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La Valencia is one of the most characteristic - funnest - and choice spots for an inexpensive stay. Alot of really fun people go there and it's super affordable.
Hotel Melia is another spot that is on the more expensive side but waking up to those 'tequila sunrises' is an experience that will take you far. Plus, the swim up bar is super fun and they always have great activities surrounding your cabana's.
Also, if you have a big group - you may want to rent a house in La Pedregal. You can hire your own chef, masseuse, and cleaner's for as little or as much as you want.
Hands down best restaurant to book is Edith's so when you get there - make that reservation your first and foremost priority. I love dining in the wine room the best.
If you want to take a day trip - the original Hotel California is an hour and a half drive!

SAN JOSE DEL CABO:

• Morgan's, Manuel Doblado/Esq. Hidalgo, Phone 142-3825: This is my favorite restaurant. Amazing food in a beautiful, friendly and professional service, and romantic courtyard setting. Plus, I like the open kitchen, so you can watch the dishes being prepared. From my experience, there are very few restaurants in Mexican resort towns that have this layout. For an appetizer, you have to try the flash-fried artichoke hearts. Absolutely amazing. Wine list is somewhat basic and mainly California. Food is much better here, but Tequila just barely edges out Morgan's for romantic setting (Last visit: May 2002)
• Tequila, 1011 Manuel Doblado, Phone 142-1155:Contemporary Mexican cuisine with a light and flavorful touch is the star attraction here, although the garden setting is lovely, with rustic furniture and lanterns scattered among palms and giant mango trees. Lobster was fantastic, but my shrimp (which is suppose to be a house speciality) were overcooked. (Last visit: May 2002)
• Simpecao, a block from the main square: One of the few bars in SJ. Very cool courtyard interior with comfortable couches and overstuffed chairs. Excellent live music 4-5 nights a week. Pool tables. Very friendly clientele about 3/4 local and 1/4 tourist. (Last visit: May 2002)
• Tropicana: This is a bar, restaurant, and hotel located in downtown San Jose. We had a great breakfast here. Amazing chilaquiles con pollo. The hotel part looks nice too with a courtyard swimming pool area. (Last visit: May 2002)
• La Dolce, Main Square: Casual Italian eatery on the central plaza. With most restaurants closing at 10pm, this can be your only option in San Jose because they do stay open until 11pm. Your standard Italian fare, plus they do let you order off the menu. I asked them to make prawns with white wine, olive oil & garlic over pasta. The waiter happily agreed and the dish was wonderful. Prawns were definitely fresh. Can't say the same for another dish made with shrimp. They definitely tasted frozen and even had one that was bad. (Last visit: May 2002)
• Copal Galeria, Blvd Mijares, Phone 142-3070: Best collection of art and collectibles I found in San Jose. Numbered prints from several well-known artists, amazing Dia del los Muertos statues, some vintage and new fabrics, etc. Plus, the staff is very knowledgable. (Last visit: May 2002)
• Mi Cocina, Blvd. Mijares, inside Casa Natalia Phone 1/142-5100: Without a doubt, this is currently the best dining choice in the entire Los Cabos area. From the setting to the service, a dinner at Mi Cocina ranks among the most memorable of experiences. The plant-filled courtyard, with its towering palms and exposed brick walls, accommodate al fresco dining.
• Damiana, San José town plaza Phone 114/2-0499 114/2- 2899 Fax 114/2-5603 E-mail damiana@1cabonet.com.mx: This casually elegant restaurant in an 18th-century hacienda is decorated in the colors of a Mexican sunset: deep-orange walls, and tables and chairs clad in bright rose, lavender, and orange cloth. Mariachis play nightly 7 to 9pm (mid-Dec through Mar) in the tropical courtyard, where candles flicker under trees and bougainvillea. For an appetizer, try the mushrooms diablo--a zesty dish. For a main course, the ranchero shrimp in cactus sauce or grilled lobster tail are flavorful choices.
• Iguana Bar & Grill, Blvd. Mijares 24 (SJC), Phone 114/2-0266: This casual, lively open-air bar and restaurant is sheltered by a broad thatched roof and has a patio under the stars. Live music and dancing on Friday and Saturday get cranking around 9:30pm and can last until 3am.
• Sushi Sato, Phone 142-6227: Bring your fresh caught fish here and they will serve it to you sushi-style!

