Big-Name DJs Coming to Los Cabos for Grand Opening of New Entertainment Complex

Three of the world’s most famous DJs are coming to Los Cabos, an unprecedented display of imported talent that points out one of the most underrated aspects of the region’s recent building boom. It’s not just about big-name brands moving in, or an increase in available hotel rooms. It’s also a paradigm shifter in terms of the drinking, dining and entertainment options that are now going to be available to both visitors and local residents.

Yes, new resorts are changing the complexion of the region’s coastline, from the Pacific Coast of Cabo San Lucas to the East Cape area that extends northeast from San Jose del Cabo. But new rooms and suites, no matter how posh, are nothing new to a region with an established track record of luxury accommodations. What’s really changing is the increasingly easy access to world-class talent, from celebrity chefs to high-profile artists.

Savvy travelers may still opt for ocean view luxury villa rentals – often at competitive rates with upscale resorts – but they also have a wealth of new resort centered activities and attractions to enjoy during idle hours. Golf and fishing may still be the big draws, but a whole new menu of choices has suddenly become available.

Nightclub habitués and hip scene makers need no introduction to Steve Aoki, Calvin Harris, and Zedd. The three have become famous and fabulously rich spinning records in the world’s most fashionable clubs. As of next month, that roster will include Omnia Dayclub, part of the brand spanking new entertainment complex at Vidanta Los Cabos, which will celebrate its grand opening on Feb. 23 – 25.

In April 2016, Vidanta signed a partnership with worldwide hospitality brand Hakkasan, who agreed to invest $150 million dollars into Vidanta’s collection of Mexican resort properties. The goal was to create new concept beach clubs, restaurants and nightlife venues. Next month’s grand opening at Vidanta Los Cabos – a resort in San Jose’s beachfront Hotel Zone located across from the Vidanta managed golf course at Punta Sur – will thus represent the first major return on this investment: an ambitious new beachfront entertainment complex that includes no less than four signature venues.

The beachfront Omnia Dayclub is arranged around a central pool with an array of VIP areas including private cabanas and a pair of two-story VIP bungalows with private plunge pools. With a talent line-up of world-class DJs – including the three slated to spin at next month’s grand opening – OMNIA Dayclub will set a new standard of service and entertainment within Mexico.

This is the first international opening for the “Fish Meats Field” culinary concept of Herringbone, which has been reimagined as an airy Mexican beach house with views over the resort’s pools to the ocean. The restaurant offers coastal cuisine with an emphasis on line-caught seafood and high-quality meats, and features some of Herringbone’s signature design elements such as living trees, lush vegetation and maritime artwork and fixtures.

Casa Calavera is a new culinary concept developed by Hakkasan Group with an authentic Dia de los Muertos theme at its core. Adjoining OMNIA Dayclub, Casa Calavera will share the ambiance, sounds and energy of the dayclub while offering a menu of popular Mexican dishes and drinks in a beachside setting.

Sitting under a striking, curved thatch roof and overlooking one of the resort’s main pools, SHOREbar is a casual, open-air venue offering hand-crafted cocktails with pool and ocean views. A vintage VW bus parked within the place will offer a small menu of light bites and dishes to share.

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 courtesy of Vidanta Los Cabos.

Upcoming Event Calendar

January

Tropic of Cancer Concert Series in Todos Santos – Jan. 11 – 21

Wellness Retreat w/ Cait Fraser at One&Only Palmilla – Jan. 12 – 14; 26 – 28

Los Cabos Pro-Am Golf Tournament – Jan. 15 – 19

La Ventana Classic (Kiteboard and Windsurfing Tournament) – Jan. 17 – 21

Los Cabos Mountain Marathon – Jan. 20

Todos Santos Writers Workshop – Jan. 27 – Feb. 3

February

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Feb. 1, 8, 15, 22

Todos Santos Open Artists’ Studio Tour –  Feb. 10 – 11

Carnaval La Paz – Feb. 8 – 13

Valentine’s Day – Feb. 14

San Jose del Cabo Jazz Weekend – Feb. 16 – 17

Baja Hog Motorcycle Rally – Feb. 21 – 25

Vidanta Los Cabos Grand Opening Featuring Calvin Harris, Steve Aoki and Zedd – Feb. 23 – 25

