TRAVEL: CABO, MEXICO
A-list celebrities flock to the Mexican resort town of Cabo San Lucas. However, the real attraction of the region is discovering its amazing wildlife.
Forget the A-list celebs, the real attraction is discovering the amazing wildlife.
THE RESORT city of Cabo San Lucas, on Mexico’s Pacific Coast of the Baja California peninsula is better known simply as Cabo.
It’s long been a hotspot destination for A-listers and Hollywood types. A mere twohour flight from Los Angeles makes it the perfect Northern American winter getaway, with temperatures hovering comfortably around the high 20C long past Christmas.
Such is the magic, and the perfect light of Cabo, that even 50-something, sun-shy Nicole Kidman felt compelled to post a make-up free selfie when she was hanging out on the beach here last year.
Significantly younger hottie, Zac Efron spent New Year’s Eve in Cabo, playing golf and posting shirtless videos (6 million views and counting on Instagram) of his hunky self. His holiday companions, you might be interested to know, were his younger brother and, what has been euphemistically described as “some mutual pals”.
Cabo’s reputation was not always so fortunate. For many years it was deemed a spring break hub, akin to Cancun. The influx of big-name guests and their entourages is thanks to a slick-and-chic high-end makeover in recent years.
This magnificent Mexican destination of wild surf, rugged landscapes and cheap liquor is, not surprisingly, where many of the Kardashian-Jenner clan go to debut their latest bikini/thong ranges to their adoring and everpresent paparazzi throng.
Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Alba and Cameron Diaz have all swanned down to Cabo to be pampered by treatments like rose petal baths and cranial massages.
Even esteemed actor, Robert De Niro is in on this jape. Last year he opened one of his super-swish Nobu Hotels here; the super luxury chain’s first in Mexico. The beachfront resort comprises 200 rooms in a minimalist Japanese style to complement the deconstructed degustation menu on offer from co-founder celebrity chef, Nobu Matsuhisa.
The swankiest resorts attracting the celebs
are predominantly adults-only and allinclusive and are situated along the tourist corridor linking the cities of Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo.
What the celebrities comes for is luxury and some of that trickles down to we mere mortal travellers. Megaluxe spas at five-star prices are not an extra here but standard.
Down by the shores, Land’s End arching stone cliffs are where everyone, famous or otherwise, drops anchor to Instagram themselves. Further along the coast you’ll encounter a swathe of billionaire megayachts blithely moored. Steven Spielberg’s huge multi-million-dollar private ship was in port when we were in town. Admittedly, our puny put-put speedboat, which we took out for day trips with local crews and local food for lunch, was not quite in the same super-boat league, but was still super fun.
Yet, it’s not for the celebrity sightings that you really need to visit Cabo. It’s not even for the winter getaway weather. It’s actually all about the nature and, more specifically, the animals. Cabo (and nearby La Paz) is world famous for its proliferation of whale sharks. These days you can snorkel alongside these gentle and,
Sealion pups will frolic with you in the water and are so tame they instantly become attached to you and don’t want you to leave.
importantly, vegetarian giants, but scuba diving or touching them is off limits.
While out on the ocean one day to swim with these magnificent animals, we were surrounded by four juveniles, who all decided to open their monstrous mouths and eat at the same time. Luckily, they only feed on plankton, not snorkelers, so we were safe, but for those working through their bucket list, swimming with whale sharks is a must-do.
You can also snorkel (and this time scuba dive, too) with a colony of very playful sealions.
The younger pups will frolic merrily with you in the water and are so tame they instantly become attached to you and don’t want you to leave. If that wasn’t enough, Cabo also offers the chance to swim with proper, non-vegetarian mako sharks. They feed on meat scraps tossed into the water from boats. As you bob in the water on a line next to them you can watch them feast – and count your blessings they don’t want to eat you.
On the day we ventured out, only one shark showed up to eat and then promptly scarpered before any of us could lob into the water. The reason, apparently, was because a wild dolphin had decided to swim by and see what was going on. While it scared the shark away, when it spotted a hump of humans in the water it suddenly became playful and, for the next hour, irresistibly tumbled and flipped around us. Our guides were astounded, saying they’d never seen anything like it. We suspect they say this to all their customers.
Cabo has not completely thrown off its spring break reputation. It’s still somewhat overcrowded, touristy, and there’s a readyto-party-hard vibe. Think Hard Rock Café meets Hooters. There is a dedicated gay bar, Chandeliers, though we were too pooped from our animal antics during the day to investigate.
While Cabo is no match for the seaside town of Puerto Vallarta when it comes to Mexican gay nightlife, it is just as gay-friendly and quickly earning a reputation as a gay wedding destination. How strange, these days, to think of Mexico being at the forefront of LGBT rights while its northern neighbour, the USA, keeps sliding backwards.
So, if you feel like living the charmed existence of an A-list celebrity or ticking off some items from your adventure travel bucket list, keep Cabo in mind.
Oh, and Zac, let us know when you and your chums are gonna be in town again for shirtless golf.
Four whale sharks all decided to open their monstrous mouths and eat at the same time. Luckily, they only feed on plankton, not snorkelers, so we were safe.
There is a dedicated gay bar, Chandeliers, but we were too pooped from our animal antics during the day to investigate.