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CABO SAN LUCAS

• Giggling Marlin: Definitely the most entertaining bar in Cabo. Between the dance shows, the D.J. madness and the tipsy girls getting upside down in the Marlin Shackles, there is always something going on! Plus, when we were there, they had 2-for-1 on Jack Daniels. That always gets a good recommendation from me. (Last visit: May 2002)
• Coyote Ugly: Newest mega-club in Cabo. Didn't get a chance to visit. Open from 10pm to 6am. They had a very interesting special running during out visit: "women drink free, guys pay $20 for all you can drink (domestic)". I'm sure that draws exactly the kind of crowd you can expect...
• Cabo Wabo: On a Saturday night, this place was a ghost town. There weren't twenty people in the place. Sorry Sammy! (Last visit: May 2002)
• The Jungle Bar: Just outside of the same complex at Cabo Wabo. If you get tired of the everpresent disco music from the other clubs in Cabo, this place has great rock music blasting. Nothing fancy. Just a bar. Also had a 2-for-1 Jack Daniels special. Gotta love that! (Last visit: May 2002)
• El Squid Roe, Lazaro Cardenas: It's an institution in Cabo, so at least one visit is required. (Last visit: May 2002)
• La Galeria Restaurant, Plaza Bonita, Phone 143-1090: This is on the restaurant row overlooking the marina. We picked this from the other half-dozen restaurants because they had fresh Marlin and Wahoo. First, they brought me Mahi Mahi instead of Marlin. They were nice and quickly corrected the error, but even in the rush to correct the order they still managed to overcook the Marlin. Then my dinner guest tried to hack into her completely overcooked Wahoo. If there is one place I expect to get well-prepared seafood, it is in an upscale oceanfront seafood restaurant. Although they had the best selection, they butchered the preparation. If you are gutsy, give them a try and order your fish rare. By the way, the grill/kabob place on the corner looked/smelled really good. Give that a try. (Last visit: May 2002)
• Rent the ATV's and go on the "tour to the old lighthouse". This amounts to 3 hours of relatively unsupervised riding on miles of pristine dunes and beach. There is a trail to Lover's Beach but that's it that I know of for hiking.
• Definitely go to the Whale Watcher bar in the Hotel Finistera. It's a quiet bar with an amazing view of both the Pacific and the Sea of Cortez. Enjoy!
• Edith's (Mexican restaurant) Medano Beach & Paseo del Pescador Tel: (114) 3-08-01 Hours: 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Features: Mesquite grill. Extensive selection of wine. Live jazz, salsa & calypso music on the patio. View of beach and Land's End.
• La Republica, Gourmet Mexican Food. La Republica possesses a rustic, yet very romantic "old Mexico" atmosphere. Chup enjoyed a true dining experience here. The food: superb indigenous flavorings, careful preparation and presentation.
• Manuel's Tamales, a street stand selling these traditional treats of corn meal stuffed with meat or cheese, then steamed in a corn husk. He's always found on weekend nights on the corner of Cárdenas and Zaragoza, across from Planet Hollywood. These are truly the least expensive good eats in town. Streets to explore for other good restaurants include Hidalgo and Cárdenas, plus the Marina at the Plaza Bonita..
• Original Trailer Park: Its' own little world in the middle of town. The cabs came to rest at a split-rail fence on the dirt road, where we all piled out, parading past a couple of souvenir shops with rest rooms behind, on our way to the mainly open-air restaurant. Half of it was covered with a roof, but the main part was open to the sky. The unique thing about it was the complete menu was written on a huge blackboard, around which you must stand and contemplate the many choices available.

