Cabo San Lucas

Increasingly pigeonholed as Baja California's gringo party town, Cabo San Lucas is certainly that, and it has prices to match its no-holds-barred atmosphere, but let's not forget its original attractions which are as strong as ever. The beaches are just as sandy and glorious; the surf on some of them and the diving and snorkeling offshore just as exciting; the sport fishing — which first drew Americans to this former sleepy coastal village after World War II — just as thrilling; and the scenery at Land's End (the Baja Peninsula's southern tip) just as spectacular. Head along Boulevard Marina for wild alcohol-fueled nights with the atmosphere ...

Increasingly pigeonholed as Baja California's gringo party town, Cabo San Lucas is certainly that, and it has prices to match its no-holds-barred atmosphere, but let's not forget its original attractions which are as strong as ever. The beaches are just as sandy and glorious; the surf on some of them and the diving and snorkeling offshore just as exciting; the sport fishing — which first drew Americans to this former sleepy coastal village after World War II — just as thrilling; and the scenery at Land's End (the Baja Peninsula's southern tip) just as spectacular. Head along Boulevard Marina for wild alcohol-fueled nights with the atmosphere of a frat party for people who (mostly) already left college. (except at spring break when real students hit Cabo.) Do the same by day too, if you like, or alternatively enjoy sunbathing, swimming, jet-skiing, parasailing and every other beach activity you can imagine, especially at the main town beach, Playa Médano. Don't miss getting a boat out to Land's End, with its sea lions and the dramatic rock arch El Arco. Land's End is also one of the area's best dive sites; experienced divers also have underwater walls, sandfalls and canyons to explore.

About the Expert

John Noble is a coauthor of Lonely Planet's Spain, Andalucia, and Mexico as well as many other LP titles from Indonesia to Belize to Brazil.