March

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

Todos Santos Film Festival – March 7 – 11

Baja Shakespeare Festival – March 9 – 11, 14 – 17

El Triunfo Festival Artesanal – March 11

East Cape Arts Festival – March 18

Fiestas Patronales in San José del Cabo – March 14 – 19

Semana Santa – March 25 – 31

Rancho Pescadero Yoga, Surf & Nutrition Retreat – March 28 – April 1

April

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – April 5, 12, 19, 26

Paws n’ Claws Golf Tournament and Dinner – April 8

NORRA Mexican 1000 – April 20 – 26

May

483rd La Paz Foundation Festival – May 3

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31

Cinco de Mayo – May 5

El Día de la Madre (Mother’s Day) – May 10

Gastrovino Food & Wine Festival – May 19 – 20

White Party at Blue Marlin Ibiza – Date Not Yet Announced

Rancho Pescadero Yoga, Surf & Nutrition Retreat – May 30 – June 2

June

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – June 7, 14, 21, 28

Cabo Comedy Festival – Dates Note Yet Announced

Los Cabos Open of Surf – Dates Not Yet Announced

Cabo Summer Slam/Pelagic Triple Crown of Sport Fishing – Dates Not Yet Announced

Grand Velas Los Cabos Grand Chefs Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced

Fiesta de la Musica – June 21

Stars and Stripes Golf & Fishing Tournament – June 28 – July 1

July – August

East Cape Dorado Shootout Fishing Tournament – Jul. 21

Bisbee’s East Cape Offshore Fishing Tournament – Jul. 31 – Aug. 4

October

Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore Fishing Tournament – Oct. 18 – 21

Bisbee’s Black & Blue Fishing Tournament – Oct. 23 – 27

November

SCORE Baja 1000 – Nov. 14 – 18

 

Romance Unlimited: A Guide to Valentine’s Day Dinners in Los Cabos

Like New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s Day in Los Cabos requires a little prior planning…at least for those who’d like to dine at one of the area’s most famously romantic restaurants, where first-class food and wine are complemented by spectacular views and a host of amor focused amenities.

El Farallon

It’s hard to imagine a more dramatic entrance than that offered by The Resort at Pedregal, widely acclaimed as the finest resort in Cabo San Lucas since its opening in 2009. Guests enter through the longest private tunnel in Mexico – chandelier lit, of course – before emerging to gorgeous views of the Pacific Ocean from the outdoor lobby. The views are outstanding from every corner of the property, but reach their zenith at El Farallon, a restaurant set cliffside above crashing Pacific waves. Here, couples may start with pre-prandial sippers on the Champagne Terrace before being seated for dinner, and progressing through a parade of fresh and delicious local seafood.

Sunset da Mona Lisa

Perched virtually atop the Sea of Cortez at Sunset Point, Mona Lisa’s tables look across the famed Monuments surf break to the evocatively shaped 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 elegant Italian style cuisine, as well as explosive and unforgettable burst of color as the sun sinks beyond Cabo’s fabled Arch and the distant Pacific Ocean horizon. Even more forethought than usual will be required for Valentine’s Day reservations, when the restaurant traditionally rolls out a special four or five course menu.

