantina that continues to be the area’s best live music venue.

No need to choose sides, though. Both rock and country songs feature prominently in our inaugural “ultimate Cabo playlist,” as does hip hop, and even holiday music.

We present the Top 5 songs about Los Cabos:

Cabo San Lucas by Toby Keith

Perhaps it was the 2003 duet by Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffet, “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere,” that proved country music’s compatibility with sultry sea breezes and golden sand beaches. What’s certain is that Los Cabos has been a big beneficiary of this burgeoning subgenre of “permanent vacation” narratives extolling the simple pleasures of a laid-back life in paradise. Oklahoma born singer-songwriter Toby Keith is a master of the form, and one of the biggest proponents of the Cabeño lifestyle in recent years. “Stays in Mexico” was his first nod to the area, but the baritone ballad “Cabo San Lucas,” off the 2008 album That Don’t Make Me A Bad Guy, is undoubtedly his best. The song perfectly captures the feeling of drifting down to the southernmost point of the 800-mile-long Baja peninsula and discovering you don’t ever want to leave: “I’m leavin’ you this message and if you give a damn/And you wanna call me you know where I am/In Cabo, Cabo San Lucas/Way down in Mexico, way down in Cabo.”

His daughter Krystal Keith sings it real nice, too.

Cabo Wabo by Van Halen

No celebrity is more closely associated with Cabo San Lucas than Sammy Hagar. The former Montrose and Van Halen frontman famously sang of the town’s charms on the latter’s 1988 album OU812 – “There’s a sleepy town as south of the border/If you go there once, you’ll be there twice/Lots of pretty girls, coming by the dozens/The white sand sure makes a tan look nice” – two years before the band opened up a cantina with the same name as the song: Cabo Wabo. Hagar eventually bought out his erstwhile bandmates, and turned the place into one of the area’s most successful clubs. He still shows up for his annual birthday bashes, and to this day, no one evokes (or embodies) the town’s party hearty atmosphere quite like “The Red Rocker.” This year, in fact, he was officially named an ambassador for the destination.

Cabo by Bankrol Hayden

Still only 21-years-old, California native Bankrol Hayden is a rising star in the hip hop world.  Like any Cali kid, Bankrol knows all about the attractions of a Los Cabos vacation. “Met a shawty down in Cabo and she’s a model/Got a villa by the beach, feel like Pablo.” It should come as no surprise given Bankrol’s youth, but he’s got a fesh perspective on the things that define the Los Cabos lifestyle. This is evidenced by, among other things, his drink of choice. While the country guys sing about drinking beer in Mexico, Bankrol delights in shouting out fine Clase Azul tequila. So far, Bankrol’s “Cabo” has logged nearly 10 million views for his YouTube channel.

Beer in Mexico by Kenny Chesney

According to the liner notes for his album The Road and the Radio, country music superstar Kenny Chesney wrote “Beer in Mexico” while vacationing in Los Cabos and hanging out with Sammy Hagar during the latter’s annual birthday bash at Cabo Wabo Cantina. The song peaked at #51 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart back in 2007, but has since become a classic of its kind, albeit with a bit of a twist on the standard “permanent vacation” narrative. Rather than being seen as a final destination, Mexico is posited as a sort of sun-soaked limbo: the kind of place where one can escape, regain some much needed perspective, and “Let the warm air melt these blues away.” The narrator, at a crossroads between getting married and settling down, or staying single and free, puts off any ultimate choice with the sensible decision to “Sit right here and have another beer in Mexico.”

Stays in Mexico by Toby Keith

Las Vegas gets a lot of publicity for promoting the “what happens here, stays here” philosophy, but such sentiments are taken for granted in Los Cabos. The sea and oceanside playground – with its abundance of lively bars and clubs, and surfeit of romantic luxury resorts – has long been a haven for those who want to shake off their inhibitions to do things they’d never dream of back home. “His name was Steve, her name was Gina/They met at a bar called Cabo Wabo Cantina.” So begins “Stays in Mexico,” Toby Keith’s paean to whirlwind vacation romances. The song ends with the lovers at the airport, ready to return to their separate lives. But neither will ever forget the time “They walked down to the beach and started drinking again/Jumped into the ocean for a dirty swim/One more margarita they were falling in love/One more is never enough.”

