Screen Break: A Quieter Side of Cabo
When you say “Los Cabos,” lots of people immediately think of the Marina and Cabo Wabo. And no shame, if that’s your game. After careful research, we have found that there are plenty of elevated, cultural experiences in Baja California from unmatched organic, farm-to-table restaurants to the historic downtown San Jose to the breathtaking views of the Sea of Cortez. Whether you are traveling for your honeymoon, are a creative professional that needs a break from the screen or you just need a good dose of Vitamin D, Cabo San Jose is a wonderful escape.
We love to travel and like so many other people, we’ve had to put a pin in our travel plans in part due to the pandemic and in part due to our little fur baby who has separation anxiety and health issues. As our season has shifted, we took a much needed “screen break” before we dive back into our events and decided to take our creature (aka Tigger) with us.
The airline rules have changed so if you have a medium or large dog, your options are severely limited. Many airlines, for good cause, have suspended their checked pet policy. They now offer “in cabin” pet option that requires a fee each way and that your pet stay in its carrier at your feet for the entire duration of the flight. Personally, I would not recommend bringing your dog for any flights over an hour or so if you do not have a lot of leg room as that is not fair to anyone. The container must allow the pet to move around freely without hitting sides or being cramped inside. The unbeatable airfare, we opted for Business Class via American Airlines so we could have more room for everyone (and they were very kind and flexible when I needed to bring him out for water, snacks and comfort). It is also important to note although Mexico officially terminated its health certificate necessity for dogs coming from the US, the Los Cabos Airport still references it and I was indeed asked for it. Because I am very “A” personality, I requested it from my vet anyway and was so glad that I did.
After researching destinations, we decided on Cabo San Jose due to the fact that they have been careful and steadfast to keep case numbers low. In fact, they were one of the first destinations to shut down last year from April 1-June 15 despite the fact there were fewer than 100 confirmed cases at the time they elected to lockdown. Cabo’s hotels have partnered with local hospitals in order to provide on-site testing to accommodate the CDC testing requirements for travelers.
COVID TESTING WHILE TRAVELING
Due to the CDC travel restrictions, we were prepared to quarantine if necessary for 14 days or more prior to departure should we test positive while on our trip. We had plenty of time between our travel and events and decided to travel with our fur baby in case we needed to stay longer. We got tested for COVID before we traveled and were tested twice while we were in Cabo San Jose (twice, only because we decided to extend our trip a bit longer and your test results expire, as far as the airlines and the CDC are concerned, after 72 hours). I got a little confused at first but figured it out later; if you call the airline, they’ll just say “3 days before” without the clarification that the test results cannot be any older than 3 days prior to departure). The results were available by email the same evening that we took the test. If you have your test taken directly at the hospital, the results are even quicker and emailed to you within a couple of hours. The weekends aren’t as accessible so if your flight departs on Monday, you want to take your test on Friday.
Now onto the fun stuff…
Cabo may have been once been associated with rowdy spring break crowds or a destination for Californian ex-pats to retire in gated communities. If you search for it, you’ll find any stereotype when traveling. Truth be told, it took us a couple of trips to figure out the lay of the land. When we first visited, it was one of those “I need to escape the midwest winter at any cost and just wanna lay at the beach and pool for a few days nothing more” kind of trips. But there’s so much more than palm trees and sunshine (although, don’t get me wrong…I love all things tropical).
On our first trip to Cabo, we went whale watching and it was absolutely incredible. We kept a reasonable distance from the whales for safety and on the way back to the marina we saw an orca pop up right next to our boat! It was a bucket list experience and we recommend doing this trip at least once. We did the speedboat (which was a litttttttle scary but efficient) because we weren’t interested in the larger boat that stops for shopping and tequila tastings. We don’t need our hands held for that : )
**Note: this is from a previous trip as a whale watching trip with a fur baby is a terrible idea. On our way back from whale watching, we passed the Viceroy Los Cabos and decided on our next trip, we would stay there. And we did!
If you do feel the need to go to the marina (and I think you should at least once), stop by The Oyster Bar by Baja Lobster Seafood & Deck Bar (it is a bit touristy but so good; sit outside of course) or La Galeria (we had some of the most incredible SASHIMI TRUFA–so unbelievably fresh. I can still taste it–incredible). Our server, Barcelo was fun, informative and let me practice my Spanish. They have a curated bar cart for mojitos and bespoke cocktails.
We divided our trip into two parts. The first part was spent in a deluxe treehouse at Acre Baja in the foothills of San Jose del Cabo. The property is absolutely magical. Beyond the jungle treehouses, there is a a world-class, open air restaurant featuring organic farm-to-table experiences, unforgettable dishes and unique cocktail compositions.
The jungle treehouse was an epic experience. There is an outdoor rain shower (beware, if you are shy, know that there are people walking below so have your robe and towel handy : ) Because Acre is situated in the middle of a desert, the temperatures plunge in the evening and winds tends to pickup at night. The bedding is really warm and it was nice listening to the palm trees sway. If you travel with your fur baby, you need to be really really careful as it can be dangerous with the heights and drop offs. We carried our furry creature (which he is used to) but he probably missed his independence a bit while in the treehouse. However, the property is super dog friendly and we were able to spend mornings by the pool and they even made a special grilled chicken dish just for him : )
After moments onsite, you quickly learn why they are recognized by Travel & Leisure Magazine. People come from all over the world to experience culinary bliss at Acre. The environment is like no other with subtropical gardens, a family of peacocks, roosters, Nigerian dwarf goats and the sweetest donkey named Burrito. They also have a wonderful rescue organization.
I would highly recommend staying here on a weekday if possible to fully enjoy everything the property has to offer. Because of the property’s uniquely beautiful grounds and aesthetic, they host weddings on the weekends and as you can imagine, the small property becomes smaller once wedding guests arrive and the pool closes promptly at 2:30pm.
Colorful peacocks roam the gardens, poolside and restaurant throughout the property. They are very friendly : )
FLORA FARMS
At this point, Flora Farms needs no introduction. It is just a short walk (day time) from Acre Farms. Note: at one point, Uber was illegal in Cabo but now it is back in business. You’ll save so much money by taking Uber and the hotels don’t readily volunteer that information as they want to support the taxi companies (which is understandable). We took a few taxis but Uber is more convenient.
Over the years, Flora Farms has grown into a 25-acre organic farm in the foothills of the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains. The farm features Flora’s Field Kitchen; a grocery store, Flora Farm Grocery; a bar, Flora’s Farm Bar; assorted shops; and 10 Culinary Cottages – handcrafted straw bale cottages – where people live. Reservations book up fast (for good reason) and you’ll want to book a tour 30 minutes before dinner if you’ve never been. Next time we go, we will take a cooking class but because they are dog friendly and we had Tigger, we did the tour and dinner only. They’ve done such a good job at creating a full immersive food experience that keep you coming back multiple times from the grocery, to dinner to movie night. Truly one of my favorite dining experiences.
The Square in Downtown San Jose is lovely for a stroll around to see locals enjoying time with their families, attending Mass at Mission San Jose del Cabo and on Thursday nights November through June, there is an art walk with artist in attendance and bustling streets.
Stop by the food stall at Tamales Doña Nina. Get the Mole! Delicious inexpensive eats that will not disappoint.
Other restaurants to try are Tres Gallos San Jose, Jardín Secreto Restaurante and La Lupita Taco & Mezcal.
The last leg of our trip was spent luxuriating in the views of the Sea of Cortez at the Viceroy Los Cabos. I cannot say enough about the level of service and ambiance at this property. You truly don’t want leave and it was the perfect end to a truly magical getaway.
