Hiking away to Love and Divorce in Los Cabos
We have always loved Cabo San Lucas for its beautiful and unique beaches. Despite recent non-stop urban growth, there are still plenty of idyllic secluded spots within close proximity to the busier areas around downtown, the Marina, Puerto Paraiso Mall and Medano beach. The latter has become quite overdeveloped in recent years, although it is still spectacular and great for an hour or two of swimming and tanning between other activities in the city.
Yet even the more remote sections of the Medano now have gigantic hotels and resorts nearby. The constant coming and going of spring-break college kids, salesmen offering anything from pareos to Henna tattoos, and boats eager to catch a tourist for a ride, make the MEDANO an interesting place for people watching but not necessarily an idyllic and relaxing choice. The corridor between San Lucas and San Jose Cabo also boasts among the most gorgeous beaches, some more famous and crowded than others, but have equally experienced a surge in development and visitors. Nonetheless there are spectacular beaches on the corridor, EL CHILENO and SANTA MARIA, to name but a few, all in their own right worthy of a separate article.
For a unique beach experience, however, we may want to ignore the boats in the Marina and the Medano and instead go for an interesting adventure hike. The destination is the same - the area near the world-famous ARCO DE CABO SAN LUCAS with the nearby spectacular beaches of PLAYA DEL AMOR and PLAYA DE DIVORCIO.
At the very end of the Marina, where the sports-fishing docks are, smaller vessels dock to transport cruise guests to and from their huge cruise liners anchored in the Bay and where many of Cabo San Lucas' bus lines end, we find a relatively small, unpretentious beach, PLAYA BALCONCITO, usually frequented by locals. At the very end, there are rocks with easy access to the higher elevations above - if it were not for the constant signs PROHIBIDO EL PASO, which, to add excitement to our mission, we simply ignore to continue our ascent. The truth is, I have never seen anyone ever patrol that area in earnest - our suspicion is that the boat people at Medano and the Marina are behind these efforts to keep people from hiking over - as that would ultimately hurt their own business potential.
After a decent up-hill hike, we can already enjoy the fruits of our labor - a spectacular view from above to MEDANO beach, the Marina and the entire Bay with numerous gigantic cruise liners anchored nearby. Caution is needed along the loose rocks, particularly near the edges, but views below near the coastline are equally enchanting, as small bays, caves and openings offer secluded swimming, tanning and snorkeling opportunities. We must pass a few more PROHIBIDO EL PASO signs and trample over some ancient barbed wire, adding to the excitement of our "Semi-legal hike", as then the peninsula gradually narrows and the view opens up towards both the Pacific and the Sea of Cortez. Here, near the famous ARCH and where the two seas meet, we find some of the most spectacular beach and rock formations anywhere on the South Cape. A narrow trail leads down to the beach - the smaller one facing the Sea of Cortez. This is the world-famous PLAYA DEL AMOR or Lovers' Beach - always crowded with visitors but almost all of them transported by boat from the Marina or the Medano. We usually focus on the other, bigger beach - the one facing the open Pacific and subject to gorgeous and at times dangerous surf - the PLAYA DE DIVORCIO - Divorce beach - named this way, as the future divorcees have so much more space to be apart from each other here. And it IS significantly less crowded.
Following magnificent timeless moments on this, one of the most beautiful beaches seen anywhere, it is possible to return to central San Lucas by way of a different route. Depending on the tides, one can climb over the rocks at the Northern end of DIVORCE BEACH and reach the adjacent, equally magnificent PLAYA SOLMAR with big resort and hotel development nearby. From there, one can easily walk through the SOLMAR resort and on paved streets all the way back to the Marina and downtown Cabo San Lucas. Either way, this round-trip adventure hike is far more rewarding and unique and offers far more spectacular memories and views than a quick boat ride from Medano could ever yield.
Yet even the more remote sections of the Medano now have gigantic hotels and resorts nearby. The constant coming and going of spring-break college kids, salesmen offering anything from pareos to Henna tattoos, and boats eager to catch a tourist for a ride, make the MEDANO an interesting place for people watching but not necessarily an idyllic and relaxing choice. The corridor between San Lucas and San Jose Cabo also boasts among the most gorgeous beaches, some more famous and crowded than others, but have equally experienced a surge in development and visitors. Nonetheless there are spectacular beaches on the corridor, EL CHILENO and SANTA MARIA, to name but a few, all in their own right worthy of a separate article.
For a unique beach experience, however, we may want to ignore the boats in the Marina and the Medano and instead go for an interesting adventure hike. The destination is the same - the area near the world-famous ARCO DE CABO SAN LUCAS with the nearby spectacular beaches of PLAYA DEL AMOR and PLAYA DE DIVORCIO.
At the very end of the Marina, where the sports-fishing docks are, smaller vessels dock to transport cruise guests to and from their huge cruise liners anchored in the Bay and where many of Cabo San Lucas' bus lines end, we find a relatively small, unpretentious beach, PLAYA BALCONCITO, usually frequented by locals. At the very end, there are rocks with easy access to the higher elevations above - if it were not for the constant signs PROHIBIDO EL PASO, which, to add excitement to our mission, we simply ignore to continue our ascent. The truth is, I have never seen anyone ever patrol that area in earnest - our suspicion is that the boat people at Medano and the Marina are behind these efforts to keep people from hiking over - as that would ultimately hurt their own business potential.
After a decent up-hill hike, we can already enjoy the fruits of our labor - a spectacular view from above to MEDANO beach, the Marina and the entire Bay with numerous gigantic cruise liners anchored nearby. Caution is needed along the loose rocks, particularly near the edges, but views below near the coastline are equally enchanting, as small bays, caves and openings offer secluded swimming, tanning and snorkeling opportunities. We must pass a few more PROHIBIDO EL PASO signs and trample over some ancient barbed wire, adding to the excitement of our "Semi-legal hike", as then the peninsula gradually narrows and the view opens up towards both the Pacific and the Sea of Cortez. Here, near the famous ARCH and where the two seas meet, we find some of the most spectacular beach and rock formations anywhere on the South Cape. A narrow trail leads down to the beach - the smaller one facing the Sea of Cortez. This is the world-famous PLAYA DEL AMOR or Lovers' Beach - always crowded with visitors but almost all of them transported by boat from the Marina or the Medano. We usually focus on the other, bigger beach - the one facing the open Pacific and subject to gorgeous and at times dangerous surf - the PLAYA DE DIVORCIO - Divorce beach - named this way, as the future divorcees have so much more space to be apart from each other here. And it IS significantly less crowded.
Following magnificent timeless moments on this, one of the most beautiful beaches seen anywhere, it is possible to return to central San Lucas by way of a different route. Depending on the tides, one can climb over the rocks at the Northern end of DIVORCE BEACH and reach the adjacent, equally magnificent PLAYA SOLMAR with big resort and hotel development nearby. From there, one can easily walk through the SOLMAR resort and on paved streets all the way back to the Marina and downtown Cabo San Lucas. Either way, this round-trip adventure hike is far more rewarding and unique and offers far more spectacular memories and views than a quick boat ride from Medano could ever yield.
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