Welcome to 2019! It’s an entirely new year, but visitors to sunny Los Cabos will find many familiar events 
this January. Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo, a staple of the local cultural calendar, continues each Thursday night. The premier area golf tournament, the Los Cabos Pro-Am also returns, as does the region’s best music festival and windsports competition. The biggest event of them all, however, is the ongoing drama known as whale watching season. January is the peak time to see these enormous creatures (primarily humpbacks and gray whales), who have journeyed from arctic feeding waters to breed in shallow water sites around Baja California Sur.
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo (January 3, 10, 17, 24, 31)
The historic Distrito del Arte in San Jose del Cabo takes center stage each Thursday evening during high tourist season–November through June–when residents and visitors alike are invited to stroll its cobblestone streets and peruse the many eclectic fine arts galleries. Art Walk hours are 5 to 9 p.m, when the neighborhood comes alive with wine, cheese and guided tours, as well as colorful street artists and strolling mariachis.
Los Cabos Pro-Am Golf Tournament (January 14 – 18)
The most notable golf tournament in a region famed for its spectacular courses–three of Los Cabos’ layouts are currently ranked among the 100 best in the world–returns January 14 – 18, 2010, as Cabo del Sol’s Ocean and Desert Courses play host to the 11th annual Los Cabos Pro-Am. Stay and play packages for the tournament include five days and four nights of accommodation at the Sheraton Grand Hacienda del Mar Golf & Spa Resort, as well as three rounds at the participating courses, plus an invitation to the opening and closing cocktail parties, and daily breakfast at one of Hacienda del Mar’s excellent onsite restaurants. Overall team prizes are another lure for amateurs.
Tropic of Cancer Concert Series (January 10 – 20)
Former R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck pioneered jam culture in Todos Santos with this annual music festival, which brought in high-profile musicians for performances at the landmark Hotel California, as well as the town’s picturesque main plaza. Buck’s festival went on hiatus after he made some controversial comments about local politics at the 2016 event, but the music lives on. The freshly minted Tropic of Cancer Concert Series premiered in 2017, and returns again for a third iteration in 2019 with an all-star lineup headlined by Joan Osborne, Radio Free Honduras, Susto, Cordovas, La Santa Cecilia, Birds of Chicago, The Autumn Defense, and La Victoria.
La Ventana Classic (January 16 – 20)
Baja California Sur boasts world-class conditions for a number of water-based activities: fishing, of course, but also surfing, sailing, diving, kayaking and, seasonally at least, windsports. Each winter, when strong El Norte winds blow down the Sea of Cortés, picturesque East Cape communities like Los Barriles and La Ventana become meccas for windsurfing and kiteboarding enthusiasts. Now that Los Barriles has ended its annual Lord of the Wind Showdown, the La Ventana’s “Classic” has become the premier regional competition, with windsurfers, kiteboarders and SUP (stand up paddleboarding) enthusiasts battling the breezes to earn cash and glory in various categories. This year’s event is scheduled for Jan. 16 – 20, with proceeds earmarked to benefit local schools. Mountain bike races have also been added to the event.
Whale Watching (Mid-December to Mid-March)
Each winter some 5,000 to 10,000 blue, gray, humpback and other whales migrate from their arctic feeding grounds to breed in the shallow water coves and inlets of beautiful Baja California Sur. In this regard these leviathans of the deep are very much like the snowbirds who flock to cape cities Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo to escape frigid winter temperatures in the U.S. and Canada. The only real difference – aside from the obvious anatomical ones – is one of scale. The longest mammalian migration ever recorded was in 2014, when a gray whale dubbed Varvara traveled over 14,000 miles round-trip from Russia to Cabo San Lucas. Humpbacks, however, are the most commonly seen whale in Los Cabos waters.
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: La Ventana Classic
Upcoming Event Calendar
January 2019
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Jan. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
Día de los Tres Reyes Magos – Jan. 6
Tropic of Cancer Concert Series in Todos Santos – Jan. 10 – 20
Los Cabos Pro-Am at Cabo del Sol – Jan. 14 – 18
La Ventana Classic (Kiteboard and Windsurfing Tournament) – Jan. 16 – 20
February
Todos Santos Writers Workshop – Feb. 2 – 9
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Feb. 7, 14, 21, 28
Todos Santos Artists’ Open Studios Tour – Feb. 9 – 10
Día del Amor y la Amistad (Valentine’s Day) – Feb. 14
San Jose del Cabo Jazz Weekend – Feb. 15 – 16
20th Baja Hog Rally – Feb. 20 – 24
Carnaval La Paz – Feb. 28 – Mar. 5
March
Cabo Collegiate at Querencia – March 3 – 5
Carnaval La Paz – Feb. 28 – March 5
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – March 6, 13, 20, 27
Baja Shakespeare Festival – March 8 – 10, 13 – 16
Traditional Fiestas in San Jose del Cabo – Dates Yet to Be Determined
End of Whale Watching Season – March 15
East Cape Arts Festival – March 17
Todos Santos Film Festival – Dates Yet to Be Determined
7th Annual Cheese & Wine Festival at Sheraton Grand Los Cabos – Dates Yet to Be Determined
April
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – April 4, 11, 18, 25
NORRA Mexican 1000 – April 26 – May 3
Paws n’ Claws Golf Tournament – Dates Yet to Be Determined
Sabores de Baja in Miraflores – Dates Yet to Be Determined
May
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
Gastrovino Food & Wine Festival in Todos Santos – May 17 – 19
June
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – June 6, 13, 20, 27
Please let me know what you think about this!