Pitahayas                                                                                                                            

Imagine being seated beneath an enormous palapa, looking out beyond palm trees wrapped in colorful lights and ornaments to see moonlight glittering on the surface of the Sea of Cortez. That’s the gorgeous setting at Pitahayas – a fine dining fixture at Sheraton Grand’s luxe Hacienda del Mar – where Chef Volker Romeike has created one of the most diverse local fusion cuisines, a Pacific Rim medley that blends disparate influences from México and Hawaii to Japan, China, Korea, Thailand, and the Philippines. Private dinners may also be arranged in Cava de Santiago, one of the region’s most abundantly stocked wine cellars.                                                                                                                          

Caborey 

There’s something about being on a boat that ups the romance factor almost exponentially. Caborey certainly proves that point with its signature dinner cruises, following chateaubriand and lobster with a Las Vegas style floorshow featuring Latin American singing and dancing. Tango anyone? The 144’ luxury catamaran sails nightly from the main dock on the Cabo San Lucas Marina, treating guests to live music on the top deck, as well as up-close views of Land’s End monuments like Pelican Rock, The Window to the Pacific, and of course El Arco.

Additional Options                                                                                                                

Looking for something a little more creative? Plan a picnic at Playa del Amor, AKA Lover’s Beach. You’ll need to make arrangements with a caterer, and of course a water taxi driver for transportation to and from this gorgeous stretch of golden sand, which offers spectacular views across the bay, taking in a wide swath of coast from Cabo San Lucas to Punta Ballena.

Whichever romantic dinner option you choose, you’ll naturally want to return afterwards to your luxury villa rental with infinity pool views of seemingly infinite ocean. After all, there’s romance, and then there’s Romance, Los Cabos Style.

For more information about events 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 courtesy of Caborey.

 

Upcoming Event Calendar

January

Art Walk In San Jose del Cabo – Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25

Special Dinner ft. Napa Valley Chef Christopher Kostow at One&Only Palmilla – Jan. 5

International Festival of Yoga in Todos Santos – Jan. 5 – 7

Día de los Tres Reyes Magos (Three Kings Day) – Jan. 6

Tropic of Cancer Concert Series in Todos Santos – Jan. 11 – 21

Wellness Retreat w/ Cait Fraser at One&Only Palmilla – Jan. 12 – 14; 26 – 28

Los Cabos Pro-Am Golf Tournament – Jan. 15 – 19

La Ventana Classic (Kiteboard and Windsurfing Tournament) – Jan. 17 – 21

Los Cabos Mountain Marathon – Jan. 20

Todos Santos Writers Workshop – Jan. 27 – Feb. 3

 February

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Feb. 1, 8, 15, 22

Todos Santos Open Artists’ Studio Tour –  Feb. 10 – 11

Carnaval La Paz – Feb. 8 – 13

Valentine’s Day – Feb. 14

Baja Hog Motorcycle Rally – Feb. 21 – 25

 March

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

Todos Santos Film Festival – March 7 – 11

Baja Shakespeare Festival – March 9 – 11, 14 – 17

El Triunfo Arts & Crafts Festival – Date Not Yet Announced

East Cape Arts Festival – March 18

Fiestas Patronales in San José del Cabo – March 14 – 19

Semana Santa – March 25 – 31

Rancho Pescadero Yoga, Surf & Nutrition Retreat – March 28 – April 1

Annual Cheese & Wine Festival at Sheraton Hacienda del Mar – Date Not Yet Announced

April

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – April 5, 12, 19, 26

Paws n’ Claws Golf Tournament and Dinner – April 8

NORRA Mexican 1000 – April 20 – 26

Koral Pets Race – Date Not Yet Announced

 May

482nd La Paz Foundation Festival – May 3

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31

Cinco de Mayo – May 5

El Día de la Madre (Mother’s Day) – May 10

Gastrovino Food & Wine Festival – May 19 – 20

White Party at Blue Marlin Ibiza – Date Not Yet Announced

Rancho Pescadero Yoga, Surf & Nutrition Retreat – May 30 – June 2

June

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – June 7, 14, 21, 28

Cabo Comedy Festival – Dates Note Yet Announced

Los Cabos Open of Surf – Dates Not Yet Announced

Cabo Summer Slam/Pelagic Triple Crown of Sport Fishing – Dates Not Yet Announced

Grand Velas Los Cabos Grand Chefs Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced

Fiesta de la Musica – June 21

Stars and Stripes Golf & Fishing Tournament – June 28 – July 1

 

New Year, Familiar Cheer: A Guide to January Events in Los Cabos

The year may be brand new, but visitors to Los Cabos this month will find many of the upcoming regional events seem comfortingly familiar.

