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Desert Gold: Baja 1000 Celebrates 50 Years of Epic Off-Road Racing

October 18, 2017 by Leave a Comment

October 18, 2017

The most famous sporting event in Baja is also the most famous off-road racing event in the world: the legendarily rugged Baja 1000.

So devilish and dangerous did this annual off-road journey through the untamed heart of the peninsula prove that by the late 1960s and early 1970s it became a badge of honor, one that attracted Hollywood stars of the era like Paul Newman, Steve McQueen and James Garner. Even traditional motorsports stars like Indy 500 winner Parnelli Jones and 7-time NASCAR Cup champion Jimmie Johnson later felt the need to try it, as if driving fast over paved roads wasn’t enough of a challenge.

This year, the iconic race celebrates its 50th running – its golden anniversary – with a suitably epic 1200-mile point-to-point course from Ensenada to La Paz, scheduled from Nov. 14-18, 2017.

Over 350 entrants, from approximately 40 U.S. states and 30 countries, are expected to compete in the BF Goodrich Tires SCORE Baja 1000; and will do so across multiple classes – in motorcycles, cars and trucks, ATVs and UTVs. The race will be televised on the El Rey Network, available in over 45 million homes in the U.S.

When the Baja 1000 originally premiered back in 1967 – as a race from Tijuana to La Paz – it was under the auspices of off-road pioneers Ed Pearlman, Don Francisco, and their newly formed organization NORRA (National Off-Road Racing Association). Following the OPEC Oil Crisis in 1973, however, there was a change in organizers, and since 1975 the Baja 1000 has been run under the SCORE (Southern California Off-Road Enterprises) banner.

This year’s start and finish points are considered a bow to tradition:  Ensenada has served as the starting line a record 43 times; La Paz, meanwhile, has been the site of the finish line on 21 occasions.

The Baja 1000 has finished in Los Cabos only twice:  in 2000 and 2007, when the race was run from Ensenada to Cabo San Lucas. The cape cities, though, are home to a vibrant off-road racing culture. Numerous local companies offer dune buggy adventures across rugged beach, desert and mountain terrains, and one even offers excursions in actual Baja 1000 style race cars.

As a matter of fact, they’ll even let you enter one of the regional SCORE sponsored races (there are four each year, culminating with the Baja 1000), and provide in-race communications and other technical support. All prospective drivers need is plenty of nerve and a valid credit card number.

For more information about the SCORE Baja 1000 and other local events, call us TOLL FREE at 1-888-655-4548, visit www.LosCabosVillas.com, or email us at Info@LosCabosVillas.com.

Photo courtesy of SCORE International.

 Upcoming Event Calendar

October

Sammy Hagar Birthday Concerts – Oct. 9, 11, 13 – 14

Fiestas Patronales (Patron Saint Festival) in Cabo San Lucas – Oct. 17 – 22

Los Cabos Billfish Tournament – Oct. 15 – 19

Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore – Oct. 19 – 22

Bisbee’s Black & Blue – Oct. 24 – 28

David Pack’s Legends Live at Bisbee’s Black & Blue – Oct. 28

IAGTO Golf Tourism Convention – Oct. 29 – Nov. 4

Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) – Oct. 31 – Nov. 2

 November

San José del Cabo Art Walk – Thursday evenings, 5 – 9 p.m., November through June

WON Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot Tournament – Nov. 1 – 4

