Judi Lees
Van. Courier
Along the Cabo San Lucas coast en route to El Arco, kayakers explore a natural archway that separates the Sea of Cortez from the Pacific Ocean. Photograph by : Photo-Judi Lees/Meridian Writer’s Group
CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico—Cabo San Lucas just about has it all when it comes to sun-filled holiday destinations. Perched on a narrow isthmus at the southern edge of Mexico‘s Baja California peninsula, Cabo is a jumble of resorts that, on the east side, face the brilliant blue Sea of Cortez and, to the west, the Pacific Ocean. In between is the town, burgeoning with tourist shops, restaurants and bars.
Some of us, when we’ve lazed sufficiently on the beach or done all the shopping and dining, start to twitch. It’s time to move our bodies. And here, as in those other categories, Cabo doesn’t stint. There are plenty of activities to get the blood pumping, including parasailing, surfing, diving, snorkelling and kayaking. Since getting into the Baja’s warm, clear water is always appealling, I chose to snorkel and kayak. It’s a bonus if you see whales or dolphins.
With two guides from Baja Wild, a Cabo-based ecotourism company, our group of 11 departed from busy town harbour. This was hardly a pristine wilderness paddle as we cruised among fishing boats, extravagant pleasure yachts, glass-bottomed taxis and lighters that ferried passengers into town from the two huge ships anchored in the bay. (If you can avoid the days when the cruise ships are in port, do it.)
Our guides, Edgar, the comedian, and Juan Carlos, the strong, silent type, led us close to the shoreline of rusty granite boulders. I was pleasantly surprised when we caught a good view of an osprey perched nearby and had chances to take photos of huge-beaked pelicans.
Another surprise was the snorkelling. We stopped on a rocky outcrop–not an easy place to disembark, but the guides did all the work–to have a dip. Through the clear turquoise waters we gazed upon a parade of marine life that included dazzling angel fish, cute damsel fish and the unusual trumpet fish, which looks like a stick.
Back in the kayak, Cabo’s piece de resistance was just around the corner: El Arco. At the southern tip of the peninsula this natural archway framed the Pacific Ocean as we bobbed towards it from the Sea of Cortez. Since the arch is a protected site you can’t paddle through it. But as we swept past the guides instructed us how to play in the waves at Land’s End and everyone whooped it up. Edgar pointed out where the 1968 movie Planet of the Apes was filmed and, much more recently (2004), Troy, with Brad Pitt. (I can easily visualize Pitt at one of the many party bars in Cabo.)
On our return trip we stopped at Playa del Amor. This golden-sand beach stretches across the peninsula, letting you dip your toes in two oceans while admiring the silky-smooth rock formations. It’s special enough that it warrants another visit–at the end of the day, when the cruise ships have departed and happy hour has lured the crowds back to the plentiful Cabo San Lucas bars.
For more information on Mexico go to the Mexico Tourism Board website at www.visitmexico.com.
For information on kayaking trips offered by Baja Wild visit its website at www.bajawild.com.
Judi Lees is a member of the Meridian Writers’ Group.
© Vancouver Courier 2008