Two of the premier annual sporting events return this January, including the signature local golf tournament (the Los Cabos Pro-Am at Cabo del Sol), and what is now the area’s most anticipated windsports competition (the La Ventana Classic).

Top cultural festivals and gatherings this month, too, have well-established roots: the yearly music concert series in Todos Santos dates back, in one form or another, to 2012, making it two years older than the town’s Writer’s Workshop; and the Thursday night Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo is, of course, a staple of the winter (and spring) event calendar.

All are back, and expected to be better than ever in 2018.

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo (Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25)

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. A chance to check out San Jose’s recent downtown makeover is another reason to make the Thursday night pilgrimage.

Tropic of Cancer Concert Series in Todos Santos (Jan. 11 – 21)

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 in 2018 with an all-star lineup headlined by Joan Osborne, The Autumn Defense, The Jag, Cordovas, La Santa Cecilia, Bostich and Fussible from Nortec Collective, Julie Roberts, and La Victoria.

Los Cabos Pro-Am Golf Tournament (Jan. 15 – 19)

The most notable golf tournament in a region famed for its spectacular courses returns this January, as Cabo del Sol’s Ocean and Desert Courses play host to the 10th 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.

La Ventana Classic (Jan. 17 – 21)

Baja California Sur boasts world-class conditions for many 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 Cortez, 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, 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. Proceeds this year are earmarked to benefit local schools.

Todos Santos Writers Workshop (Jan. 27 – Feb. 3)

Best known for its painters, the pueblo magico of Todos Santos is also known as a congenial community for writers…as evidenced by the 5th annual writers’ workshop, which returns to the atmospheric Casa Dracula on January 27th. In addition to its usual collection of seminars and speakers, publishing roundtables and other literary pursuits, the 2018 event marks the premiere of the first-ever poetry workshop. The instructor for this newly minted feature is award-winning poet, translator and journalist Christopher Merrill, who also serves as the director of the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa.

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 courtesy of the La Ventana Classic.

 Upcoming Event Calendar

January

Art Walk In San Jose del Cabo – Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25

Special Dinner ft. Napa Valley Chef Christopher Kostow at One&Only Palmilla – Jan. 5

International Festival of Yoga in Todos Santos – Jan. 5 – 7

Día de los Tres Reyes Magos (Three Kings Day) – Jan. 6

Tropic of Cancer Concert Series in Todos Santos – Jan. 11 – 21

Wellness Retreat w/ Cait Fraser at One&Only Palmilla – Jan. 12 – 14; 26 – 28

Los Cabos Pro-Am Golf Tournament – Jan. 15 – 19

La Ventana Classic (Kiteboard and Windsurfing Tournament) – Jan. 17 – 21

Los Cabos Mountain Marathon – Jan. 20

Todos Santos Writers Workshop – Jan. 27 – Feb. 3

 February

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Feb. 1, 8, 15, 22

Todos Santos Open Artists’ Studio Tour –  Feb. 10 – 11

Carnaval La Paz – Feb. 8 – 13

Valentine’s Day Dinner at Sunset da Mona Lisa – Feb. 14

Baja Hog Motorcycle Rally – Feb. 21 – 25

 March

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

Todos Santos Film Festival – March 7 – 11

Baja Shakespeare Festival – March 9 – 11, 14 – 17

El Triunfo Arts & Crafts Festival – Date Not Yet Announced

East Cape Arts Festival – March 18

Fiestas Patronales in San José del Cabo – March 14 – 19

Semana Santa – March 25 – 31

Rancho Pescadero Yoga, Surf & Nutrition Retreat – March 28 – April 1

Annual Cheese & Wine Festival at Sheraton Hacienda del Mar – Date Not Yet Announced

