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Los Cabos Fishing Report – February 26, 2017

February 26, 2017 by Leave a Comment

February 26, 2017

There did seem to be larger crowds of tourists in town this past week, enjoying the spring like weather conditions, though not many anglers are in these numbers of people, as amount of charters are slower, not that unusual for this time frame though, this is never considered to peak season for any of the more glamorous gamefish species. We did have a day of rainfall last weekend, isolated showers that really did not amount to much, also more winds, both from the south and then returning from out of the north, this combined to slow down the all-around fishing action. Water temperature has been averaging about 69 to 70 degrees through most of the region, currents have been strong at times and swells also increased during the previous week, before residing back down. Crazy weather this time of year, as we begin to transition from winter to spring.

Bait netters are finding sardinas still near Palmilla and towards Regina Resort, other options have been strips of squid and we are starting to use some yo-yo jigs more as well. The tuna action has been centered near the Iman Bank, where fish up to 60 lb. were landed, though the past week this action did slow way down, with anglers very fortunate to land one or two of these yellowfin, which were most of the time averaging 20 to 30 lb. More charters are also starting to work the bottom for various pargo, snapper, amberjack, cabrilla, bonito, yellowtail and other species. You have to have calmer conditions to be able to really have good chances for this type of action. Lots of sea lions to contend with as well, getting more than their share of the catch.

There has been a great bite for huachinango (red snapper) on the Outer Gordo Bank, not many people even knew about this. There was an unusual run of larger size reddish crabs drifting to the surface, averaging two to three inches in size, much larger than the more common pelagic red crabs that we see this time of year, these crabs found in recent days are a much rarer occurrence. The deal was to cruise around these grounds and net what crabs you could and then rig them up with sinkers and drop towards the bottom. The few charters that did try this did very well on quality snapper up to 14 lb. Though they also had to battle the sea lions, who also knew about these schooling snappers and were waiting for their chance at easy pickings of hooked up fish. Big numbers of humpback whales also still congregating on these same popular fishing grounds.

There were some smaller sized yellowtail, most in the 4 to 8 lb. class off of Palmilla, still waiting for larger fish to move in. Also some amberjack in the 5 to 25 lb. class, an occasional leopard grouper or yellow snapper, of course many triggerfish in the mix as well. Not much going on for inshore action, only a few boats even trying, mainly for limited numbers of smaller sized sierra.

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out  approximately 63 charters for the week, with anglers reporting a fish count of: 1 striped marlin,  29 yellowfin tuna, 10 bonito, 14 yellow snapper, 13 leopard grouper, 165 huachinango, 18 sierra, 12 yellowtail, 26 amberjack and 55 triggerfish.

Good fishing, Eric

—

GORDO BANKS PANGAS

Eric Brictson / Operator

619 488-1859

Los Cabos (624) 142-1147

e-mail:gordobanks@yahoo.com

WWW.GORDOBANKS.COM

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Golfing for a Good Cause – Paws ‘n Claws Tournament Returns

February 21, 2017 by Leave a Comment

No one rallies the Los Cabos community around a good cause quite

as effectively as the local Humane Society.

Their secret? Great events.

Each winter esteemed Señoras and Señors gladly don holiday finery for the always popular Dressed to the K9s, an elegant costume themed gala featuring dinner, drinks and dancing. And every spring, sporting types hit the links for a golf tournament, the famed “Paws ‘n Claws,” reliving their most memorable shots over dinner the same evening.

The end result of these convivial social gatherings, besides a great time had by all, is continued funding for local spay and neuter programs, adoption efforts, and other animal focused initiatives.

This year, the 12th annual Paws ‘n Claws Open Golf Tournament & BBQ will take place Saturday, April 1, on the Mountain and Arroyo Courses at Palmilla Golf Club. Palmilla’s unique 27-hole layout – spread over three 9-hole courses: Ocean, Mountain and Arroyo – was designed by none other than 18-time major champion Jack Nicklaus.

“The Golden Bear” is the godfather of golf in Los Cabos, having crafted six world-class courses locally: Palmilla, Cabo del Sol’s Ocean Course, El Dorado, Club Campestre, Quivira, and a composite design with Greg Norman at Puerto Los Cabos. Palmilla Golf Club was his first design, not only in Los Cabos, but in all of Latin America. The Mountain and Arroyo Courses were completed in 1992, the complementary Ocean layout five years later. Over the past 25 years, Palmilla has hosted many tournaments, including the 1997 PGA Senior Slam – in which Nicklaus was narrowly defeated by Hale Irwin – and the 2007 Audi World Cup Finals.

