Juan del Rio - 2-28-2006 at 02:23 PM
Saw this small little article in today'sWall Street Journal. Thought it might be of general reading interest from a National perspective....
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
San Jos? del Cabo
February 28, 2006; Page D7
Reporter Stephanie Kang on where to eat, shop and see whales in and around this Mexican town on the southern tip of Baja California.
Where to get fresh air: San Jos? del Cabo offers gourmet restaurants, boutique hotels and all the natural beauty of nearby Cabo San Lucas -- without
the reveling spring-break students. Take an early-morning walk along the city's miles of shimmering beaches. For more adventurous visitors, outfitters
like Baja Wild offer trips to nearby Cabo Pulmo, where you can sea kayak and then snorkel to within a whisker's length of a sea-lion colony. Divers
can take advantage of Cabo Pulmo's vibrant reef, the northernmost living reef in North America (Baja Wild, Tel. 011-52-624-142-5300, bajawild.com).
From February to May, migrating whales round the tip of the Baja Peninsula. While many commercial whale-watching trips require a short van ride to
Cabo San Lucas, impromptu expeditions can be arranged in San Jos? de Cabo in small skiffs called pangas that get closer to the action.
Where to stay: Skip the cookie-cutter beach resorts and stay in the picturesque center of town. Casa Natalia is a 16-room boutique hotel, run by
European ?migr?s, that boasts a chic courtyard filled with palm trees and fountains. Each room has its own private terrace (Boulevard Mijares N. 4,
Tel. 011-52-624-142-5100, www.casanatalia.com).
San Jos? del Cabo has miles of shimmering beaches.
Where to eat: Casa Natalia's restaurant, Mi Cocina, serves up high-end "Euro-Mexican" cuisine. Just a few doors down on Plaza Mijares, the city's
central square, Damiana offers more-traditional Mexican dishes. Sip a margarita in the restaurant's leafy patio while a three-piece mariachi band
plays everything from Mexican folk tunes to "La Bamba" (Boulevard Mijares N. 8, Tel. 011-52-624-142-0499, damiana.com.mx). Some of the best Mexican
food can be found at hole-in-the-wall establishments just west of the plaza. At Taquer?a El Fog?n on Avenida Doblado, you can wolf down a plateful of
tacos al pastor -- pork tacos -- for around $3 (Manuel Doblado Ave. s/n Col. Centro., Tel. 011-52-624-132-8485).
Where to shop: San Jos? de Cabo's central district is filled with small shops selling hand-worked leather and silver along with local gemstones. Los
Cabos Amber Gallery (?lvaro Obreg?n N. 18B, Tel. 011-52-624-105-2332) has an array of original amber jewelry, while the soaring Galeria de Ida
Victoria (1128 Vicente Guerrero, Tel. 011-52-624-142-5772) nearby displays an impressive collection of original paintings.
Write to Stephanie Kang at stephanie.kang@wsj.com
bajajudy - 2-28-2006 at 03:04 PM
Thanks Juan
FYI Casa Natalia is about $230 per night for their least expensive suite.
It is a beautiful hotel but as with the Tropicana(What has 40 rooms and flies?) the sewage plant situated on the estuary can make for an unpleasant
experience if the wind is blowing out of the S or SE or SW. What braintrust put the sewage plant in town?
Too rich for my blood as is the restaurant.
bajajudy - 2-28-2006 at 03:10 PM
OH I just noticed the reference to El Fogon.....wrong. Horrible tacos al pastor and frijoles charro. Both were close to inedible the only time we
went there....yes it is cheap though. I probably should give them the benefit of the doubt, as it was new years day. I have heard that their tacos
de carne asada are great.
SJDC Town Plaza 1957
Juan del Rio - 2-28-2006 at 04:27 PM
Judy, thought you'd enjoy this photo of the Plaza in San Jose del Cabo taken April 10, 1957. From the Howard Gulick collection.
[Edited on 2-28-2006 by Juan del Rio]
bajajudy - 2-28-2006 at 05:52 PM
Que Padre!
That yellow building on the right is still here. I think that it is a jewelry store but will check it out next time I am on the square. It is still
one of the prettiest towns in BCS, IMHO.