Jim Flick Invitational Golf Tournament at Cabo del Sol – Nov. 7 – 12

Los Cabos International Film Festival – Nov. 8 – 12

Ironman Los Cabos Triathlon – Nov. 12

50th SCORE Baja 1000 – Nov. 14 – 18

Día de la Revolucion (Revolution Day) – Nov. 20

Día de Acción de Gracias (Thanksgiving) – Nov. 23

Extreme Sailing Series – Nov. 30 – Dec. 3

December

LigaMAC Christmas Party – Dec. 5

Dressed to the K-9s Charity Gala – Dec. 8

Sabor a Cabo Food and Wine Festival –  Dec. 9

Feast Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe – Dec. 12

Whale Watching Season – Mid-December to Mid-March

Las Posadas – Dec. 16 – 24

Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) – Dec. 24

Navidad (Christmas) – Dec. 25

Día de los Inocentes – Dec. 28

Nochevieja (New Year’s Eve) – Dec. 31

January

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

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

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

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

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

 February

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

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

Carnaval La Paz – Dates Not Yet Announced

Los Barriles Dog Show – Dates Not Yet Announced

 March

Todos Santos Film Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced

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

El Triunfo Arts & Crafts Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced

East Cape Arts Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced

Fiestas Patronales in San José del Cabo – March 19

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

 

 

 

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The Day of the Dead in Los Cabos

October 11, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Mexico isn’t the only country to honor the deceased with official days of remembrance, but the nation’s observances are so visually distinctive and emotionally resonant, its iconography so potent, that Day of the Dead is often thought of as an exclusively Mexican holiday.

The roots of Dia de Muertos, or Day of the Dead, date back in Mexico to the time of the Aztecs, when festivals for Mictecacihuatl, queen of the underworld, were celebrated each year in August. After colonization by the Spanish, indigenous practices often became syncretized – essentially folded into the state religion of Catholicism – to avoid discrimination or suppression.

Since the Spanish colonial period, Day of the Dead remembrances have coincided with the Catholic observance of Allhallowtide, from October 31st to November 2nd. Traditions vary from region to region, but include visits to the graves of deceased forebears, and the building of altars (called ofrendas) at home to welcome the returning souls of children (Nov. 1) and adults (Nov. 2)

Ofrendas are one of the items most synonymous with Day of the Dead. These private altars are often adorned with traditional items like cempasúchil flowers (Aztec marigolds), calaveras de azúcar (candy skulls), and pan de muerto (a sweet bread made especially for Day of the Dead); but are also often stocked with favorite food and drinks of the dearly deceased.

Perhaps the most famous symbol of the holiday, however, is Catrina: an elegantly costumed female skeleton. Catrina was the creation of a famed Mexican illustrator named Jose Guadalupe Posada, and first appeared between 1910 and 1913, as an image meant to satirize Mexicans with pretensions to European gentility.

Another notable Mexican artist, Diego Rivera, helped to re-popularize the Catrina figure when he included her in his 1948 mural, Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Central (now housed in the Diego Rivera Mural Museum in Mexico City).

Today, Catrina figures proliferate throughout Mexico – they are a staple at art galleries and souvenir shops – and are commonly seen throughout Los Cabos during the Day of the Dead period.

Day of the Dead should not be confused with Halloween (which originated as a harvest festival), although they take place at approximately the same time, and many Mexican children, particularly in Los Cabos, have become fond of U.S. Halloween traditions like dressing up in costumes and “trick or treating” for candy.

So if you happen to be in cape cities Cabo San Lucas or San Jose del Cabo on Oct. 31, it couldn’t hurt to buy a bag of candy just in case…and to keep an open mind to the presence of powerful spirits.

Photo courtesy of Tomás Castelazo (Wikimedia Commons).

Call Los Cabos Vacation Rentals for Condos, Homes & Villas 1-888-655-4548

 Upcoming Event Calendar

October

Sammy Hagar Birthday Concerts – Oct. 9, 11, 13 – 14

Fiestas Patronales (Patron Saint Festival) in Cabo San Lucas – Oct. 17 – 22

Los Cabos Billfish Tournament – Oct. 15 – 19

Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore – Oct. 19 – 22

Bisbee’s Black & Blue – Oct. 24 – 28

David Pack’s Legends Live at Bisbee’s Black & Blue – Oct. 28

IAGTO Golf Tourism Convention – Oct. 29 – Nov. 4

Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) – Oct. 31 – Nov. 2

 

November

San José del Cabo Art Walk – Thursday evenings, 5 – 9 p.m., November through June

