Although it would obviously be impossible to tell a nuanced story of Los Cabos based solely on population numbers, these figures do quite elegantly suggest the grand sweep – the soaring highs and devastating lows – of local history.

When the first permanent European settlement on the Baja California peninsula was established by Jesuit missionaries at Loreto in 1697, there were a mere 10 Europeans and an estimated 50,000 indigenous inhabitants. The latter comprised three main tribal groups, one of which was the Pericues, nomadic people whose territorial range included virtually all of the present day municipality of Los Cabos.

The first Jesuit mission was built in San Jose del Cabo in 1730, and by 1799 the community had grown to some 389 inhabitants. Cabo San Lucas, although a port of consequence from the 16th century, was not settled and ranched until the 1820s. In 1835, when an English surgeon and naturalist named Frederick Debell Bennett visited Cabo San Lucas, the small pueblo had only about 30 residents.

By 1851, the peninsular population had dwindled to about 7,000. The natives had largely perished due to European introduced diseases, and many of the Spanish colonizers had left following the Mexican–American War, or because of the subsequent discovery of gold in the former Mexican territory of Alta California.

By 1900, however, the peninsular population had rebounded to almost 50,000, or approximately the number of people who had lived there prior to the European influx. After a five year fin de siglo drought, San Jose thrived as a farming and ranching community during the early 20th century, and by the beginning of the Mexican Revolution in 191o boasted 4,300 residents. Neighboring San Lucas, even with the introduction of a productive cannery, maintained a steady population of about 300 souls as late as 1955.

The age of tourism in Los Cabos effectively began with the opening of Rod Rodriguez’s Hotel Las Cruces Palmilla (on the site of the present day One&Only Palmilla) in 1958. From that point, the demographic arrow shot straight up. Cabo San Lucas grew from 300 to 16,059 by 1990; to 28,483 by 1995; and by 2010 had reached 68,464 residents. Growth in San Jose del Cabo was not quite as spectacular, but as of 2010 it retained its traditional advantage over its cape sister, with 69,788 inhabitants.

The Los Cabos municipality as a whole – which consists of the cape cities and their connecting corridor, plus the East Cape and small towns like Santiago and Miraflores – went from 10,000 residents in 1970 to an all-time high of 287,671 in 2015.

Those figures are expected to rise to keep pace with the current building boom, in which hotel capacity is increasing by about 35% over a three year period. But how high they will ultimately go is a story that is still in progress.

Image of the Jesuits converting the native Pericues courtesy of the Cabo San Lucas Natural History Museum.

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.