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Art, Culture & Cabo: Previewing the 2021-2022 Art Walk Season in San Jose del Cabo

September 28, 2021 by Leave a Comment

There’s not a lot of seasonal variation when it comes to weather in Los Cabos. The sun shines year-round and just about every day is a great day to go to the beach. But the gorgeous beaches are far from the only attractions, and when it comes to some of the other best things to do in cape cities Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, timing and seasonal variation do come into play.

If you’ve long dreamed of going whale watching in Los Cabos, for example, there is a very specific time of year (mid-December through mid-March) when your chance of seeing, and even getting quite close, to these leviathans is at its peak. There’s also a peak surfing season, a peak diving season, a peak fishing season (ever wonder why all the big marlin fishing tournaments are held August through October?), and so on. Heck, there’s even a peak season for culture in Los Cabos, although luckily for art lovers, it spans nearly half of every year.

Yes, we’re talking about Art Walk Season in San Jose del Cabo, the region’s most enduring and anticipated cultural celebration, held every Thursday night, 5 pm to 9pm, during high tourist season, November through June, in the heart of the city’s historic Gallery District. A sidelong glance at the calendar cues us that this beloved event is close to returning, and in fact will return for a new season in a little more than a month.

But truthfully, one doesn’t need to circle any dates on the calendar to remember the return of Art Walk, as its return is always linked with that of another great Mexican event, Dia de Muertos, or Day of the Dead.

Mexico observes many holidays, but none quite so visually distinctive and emotionally resonant as El Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead). This holiday to honor deceased family and friends dates back to the time of the Aztecs–who dedicated a festival to Mictecacihuatl, queen of the underworld, each August–but now takes place contemporaneously with the Catholic observance of Allhallowtide.

Traditionally, it is thought that the souls of children return on November 1st, and the souls of adults on November 2nd. Families will often build ofrendas (altars) in their homes, welcoming back the spirits of the departed with some of their favorite food and drinks, as well as special holiday themed items like cempasuchil flowers (Aztec marigolds), calaveras de azucar (candy skulls), and a sweet bread called pan de muerto.

Because the return of Art Walk is also contemporaneous with Day of the Dead, and because the striking visual component of the holiday dovetails with the aesthetic sensibilities of the artists and gallery owners in San Jose del Cabo’s Gallery District, these two events have always been linked in the minds of Cabeños (Los Cabos residents). In fact, many of the city’s gallery owners traditionally exhibit their own public ofrendas as artworks in conjunction with the holiday and the return of Art Walk.

Ironically, given the timing, downtown San Jose del Cabo is never livelier nor more beautiful than during Art Walk. Perhaps this is because Art Walk is, at heart, a celebration of San Jose del Cabo itself. The city comes alive in a new way on Thursdays during Art Walk season, with wandering musicians and mariachi bands among those walking the cobblestone streets of the historic Gallery District, while the entire downtown area is decorated in a festive whirl of lights.

The Gallery District, home to dozens of art galleries and studios, is the center of Art Walk, and remains the primary focus, as gallery owners and artists stay open late to interact with visitors. But the entire downtown area of the city is aglow. Plaza Mijares becomes an outdoor gallery for street artists and crafts people, with their wares laid out for all to see. The magnificent old Catholic church, Parroquia San Jose, is open for those who want to visit a more traditional altar than the Day of the Dead ofrendas at local galleries. City Hall, with its colorful courtyard murals depicting great moments in local and national history, also beckons those on an informal walking tour of the heart of the city.

For this reason and others, Art Walk is among the most popular romantic activities for visiting couples, blending art and music, fine food and wine. This is an evening for walking and holding hands, for sharing new sights and sounds, each unique and each singularly emblematic of the magic of San Jose del Cabo.

Naturally, the Art District and city center are also home to some of the finest drinking and dining establishments in Los Cabos. One must stop for first-time visitors to Art Walk is at Los Tres Gallos, a long-time favorite in Cabo San Lucas that just recently opened a second location in the heart of the Gallery District. The San Jose restaurant is built around three entwined huanacaxtle trees, a design element so astounding and delightful that it fits perfectly with the artistic sensibilities of Thursday night Art Walks.

Nearby Baja Brewing Company, meanwhile, has grown so much over the past decade that its beers are now available in nearly a dozen U.S. states. But the original Gallery District location remains the best place to try the sudsy treasures from Baja California Sur’s first brewery…and still its best.

These are only two of the most popular stops, of course. There are many more, just as there are a wide array of galleries, arts and crafts boutiques and jewelry stores; from those showcasing traditional Mata Ortiz pottery and Huichol animal figures to paintings and sculptures from some of the best contemporary artists.