WON Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot Tournament – Nov. 1 – 4

Jim Flick Invitational Golf Tournament at Cabo del Sol – Nov. 7 – 12

Los Cabos International Film Festival – Nov. 8 – 12

Ironman Los Cabos Triathlon – Nov. 12

50th SCORE Baja 1000 – Nov. 14 – 18

Día de la Revolucion (Revolution Day) – Nov. 20

Día de Acción de Gracias (Thanksgiving) – Nov. 23

Extreme Sailing Series – Nov. 30 – Dec. 3

 

December

LigaMAC Christmas Party – Dec. 5

Dressed to the K-9s Charity Gala – Dec. 8

Sabor a Cabo Food and Wine Festival –  Dec. 9

Feast Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe – Dec. 12

Whale Watching Season – Mid-December to Mid-March

Las Posadas – Dec. 16 – 24

Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) – Dec. 24

Navidad (Christmas) – Dec. 25

Día de los Inocentes – Dec. 28

Nochevieja (New Year’s Eve) – Dec. 31

 

January

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

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

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

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

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

 

February

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

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

Carnaval La Paz – Dates Not Yet Announced

Los Barriles Dog Show – Dates Not Yet Announced

 

March

Todos Santos Film Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced

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

El Triunfo Arts & Crafts Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced

East Cape Arts Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced

Fiestas Patronales in San José del Cabo – March 19

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

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Los Cabos Events 2017-18

October 3, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Event Season Kicks Off in Los Cabos

Los Cabos has now become such a popular year-round travel destination that the traditional lines between high and low tourist seasons have become blurred. The distinction is still observed, however, when it comes to event scheduling. October remains the banner month for signature local events in Cabo San Lucas, symbolically kicking off the high season – October through May – in high style.

Sammy Hagar Birthday Concerts – October 9, 11, 13 and 14 in Cabo San Lucas

Every year, loyal “Redheads” from around the world flock to Cabo San Lucas for Sammy Hagar’s Birthday Bashes. This year is particularly big, as the former Van Halen and Montrose frontman turns 70 on October 13. An all-star cast of visiting musicians – including fellow members of The Circle:  Michal Anthony, Jason Bonham, and Vic Johnson – will join the “Red Rocker” for a series of special shows at Cabo Wabo Cantina, the landmark local bar and live music venue that Hagar opened with Van Halen bandmates in 1990.

Patron Saint Festival – Oct. 17 – 22 in Cabo San Lucas

Many place names in Spanish, particularly those in the “New World,” were bestowed by explorers based on the Catholic calendar, in which days were associated with different saints. Cabo San Lucas was named for Saint Luke, whose feast day is October 18. Each year, the Land’s End city hosts a Patron Saint Festival (called Fiestas Patronales), remembering the day – October 18, 1541 – when the place was named by Spanish sailor Francisco de Bolaños. Highlights include the crowning of a festival queen, and a colorful parade down Marina Boulevard.

Los Cabos Billfish Tournament – Oct. 15 – 19 in Cabo San Lucas

Bisbee’s two cash-rich tournaments get most of the publicity, but the Los Cabos Billfish Tournament also sends out a siren call to big-game fishermen eager for big-money prizes and jackpots. The three tournaments combined this year are expected to pay out over $4,735,000 to the winners. The 19th annual LCBT has three entry levels:  a $5,000 base entry for each 6-person team; daily jackpots for the largest tuna, wahoo and dorado; and daily billfish release jackpots.

Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore – Oct. 19 – 22 in Cabo San Lucas

Commonly known as “Little Bisbee’s,” to differentiate it from the “Big Bisbee’s” Black & Blue marlin fishing tournament that also takes place each October in Los Cabos, the Los Cabos Offshore dates back to 2002, and is considered a more laid-back, charity focused endeavor than the Black & Blue. Cash prizes are awarded to the teams with the three biggest qualifying fish in the game and billfish categories at the LCO, and large amounts of money are always donated to local causes.

