Where to go in Cabo and PV?

[student again]

We are going on the Carnival Splendor June 21st and want to know what to do and where to go in CAbo and PV? I don't want to pay the ship's shore excursion prices but want to have fun. Any help would be great!!:)

[maxamuus]

Any thoughts of what you would like to do so we can point you in the right direction?

[CruiserBruce]

Any thoughts of what you would like to do so we can point you in the right direction?

 

I agree. We don't know anything about you, your interests or your limitations. Better you do some reading on this board, decide what interests you, then, if you have some more specific questions...

[student again]

Sorry guys you are totally right. We like to hang out at the beach, shop and see some of the non tourist parts of town. Please advise asto how to do these things in Cabo and PV on a budget!!:p

[CWcruisers]

Cabo is easily navigated by foot, and if you go one street back from the Marina, you will find many different types of bars, restaurants and lots of shopping. The challenge is finding some of the out of the way places because there are no addresses. Monkey Business, which is near the Giggling Marlin, has some of the best margarita's in Cabo. Gordo LeLe's has amazing tacos for very little. Here is an interactive map of the Marina and downtown area:

 

http://www.wikimapia.org/#lat=22.8823037&lon=-109.9141359&z=16&l=0&m=b

 

The only swimable beach in Cabo is Medano Beach which is lined with restaurants where you can hang out for the day as long as you are purchasing food and drink. But, you will be paying higher prices for the atmosphere. If you want to venture to a grocery store and supply your own party, you can take a water taxi to Lover's Beach, but there are no facilities there.

[student again]

THank you CW for the awesome info. How much are the taxis to get to medano Beach and are there any resorts that do a day pass for the use of their facilites? WHich ones are the best?

[Ine]

Of course you will find tourists anywhere in those places. But June is by far not that busy as wintertime.

In PV take a cab to Old Town - Playa los Muertes. Or if you want to be between the locals, one of the blue/white citybuses (with the sign Centro)to Plaza Lazaro Cardenas. Just a short walk to the beach.

Back look for the sign hoteles, walmart, Sams on the window.

This map made by JR gives details. His other maps also give plenty of information. http://vallartainfo.com/south.html

Various bars and restaurants right on the beach, good food and drinks.

Places like Cheeky monkey, Burros Bar are near the bridge close to the malecon, restaurants like Langostines, cuates y cuetes near the pier (still under construction).

[maxamuus]

My Cabo suggestion -

 

If you can do a 20 min walk i would just walk to the beach in Cabo. When you tender in they will drop you off at the marina. Just follow the path around the marina, in front of the Mall and down the otherside of the marina. When you reach the end just keep walking straight by the hotel under construction and then you will walk right on to the beach.

 

Walk the beach and find a nice spot to relax. If you are younger and like the "spring break" atmosphere, a few of the first beach places are your best bet. If you like a quieter atmosphere, then keep walking until you reach Tabascos. It is more tranquil place to enjoy a beer/drink and the beach.

 

Hang out there till Lunch time calls. Walk out the back of Tabascos and down the street and catch a cab. Ask him to take you to Gordo Leles. Best damn tacos you will ever eat. It is a hole in the wall, but Javier is the nicest man you will ever meet and man does he make some tasty tacos and they are cheap!

 

From there i would head to Cabo Blue. Great drinks at great prices. The owners are good people. From Gordo Leles, walk south to the street, then walk south on the street just a little to the right, you will hit the Marania drive. Turn left and walk about 2 blocks and you will see Cabo Blue. Its like a little Tiki Shack in a courtyard of a little shopping center. They have great drink specials and you will find it full of crew members from the ship. When they leave just follow them back to the pier.

[CWcruisers]

Land taxis to Medano run around $10, I think. Water taxis are much cheaper, but you have to be able to jump out into about a foot of water when you reach Medano Beach.

 

If you want to do the walk to the beach, the short cut is to take the street that goes to the left, right past the Mall (Luxury Avenue). Go up hill and take the first street that goes right. You will end up at the beginning of the beach restaurants. Just choose your flavor from there.

 

Finnestera, near the tender pier, sells day passes to cruise ship passengers. One complaint is that the pools are cold. Check these boards for other suggestions.

[maxamuus]

If you want to do the walk to the beach, the short cut is to take the street that goes to the left, right past the Mall (Luxury Avenue). Go up hill and take the first street that goes right. You will end up at the beginning of the beach restaurants. Just choose your flavor from there..

 

Only problem with the short cut is its HOT and DUSTY. We prefer the longer walk on the beach with the feet in the water, but to each their own.

[CWcruisers]

Only problem with the short cut is its HOT and DUSTY. We prefer the longer walk on the beach with the feet in the water, but to each their own.

 

 

I use that beach walk as my stairmaster, it is a great workout.

 

Temps in June are usually gorgeous. Someone cranks up the thermostat on July 1 and it stays that way until about Oct 15. It's the big drawback that keeps me on this side of the border in the summer.

[student again]

I use that beach walk as my stairmaster, it is a great workout.

 

Temps in June are usually gorgeous. Someone cranks up the thermostat on July 1 and it stays that way until about Oct 15. It's the big drawback that keeps me on this side of the border in the summer.

 

Do you know where we can get great lobster tacos?

[CWcruisers]

I like the food at these places:

 

http://www.loscabosguide.com/crazylobster.htm

 

I have not tried the Lobster Tacos but everything else I had was great. The challenge is finding either of these restaurants, which are both off the Marina.

 

I checked the menus for a couple of my favorite hangouts on Medano Beach, Medano Beach Club and Tabasco, and I don't see them on the menu. Maybe someone else has a suggestion.