There is a lot of great art here, as well as arts and crafts, and custom jewelry. But mostly, there’s just a lot of life; which is why it’s always exciting to see this cultural celebration return, even though the return happens contemporaneously with a signature celebration of all those loved ones who have passed, Day of the Dead.

For more information about events, activities and villa rentals in Los Cabos, call us TOLL FREE at 1-888-655-4548, visit www.LosCabosVillas.com, or email us at Info@LosCabosVillas.com.

Photo credit:  Gallery District San Jose del Cabo

Upcoming Events Calendar

September

Viva La Plaza in Cabo San Lucas – Sep. 3, 10, 17, 24

Mexico Independence Day – Sep. 16

Top Chef Taco Series at Paradero – Sep. 17 – 18

October

Viva La Plaza in Cabo San Lucas – Oct. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

Los Cabos Billfish Tournament – Oct. 10 – 14

Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore Fishing Tournament – Oct. 14 – 17

Top Chef Taco Series at Paradero – Oct. 15 – 16

Bisbee’s Black and Blue Fishing Tournament – Oct. 19 – 23

November

Baja Ha-Ha Cruisers Rally – Nov. 1 – 13

Day of the Dead – Nov. 1, 2

WON Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot – Nov. 3 – 6

Life Luxe Los Cabos Jazz Festival – Nov. 4 – 8

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Nov. 4, 11, 18, 25

Viva La Plaza in Cabo San Lucas – Nov. 5, 12, 19, 26

Los Cabos Film Festival – Nov. 10 – 17

SCORE Baja 1000 – Nov. 15 – 20

Revolution Day – Nov. 20

Top Chef Taco Series at Paradero – Nov. 26 – 27

December

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Dec. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Viva La Plaza in Cabo San Lucas – Dec. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31

Top Chef Taco Series at Paradero – Dec. 9 – 10

El Dia de la Virgen de Guadalupe – Dec. 12

Las Posadas – Dec. 16 – 24

Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) – Dec. 24

Navidad (Christmas) – Dec. 25

Nochevieja (New Year’s Eve) – Dec. 31

Studio 54 New Year’s Eve Party at Casa Dorada – Dec. 31

January 2022

Los Cabos Pro-Am Golf Tournament at Twin Dolphin and Cabo del Sol – Jan. 9 – 13

May 2022

Warren Hill’s Los Cabos Jazz Festival – May 15 – 18

 

 

 

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Fish All Day, Party All Night (And Maybe Win Lots of Money!): Three Great Reasons to Enter the 2021 Los Cabos Billfish Tournament

September 21, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Who doesn’t like winning? Answer: nobody that we know.

We can guarantee Team El Suertudo likes it after taking home the biggest checks ($117,350 in 2019, $344,700 in 2020) during each of the last two Los Cabos Billfish Tournaments.

Despite the impressive prize pools (49 teams competed for $$742,500 in 2020), the Los Cabos Billfish Tournament is always going to be a bit overshadowed when it comes to fishing tournaments in Cabo San Lucas. After all, it takes place in October, when Bisbee’s hosts its even more lucrative Black and Blue and Los Cabos Offshore Tournaments (the two combined to offer over six million dollars in prize money last year).

But the LCBT doesn’t need to have the biggest name or offer the biggest prize pools to distinguish itself. That has never been its recipe for success.

The recipe for success for the Los Cabos Billfish Tournament is simple. Have fun fishing, and when the fishing is done, keep on having fun.

Or, as the organizer like to put it: “Fish all day, party all night!”

The fishing and fun will once again be on full display again for the 2021 edition of the tournament, which is scheduled to take place October 10th through the 14th (three days of fishing on the 11th, 12th and 13th, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. local time following shotgun starts from both the Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Los Cabos marinas).

Also on display…an estimated three-quarters of a million dollars or more in prize money.

Base entry for the first of Cabo San Lucas’ iconic October fishing tournaments (the LCBT sets the stage for Bisbee’s events to follow) is $5,000 per team (up to six anglers), or $25,000 “all-in” to cover all the daily and optional jackpots.

Here’s how it works. All fishing must be done within a 40-mile radius of Cabo San Lucas, and the only species eligible to be caught are marlin (black, blue and striped), sailfish, spearfish, tuna (both yellowfin and bigeye), wahoo and dorado. All black and blue marlin must be 300 pounds or more to qualify. Minimum weight for tuna, wahoo and dorado is 25 lbs.

Here’s where it gets interesting, though. Only two marlin may be weighed per day, per boat, and only one per day per angler. And if they don’t meet the minimum weight requirement, teams are penalized 300 points, plus two points for every pound the fish is underweight. So if you catch a 280 lb. marlin it actually costs you 340 points!

