[JSlonis]

So far this site has never failed me in the travel advice department.  I'm in the process of planning a vacation for my wife and myself.  Last year was Kapalua, Maui...FANTASTIC.  This year we're looking into a possible trip to Cabo San Lucas.  I've heard some nice things about the area, and would appreciate any recommendations or warnings for that spot.  It seems after doing some research that there is an abundance of golf courses/resorts in that area. My wife doesn't play golf, but I'd like to to have a course close by to at least be able to practice most days, and maybe play a couple rounds.  We are looking to travel around the beginning of April.  The basic neccesities are quality rooms, nice beach, good food, snorkeling, and GOLF.

If there are any other tropical destinations that I should consider, please feel free to say....

Thanks for your help in advance.

[Tom Huckaby]

Jamie - this is a time for the search function, if it worked.  This has been discussed many times.  

But you deserve a better answer.

I've been to Cabo 5 times over the last 7 years.  Interestingly, Mr. Huntley also just returned from there.

The first thing I have to tell you you likely know already:  Cabo is EXPENSIVE.  That goes for lodging, food, and especially golf.  It's stupid what they are charging these days.
So I guess my advice to you is going to depend on how much money is an issue.  If it's not at all, well then enjoy - the place is great and you have no worries.  If it is - as it surely is for me - Cabo has become far less of a desirable destination.

In any case the choices are so endless, it's hard to narrow it down.

I would advise first however checking prices, seeing what you are comfortable with.  Sadly Cabo has become a prime destination, with prices that make Hawaii look cheap.  There are many other tropical destinations - including several in Maui - that give far better bang for the buck.

But if your heart is set on Cabo, then I can surely recommend resorts, restaurants, and particularly golf courses.

 

[Jimmy Muratt]

I can highly recommend Cabo.  My wife and I went there for our honeymoon two years ago and couldn't have had a better time.  

We stayed at Las Ventanas al Paraiso and it was amazing.  The amenities and staff are first class all the way.  Their main restaurant is amazing, all of our best meals in Cabo were eaten there.  We also had dinner at a nearby great hotel called "Esperanza" but it couldn't compare.  Here is a link to their site: http://www.lasventanas.com/

Las Ventanas also has a relationship with the private Fazio course in the area, Querencia.  It is my favorite Fazio course that I've played.  It's set back from the water more in the hills and really features some great variety and excellent greensites.  Link:  http://www.loscabosquerencia.com/index2.php?page=gallery

I also played the Ocean Course at Cabo del Sol, that's a must play as well.  It's definitely one of Nicklaus' best courses and the fish tacos at the turn only add to the enjoyment of the round!  The par 3 17th at the Ocean Course tends to get most of the publicity but it really possesses a wonderful set of par 3's.  The Weiskopf course is also supposed to be quite good from what I have heard.

Cabo really is a wonderful place for anyone looking for a relaxing place to get away yet still have numerous options as far as outdoor activities.  The fishing and golf are first class.  And, it's the kind of place that your wife will beg you to take her back.  

[Tom Huckaby]

Jimmy's advice is great.  But it also illustrates the growth and changes at Cabo.

Because I was told Querencia has severed ties with Las Ventanas;  that is guests at the latter can no longer play the former.  Querencia is now truly private - play with or sponsored by a member only.

As for the other courses, yes the Ocean course at Cabo del Sol is fantastic - but cost there is $250-$300 now depending on time of year.  I also really liked the Weiskopf Desert course, but it's in the $225 range.  Neither is worth the price to me now, but we all do have different thresholds.

So yes, if money is no concern, Cabo is a wonderful place and one really can relax - and yes non-golfing wives will love it as well as the spa possibilities are limitless as well.  But again I get back to the price re those....

Fishing is indeed world class.

For the adventurous, well even my non-adventurous wife enjoyed riding ATV's down there.. and jet skis.

Like I say, it is a great place.  I'm just wary to give any advice because it is so expensive.  Jimmy can advise what he paid for Las Ventanas - whatever it was two years ago, figure 25% more now.

TH

[Jimmy Muratt]

Tom, you definitely are right as far as costs go.  It is VERY expensive.  That's disappointing to hear that Querencia is now fully private, I really enjoyed the course.

Las Ventanas is hard to beat, but it's very pricey. I just checked their rates and if going during the high season (now -spring) figure between $650 - $1000/night.  

We stayed in the Oceanfront rooftop terrace suite which was incredible.  It had a hot tub on the main porch and then also had a rooftop terrace.  Order the massage for 2 under the stars and your wife will melt in your hands.  She'll enjoy it so much, this is a good time to schedule a few more golf trips.