Bonus Track

Christmas in Cabo San Lucas by Merle Haggard

Bing Crosby never dreamed of a “White Christmas” in Los Cabos, although the legendary crooner was a frequent visitor to the area. There’s just something about 80 degree weather that makes it hard to get into the seasonal spirit … at least from a songwriting perspective. One man who did make an effort to capture the heated up holiday mood, however, was outlaw country icon Merle Haggard. Rather than rueing the lack of snow, Haggard mined the beachfront scenery for  lyrical content in “Christmas in Cabo San Lucas,” one of the more memorable cuts from his 2004 album, I Wish I Was Santa Claus. “There’s tinsel lights on the palm trees/And candy canes stuck in the sand/There’s no snow on the beaches of Baja/and I won’t need gloves on my hands.”

Want your business featured in our directory and promoted by CaboViVO, please be sure to contact us here, thanks…

Saludos from Co-Founders…

Chris Sands – Writer  and Michael Mattos

The post The Ultimate Cabo Playlist: The Top 5 Songs About Los Cabos appeared first on CaboViVO.

But certainly, in terms of tourism, some seasons are busier than others…and for most of the 50+ year history of the area as a tourist destination, August and September have been the height (or more accurately, the nadir) of low season.

In fact, although cape cities Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo are now considered year-round travel destinations – with the occupancy rates to prove it – many long-time local businesses still shut down for remodeling, repairs, or rest during the August-September dog days.

And as the phrase dog days suggests, these months are the hottest of the year in Los Cabos, and also occur during the peak of hurricane season, when the occasional storm floods local streets and drives beachgoers back to the air-conditioned comfort and security of their resorts or vacation rentals.

Does it sound like we’re trying to dissuade people from visiting during August and September? Quite the contrary. Despite the heat and occasional storms, this is actually one of the best times of year to visit for some of the region’s signature outdoor activities. And for those who like bargains (who doesn’t, really?), this is the best time of year to take advantage of reduced room rates, specialty activities packages, and discounted greens fees at area golf courses.

The best reasons to visit during these months, however, are the optimal conditions for outdoor activities and adventures like big-game fishing, surfing, snorkeling and diving, and more.

With that in mind, here are our top 5 reasons to visit Los Cabos during what remains of the summer season in 2021.

Spectacular Big-Game Fishing for Blue and Black Marlin

Make no mistake. There is no bad time to go fishing in Los Cabos. But for those interested in getting their hooks into enormous black and blue marlin, there is definitely a “best” time…and it starts right now. Why do you think Bisbee’s hosts its trio of big-money tournaments every year in August and October? Bisbee’s East Cape Offshore saw a record 704 lb. blue marlin bagged last year, and went over the million-dollar mark in prize money for the first time. Now all three tournaments have a prize pool in seven figures. Despite the lucrative competitive allure, however, visiting anglers don’t need to enter any tournaments to enjoy the region’s spectacular big-game sportfishing. Charter boats are always available from the Cabo San Luas Marina.

World-Class Conditions at Unforgettable Scuba Diving Destinations

Los Cabos boasts spectacular year-round diving, with a half-dozen great sites at Land’s End alone, plus easy access to the living coral reef at Cabo Pulmo–one of the oldest and largest in the Western Hemisphere–and dedicated shipwreck dive sites in both Los Cabos and La Paz. One local boat, the Solmar V, even offers week-long trips to the Revillagigedo Archipelago, some 250 miles south of Cabo San Lucas, for unbelievable underwater encounters with deep sea creatures like manta rays, dolphins and great white sharks. The best times to visit in terms of water temperatures and visibility, however, are during the late summer and early autumn months. From July through October, water temperatures typically range from about 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Cabo Pulmo is the recommended regional dive site during peak season, offering access to the spectacular coral reef, as well as the densest accumulation of fish and other marine life in the Sea of Cortez (over 800 species, thanks to its protected status as a national marine park and UNESCO World Heritage Site).