April

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – April 5, 12, 19, 26

Paws n’ Claws Golf Tournament and Dinner – April 8

NORRA Mexican 1000 – April 20 – 26

Koral Pets Race – Date Not Yet Announced

 May

482nd La Paz Foundation Festival – May 3

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31

Cinco de Mayo – May 5

El Día de la Madre (Mother’s Day) – May 10

Gastrovino Food & Wine Festival – May 19 – 20

White Party at Blue Marlin Ibiza – Date Not Yet Announced

Rancho Pescadero Yoga, Surf & Nutrition Retreat – May 30 – June 2

June

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – June 7, 14, 21, 28

Cabo Comedy Festival – Dates Note Yet Announced

Los Cabos Open of Surf – Dates Not Yet Announced

Cabo Summer Slam/Pelagic Triple Crown of Sport Fishing – Dates Not Yet Announced

Grand Velas Los Cabos Grand Chefs Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced

Fiesta de la Musica – June 21

Stars and Stripes Golf & Fishing Tournament – June 28 – July 1

 

 

Art Walk Season Returns Soon to San Jose del Cabo

Although to-dos in Cabo San Lucas tend to get more press, cape sister San Jose del Cabo hosts its fair share of notable events: Jazz Weekend in February; the patron saint festival, or Fiesta Patronal, in March; the Fiesta de la Musica each June: and of course Sabor a Cabo (Taste of Cabo), a massive year-end food and wine festival that not only features top regional chefs and winemakers, but some of the world’s most popular live music acts.

The city’s signature event, however, remains its seasonal Art Walk. Every Thursday evening from 5 – 9 p.m. during the high tourist season (November through June), galleries in the historic, cobblestone studded Distrito del Arte invite visitors to sip wine and view the works of some the country’s finest artists, and to enjoy a thriving district street scene that includes wandering musicians and other performers, as well as up-and-coming painters displaying their creations at impromptu sidewalk studios.

The Distrito del Arte, or Art District, has its own association comprised of 14 major galleries, who showcase everything from contemporary painting, sculpture and jewelry to traditional Mexican folk art forms like Mata Ortiz pottery or Huichol Indian art.

The folk art is likely to be the most fascinating discovery for first-time visitors. Distinctive, hand-painted Mata Ortiz pottery, for instance, all originates from the small village of Mata Ortiz, located in Chihuahua near the ancient Mesoamerican city of Paquime, where traditional pottery has been practiced without benefit of a potter’s wheel for over a millennium.

The Huichol, who live in the Sierra Madre Mountains and still maintain their ancient traditional beliefs – including the ritualistic use of peyote – create remarkable paintings and pre-Columbian style animal figures (jaguars, deer, eagles) using colorful yarn and beads.

The art district is just off the town square in San Jose del Cabo, Plaza Mijares, and Art Walk spills over into the downtown area, with arts and crafts vendors setting up displays in front of historic attractions like City Hall, which boasts an historic clock tower, and interior murals that trace the history of Baja California and Mexico at large; El Jardin de los Cabeños Ilustres, the sculpture garden dedicated to regional heroes and heroines; and the old Catholic church, Parroquia San Jose, with its tile mosaic depicting the killing of Jesuit missionary Nicolas Tamaral in 1734 by the area’s original inhabitants.

The Distrito del Arte is also home to abundant drinking and dining options. The state’s first brewery, Baja Brewing Company, opened its first location in the heart of the art district in 2007, where they also serve delicious burgers. Neighboring La Lupita, meanwhile, is the go-to destination for spit-grilled tacos al pastor and shots of artisanally crafted, agave distilled mezcal.

The return of Art Walk typically coincides with Day of the Dead celebrations, offering yet another perspective on Mexican cultural traditions. For more information about San Jose del Cabo’s Art District and its seasonal Art Walk, visit www.artcabo.com.

Photo courtesy of www.artcabo.com.

 

Art Walk Celebrates History, Beauty and Culture of San Jose del Cabo

Although it has at times during its long history been eclipsed by Cabo San Lucas in terms of prestige, San Jose del Cabo has never taken a backseat to its sister city in beauty or culture.