The post-tournament dinner this year is actually an afternoon BBQ hosted by Acre, one of the leading lights (along with Flora Farm and Huerta Los Tamarindos) of the local farm-to-table movement. The 25-acre Acre farm is acclaimed for its fresh produce and onsite restaurant and cocktail bar, and will soon be the site of the area’s only treehouse accommodations. The BBQ is scheduled for 2 – 6 p.m., and as always will be accompanied by live entertainment and a silent auction.

For more information about the Paws ‘n Claws Open Golf Tournament and BBQ, call Linda at (624) 172-6349 or visit www.loscaboshumanesociety.com. To purchase tickets, call Margarita at (624) 129-7399, or Barbara at (624) 143-2726.

Photo courtesy of Los Cabos Humane Society.

Please click here for accommodations through Los Cabos Vacation Rentals.

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Los Cabos Fishing Report – February 19, 2017

February 19, 2017 by Leave a Comment

February 19, 2017

We are now in the middle of the unpredictable month of February, last week weather patterns felt more like late springtime, this week conditions were cooler, more typical to what they usually would feel like, with low temperatures close to 50 degrees and highs in the mid-70s, still very pleasant conditions compared to areas across North America. Winds this past week were mild, though later in the week the ocean swells increased and this made it hard for the bait netters to reach areas where the schooling sardinas were holding. The sardinas had been found off of the Melia to Chileno beach stretches, but a new resource of larger sized sardinas had been found to the north, off of San Luis, which is directly inshore of the preferred fishing grounds.

So now we will be waiting for surf conditions to reside some so the bait can be netted again, in the meantime anglers were relying on what bait was available, some caballito and squid. Also it was time to start using yo-yo style jigs off of the bottom structure. With ocean temperatures now in the 69 to 71 degree range, it is the season where charters are commonly targeting a variety of good eating bottom species and this is what is going on now. We are seeing better catches of red snapper, yellow snapper, amberjack, yellowtail, cabrilla, triggerfish and bonito. Still a little up and down from day to day, though this fishery is showing promise of getting on track, after not showing much activity through last month. Fishing grounds from Palmilla, La Fortuna, Iman and San Luis all had better signs of action recently.

The yellowtail that have been found have been smaller sized, most of them under five pounds, though at least we are seeing them showing up and we are optimistic that lager sized fish will move in soon. A mix of leopard grouper, red and yellow snapper, amberjack, bonito and triggerfish has rounded out the bottom action, many of these fish are striking on yo-yo jigs and others on various whole and cut baits. One amberjack of 80 lb. was reported, though most of the ones we saw were more in the 10 to 15 lb. class.

With the billfish bite being very limited now off of the San Jose del Cabo area and the dorado bite being dead as well, the highlight for any surface action has continued to be the yellowfin tuna. Last week the tuna were found off the Cabo San Lucas arches, this week the local sportfishing charters have been concentrated back on their normal grounds to the north of Punta Gorda, with the Iman and San Luis Banks being the better options. Yellowfin tuna up to 50 lb. were accounted for, though the average size of the yellowfin were more in the 15 to 25 lb. class. These fish were striking on sardinas, when they were available, also on strips of squid and the yo-yo jigs. Catches ranged from one or two fish, up to five or sox, not off the map wide open, but nevertheless good for this time of year, when we often do not even see any tuna. A few wahoo were seen free swimming and were also hooked into, resulting in cut lines, a bit surprising to see these fish still hanging around in the cooler water, most of them would be in southern waters at this time.

Not much action close to sore now, this is the time for sierra, so far just a few here and there, most charters have been out trying for the tuna or bottom species. Cooler water now for roosterfish, though there is always a chance. Considering the water temperature, the conditions have showed cleaner bluish water through much of the area, spots of greener currents in places.

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 78 charters for the week, with anglers reporting a fish count of: 2 striped marlin, 160 yellowfin tuna, 1 wahoo, 32 bonito, 18 yellow snapper, 17 leopard grouper, 82 huachinango, 32 sierra, 18 yellowtail, 22 amberjack and 90 triggerfish.