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BEACHES:

• Las Canchas Beach Resort: This is definitely the nicest little stretch of beach. With a natural wave pool, the swimming is great, great sand, not crowded, and minimal vendors. Plus, the Las Canchas staff provide everything you need for the day: lounge chairs, umbrellas, buckets of beer, and great seafood. This is also a full-blown restaurant later in the evening. Based on our beach-side lunch, the seafood at the restaurant is probably amazing. Turn into the entrance to the Hilton and go left. Parking is up top and you follow a paved trail down to Las Canchas. (Last visit: May 2002)
• Medano Beach: Free water taxi transport from the marina. Features: Beach bonfire and live reggae music on Friday and Saturday nights. We spent a day camped out in front of Billygans. Friendly staff provided lounge chairs and an umbrella and also kept us well-supplied with beer and Hornitos tequila shots all day. This is definitely the beach with the most activity happening. Lots of fake-breasted LA chicks in thongs for your site seeing pleasure. The Office and a couple other beachfront bar/restuarants are all in the general vicinity.
• San Jose del Cabo Beaches (from Frommers): The nearest beach safe for swimming is Pueblo la Playa (also called "La Playita"), located about two miles east of town: From Blvd. Mijares, turn east at the small sign pueblo la playa and follow the dusty dirt road through cane fields and palms to a small village and beautiful beach where a number of pangas (skiffs) belonging to local fishermen are pulled ashore. The La Playita Resort and its adjacent restaurant offers the only formal sustenance on the beach. There are no shade palapas. A beach with beautiful rock formations, Playa Palmilla, 5 miles west of San José, is located near the Spanish colonial-style Hotel Palmilla--an elegant place to stay or to eat lunch or dinner. To reach Playa Palmilla, take a taxi to the road that leads to the Hotel Palmilla grounds, then take the fork to the left (without entering the hotel grounds) and follow signs to Pepe's restaurant on the beach. Cabo offers more than it's share of lazy activities, and spending a few hours at 'The Office' has become a habit for more than a few Cabo aficianados. This restaurant is located right on the beach and is a great place to do nothing and have a great time doing it!
• Chileno and Santa Maria Bay: Both these bays are excellent for snorkelling.
• Lover's Beach (Playa de Amour): Suppose to be great. Only accesible by ferry, but be aware that the last ferry back from the beach leaves at 4:30pm.

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Hotels:

• Posada Real, San Jose del Cabo: Clean, basic hotel. We asked for and were given a nice end unit. Pool and beach area are clean, but definitely quiet. Pool bartender was great. Smoked tuna tacos poolside are amazing. Breakfast at the hotel was good with the exception of bad cream for our coffee one morning. Favorite activity: tequila shots at the swim-up bar. There is a small shop in the building with water and limited other items. Also a National car rental office. There is a small grocery store about a five minute walk down the road. (Last visit: May 2002)

Other Stuff:

• The bus from San Jose to Cabo San Lucas only costs about $1.50. It takes about a half-hour and buses come by every 15 minutes or so, but they only run until 10pm, so if you stay out late in Cabo, expect a $35 taxi ride back to San Jose or $15-20 back from the beaches between Cabo and San Jose. Or find another group of people and share the cost. By the way, just jump on the bus on the street, bypass the actual bus station. (Last visit: May 2002)
• Mountain Bike/Hiking Tours: Nomadas de Baja, nomadas@prodigy.net.mx; (14) 2-43-88 (when dialing locally) and cellular# 044 624 14 814 68(Marco) or 044 624 140 5530. We didn't get a chance to use their services because the have a four-person group minimum. If you are traveling as a couple, they will charge you for four people unless two other random people want to join you. We thought that was ridiculous. It would have been $120/person for a guided half-day hiking trip. We told them to call us if they could make some arrangements for us, but we never heard from them.
• Best way to book a last-minute getaway to Los Cabos is via Site59. Five nights at the Posada Real and airfare was about $1,200. If you are flying down from the West Coast on American, make sure to connect via LAX, not DFW. This will save you a couple of hours flight time. Also, if your Site59 flight is on American, you CANNOT use AAdvantage Miles to upgrade since it is a bulk contract fare, BUT you can purchase electronic upgrade "stickers". From SFO to SJD is three stickers per person. I bought an "eight-pack" of stickers for $250 and was able to fly business class round-trip (note: I am American Platinum so I get priority when wait-listed) (Last visit: May 2002)

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