Family-Friendly Programs to Help Protect Endangered Sea Turtles

Five of the world’s seven endangered sea turtle species come to Baja California to lay their eggs–the green turtle, hawksbill, loggerhead, olive riddle and leatherback (the largest sea turtle and the world’s fastest aquatic reptile)–with local conservation agencies and some area resorts offering opportunities to assist in the hatchling process. Why is this help so important? Although mature sea turtles are long-lived and have few predators, they are in great danger during their initial journey away from the nest, extremely vulnerable to predators on both land and sea. The help visitors give, in other words, contributes to the long lives of hatchlings, and also to the continuation of these remarkable species. In Los Cabos, sea turtle season begins in late August.

Peak Conditions for Surfing the Sea of Cortez

Surfers will find great waves in Baja California Sur on a year-round basis, although the scene shifts according to the season. During the winter months, for example, the best top breaks are found on the Pacific Coast, most notably off beaches like Cerritos, San Pedrito and La Pastora. The Sea of Cortez takes center stage during the summer months, when seasonal weather fronts and storms send perfect southeast swells towards Los Cabos and its beautiful East Cape. Los Cabos sites like Monuments (Playa Monumentos) reach their zenith during the summer, as do East Cape meccas like Nine Palms and Shipwrecks. The most famous summer break, however, is Zippers at Playa Costa Azul in San Jose del Cabo, formerly the host of the only WSL sponsored tournament in the area. Zippers and The Rock as Costa Azul are best left to the experts, but Costa Azul’s middle break and nearby Acapulquito are popular spots for beginners, and lessons are available.

Amazing Opportunities to Swim Side-by-Side with the World’s Largest Fish

The whale shark is the largest fish in the world, reaching up to 40 feet in length, and weighing as much as 47,000 pounds. There is no risk in swimming with these gentle giants, however, since they subsist solely on plankton. Baja California Sur’s capital city of La Paz is the premier place to indulge in this unforgettable wildlife adventure, with the majority of interactions occurring near the tip of the El Mogote peninsula. For those interested in whale shark swims, complimentary round-trip transportation from Los Cabos is provided by several respected activities providers, beginning during the month of August each year.

Want your business, activity or event featured and promoted by CaboViVO, please be sure to contact us here, thanks…

Saludos from Co-Founders…

Chris Sands – Writer  and Michael Mattos

The post Top 5 Reasons to Visit Los Cabos This Summer – 2021 Edition appeared first on CaboViVO.

It’s not that the beaches and big-game fishing aren’t still spectacular, mind you, it’s that the better class of resorts in cape cities Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo have spent the last two decades adding amenity after pampering amenity in an attempt (overwhelmingly successful, by the way) to turn Los Cabos into one of the world’s great luxury destinations.

At the heart of this reimagining are incredible collections of championship level golf courses and luxurious spas. The region now boasts no less than 18 currently operating golf courses designed by legendary names like Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Greg Norman, and expansive and decadent spas are now found at virtually every local upscale resort.

We’ve given plenty of updates recently on the golfing scene, but very few in regards the collection of spas. So with that in mind, here are five great new luxury spa options to enjoy on your next trip to Los Cabos…

Waldorf Astoria Spa at Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal

By any name, this Pedgregal property is world-class. Originally opened as Capella Pedregal in 2009, the boutique 96-r00m resort was subsequently renamed The Resort at Pedregal before taking on the Waldorf Astoria imprimatur in 2019. The latter is a virtual synonym for luxury travel, and what were already five star amenities–the longest private tunnel in Mexico, cliffside dining above crashing Pacific Ocean waves–have now been elevated to the level of must-try destination experiences.

That’s certainly the case with the Waldorf Astoria Spa, which was created by renowned spa designer Sylvia Sepelli and offers pampering treatments grouped around central themes of the moon, the sea and Mexican folk healing. For example, massages based on lunar cycles and an indigenous herbal detox using the potent properties of indigenous Baja plants.