Good fishing, Eric

—

GORDO BANKS PANGAS

Eric Brictson / Operator

619 488-1859

Los Cabos (624) 142-1147

e-mail:gordobanks@yahoo.com

WWW.GORDOBANKS.COM

Filed Under: Cabo San Lucas Blog, Fishing Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

NFL Stars Align in Cabo for Celebrity Golf and Fishing Tournaments

February 14, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Cabo San Lucas has always been popular with actors and professional athletes, but where the latter are concerned it hasn’t always been met with widespread acclaim.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo was roundly pilloried for his decision to vacation at Land’s End with Jessica Simpson before a 2007 playoff game against the rival New York Giants, a game favored Dallas subsequently lost.

Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel, meanwhile, was famously photographed clubbing at late night Los Cabos landmark El Squid Roe during Spring Break 2013, an early glimpse into the hard-partying behavior that would characterize his pro career.

NFL players such as current Dallas starting QB Dak Prescott can look forward to a new era in Cabo, however, thanks to the inaugural Baja Athletic Conference, slated for February 23 – 26, 2017.

Now, rather than taking heat for their decision to head south of the border, NFL players can bask in the heat of Cabo’s “endless summer” while working on their chipping, putting and casting techniques. The three-day event kicks off, so to speak, with a large memorabilia signing session, followed by world-class golf and fishing tournaments in which the public is invited to play with the pros while competing for up to $1o,ooo in cash in each event.

The golf tournament is hosted by The Dunes at Diamante – currently ranked as the 38th best course in the world by GOLF Magazine – as well as the Tiger Woods designed El Cardonal at Diamante. The fishing tournament takes place the following day, with jackpots awarded to the biggest catch in several categories, including billfish, tuna, wahoo and dorado. VIP cocktail parties are also on tap, both at The Cape Hotel and the Cabo San Lucas Marina.

Below is a complete list of NFL participants…

NFL Legends:  Kellen Winslow, Charlie Joiner, Anthony Muñoz, Dermontti Dawson, Thurman Thomas, Kenny Houston, Michael Haynes, Paul Krause, Cris Carter, Ray Guy, James Lofton, Bobby Bell, John Randle, Curley Culp, Warren Sapp, Willie Roaf, Mel Renfro, Andre Reed, John Stallworth, Chris Doleman

Current NFL Players:  Dak Prescott, James White, Jason Verrett, Kevin White, Mike Adams, Torrey Smith, Jordan Reed, Brett Hundley, Braxton Miller, Giovanni Bernard, Kenyan Drake, Danielle Hunter, Michael Thomas, Dominique Easley, Kelvin Benjamin, Thomas Davis, Delanie Walker, Kyle Harrington, Bradley Sowell, Frostee Rucker, Caleb Benenoch

Photo courtesy of Baja Athletic Conference.

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Los Cabos Fishing Report – February 12, 2017

February 12, 2017 by Leave a Comment

February 12, 2017

This past week we saw moderate crowds of anglers visiting and they were enjoying what felt more like spring time weather patterns, ideal climate now, clear sunny skies with 80 degree temperatures. Lighter winds compared to previous weeks, ocean temperatures were in the 70 to 71 degree range, light swells and water clarity was clean and blue within a couple of miles from shore. Very favorable signs for this early in the season.

Schooling sardinas continue to be found, though the baitfish are now moving further south off of Chileno, they had been near Palmilla. The main fishing action found this week was for yellowfin tuna off of the Cabo San Lucas arches, without sardinas you did not have much of a chance, the bite was on and off, lots of boat pressure after the word got out, this being the best option going on. Also there was the problem with sea lions, tuna were seen in big numbers on the surface, but proved to be very finicky, some days anglers were lucky to catch one fish, other days average catches were up to five or six tuna. Sizes ranged to over 30 lb., average fish more in the 15 to 25 lb. class.

Most charters were opting to fish in the direction of Cabo San Lucas, since this is where the sardinas were being found, very long back tracking run to travel to where the sardinas were and then return back to Iman Bank where yellowfin were also being found. Same situation on Iman, lots of tuna were seen in the area, but getting them to bite was another problem, often they would not want to strike anything until later in the day. Some of the tuna off of these grounds were as large as 45 lb., but anglers were fortunate to land one or two fish. Not much going on off the bottom, an occasional leopard grouper or amberjack. Off of the Santa Maria area there were some smaller sized yellowtail being found, most of these in the 3 to 5 pound range, striking best on sardinas close to shore, similar to where sierra and smaller sized roosterfish were found. There were reports of yellowtail off of the Pacific grounds as well, so this is encouraging news, we are hoping to see  some larger sized yellowtail show soon, this is the time of year for these popular gamefish, it has been a few years now since we have seen any significant numbers of these fish.