Bisbee’s Black & Blue – Oct. 24 – 28 in Cabo San Lucas

Oft billed as “The Super Bowl of Sportfishing” thanks to its million dollar payouts, this marlin focused fishing tournament originally premiered in 1981, and remains to this day the highest profile annual event in Los Cabos. The $4.165 million payout in 2006 was and still is the largest in sportfishing history. Those who can’t afford the base entry and jackpot fees can still gather each day behind Puerto Paraiso to watch the weigh-ins.

David Pack’s Legends Live at Bisbee’s Black & Blue – Oct. 28 in Cabo San Lucas

Bisbee’s Black & Blue is going bigger than ever this year, bringing in five rock star legends – David Pack of Ambrosia, John Elefante of Kansas, Kelly Keagy of Night Ranger, Wally Palmar of The Romantics, and Jim Peterik of Survivor and .38 Special – to perform at the post-tournament awards banquet on the A.P.I. Cruise Ship Pier in Cabo San Lucas. The concert is part of a fundraising effort for the Bisbee’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Fund.

For more information on local events, call us TOLL FREE at 1-888-655-4548, visit www.LosCabosVillas.com, or email us at Info@LosCabosVillas.com.

Photos courtesy of Bisbee’s and Cabo Wabo Cantina.

 Upcoming Event Calendar

October

Sammy Hagar Birthday Concerts – Oct. 9, 11, 13 – 14

Fiestas Patronales (Patron Saint Festival) in Cabo San Lucas – Oct. 17 – 22

Los Cabos Billfish Tournament – Oct. 15 – 19

Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore – Oct. 19 – 22

Bisbee’s Black & Blue – Oct. 24 – 28

David Pack’s Legends Live at Bisbee’s Black & Blue – Oct. 28

IAGTO Golf Tourism Convention – Oct. 29 – Nov. 4

Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) – Oct. 31 – Nov. 2

 November

San José del Cabo Art Walk – Thursday evenings, 5 – 9 p.m., November through June

Jim Flick Invitational Golf Tournament at Cabo del Sol – Nov. 7 – 12

Los Cabos International Film Festival – Nov. 8 – 12

Ironman Los Cabos Triathlon – Nov. 12

50th SCORE Baja 1000 – Nov. 14 – 18

Día de la Revolucion (Revolution Day) – Nov. 20

Extreme Sailing Series – Nov. 30 – Dec. 3

December

Sabor a Cabo Food and Wine Festival –  Dates Not Yet Announced

LigaMAC Christmas Party – Dec. 5

Dressed to the K-9s Charity Gala – Dec. 8

Feast Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe – Dec. 12

Whale Watching Season – Mid-December to Mid-March

Las Posadas – Dec. 16 – 24

Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) – Dec. 24

Navidad (Christmas) – Dec. 25

Día de los Inocentes – Dec. 28

Nochevieja (New Year’s Eve) – Dec. 31

January

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

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

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

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

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

 February

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

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

Carnaval La Paz – Dates Not Yet Announced

Los Barriles Dog Show – Dates Not Yet Announced

 March

Todos Santos Film Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced

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

El Triunfo Arts & Crafts Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced

East Cape Arts Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced

Fiestas Patronales in San José del Cabo – March 19

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

COME TO CABO FOR FUN IN THE SUN!

 

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Art Walk Season Returns Soon to San Jose del Cabo

September 27, 2017 by Leave a Comment

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.

 

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The Upscale Shopper’s Guide to Los Cabos

September 20, 2017 by Leave a Comment

One can walk down almost any street in Los Cabos and find a varied selection of curios and keepsakes. For those whose ideas of souvenir shopping are decidedly more upscale, however, the shops and gallerias of choice are much easier to pinpoint.

Forget the flea markets, t-shirt shops and tequila emporiums, and concentrate on the small but outstanding group of high-end malls found in cape cities Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. Here, in exquisitely appointed and maintained surroundings, are boutiques featuring the world’s best luxury brands, as well as posh offerings from Mexican and Latin American specialists in beach and resort wear, jewelry and adornments, and – for seasonal residents – arts, crafts and furnishings.

