Where to stay

The beaches are hives of activity in Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. Toward the northern end of the Tourist Corridor, San Jose del Cabo's Zona Hotelera is one of the most popular places to stay. This is where you'll find the area's renowned beachside resorts, world-class golf, big-game fishing, shopping and dining. If you want to swim and snorkel, opt for accommodations along Playa Santa Maria and Chileno Bay. Stay in Marina to glimpse fishing boats and luxury yachts coming and going from the bustling esplanade. If you're into water sports, choose a hotel at Medano Beach on San Lucas Bay, home to several kayak and water scooter rental operators. Live the high life and book a room in hillside Pedregal, where the most upscale accommodations are found. Or, just visit the area from your more budget-friendly hotel for its twice-weekly organic farmers' market.

Touted worldwide for its water sports, Cabo San Lucas' best fishing, snorkeling, diving, kayaking, surfing and more are based in the Marina neighborhood. Swimming with dolphins is also possible here, too. The East Cape, a 70-mile arc from San Jose del Cabo to Los Barriles, is a great place to stay for off-the-beaten-path hotels and pristine scenery. The fishing and diving are still world class, but the crowds are much smaller.

Seafood reigns supreme in Cabo San Lucas restaurants, complemented by a wide variety of international cuisines. If you stay in Zona Hoterela, you won't have to go far for great dining. Many of the upscale resorts have haute cuisine restaurants. Look for all manner of dining along the Tourist Corridor, between your Cabo San Lucas or San Jose del Cabo accommodations. Downtown Cabo San Lucas is the epicenter of lively nightlife and excellent traditional Mexican food.

Go beyond the beach and stay in charming San Jose del Cabo for Spanish colonial architecture and a more sophisticated air than its busier neighbor of Cabo San Lucas. There's fine art to ponder, gourmet dining to savor and flora and fauna to view in the San Jose Estuary area. Boutique accommodations are available in the surf town of Todos Santos, the first Pueblo Magico - a designation for places of cultural importance - on the Baja Peninsula.