Still good numbers of whales in the area, by the end of this month these mammals will begin to move back on their northern migration. The way the climate has been recently, it appears that spring will be arriving early this year. Great time to visit Los Cabos, perfect weather and crowds are light.

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 65 charters for the week, with anglers reporting a fish count of: 1 striped marlin,  136 yellowfin tuna, 5 dorado, 12 bonito, 14 yellow snapper, 8 leopard grouper, 10 huachinango, 15 misc. pargo, 48 sierra, 8 roosterfish, 15 yellowtail, 4 amberjack and 35 triggerfish.

Good fishing, Eric

—

GORDO BANKS PANGAS

Eric Brictson / Operator

619 488-1859

Los Cabos (624) 142-1147

e-mail:gordobanks@yahoo.com

WWW.GORDOBANKS.COM

Filed Under: Cabo San Lucas Blog, Fishing Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Running with Views: Los Cabos Hosts Half Marathon

February 7, 2017 by Leave a Comment

With views this good the temptation is to walk. On Sunday, February 12th, however, thousands will be moving at a substantially faster pace, soaking up the views of historic downtown San Jose del Cabo and other picturesque locales as they compete in the 4th annual Los Cabos Half Marathon.

Hard on the heels of the full-blown Los Cabos Marathon – 26.2 long miles traversed on January 21st, with Stephen Kibet and Ruth Jepkoech taking top honors among men and women, respectively – the Half Marathon offers a less grueling if still strenuous test against a glorious backdrop at the bottom of the Baja California peninsula. Those at a lower fitness level too are invited to participate, as auxiliary competitions like a 10K and 5K races will also be held, as will a 3K for children.

Not keen on the metric system? 10K equals 6.2 miles, 5K equals 3.1, and the 3K is a mere 1.9 miles. All races start at 7 a.m. on Sunday.

The full 13.1 mile, or 21K course starts and finishes at Plaza Mijares, in front of City Hall and the Garden of Illustrious Cabeños (the latter the name given to local residents) at the terminus of San Jose del Cabo’ broad central boulevard, named in honor of Mexican – American war hero Jose Antonio Mijares.  In between these two points, the Half Marathon wends across to the luxury development of Puerto Los Cabos, past its scenic marina and the golden sands of La Playita, returning to the downtown area via a detour near the beautiful estuary and bird sanctuary.

Plenty of prizes will be awarded, and all attendees are invited to enjoy the Finish Line Fiesta at Plaza Mijares in San Jose del Cabo, with music, food, beer and wine. Registration is only $22 U.S. To sign up, or to find out about the sporting expo and whale watching reception party on February 11th, go to http://www.loscaboshalfmarathon.com. Team programs are available with accompanying discounts.

Photo courtesy of the Los Cabos Half Marathon.

Los Cabos Real Estate

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Los Cabos Fishing Report – February 5, 2017

February 5, 2017 by Leave a Comment

February 5, 2017

Entering the month of February now, always known for having unpredictable, often being cooler and windy, we are hoping with so much wind during this past January that maybe patterns will shift and now settle down. So far this first week of the new month has been very nice, north winds have laid down, days have been clear, with high temperatures in the mid 70’s, early morning low temperatures are down near the 50 degree mark, so be prepared with proper clothing for early in the day before the sun warms things up. Crowds of tourists have been light, local businesses are feeling the crunch on fuel prices and other increasing operating costs, fuel rates are slated to be marked up again this coming week, not an easy situation, compounded by the devaluation of the Peso.

Supplies of sardinas are limited off of Palmilla Point, though with lighter crowds the bait vendors have been able to work hard to net enough bait for the number of charters. After obtaining bait boats are back tracking north to area from Cardon, La Fortuna and Iman Bank. This is where the action for yellowfin tuna has been found, drift fishing with sardinas, both live and dead bait is being used, still some squid strips being rigged as an options as well. The action has been respectable considering this is not the normal time we find a lot of yellowfin tuna. We have seen tuna in the 10 to 50 lb. range, most fish are in the 20 to 35 lb. class. Average catches per charter has been ranging from two fish, up to six or more. Not much variety now besides the yellowfin tuna. Only an occasional snapper, pargo, cabrilla or triggerfish off the bottom. No dorado to speak of, just a couple of smaller fish. We did see one nice 40 lb. class wahoo caught from the same grounds as where the tuna were schooling, hit on a sardina, lucky catch on mono leader, other wahoo have been seen free swimming, so these fish still are hanging around, though with water temperatures now in the 70 degree range, they are not very aggressive at all.