Cabo San Lucas

The most fashionable address in Cabo San Lucas is found at Luxury Avenue, a luxurious marina boardwalk based shopping destination far too distingué to be considered a mere mall. This is the place to go for your tropical weight Fendi bag, or the latest diamond encrusted accessories from Cartier.  Yacht dockage nearby is optional, but by all means make a grand entrance via the often red or white-carpeted front steps.

Alternative entry is available, however, from the adjoining Puerto Paraiso shopping mall. Puerto Paraiso lacks Luxury Avenue’s majesty, but boasts a much more comprehensive roster of shopping options, ranging from a bank and pharmacy to jewelers, art galleries, beachwear and resort style clothiers, and even a cinema with VIP service and recliners. Nautica, Lacoste, Tommy Bahama and Kenneth Cole stores are in residence here, and Puerto Paraiso is also home to the Land’s End city’s best steakhouse, a far-flung outpost of American chain Ruth’s Chris.

San Jose del Cabo

Luxury Avenue may be a hit with well-heeled visitors, but the preferred stop for flush locals is The Shoppes at Palmilla. Set near San Jose del Cabo and ultra-luxury resort non pareil One&Only Palmilla, this exclusive palm-lined shopping mecca features top-tier fashions and furnishings, and also offers secondary locations for the area’s best sushi restaurant, Nick-San, and the area’s premier organic grocery, California Ranch Market. And, should one become involved in any international intrigue, it also hosts the only U.S. consular agency in Los Cabos.

Plaza del Pescador is the newest of Los Cabos’ upmarket shopping plazas. This strikingly designed commercial center is set across from the Playa Hotelera, the picturesque stretch of golden sand which is home to the city’s biggest and best beachfront resorts. Not only does Playa del Pescador host retail shops showcasing top-of-the-line beachwear and Tommy Bahama resort clothing, it also is home to a silver jewelry outlet, excellent restaurants (including the superb Italian themed eatery La Forchetta), and it hosts the annual San Jose del Cabo Jazz Weekend.

For more information on shopping, as well as luxury villa rentals in which one can stash precious new purchases, call us TOLL FREE at 1-888-655-4548, visit www.LosCabosVillas.com, or email us at Info@LosCabosVillas.com.

Photo of Puerto Paraiso courtesy of Solmar Hotels and Resorts.

 

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Los Cabos Looks Forward to Red Carpet Glamor at 6th Annual International Film Festival

September 5, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Last week’s tropical storm Lidia hit Los Cabos hard, but cape cities Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo are quickly getting back to their beautiful selves, and readying for what is expected to be a banner autumn season for high-profile events.

Sammy Hagar will welcome a host of rock star friends for his annual birthday bashes at Cabo Wabo Cantina in early October, and the guest list will be even more star-studded than usual, since believe it or not, this is the 70th birthday celebration for the former Van Halen frontman. And of course Bisbee’s Black & Blue and Los Cabos Offshore tournaments, the former affectionately referred to as “the Super Bowl of Sport Fishing, return later in October to continue their tradition of turning fishermen into millionaires.

But when it comes to big names, star appeal and glamor, nothing tops the annual Los Cabos International Film Festival. The 6th edition is slated for November 8 – 12, and as always will provide a glitzy showcase for the area, featuring everything from red carpet premieres and VIP soirees to screenings of dozens of high-quality films competing for prizes and awards.

High quality films are well and good, but the first question most people ask is who are the movie stars attending this year? In past years, cinematic luminaries like Edward Norton, Reese Witherspoon, Matt Dillon, Monica Bellucci, Virginia Madsen, Oliver Stone, Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor have attended, and the latter two actually engaged in a playful “light saber” battle at El Pabellon Cultural de la Republica (the Cabo San Lucas cultural center that hosts red carpet premieres), reprising their roles from the legendary Star Wars saga.