For fish that do meet the minimum requirements, points are scored as follows: 300 points for every blue or black marlin officially caught and released (video verification required) or 1.5 points for every eligible blue or black marlin officially boated and brought in to the weight station.

The top three teams in billfish scoring over the course of the tournament are in the money…as of course are all the daily and optional jackpot winners for game and billfish.

For some perspective, El Suertudo’s winning tally in 2020 was 1244 points over three days of fishing, followed by 889.5 points for second place Stella June, and 793 for third place Artemis. A total of 49 teams and 256 anglers competed last year, catching a total of 70 qualifying billfish (3 blue marlin, 3 black marlin, 52 striped marlin, 1 sailfish, 1 spearfish).

The biggest single catch in 2020 was the 593 lb. black marlin caught by angler Hugo Pino (fight time: just over two and a half hours) for team Stella June, accounting for all of their second place points. It took a 350 lb. blue marlin and a 396 lb. black marlin for El Suertudo to top them.

Expect more great catches in 2021, and, after the fishing is all done, another fun-filled Awards Ceremony at Playa Grande’s picturesque Beachside Terrace.

Can El Suertudo make it a “threepeat” with a third consecutive victory this year? Will combined prize money top one million dollars in 2021?

There’s only one way to find out, and that’s by entering. Well actually, you could just wait for us to tell you what happened. But trust us; it’s a lot more fun when you’re one of the lucky people fishing all day, partying all night, and quite possible making lots of money too!

For more information about events, activities and villa rentals in Los Cabos, call us TOLL FREE at 1-888-655-4548, visit www.LosCabosVillas.com, or email us at Info@LosCabosVillas.com.

Photo credit:  Los Cabos Billfish Tournament

Upcoming Events Calendar

September

Viva La Plaza in Cabo San Lucas – Sep. 3, 10, 17, 24

Mexico Independence Day – Sep. 16

October

Viva La Plaza in Cabo San Lucas – Oct. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

Los Cabos Billfish Tournament – Oct. 10 – 14

Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore Fishing Tournament – Oct. 14 – 17

Bisbee’s Black and Blue Fishing Tournament – Oct. 19 – 23

November

Baja Ha-Ha Cruisers Rally – Nov. 1 – 13

Day of the Dead – Nov. 1, 2

WON Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot – Nov. 3 – 6

Life Luxe Los Cabos Jazz Festival – Nov. 4 – 8

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Nov. 4, 11, 18, 25

Viva La Plaza in Cabo San Lucas – Nov. 5, 12, 19, 26

Los Cabos Film Festival – Nov. 10 – 17

SCORE Baja 1000 – Nov. 15 – 20

Revolution Day – Nov. 20

December

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Dec. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Viva La Plaza in Cabo San Lucas – Dec. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31

El Dia de la Virgen de Guadalupe – Dec. 12

Las Posadas – Dec. 16 – 24

Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) – Dec. 24

Navidad (Christmas) – Dec. 25

Nochevieja (New Year’s Eve) – Dec. 31

January 2022

Los Cabos Pro-Am Golf Tournament at Twin Dolphin and Cabo del Sol – Jan. 9 – 13

May 2022

Warren Hill’s Los Cabos Jazz Festival – May 15 – 18

 

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Los Cabos by the Numbers: The Latest on Travel Trends and Safety Based on Current Statistics

September 13, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Los Cabos is one of the world’s most popular and beloved tourist destinations, and although the past two years have certainly been challenging for the destination, and for tourism in general, the latest numbers show some very positive trends.

We’ll share the latest statistics as we answer some commonly asked questions about current travel and safety in Los Cabos.

How Easy is it to Travel to Los Cabos Right Now, and How Many People Are Doing So?

Let’s answer the second question first. There were 296,200 airport arrivals to Los Cabos in July 2021, an 11% increase (up 29,000 people) from July 2019, which was pre-Covid-19 of course. Of these arrivals, approximately 33% were domestic travelers (97,600), while the remainder (198,600) were international in origin, and overwhelming from the U.S. (over 99%). Interestingly, domestic travel was down 10.2% from July 2019, while international travel was up 25.6% from the same period.

Overall, these are incredibly positive numbers for Los Cabos as a destination, with significant growth in U.S. based tourism despite the ongoing health and safety challenges posed by Covid-19 and the Delta variant.

As to the first question, it’s still quite easy to travel to Los Cabs, as Mexico does not require negative Covid-19 tests for entry. However, travelers from the U.S. will need negative Antigen or PCR tests within 72-hours of their return flights home.

