After more than two years stuck close to home, Los Cabos, Mexico is once again calling, and there’s a new crop of restaurants, bars and resorts just waiting to welcome us back.
From the playful shores of Cabo San Lucas to the cobblestone streets of old San Jose del Cabo, here’s what’s new in Cabo on the flip side of the pandemic.
Where to Stay: Corazón, Cabo San Lucas
Suites at Corazón Cabo come with their own private hot tub on the balcony.
(Courtesy of Corazon Cabo Resort & Spa)
Corazón Cabo Resort & Spa
The brand new Corazón Cabo Resort & Spa, at the heart of Medano Beach, is peak Cabo luxury. Inside, the Guggenheim-esque tower is studded with 200 rooms and suites with artisanal desert-meets-beach style. Many are outfitted with wide balconies looking out over the Sea of Cortez and the granite cliffs of Land’s End, a view that those in suites can savor from their own private hot tub.
Outside, a forest of lounge chairs and cabanas encircle an infinity pool on the upper deck, with a blue-and-white tiled bar at its edge. On the lower deck, you can swim up to the bar in a second pool, next to the resort’s tranquil and transformative spa, Sparitual. Where the sea meets the sand, sun worshipers sip frozen cocktails at the Corazón Beach Club and plunge into the waters of Cabo San Lucas’ only swimmable beach.
The resort’s restaurants—Aleta, a fine-dining, plein air eatery adjacent to the beach; Rooftop 360, a stylish ninth-floor restaurant-bar with panoramic views and a welcoming infinity pool; and the beach club —specialize in ultra-fresh, locally harvested seafood and more, exquisitely prepared by storied executive chef Eric de Maeyer. Dishes like grilled octopus, sushi and sashimi, and mezcal creme brulee grace each menu and, if you happen to catch a fish, they’ll fix it up for dinner.
A modern Mexican restaurant, Azure Cabo, will open shortly on the hotel’s ground-floor near the Draque Mojito Bar, which muddles and stirs several twists of the classic cocktail for sipping on the eclectically sophisticated patio. And as if that weren’t enough, the resort also plays host to Cabo’s only microbrewery, Baja Brewing Co, which has stunning views, bar-friendly eats, and live music.
// Av Pescadores S/N, Medano Beach (Cabo San Lucas), corazoncabo.com
New Restaurants in San Jose Del Cabo
Chef Javier Placencia at Puerto Raiz’s Semillon.
Puerto Raiz
James Beard–nominated, Baja-born chef Javier Placencia cultivated his new project, Puerto Raiz, on 13 acres of former farmland in San Jose del Cabo. When complete, the lush garden sanctuary will house two restaurants, furnish all its produce and some of its lamb and goat meat, and distill its spirits in outdoor copper pots. Semillon, an a la carte breakfast, lunch and dinner spot, opened in February with casual sustainable fare like fresh local fish and tacos with house-made tortillas. Animalone, a fine dining option with a tasting menu, will follow on its heels.
// Lote 100, Centro (San Jose del Cabo), puertoraiz.com
Jardin Secreto
As its name suggests, this patio in downtown San Jose del Cabo is a warmly lit, lush garden that feels hidden away from the bustle of the city streets outside. Jardin Secreto specializes in wood-fired pizzas (think pork belly with caramelized onions, and shrimp with ham), along with a variety of local meat and seafood, plus artisan cocktails. Thursday nights, they pull out all the stops with a festive pig roast; on Sundays, boozy brunch is served along with a live music.
// Jose Maria Morelos s/n, Gallery District (San Jose del Cabo), facebook.com/urbancuisinegarden
Where to Grab Drinks in Cabo Now
Rooftop 360 in Cabo San Lucas.
(Courtesy of Corazon Cabo Resort & Spa)
Rooftop 360
This resto-bar on the ninth floor roof of the new Corazón Cabo Resort deserves a mention all its own. The views from Rooftop 360 stretch for miles over the city of Cabo San Lucas on one side and all the way to the cliffs of Land’s End on the other. But that’s only part of the draw. After dark, when the DJ gets spinning, the macrame-curtained bar pumps out craft cocktails made with fresh fruit and herbs, and bites like ceviche and nigiri for waves of sleek, stylish partygoers.
// Av Pescadores S/N, 9th floor, Medano Beach (Cabo San Lucas), corazoncabo.com/rooftop-360
Mezcal Bar @ Drift
The outdoor bar at the new Drift Hotel in San Jose del Cabo’s Gallery District is a mecca of mezcal. They’ll lovingly stir it into a cocktail, guide you through a tasting, or hand you a pour straight-up. The atmosphere heats up on Thursday nights from 8pm to 11pm, when Drift hosts its weekly party complete with live music and authentic Baja tacos.
// Miguel Hidalgo 613, Gallery District (San Jose del Cabo), drifthotels.co
Watery Adventures in Cabo San Lucas
Flyboarding with Cabolectric
Cabolectric
Water sports meet the technology of the future at the sustainability-first Cabolectric operating out of Medano Beach in Cabo San Lucas. Glide over the water on a remote-controlled electric hydrofoil surfboard or catch some air on a flyboard, a daredevil contraption that rockets you upward on a constant jet stream. In April, they’ll add a third device to their stable, an electric cycling eFoil Manta5 water bike to pedal through the crashing waves. Experiences include instruction and start at $150.
// Av Pescador 1 (Cabo San Lucas), cabolectric.com
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