Cabo is the type of place that to really enjoy yourself, you should stay at one of the better hotels because you do spend a lot of your time there.  I found that a couple evenings in downtown Cabo san Lucas was enough, it's fun to hit Cabo Wabo when a band is playing.  

[Tom Huckaby]

Jimmy - you've hit the nail on the head - Cabo has just gotten to be not for the faint of heart price-wise.  Thus the full disclosure for Jamie.

I concur re hotels.  Now this might sound weird and of course our place doesn't compare to Las Ventanas, but it's about 1/3 the price, so it shouldn't.

My wife and I have stayed three times at the Presidente Intercontinental, in San Jose del Cabo.  It is an all-inclusive resort, meaning one price for lodging, food, drinks.

I turned up my nose at it the first time, figuring it would be nothing but burgers and beer and while that's fine most of the time for me, on vacation I've come to want more.  My sister and her husband made us go.

We've come to LOVE IT.  Five restaurants there, only one of which is buffet style.  Very relaxed, very fun, very high-quality.  Rooms are not absolutely first-class, but they are very nice.  And one can get very good deals, as I mention.

This also brings up a key point about Cabo - the town of Cabo San Lucas is VERY fun, but understand it is a complete tourist trap and spring-break capital.  That is, it's wild in a drunken collegiate kind of way.  My wife and I having left that behind - sadly - a few years ago, we no longer bother even going to the town.  But yes, if you are into the wild partying, then Cabo Wabo is great, as is Squid Roe and the Giggling Marlin and several others.  You are guaranteed to have wild "collegiate" fun at any.

We've also found though the the town of San Jose del Cabo - on the airport end of the corridor - is very nice - it's a small, sleepy, authentic Mexican town, with some very cool hole in t he wall type restaurants.  Although we've become loathe to leave the "campus" of the all-inclusive resort, we always do a walking tour of San Jose del Cabo and always do find a new little restaurant for lunch.  It's very cool.

One other key point:  Jamie seems to want on-site golf, and that is few and far between... damn near all courses you'd have to take a cab to, or a hotel shuttle.  That's no big deal - just don't expect to roll out of bed and walk to a range.  That CAN be done - particularly if you stay at "The One and Only Palmilla" or any of a couple resorts attached to Cabo Real - but it is the exception and not the rule.  Golf is primarily a taking a cab to it affair.

BTW, this last trip I played the 9-hole course at San Jose del Cabo - now called Mayan Palace GC - and it was VERY fun!  No scenic beauty - surrounded by condos some in half-built state - but great golf, very strategic and very fun.  It's also the closest thing remaining to a reasonable price.

Many other courses are in the building stage - there's an article in the current Links magazine detailing those, and other great Cabo info.  Just understand that if you did the trip the writer of that article did, you'd be in for five figures.

 

[Andy Doyle]

So far this site has never failed me in the travel advice department.  I'm in the process of planning a vacation for my wife and myself.  Last year was Kapalua, Maui...FANTASTIC.  

Jamie:

I can't help you with Cabo, but any chance you could weigh in on this thread:

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forums2/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=21493

My initial preference was Kapalua and with all the good advice I am quickly zeroing in on that resort.  I'd love to hear more about your experience - where did you stay?  What did your non-golfing spouse do while you were golfing?  What did you do when not golfing?  

Thanks,

Andy

[JSlonis]

Thanks Tom & Jimmy.

I'm certainly not looking to "break the bank" for a vacation, so I'll definitely do some good shopping and research before booking anything.

I'll try the "search" function to find old threads...but as you know it's easier to map the human genome than find old info.

[Bob_Huntley]

I have just returned from Cabo and echo everything that Tom Huckaby has writen about the place. There is no doubt that Las Ventanas is THE place to stay, provided always that you are prepared to drop close to a thousand dollars a day in so doing. We stayed for three nights at the Sheraton for something like $400.00 a day plus taxes etc. Good room, fantastic shower with the force of a Merion overhead x 3. Attractive surrounds with a friendly staff.

Edith's Restaurant in Cabo was attractive with good food and margaritas. Took a couple of long trips for dinner in San Jose del Cabo but you won't find much haute cuisine there.

Played the Arroyo and Mountain Course at Palmilla with a member and had a good time. A couple of holes on the Mountain nine will give you some pucker time. Played Cabo del Sol's Ocean Course and I must say that the carries over a couple of hundred yards of sandy waste on a bunch of holes, was more than I needed, or wanted. At $300.00 a round I felt like the masochist who said to the sadist, "Beat me." and the sadist replying, "No."