It was at San Jose, not San Lucas, that the first Jesuit mission in Los Cabos was built in 1730. This decision was in large part due to the area’s abundant freshwater resources, which had also been drawing treasure laden galleons (and the pirates who hunted them) since colonial Spain inaugurated the Manila–Acapulco trade route in 1565.

An American explorer and government agent named J. Ross Browne visited the area in 1866, and wrote of the town: “The old mission building stands on a slight eminence about two miles from the beach, in a most beautiful part of the valley, and forms the Acropolis around which centres the pleasant little town of San Jose. A stream of pure water courses through groves of citrons and oranges on the lower slope of the hill, and luxuriant palms hang with tropical effect over the washing-places along the azequia, where the dusky damsels of the town assemble to work and gossip.”

Present day San Jose is still a place of extraordinary beauty, a fact shown to great advantage in the town’s signature seasonal event, its weekly Art Walk. Each Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m. during high tourist season (November through June), locals and visitors stroll the cobblestone streets of the historic Distrito del Arte, and indeed the downtown district at large celebrating this legacy of history and culture.

Artists and art lovers open their galleries to showcase their latest offerings, downtown monuments like City Hall and the old church are outlined by colorful lights, arts and crafts makers spread out their wares on tables or along the sidewalks, wandering musicians serenade passersby sipping wine, or those taking a breather at local bars and restaurants.

This season’s Art Walk has been the biggest and best yet; and there is still time to enjoy the event before it goes on hiatus:  eight more Thursday evening celebrations are scheduled before the end of June.

For those unable to experience this festival of sights, sounds and flavors before then, don’t worry. Art Walk returns at the beginning of November each year, with all new art and, traditionally, personalized altars as part of Day of the Dead remembrances throughout Mexico.

For more information about Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo, as well as participating galleries, visit www.artcabo.com.

Call Los Cabos Vacation Rentals @ 1-888-655-4548 for the Best Values in Condos, Homes and Villas

Photo courtesy of ArtCabo.com.

 

 

Art, Wine and the Beauties of San Jose del Cabo

Thanks to its big-time fishing tournaments and boisterous nightlife, Cabo San Lucas is now the more artsjdcfamous of the two cape cities that largely populate the Los Cabos municipality. But this was not always so. Until the advent of the tourist age some 50 years ago, San Jose del Cabo was far better known.

Before 1960, there was little in Cabo San Lucas save a cannery and about 300 residents. San Jose del Cabo, by contrast, has been an important regional community for almost 300 years, since the Jesuits first built a mission there in 1730. Not only is it the current seat of local government, but it boasts the sort of historic architecture unknown in San Lucas, from a beautiful old Catholic church to a stately City Hall topped with a nearly century-old old clock tower, and a courtyard filled with murals that trace the history of both the region and the country at large.

Nowhere is this colonial style city’s beauty shown to greater advantage than in its picturesque Distrito del Arte, where each week during tourist season galleries throw open their doors to celebrate the seasonal Art Walk.

The 2016 – 2017 Art Walk season kicked off on October 27:  thus visitors and residents alike are now invited to attend each Thursday from 5 – 9 p.m.; to stroll the neighborhood’s charming cobblestone streets, to sip wine, listen to local musicians, and of course explore the numerous galleries which proliferate in the downtown area.

Like Todos Santos, San Jose del Cabo has long been noted for its thriving arts community. Aficionados will find works both contemporary and classic, including high-quality painting, sculpture, pottery, glassware and jewelry.  An eye for art is hardly a prerequisite to enjoy the weekly event, however, since the Distrito del Arte is also home to a flourishing drinking and dining scene. The state’s first microbrewery, Baja Brewing Company, is located in the heart of the Art District, as is one of the region’s finest taquerias, La Lupita Tacos & Mezcal.

For more information about the event, as well as participating galleries, visit www.artcabo.com.