What is the Satisfaction Level of Tourists with the Los Cabos Experience?

Again, the numbers are very positive here: 74% of tourists in July 2021 rated their experience as “better than expected”, an uptick over both July 2019 and June 2021, suggesting that Los Cabos continues to improve in performance relative to expectation.

Only 1.2% of tourists in July 2021 perceived security as bad or regular, meaning the overwhelming majority not only were safe, but had a positive perception about the safety of Los Cabos in general.

This is an important indicator, since Los Cabos has been by far the most forward thinking of Mexican resort areas in stressing health and safety protocols during the Covid-19 pandemic.

These include the following actions:

  • Los Cabos with Care, an expansive and exhaustive health and safety protocol system that evaluates and strictly implements protocols throughout the transportation and hotel sectors, at restaurants and bars, at tour activities…basically, anywhere tourists are likely to visit.
  • Los Cabos has additionally achieved Sharecare health security verification, becoming the world’s first VERIFIED™ travel destination. This designation signifies that the majority of the hotels and resorts in the destination continue to ensure that their health protocols are in compliance with over 360 expert-validated global standards.
  • Los Cabos has also implemented a COVID-19 testing program to support visitors as they comply with testing requirements for their return flights. Antigen testing is available at all hotels, villas and timeshares, as well as the Los Cabos International Airport for emergency situations. The PCR test (as needed for select countries) is administered at specific locations, including hospitals and laboratories.

How Prevalent is Covid-19 in Los Cabos?

Baja California Sur, the state of which Los Cabos is a part, has – since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020 recorded 52,615 confirmed cases (data through August 19th of this year).

Although the incidence of Covid-19 in tourists is very rare, those visiting should exercise caution. Local residents are required to wear masks in public except in certain situations (eating, drinking, swimming, etc.). This policy does not apply to tourists, but visitors should be especially cautious if they encounter an establishment (shop, restaurant, etc.) where these mandates are not being strictly followed.

What Travel Trends Are Evident from Flights Scheduled to Los Cabos Over the Next Six Months (August 2021 – January 2022)?

Los Cabos should continue to see healthy growth in tourism from the U.S. There are 1.25 million seats scheduled to Los Cabos from the U.S. over the next 6 months, which is 52.5% more seats compared to the same period in 2019.

  • However, when comparing the seats scheduled for the next 6 months against the 2020 flight schedule (heavily pandemic influenced), the volume is 65.5% higher.
  • Chicago (+28.7%), Los Angeles (+82.7%), Phoenix (+40.3%), Houston (+41.9%), Dallas/Fort Worth (+33.5%), Denver (+153.5%), and Seattle (+125.5%) show the most significant airport increase in Los Cabos service versus 2019.
  • Los Angeles remains the top market in the U.S. for Los Cabos service (23% of the market), followed by Dallas (12%), Houston (11%), and Phoenix (8%).

Not surprisingly, all of these destinations are within three hours flight time to Los Cabos (see the attached map).

  • American, Alaska, Delta, and United Airlines are the most relevant airlines to the destination, representing 78% of scheduled service over the next six months.

For more information about travel and safety, as well as upcoming events, activities and attractions, and villa rentals in Los Cabos, call us TOLL FREE at 1-888-655-4548, visit www.LosCabosVillas.com, or email us at Info@LosCabosVillas.com.

Photo credit:  Los Cabos Tourism Board

Upcoming Events Calendar

September

Viva La Plaza in Cabo San Lucas – Sep. 3, 10, 17, 24

Mexico Independence Day – Sep. 16

October

Viva La Plaza in Cabo San Lucas – Oct. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

Los Cabos Billfish Tournament – Oct. 10 – 14

Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore Fishing Tournament – Oct. 14 – 17

Bisbee’s Black and Blue Fishing Tournament – Oct. 19 – 23

November

Baja Ha-Ha Cruisers Rally – Nov. 1 – 13

Day of the Dead – Nov. 1, 2

WON Tuna Jackpot – Nov. 3 – 6

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Nov. 4, 11, 18, 25

Viva La Plaza in Cabo San Lucas – Nov. 5, 12, 19, 26

Los Cabos Film Festival – Nov. 10 – 17

SCORE Baja 1000 – Nov. 15 – 20

Revolution Day – Nov. 20

December

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Dec. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Viva La Plaza in Cabo San Lucas – Dec. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31

El Dia de la Virgen de Guadalupe – Dec. 12

Las Posadas – Dec. 16 – 24

Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) – Dec. 24

Navidad (Christmas) – Dec. 25

Nochevieja (New Year’s Eve) – Dec. 31

 

 

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