On Mexico’s coast, everything pairs well with cocktails
Kick off your shoes and pick up a drink this fall
Ocean antics. Eco adventures. Museums. Fine dining and fabulous shopping. Mexico has it all for your perfect vacation. But when the day is done, nothing says “I’m on vacation” like relaxing over a delicious drink. Here are some suggestions on what to do before – and where to enjoy the happiest happy hours after in Mexico’s vacation hot spots. Fall may be upon us here in Los Angeles, but these seaside locales provide the perfect beachy getaway year-round.
LOS CABOS
Rounding the tip of the Baja Peninsula, the deep sea fishing, championship golf, desert adventures and seaside views get better and better. Greg Norman’s 18-hole layout, set to open in spring of 2018, will be Los Cabos’ 17th course. Explore mountain trails and soft, sandy beaches on Cabo Adventures’ new electric bike beach adventure. Whale watching is at its peak now. Afterward, chill in Cabo San Lucas at Fat Tuna Copas y Cocina, a sleek see-and-be-seen eatery and bar, then join the locals for drinks and dancing at the Nowhere Bar on the marina. In San Jose Del Cabo, celebrate the sunset at the Hotel El Ganzo’s rooftop bar. Pop into Mixology Fusion Bar, Los Cabos’ only speakeasy-style hot spot, or sip farm-to-glass, mezcal-filled cocktails at uncommon Acre, set in a large farm parcel just outside the city.
LA PAZ
Two hours from Los Cabos on Baja’s east coast, La Paz welcomes you with unspoiled beaches, phenomenal marine life watching and deep-sea fishing. Kayak, snorkel with gentle whale sharks now through March 2018, scuba dive, bird watch on protected Espiritu Santo Island, and before you know it, it’s cocktail time. Sip fine mezcals at stylish La Miserable Mezcaleria and inventive concoctions at Elbuen Bar, a trendy mixology hangout. For sunset toasts, the three-story, palapa-topped Tailhunter Restaurant has the best view on the malecon. Steinbeck’s at the upscale Costabaja Resort overlooks the Costabaja Marina and offers viewers an endless view of the Sea of Cortez.
PUERTO VALLARTA
Puerto Vallarta and adjacent Nuevo Vallarta and the Riviera Nayarit hug Mexico’s Pacific coast and feature water sports, eco adventures, gourmet dining and a thriving art scene. Work up a thirst on Vallarta Adventure’s “Sayulita Escape” through the back roads of Punta Mita to the hippie-chic seaside village of Sayulita. Back in Viejo Vallarta, visit the OPC Gallery, curated by a former Santa Monica art director. Then happy hour hop to the trendy, high-end Bar Morelos Mezcaleria for handcrafted mezcal cocktails, the Los Muertos Brewing Company microbrewery and the sun-soaked beachfront Sea Monkey. Wiggle your toes in the sand with drink in hand at favorite El Barracuda/ Solar Bar on beautiful Camarones Beach just south of Old Town.
RIVIERA MAYA
Impossibly white beaches and turquoise seas ringed by the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the world’s second largest, make perfect sunning, snorkeling and diving along Mexico’s Yucatan Caribbean coastline. Take an eco tour with Sian Ka’an Tours, owned and operated by local Maya guides and then visit the Ichkabal Archeological site, once a mighty Mayan city. Head for Playa del Carmen to see marine life without getting wet at the new L’Aquarium. Then, ease into the night with specialty drinks at La No. 20, boasting one of the city’s largest selections of tequilas. At sophisticated Almirante Pech, name your favorite liquor and the bartender will create a drink just for you. Enjoy drinks with a beach view at the rooftop pool bar of the Thompson Playa del Carmen Hotel.