And those are only the stars most familiar to English speaking audience. Stars of stage, screen and small screen in Mexico have also showed out in droves, and are in fact the biggest hit with the locals who line the red carpet railing with paparazzi and national and international media. Eiza Gonzalez is the biggest name to confirm so far. The Mexican born actress won raves for her work on From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series, and is now working with legendary filmmaker Robert Zemeckis, the director of classics like Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Forrest Gump and Polar Express.

But bigger names are sure to confirm in coming weeks.

This edition is also expected to have a slightly different feel, since former festival director Alonso Aguilar Castillo has handed over the reins to Hugo Villa Smythe. Smythe is the current General Director of Mexico City’s Film Commission – an important national position – and thus his commitment to the LCIFF confirms its status as the premiere festival in Mexico, and one of the most important and influential in the hemisphere.

Under Smythe’s guidance, three new prizes will be awarded this year, adding to a list that already includes more honors than any festival in Latin America. Winners for contemporary films and those honored for career achievements will receive La Ballena de Los Cabos, a whale-shaped, gold or silver gilded award that was unveiled last year.

For more information on tickets, screenings, events and attendees, visit www.cabosfilmfestival.com.
For information about vacation rentals, including luxury villas, in Los Cabos during the film festival,
Call Us TOLL FREE at 1-888-655-4548, visit www.LosCabosVillas.com, or email us at Info@LosCabosVillas.com.

Photo courtesy of Los Cabos International Film Festival.

 

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The Golf Capital of Latin America: Los Cabos to Showcase Golfing Glories at Autumn Convention

August 30, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Los Cabos has the goods when it comes to championship-level golf. Despite building its first course only 30 years ago,
the Land’s End municipality now boasts three of the world’s 100 top ranked layouts, and was recently named as the 2017 Golf Destination of the Year for Latin America and the Caribbean by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO).

It is only fitting, therefore, that cape cities Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo have been chosen to host the 2nd annual IAGTO Mexico Golf Tourism Convention, a large-scale get-together that attracts golf industry professionals from around the world.

The golf convention is scheduled from Oct. 29 through Nov. 4, and will allow visiting tour operators to network with regional representatives, to play rounds on the area’s many spectacular courses, and of course to visit hotels and premier tourist attractions.

This familiarization process is important, as the IAGTO has tour operators in 61 countries, who last year generated over 2.5 billion dollars in tourism revenue. Forty delegates attended the inaugural convention on the Riviera Maya in 2016, and even more are expected this year due to Los Cabos’ prestige as an elite international golfing destination.

“Golf is one of the key drivers of tourism to Los Cabos,” noted Eduardo Regules Bukantz, Commercial Director of the Los Cabos Tourism Board. “We are excited to welcome top tour operators so they can see for themselves why their clientele will have a great experience on and off our fantastic golf courses.”

Peter Walton, President and Chief Executive of IAGTO, agreed saying, “I had the opportunity to visit Los Cabos for the first time in 2003, and in my opinion it stands out as one of the most spectacular golf destinations on the planet. We will be taking hand-picked golf tour operators to Los Cabos for the 2nd annual Mexico Golf Tourism Convention at the end of October, where they will meet with members of the local golf tourism industry and plan their 2018 golf packages, group promotions and amateur tournaments.”

That means more occupancy in late October, early November, a time which already sees large numbers of travelers arriving for yearly events like Bisbee’s Black & Blue marlin fishing tournament and the Los Cabos International Film Festival.

It also means an even greater degree of anticipation around new courses from major champions Greg Norman and Fred Couples, which are expected to open in early 2018: Norman’s at Rancho San Lucas, on the Pacific Coast north of Cabo San Lucas; Couples’ on the scenic shores of Santa Maria Bay in the tourist corridor that connects the cape cities.

Photo of Puerto Los Cabos courtesy of Greg Norman Golf Course Design.