All the traditional spa bells and whistles are also found here, however, from an upscale beauty salon and a state-of-the-art fitness center to ten private treatment rooms and tennis courts with stunning elevated Cabo San Lucas city views.

Oasis Spa at Four Seasons Resort Los Cabos at Costa Palmas

This resort is the first ever luxury property on the East Cape of Los Cabos, a 70-mile belly-shaped arc that extends northward from San Jose del Cabo. For decades, the East Cape has been the last refuge for those who loved the old Baja of dirt roads and under-the-radar dive and surf spots.

That Baja still exists, but so too does a new kind of East Cape experience, an exclusive luxury hideaway on the coast at La Ribera. Relaxing couples’ treatments like side-by-side massages are a specialty of the house, offering intimacy and an enhanced state of relaxation across a variety of indoor and outdoor spaces, from private rooms to plunge pools to romantic strolls through the aromatic onsite herb garden.

Like the Waldorf Astoria Spa, Oasis also offers folk rituals based on the healing properties of indigenous plants. Yoga and breath work on the beach, exfoliating treatments for face, body, hands and feet, and the full-service Rossano Ferretti salon are yet more reasons to discover this newly opened Oasis.

SE Spa at Grand Velas Los Cabos

Now open for only a little more than three years, it was SE Spa at Grand Velas that ushered in the new era of luxury spas in Los Cabos.

At over 35,000 square feet, SE Spa is enormous. However, it’s not just sheer size alone that set it apart from all the Los Cabos spas that came before it, but the overwhelming displays of pampering decadence, including a pool and bath area so immense and well-equipped it would make a reincarnated Roman Emperor blush.

SE Spa doesn’t have staff, it has body artisans, and the onsite spa atelier program is the only one of its kind in Los Cabos, with hour plus therapies custom tailored to the needs of guests. In addition to the large array of treatments and massages–which range from pre-Colombian rituals to Ayurvedic medicine and well beyond–the spa also offers beauty and wellness options like a state-of-the-art fitness center, full-service beauty salon and men’s barbershop.

Spa Montage at Montage Los Cabos

Inspired perhaps by Grand Velas, which had premiered its resort with the largest spa ever seen on the Baja California peninsula, Montage upped the ante when it opened its luxury resort on Playa Santa María in the tourist corridor between cape cities Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo in June 2018

Spa Montage spotlights a whopping 40,000 square feet of wellness spaces–meaning it’s now the largest spa in Baja history–the introduction to which is a gorgeous entrance that utilizes a stepping stone pathway that weaves across a clear water lagoon. From there, the facilities only get more and more impressive, from a massive adults-only serenity pool to garden lounges, hydrotherapy stations, beauty salon, and treatment rooms for all guests 16 years and older.

A 24-hour fitness center, regularly scheduled yoga classes, Pilates and a beachfront boot camp are also available, as is an expansive spa boutique featuring resort clothing and upscale beauty products.

Esencia Wellness at Nobu Hotel Los Cabos

There was excitement aplenty about the opening of a Nobu restaurant in Los Cabos…even more when it turned out it was part of a boutique Nobu resort on the Pacific Coast north of Cabo San Lucas, in the exclusive Diamante property development.

Chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s acclaimed fusion of traditional Japanese cuisine with Peruvian (and now Baja) ingredients is one reason to visit. Another is Esencia Wellness, an onsite spa that’s grounded in Japanese traditions but also promises plenty of modern refinements.

The pampering spa occupies over 13,000 square feet at Nobu, and features 13 treatment rooms, a spacious fitness center, a full-service salon, indoor hydrotherapy areas, and an outdoor hydrotherapy garden that includes steam, sauna, jacuzzi and more.

Signature offerings include Nobu Zen, a custom treatment that utilizes several techniques to alleviate stress.

The same description could just as easily be applied to Los Cabos itself. So do yourself a favor and plan a visit soon!

Want your business, activity or event featured and promoted by CaboViVO, please be sure to contact us here, thanks…

Saludos from Co-Founders…

Chris Sands – Writer  and Michael Mattos

The post Top 5 Luxury Spas in Los Cabos appeared first on CaboViVO.