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

My Cabo suggestion -

 

If you can do a 20 min walk i would just walk to the beach in Cabo. When you tender in they will drop you off at the marina. Just follow the path around the marina, in front of the Mall and down the otherside of the marina. When you reach the end just keep walking straight by the hotel under construction and then you will walk right on to the beach.

 

 

Not true. Its a lot further than 20 minute walk. More like 45 minutes and it will be hot & humid. The marina will be lined with people offering to take you to the beach by water taxi and its cheap. If beach is what you have in mind, I sure wouldn't walk it unless 1. you are used to the heat & it doesn't bother you and 2. You are in good shape and don't tire from a long walk. Plus there are a lot of new buildings erected along the marina and beach area. The area is booming and growing by leaps & bounds.

 

This is a picture of the medano beach area a few water taxi's taking people there:

 

Here are pictures of the marina taken from the Cabo dolphins 2 weeks ago.

[maxamuus]

Not true. Its a lot further than 20 minute walk. More like 45 minutes and it will be hot & humid.

 

 

 

I just spent a week at the Wyndam in Cabo. Every single day we walked from the Wyndam to the beach. It doesnt take 45 mins to walk around the marina unless you have some sort of disabilty, in which case yes take a taxi.

 

Yes to Tabascos it probably was closer to 45 mins, but i said to the beach. If they go to Billigians or one of those places it might be a 30 min walk. Again i am just going by how we walked it, some walk slower then others.

 

Yes a water taxi is cheap too, i just know when we cruise we try to get in some exercise to fight the battle of the bludge. It was my suggestion, by no means the rule.

[househunter]

I just got back from a 2 week trip and I forgot to bring my pedometer. But I did time the walk from the cruise dock (our resort is right across the street from it so we walked the route several times) to Luxury Ave which is the mall where you make a left to go to the beach. It was between 12-16 minutes to get there. Depending on where you are going on the beach it was another 8 (Mango Deck) or 15 (PB Rose near Tabascos).

 

So if you walk at a steady pace and don't make multiple beer or shopping stops, it takes 20-31 minutes depending on where you are headed. Remember even if you only walk 3 miles per hour which is very slow- it only takes 20 minutes to walk a mile.

[downsized]

Househunter and Maximus obviously walk faster than we do.

We find it a long (and hot) walk from Wyndham to the resorts on Medano.

A water taxi costs $3pp ($2 if you haggle), and gets you there in 5-8 minutes, from the Cruise docks to any of the beach resorts), and NO timeshare sharks or trinket sellers (until you reach the beach.) It's not a big deal, but you will be bombarded by timeshare sharks and trinket salespeople nearly every step of your way while walkind the Marina. (That is not as bad as I made it sound...but it does get tedious after a while!) Sure, with a water taxi, you have to jump off into ankle (or knee) deep water....but even with a fake knee, I can do that!

We spend 8 days twice a year in Cabo, and have walked to the beach one time, and even then we took a water taxi back!

My opinion? Water taxi, or land taxi ($8 each way).

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

Househunter and Maximus obviously walk faster than we do.

We find it a long (and hot) walk from Wyndham to the resorts on Medano.

A water taxi costs $3pp ($2 if you haggle), and gets you there in 5-8 minutes, from the Cruise docks to any of the beach resorts), and NO timeshare sharks or trinket sellers (until you reach the beach.) It's not a big deal, but you will be bombarded by timeshare sharks and trinket salespeople nearly every step of your way while walkind the Marina. (That is not as bad as I made it sound...but it does get tedious after a while!) Sure, with a water taxi, you have to jump off into ankle (or knee) deep water....but even with a fake knee, I can do that!

We spend 8 days twice a year in Cabo, and have walked to the beach one time, and even then we took a water taxi back!

My opinion? Water taxi, or land taxi ($8 each way).

 

Where's my like button? :D Exactly how I feel. I have walked to the mall and back & that was enough for me and it took me 20 minutes to get to the mall for me. Water taxi or I wouldn't go. But thats just my opinion.

[Jeff in Torrance]

We've been to the Mexican Riviera several times. We typically don't do excursions per se, but just walk into the local town. Here's what we do at those ports:

 

Cabo San Lucas. We usually walk to Solmar Beach via the lobby of the Hotel Solmar, and go south to the end of the beach for a little sunning. On one occasion a Mexican father and son asked us if we wanted to be shown how to go the Lovers Beach (which is an "excursion" for the cruise lines). I always thought that one could get there if you don't mind a little bit of "boulder hopping." We politely declined, but they continued on over the rocks. I later climbed to the top of the "first bit of rocks," which revealed that it would take another bit of boulder hopping to actually get to that beach. At any rate, we usually go back to the Hotel Solmar for a couple of fish tacos and a beer before returning back to the ship. To get to Solmar Beach, just go towards the Pacific Ocean off of the cruise dock (it's only about 1/4 mile). We saw whales off of Cabo, plus I witnessed a stingray leaping and flipping near the ship on our last trip on the Golden Princess.

 

On the most recent visit we took the bus to SAn Jose del Cabo, which costs 25 pesos each way. The bus ride is about 40 minutes each way, plus walking to and from the bus stops.

 

 

Puerto Vallarta is very charming, and an easy bus ride (cost 6.5 pesos (about 50 cents each way) from the main highway just outside the public dock area. Take the "Centro" bus, which goes as far as the old plaza before turning around. On returning look for the "Walmart" bus. There is also a Sam's Club and Walmart across the highway from the dock. The old town center has great walking, shopping, nice beaches and the old cathedral. We have also just walked south along the beach from the dock and relaxed on lounges at the many resort hotels along the beach.