Los Cabos Vacation Rentals

http://www.loscabosvillas.com/los-cabos-golfing/ 

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Cabo Wabo Gets Set for Sammy Hagar’s 70th Birthday Celebration

July 19, 2017 by Leave a Comment

This October will be a momentous one at Cabo Wabo Cantina, as The Red Rocker himself, Sammy Hagar, celebrates his 70th birthday with a series of concerts.

The “birthday bashes” are nothing new. Hagar has been hosting them at Cabo Wabo Cantina since the year benchmark Cabo San Lucas nightspot opened, and over the past few decades there have been guest appearances from a virtual who’s who of rock n’ roll:  from 60s and 70s icons like Bob Weir and Iggy Pop to newer stars such as Toby Keith, John Mayer and Adam Levine.

Hagar originally opened Cabo Wabo in 1990 with his then Van Halen bandmates (he had formerly sung for the band Montrose), famously premiering the new Land’s End bar and restaurant with a massive promotional assist from MTV. The Van Halen partnership eventually dissolved – both musically and in Cabo Wabo – even as Hagar steered the venture toward incredible success.

In 1996, Cabo Wabo spun off its own house brand of tequila. Eleven years later, Hagar sold 80% of his stake in the tequila to the Campari Group, netting a cool 80 million. In 2010, he sold his remaining shares for another 11 million dollars.

The cantina also proved popular, so much so that more locations were spun off in Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe. Hagar was now as much a business magnate as famous musician, adding rum and branded beach bars to an ever growing portfolio.

But Cabo Wabo Cantina started it all, and it’s where Hagar has celebrated his birthday for 26 of the past 27 years (Hurricane Odile in 2014 resulted in the shows being moved to Las Vegas).

This year is special, however. Sammy turns 70, and as with his 60th birthday a decade ago, rock royalty is expected to show up on stage to help him celebrate. No one knows who’ll make a cameo during the bashes – scheduled for October 9, 11, 13 and 14 – but Hagar’s current bandmates in The Circle are locked in:  Jason Bonham, Vic Johnson and Michael Anthony (who played with Hagar in Van Halen, and still plays with him in the supergroup Chickenfoot).

To say tickets are hard to get is in understatement; but then again, they’re always hard to get. The entry period for the traditional random drawing is over, and winners will be notified on July 21. Ticket price? $70, of course.

Mercury Insurance, sponsor of Hagar’s reality series Rock & Roll Road Trip, is also spearheading a ticket giveaway contest. To enter, visit info.mercuryinsurance.com/axs by August 31.

Those visiting Los Cabos during October, however, will also have an opportunity to see the birthday boy and friends, as some dinner show tickets are always held back and sold on a first-come, first-serve basis.

This year, expect the line around the block for dinner tickets to be longer than ever.
The cameo list certainly will be.

Photo courtesy of www.redrocker.com.

Contact Los Cabos Vacation Rentals for Accomodations ASAP.

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Los Cabos Open Tennis Tournament Returns This Summer

June 28, 2017 by Leave a Comment

There are only two professional tennis tournaments played each year in Mexico. 

The first is the Mexican Open, a staple of the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) Tour since 1993, and a rite of spring in Acapulco since 2001. The second is the Los Cabos Open, an ATP mens singles and doubles competition that premiered in 2016 at a newly constructed tennis complex just outside Cabo San Lucas.

The Los Cabos Open returns for its sophomore edition July 31 – August 5, bringing back some of the world’s best players to compete for nearly $800,000 in prize money, and offering plenty of off-the-court festivities, from high-end food and drink concessions to invitation-only special events (last year’s media cruise showcased top players volleying on a luxury yacht based tennis court in front of Land’s End).

The primary forces behind the first Los Cabos Open were banking and financial services giant Mifel, and Cinemex, the largest movie theater chain in Mexico. Both return as primary sponsors in 2017, and will help to grow the impressive facilities that have sprung up around the event.