Strong currents have been running, though water clarity is still very good considering the cooling waters. Mackerel and sardineta are holding on local bait grounds, though very few striped marlin are being encountered, still better chances for billfish at this time on the Pacific Banks.

Not much going on inshore, an occasional juvenile sized roosterfish and a handful of sierra. Lots of whales remain in the area, also plenty of hungry sea lions on the fishing grounds, waiting to have the chance at easy picking of a hooked and struggling fish.

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 72 charters for the week, with anglers reporting a fish count of: 2 striped marlin, 2 wahoo, 225 yellowfin tuna, 6 dorado, 8 bonito, 18 yellow snapper, 5 leopard grouper, 15 huachinango, 54 sierra, 2 roosterfish, 1 island jack and 28 triggerfish.

Good fishing, Eric

—

GORDO BANKS PANGAS

Eric Brictson / Operator

619 488-1859

Los Cabos (624) 142-1147

e-mail:gordobanks@yahoo.com

WWW.GORDOBANKS.COM

Filed Under: Cabo San Lucas Blog, Fishing Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Free Freestyle Music at San Jose del Cabo Jazz Weekend

February 1, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Over the years, Los Cabos cities Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo have established rather divergent reputations:  San Lucas as a sportfishing paradise and playground for party people; San Jose as the seat of local government and the premier showcase for regional art and culture.

Those distinctions don’t always hold true, but generally speaking, the municipality’s premier celebrations of culture – whether in art, cuisine or music – are centered in San Jose del Cabo. That’s certainly the case for the annual Jazz Weekend, the 5th edition of which will be held February 17-18 at Plaza del Pescador; AKA the upscale shopping mall across from the Playa Hotelera, the glorious stretch of golden sand lined by many of San Jose’s finest hotels and resorts.

Since it was inaugurated in 2013, the event has drawn thousands of spectators to Plaza del Pescador to hear local, national and international recording artists adept at the improvisational, freewheeling musical style known as jazz. Proponents of Latin Jazz, a subgenre which has traditionally integrated Latin American rhythms and percussion, have always been particularly well represented…and will be again in 2017. Extended shows featuring multiple performers are scheduled from 5 to 11 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday nights.

Jazz Weekend also provides an excuse, as if one were needed, to explore the many boutiques, galleries, restaurants and bars at Plaza del Pescador. Music lovers have always been drawn to shopping center attractions like Jazz Tapas Bar, 11:11 nightclub and Rock&Brews – the latter a rock n’ roll cantina from KISS stars Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley – but the plaza is also known as a mecca for fine food, most notably at La Galeria and El Fish&Grill.

Those in town on the day prior to the festival are also invited to attend San Jose del Cabo’s iconic Art Walk, held each Thursday evening in the city’s historic cobblestone studded Distrito del Arte. Like the annual Jazz Weekend, the weekly Art Walk is free of charge.

For more information about the family-friendly and entirely free San Jose del Cabo Jazz Weekend, visit www.sanjosejazzweekend.com, www.plazadelpescador.com, 0r email event coordinator Astrid Castañeda Ruiz at eastridcruiz@gmail.com.

 

Photo courtesy of San Jose del Cabo Jazz Weekend.

 

Filed Under: Cabo San Lucas Blog

Los Cabos Fishing Report – January 29, 2017

January 29, 2017 by Leave a Comment

January 29, 2017

Visitors to Southern Baja are enjoying warm sunshine, with high temperature of around 75 degrees. Much of this past week there were strong northern winds that made for some rougher days on the water for anglers, early morning there as the wind chill factor to deal with until the rising sun helped warm the day up. Fortunately there were still some yellowfin tuna fond close to shore off of Punta Gorda, this was the highlight of catches in recent days.

The schools of sardinas which had just recently appeared in local waters for the first time in over a year, are already starting to vanish, recently the commercial bait netters are working hard to find minimal quantities and anglers were waiting for an hour or more to sometimes not even get the sardinas. So this is a bit discouraging to see this resource collapsing so quickly, we will hope that more schools of these preferred baitfish will move into the region soon. Other bait options have included sardineta, mackerel, caballito and slabs of squid. Just not much action being found by trolling lures, so bait has been the better choice to find action.

