Cabo was an amazing trip! One of our friends had a voucher for five days at Villa del Palmar All Inclusive for $200. Of course, there was the catch of attending the two hour timeshare presentation, but we thought it was worth the trouble. They are not near as high-pressure in Mexico as they are in the United States.
We had no idea, at the time of purchasing the voucher, that a few months later, the world would be plunged into a pandemic. This trip, much like the trip to Palm Beach Shores a few months earlier was surreal. The airports were empty, the airport food vendors were closed, the customs line was nonexistant, and Cabo had just reopened when we arrived.
Due to the pandemic and reduced guest counts, the Villa Group made a really wise decision. They actually closed the Villa del Palmar resort for renovation and moved all of those reservations over to their upscaled Villa del Arco property. That was an excellent surprise upon our arrival to the property. We were initially greeted by a Conceirge who showed us the property, scheduled our timeshare presentation, and then escorted us to our room. Our voucher was for the Studio, which was perfectly fine for the two of us. The Studio at Villa del Arco had 2 double beds and a kitchenette. The balcony, for our unit, had a beautiful view of the Sea of Cortez.
The next day, we did our timeshare presentation. The two hours turned into three, but they kept us stocked with excellent mixed drinks and a beautiful view of the Sea of Cortez over at the Villa del Palmar property. Both properties are stunning and I would expect that once the renovations are complete, Villa del Palmar will be just as luxurious as Villa del Arco. That evening, we ventured out to the Marina and Walmart. Yes, Walmart is an experience and the prices are incredibly reasonable! Buy your souvenirs, alcohol, etc. here. I believe we paid about $5 US for the cab ride from Villa del Arco to Walmart. The Marina is the tourist trap of the area. Lots of great restaurants, views, and things to experience. Cabo is known for its sportfishing and as you can see from the picture below, there is no shortage of boats to charter.
The next day was greeted with a beautiful sunrise and we had booked a sightseeing boat excursion with one of the locals on the beach. One word of caution when in Cabo, the locals are allowed to sell you items on the beach, but not allowed to enter the resort property. They will constantly ask you if you are interested in whatever it is you are selling. We got a great deal on our sightseeing tour as well as a hand-carved wooden bowl that we use as a centerpiece in our dining room. Don’t be afraid to haggle and negotiate!
As a result of the pandemic, the sightseeing tour actually had to be disguised as a fishing charter so we were given rods and reels and bait with no intention of fishing. We loaded up in a 20′ Center Console boat and headed out on the Sea of Cortez towards el Arco (The Arch of Cabo San Lucas), which is the Arch shaped rock that makes Cabo famous. The ride out in the Sea of Cortez was fine; however once passing the peninsula and heading into the Pacific Ocean, the waves got quite a bit larger. The pictures below do not do either, el Arco or the Pacific Ocean justice.
On the way back into the marina, we passed a sportfishing yacht that was just returning from a fishing charter. You can see the men holding up a Blue Marlin for a photo opportunity as we passed by.
A couple of our favorite restaurants in Cabo while we were there was: el Squid Row, an 80s themed bar / nightclub with amazing food and drinks! Check out the mexican Mocajete (hot stone cooked chicken / steak / and shrimp with peppers and onions). We also enjoyed the views at Baja Brewing overlooking the marina and watched the locals catch fish in the Sea of Cortez with nets as we enjoyed our meal.
One of our favorite things to experience in Cabo is the sea-rays jumping out of the water during sunrise. It was hard to capture a picture of it, but we did! They jump out of the water, clap their wings together, and then fall right back in.