The tournament host is again Delmar International School, a private bilingual educational institution, where last year six separate courts – including a 3,500 seat stadium and a 1,000 seat grandstand – were specially built, as was an enormous exhibit area and food concession center featuring spectacular Land’s End views. Attendees will not only enjoy brilliant tennis, but be able to sample movie quality Cinemex popcorn, savor fresh local seafood, and sip world-class wines from Baja’s Valle de Guadalupe. Players and special guests, meanwhile, will be lodged at the nearby Sheraton Grand Los Cabos Hacienda del Mar Resort.

Last year, mammoth-serving Croatian Ivo Karlovic beat major champion Feliciano Lopez in the singles final. Lopez, a dashing Spaniard with major championship credentials (he won the French Open doubles in 2016 with countryman Marc Lopez), was the media darling of the first event, fawned over by the Spanish speaking Los Cabos press corps. He returns in 2017, as do six other players ranked in the top 100 internationally. Thomas Berdych, a former Wimbledon finalist currently ranked 14th worldwide, joins Lopez as the marquee attraction.

Tickets for this year’s event are available by the day or week at www.abiertoloscabos.com, or at select box office locations like Koral Concierge in San Jose del Cabo. For stylish accommodations during tournament week, peruse the private villa options at www.loscabosvillas.com.

Photo courtesy of Abierto Los Cabos.

 

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Wine Culture Flourishes in Los Cabos

June 20, 2017 by Leave a Comment

When Ralph Amey published his benchmark guide Wines of Baja California in 2003, there were fewer than two dozen wineries in Valle de Guadalupe and the smaller grape growing valleys located between Ensenada and Tecate. Thirty-five years before that, the grand total was four.

Today, there are well over 120 wineries, and publications as august as Vogue and The New York Times have compared the region to Northern California’s Napa Valley.

What does this Baja California wine boom – in both quantity and quality – mean for visitors to Los Cabos, some 700 miles further south in Baja California Sur?

Cape cities Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo may set the peninsular standard when it comes to hotels and resorts, but when it comes to hospitality bedfellows like food and wine, they often follow the trends set in northern Baja communities like Tijuana, Rosarito and Ensenada.

The Baja Med movement which developed in the early 2000s – pioneered by Tijuana chefs like Miguel Ángel Guerrero and Javier Plascencia – exercised (and continues to exercise) a profound influence on the Los Cabos dining scene, most notably in the emphasis on local and organic produce, farm-to-table restaurants, and creative international fusions. The success of the peninsula’s wine industry, which is responsible for upwards of 90% of all Mexican table wines, has also affected hospitality trends in Los Cabos.

Although a few hardy souls are attempting to harvest grapes and bottle wine between Los Cabos and La Paz, hotter temperatures and a lack of the peculiarly saline water that gives the Valle de Guadalupe its distinctive terroir ensure the wines of El Sur will never rival those being made near La Frontera.

No, the real inroads made by Valle de Guadalupe producers in Los Cabos are their prominent billing in five-star cartas de vino, spots previously reserved for high-profile wines from France, Italy, Argentina, Chile and the U.S.  These Baja based wines are also being heavily promoted to visitors who once thought little of pairing their dinners with a lime-wedged bottle of Corona, or a salt-rimmed margarita.

Tadd Chapman’s Don Sanchez in San José del Cabo is not just one of the city’s finest restaurants, it’s a legitimate wine destination, with an onsite sommelier and a carry-out shop featuring over 300 labels. Solomon’s Landing offers monthly wine pairing dinners on the Cabo San Lucas marina boardwalk during high tourist season, and the Los Cabos Winery offers tasting flights near the town square.

Resorts too are jumping on the bandwagon. The Resort at Pedregal’s annual The Art of Taste Festival brings chefs as well as sommeliers from around México and beyond, and Grand Fiesta Americana boasts a wine themed spa, SOMMA WineSPA, with treatments and therapies built around wine varietals such as Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Vinotherapy, anyone?

Photo of a Valle de Guadalupe vineyard courtesy of Cbojorquez75 and Wikimedia Commons.

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