Ours is now a life lived primarily indoors, alone or in small family units, as we try to stay safe by limiting exposure to other people. You can’t get the virus if you don’t come into contact with it, so the safest course of action is to accept an enforced solitude, a self-quarantine-like social distancing. It’s the responsible thing to do. For everyone. Especially our most vulnerable citizens.

There’s nothing more insidious than a virus you can pass on to hundreds of people before you even know you have it. That’s why the current mantra is, by necessity, to stay smart, stay safe, and by all means stay home!

Isolation definitely isn’t a recipe for long-term happiness. Indeed, most of us are probably climbing the walls already. But it’s not the worst thing in the world either, to enjoy the comforts of home with the aid of modern conveniences like Wi-Fi and Netflix, all while munching on popcorn or snacks from the latest Walmart delivery.

Of course, like everything else, the dining experience has been completely transformed. 50 years ago Cabeños did their grocery shopping in La Paz. Now, we have an overwhelming array of delivery options. No one needs to venture out into the ghost towns of Cabo San Lucas or San José del Cabo during these troubled times in search of anything. Rather, ghostly presences deliver it straight to your front door, as safe and easy as you please.

Lost, of course, are the views that have so long defined the Los Cabos dining scene, unless of course your deck features horizon-stretching ocean views, or Land’s End backdrops. If so, all the better. For most of us, however, the big dinner nowadays is delivered in a bag and parceled out onto plates to be consumed during the latest episode of Tiger King, or some such entertainment. Not that such lessens the culinary enjoyment. On the contrary, when food is one of the few true luxuries, the enjoyment of it increases almost exponentially.

UberEats is the high priest of the new-look dining scene in Los Cabos. Like Uber, which freed us from the price gouging tactics of greedy taxistas, UberEats has democratized the delivery options, without the limited selection or exorbitantly disguised delivery fees characteristic of its predecessors. It’s the right company at the right time, and a godsend during a time of widespread uncertainty about anything that’s happening outside one’s front door.

There is much to be thankful for during these troubled times, not least of which is the power of technology to translate our dinner wishes into delicious meals delivered right into our waiting arms.

With that in mind, here are five of our current favorites on UberEats:

La Casa de la Abuela

You can’t go wrong with “grandma’s” cooking at this restaurant, which specializes in traditional Mexican favorites like enchiladas, pozole and other beloved national dishes. If they have a subspecialty, it’s breakfast; and indeed this is our current favorite for omelets and other morning fillers, from pancakes to French toast.

Little Caesars Pizza

As a wise man once said: “There is never a bad time for pizza.” It’s delicious hot, it delicious cold the next morning. Little Caesars excels not only with their pies, chicken wings and cheesy-bread style extras, but also with their low prices. This is the best bargain in Cabo San Lucas right now.

La Brisa Marisco y Bar

We’re in love with the shrimp burger at La Brisa, piled bun high with bacon, fixings and savory salsa.  It’s reason enough for an order, but La Brisa also serves up a wide array of other seafood focused options, from plain old fish and chips to tasty fish tacos.

Arts & Sushi

Seafood filled Poke Bowls are a good way to keep your strength up, and to keep the diet from becoming a little too boring. Soups, salads, tempura and bbq style Yakitori skewers are also well worth trying.

La Galería Restaurant

In the mood for some Fettucini Alfredo? La Galería has you covered with a menu that chockablock with Italian and Mexican themed specialty dishes. They also boast the best burger we’ve had in awhile, stacked high with bacon, lettuce, tomato, jalapeño, pickle and onion.

Remember: Just because you’re stuck at home that doesn’t mean you can’t eat well!

How are you staying safe right now? What’s on your table? Drop us a line and let us know at info@cabovivo.com and we’ll share some readers’ favorites in a future column.

Want your business, activity or event featured and promoted by CaboViVO, please be sure to contact us here, thanks…

Saludos from Co-Founders…

Chris Sands – Writer  and Michael Mattos

The post Dining in the Age of Social Distancing – The Top 5 UberEats Options in Cabo San Lucas appeared first on CaboViVO.