Anglers were drift fishing for the yellowfin tuna, using various baits, but sardinas were the favorite if you were able to obtain them. The tuna were ranging in size from 15 to 40 lb., average catches being one or two or up to six or more, depending if you were at the right place at the right time. These yellowfin were hanging close to shore over rocky structure where anglers were also catching a mix of bottom species, though no significant number, except for possible triggerfish. A few nicer sized amberjack were accounted for, in the 50 to 60 lb. class, also a handful of red snapper and leopard grouper.

Ocean clarity actually improved in recent days, as greenish current were pushed aside by bluer water within a mile of shore. Water temperatures now averaged 70 to 71 degrees, which is back to around normal for this time of year. We are hoping to see more yellowtail start to move in, there were increased numbers of striped marlin being seen off of the normal fishing grounds out of San Jose del Cabo, though still only a handful were actually hooked into.

Sierra are dominating the inshore activity, moderate numbers of fish averaging 2 to 4 lb. A few roosterfish were also accounted for, up to 15 lb. Not the normal season that we find many roosterfish, normally the ones we do see are smaller juvenile sized fish. The north winds have limited where charters could reasonably have a chance to fish in comfort, need some calmer days in order to work the grounds of Iman to San Luis, this is where there can be more bottomfish opportunities during the winter season.

Whales continue to entertain viewers, as they are now in peak season. Also some sea lions hanging around the fishing grounds taking their share of the catch.

The combined panga fleets launching out of La Playita, Puerto Los Cabos Marina sent out approximately 62 charters for the week, with anglers reporting a fish count of: 7 striped marlin,120 yellowfin tuna, 7 dorado, 11 bonito, 21 yellow snapper, 18 leopard grouper, 34 huachinango,124 sierra, 5 roosterfish, 5 pompano, 12 mojara, 6 amberjack and 85 triggerfish.

Good fishing, Eric

—

GORDO BANKS PANGAS

Eric Brictson / Operator

619 488-1859

Los Cabos (624) 142-1147

e-mail:gordobanks@yahoo.com

WWW.GORDOBANKS.COM

Filed Under: Cabo San Lucas Blog, Fishing Tagged With: , , , , ,

Los Cabos Plus Valentine’s Day Equals Unrivaled Romance

January 24, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Long considered one of the finest sportfishing destinations on planet Earth, Los Cabos has spent much of the past two decades burnishing its romance credentials, adding to its already spectacular ocean, desert and mountain vistas with rose petal strewn accommodations, pampering couples-centric spa treatments, and silverware set tables for two on the shores of the moon-dappled Sea of Cortés.

As one might expect, this regional commitment to romance reaches its zenith each year on Valentine’s Day, when the finest hotels in cape cities Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo compete to see who can offer the most luxurious amenities at the lowest rates, and area restaurants joust for the services of the most elegant balladeers.

The ne plus ultra of this annual “arms (emb)race” is Sunset da Mona Lisa, a restaurant whose romantic elements are so overwhelming that they were obliged to hire an onsite coordinator just to deal with the inevitable wedding proposals.

Perched virtually atop the Sea of Cortés at Sunset Point, Mona Lisa’s tables look across the famed Monuments surf break to the 30-million-year-old granite monuments at Land’s End, the terminus of the nearly 800-mile Baja California peninsula. Every evening, those with the forethought to acquire a reservation for the sunset seating are treated to an explosive and unforgettable burst of color as the sun sinks beyond Cabo’s fabled Arch and the distant Pacific Ocean horizon.

The jaw-dropping sunset views propelled Mona Lisa to the top of Los Cabos’ list of  Valentine’s Day destinations, but the restaurant has never been one to rest on its laurels. It built its golden romantic reputation by layering extra upon extra, from candlelit ambiance and a Taittinger Champagne Terrace with bubbly and Beluga caviar to mouthwateringly delicious Italian specialties and fresh local seafood focused fare from Michelin–star trained Chef Paollo Della Corte. The Tartufo Nero (seasonal black truffles) alone are enough to inspire a proposal, especially when served in a savory Tagliatelle with homemade pasta and exquisitely aged Parmiggiano cheese.

This year, Sunset da Mona Lisa is featuring a VIP version of  its usual Valentine’s Day spectacular:  a welcoming cocktail plus a six-course tasting menu, live music, special gifts from the Chef, and of course an unforgettable sunset and after dark fireworks display. There are three scheduled seatings, at 4:30, 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. To make reservations, call (624) 145-8160.

Tickets are $145 per person. The experience itself? Priceless.

 

Photo courtesy of Sunset da Mona Lisa.

 

 

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