I know a lot of you are 'road warriors' spending many hours in business travel, but I must say  that I think I would rather go to the dentist than spend time in a plane with passengers coughing and sneezing over you without the benefit of putting their hands across their mouths. Our flight from San Francisco to Cabo was delayed three hours due to an equipment malfunction on the Alaskan Airlines 737 incoming from Portland. I hear the airline industry is in trouble....has anyone travelled on a plane lately that wasn't full?

By the way, the weather was perfect.

Bob

[Tom Huckaby]

Mr. Huntley's correct in that there's no haute cuisine in San Jose del Cabo - I too wouldn't enjoy a cab ride into that sleepy town for dinner.  Call it "homey/authentic" cuisine better suited to discovering on foot rather than making an evening destination.

I too had very crowded flights there and back.  Hmmmm....

TH

[Bryan Izatt]

I've been there a couple of times, most recently last year, and would echo the comments about the cost of the golf.  The only way to beat it is to avoid the high end courses like Cabo del Sol.  

The 9 holer in San Jose is certainly cheap enough but the surrounding housing is really too much.  If you play after noon you can get on the Raven (or whatever its current name is) for $80.  It's a sort of parkland course in the desert. It's at the Cabo end.  

There was a twilight rate at Palmilla for just over $100.  We finished in time as you can see from this picture of the 16th hole.



The course is a mountain course in the desert - similar to some Phoenix area courses.  It's at the San Jose end.  The taxi ride from one end to the other was around $40 each way.

For hotels, you can easily find good hotels for very reasonable prices.  We also stayed at the Presidente Intercontinental one time.  It's not like an Intercoontinental in the US, but is certainly very nice.  Last time we stayed at the Riu Palace.  In both cases it cost us about $1900 Canadian out of Toronto for a week, all-inclusive, including air.  At those prices you can afford to blow a little more on the golf.  Neither of these hotels are Las Ventanas, but they are very nice hotels.

The Riu is right across the street from the Raven - maybe a 20 minute walk, or an $8 cab ride, so you could practice there if you stay at the Riu.  If you want to stay on site at one of the courses you're into the big bucks - the Melia Cabo Real maybe being one exception.  

[Tom Huckaby]

Bryan:

Great stuff - you and I are copacetic on this for sure.  I've just come to prefer the San Jose del Cabo end to the Cabo san Lucas end, thus we keep going back to the Presidente Intercontinental.  You assessed it well:  good value, not anything extremely fancy or first class, but nice enough.

And for those of us for whom money matters, well all-inclusive is the way to go.

BTW, what used to be Cabo San Lucas CC (the Roy Dye course) is indeed now called the Raven.

And yes, twilight deals can be found.  I did that at Palmilla last year as well.  But the prices are also going to depend on time of year - those $100 and $80 figures are NOT the case in winter, I sadly assure you.  

As for the 9holer in San Jose del Cabo, I guess that turns on expectations - I was expecting a complete dog-track that would just fulfill my wish to be able to swing the clubs... To me it turned out way better than I expected.  But yes, as I said before, one wouldn't go there for scenic views.

TH

[Steve_ Shaffer]

I went to Cabo in 1997 and stayed at the Melia Cabo Real. Golf was $85 at Cabo Real and $125 at The Ocean Course at Cabo del Sol. I seem to remember a good restaurant in San Jose del Cabo- Bougainvilla(sp)- is it still open?

[Tom Huckaby]

Steve - that's right about the same time I made my first trip to Cabo.  You have the prices right.  Just figure each has more than doubled since that time.

 

And yes, Bouganvilla is indeed still there - or was last year anyway - that's one of the "local haunts" we had lunch at.  I'm not sure it's worth travelling from a corridor resort for, but it is pretty darn good.

TH

[David Wigler]

Jamie,

My wife and I go to Cabo every year.  It is our favorite place on earth.  Please feel free to IM me with your e-mail and I can give you lots of details.  A couple of quick notes.  We find the food extremely inexpensive.  The hotel prices are outrageous ($50 for two people for breakfast) but one of the great things about Cabo is that Los Cabos is very clean, very safe and full of great dining options.  A wonderful romantic dinner at Romeo and Juliet's or a meat fest at Brazil Steak House would both be under $20 per person for food as good as any resort destination in the world.  

The golf is great and very pricey.  Cabo Del Sol Ocean is wonderful but even at twilight, approaches $200.  Same for Querencia.  El Dorado was a nice compromise on price/fun but the six ocean holes are not housing and I do not know if they have built six new ones yet, so it might only be 12 holes.

As for lodging, check out the Fiesta Americana.  It is located on the property of Cabo Del Sol Ocean, close to Los Cabos and pretty darn nice for a really inexpensive price.  My wife and I stay at the Hilton.  It is a little less convenient and a little nicer.

One last note, a 90 minute drive from Cabo (And a very fun drive at that) is Cabo Pulmo.  They have an open ocean Sea Lion colony there.  http://www.bajainsider.com/baja-california-travel/baja-adventures/diving/swimming-with-sea-lions.htm  Snorkeling with live sea lions in their own environment is unbelievable.  We do it every year.


Hope this helps,

Dave

[Tom Huckaby]

Jamie - listen to David - I got most of my advice about Cabo from him initially - the man has not, and will not, steer me or anyone wrong.

TH

[JWL]

JSlonis

Let me try to help you out a little since I probably go down there more often than anyone else on this board.

Hotels:   You might try the Villas del Mar...adjacent to the Las Ventanas and much less expensive.
Hacienda de Mar is the Sheraton complex on the Ocean golf course...also more reasonable.
Both are nice place.
I have been staying at the Hilton in the Corridor lately for $99 per night.  I may be getting some special rate for the season, but it is a hotel room and well located.

Restaurants you might try are:
The Trailor Park in Cabo san Lucas....make sure you go to the real one as there are a couple of imposters.   LOL   Turn left at the first light when you come into CSL, it's on the left.

There is an excellent restaurant at Hacienda de Mar with a thatch roof on the water called Patayas, I think.   Nice atmosphere...maybe not too cheap though.

There are a couple of nice authentic Mexican places in SJC but you will have to get local direction to find them.

Golf, unfortunately, is very expensive during the season.   This is the time that they all make their money and they are in high demand with all that great weather.   That is one of the nice things about Cabo in comparison to Hawaii. .. you can always count of terrific, consistent weather without rain and compared to Hawaii, only light breezes.   If you like lots of wind, Cabo on the Sea of Cortez side, isn't your choice.   The Pacific side will soon be getting some new courses, and it will be plenty windy.

Regarding ElDorado, the course has been renovated and 5 new holes have been added, including a new green complex for what is now the 18th hole (formerly the 7th).
The routing had to be changed, and unfortunately is more cart ball than I would ever wished.
All the greens were renovated and several redesigned.   Several bunkers were enlarged.

It is now extremely private and very difficult to get on.   I think you have to play with a member.
The course is still being grown in, but it is in generally good shape.

I'll be going down twice in Feb.
Enjoy your trip.   It is my wife's favorite place to visit, and one of mine also.

Hope this helps.

[Bryan Izatt]

Tom,

The prices for the twilight golf I got half right and half wrong.  The Raven was $80 in the afternoon.  It might have been a special deal for the Riu Palace, but that was the price.

You're right on Palmilla.  It was $145 US on my Visa statement from last year.  We played both in the first week of March, so these were winter prime time prices.

Some of the hotels near San Jose were offering some price breaks on Palmilla in the package tour brochures we get here for this winter.  We were supposed to be going back in March, but for family reasons we had to change.  Now I'll get to see golf in Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Ocho Rios.  It helps to have an understanding wife.

I liked the San Jose end better too - we're well past the party life of Cabo, although it was interesting to walk along the beach by the bars and restaurants.  The Presidente and the Riu are both fine hotels.  Very rarely would I want to spend the big bucks to stay in the Las Ventanas of the world - just not enough extra bang for the buck.

Don't get me wrong on the Mayan course, it was a decent track - better than I expected too.  I just couldn't get over the pucker factor of standing on the first tee looking down a canyon between rows of multi-story condos/timeshares.

By the way, if you can stomach a timeshare sales pitch, you can probably get on the Raven for free.  Just bring a strong will.

[Tom Huckaby]

JWL - great stuff, great advice.  Between you and Wigler and the rest of us wannabes, Jamie now has more advice than he ever could need.  BTW  I've been to the real Trailer Park - great call there.

 

Bryan - gotcha re the Mayan Palace - man I just expected a 1500 yard par 30 joke with unputtable greens.  So you can see how it won me over. And yes, I received the nice offer for free golf at Raven a few weeks ago as well... yes, just sit for our 90 minute presentation....

[JSlonis]

Thanks to everyone for your advice, it is much appreciated.  I'll check back when my plans are finalized.

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