The Baja Peninsula itself was a legendary land thought to be an island until sailors sent by Hernan Cortes, the conqueror of the Aztecs, landed there in the 1500s.
By the 17th century, Baja was well known to seafaring men. During the brisk trade between Manila and Europe, the famed Manila galleons carried silks, pearls and spices to be exchanged for Mexican silver, from Luzon in the Philippines to Acapulco. Their cargoes were carried overland to Mexico's east coast port of Veracruz and loaded on ships bound for Europe. After months at sea, their first sight of land and a fresh water estuary at the mouth of a river in San Jose were powerful lures to sailing ships bound for Acapulco after months at sea, and they stopped there for provisions from the local ranchers before sailing on—despite the English pirate ships lying in wait for them in coves and caves along the coast.
Alarmed by the growing number of sea battles and pillaging along the coast, the Spanish conquistadors who governed Mexico at the time, established a fort in San Jose, and sent the Spanish padre, Nicholas Tamaral, to establish a mission there. But the mission was burned and the Padre killed by the local Pericu Indians, who resisted the Padre's attempts to force them to cover their clotheless-ness and to change their polygamous ways. The fate of Padre Tamaral is graphically depicted in a mural in the present church in San Jose, which was built on the same spot as the old mission, in 1940. Later during the Mexican-American War, U.S. marines occupied the town. The Plaza Mijares in the heart of town is named for the victorious Mexican naval officer Jose Antonio Mijares, who defeated them.
San Jose went on to become a respectable commercial center in the 1800s, doing a brisk trade with passing ships. Some of the one and two-story homes from the last two centuries are still owned by the original families. Several are beguiling settings for San Jose's small restaurants and shops.
Cabo San Lucas, on the other hand, had an impudent upstart, which could account for its casual makeup. Medano Beach was just a wild stretch of sand until the early 1900s when a few fishermen put up their palapas beside a fresh water lagoon near the Club Cascadas Resort. In 1919, Cabo's marine-rich waters attracted a fish cannery to San Lucas Bay. The now long abandoned cannery at the entrance to the inner harbor was at one time the third largest packer of tuna in the world.
Now enter the big game fishermen from the States. After World War II, a handful of sportsmen pilots discovered the 500-pound marlin in the Sea of Cortes and lit the fuse under one of the biggest tourist explosions in history. They flew down with their pals to hunt dove in the scrub-covered hills to wrestle fighting fish out of the sea. The simple fishing and hunting lodges they built for their buddies along the Baja coast are the forefathers of the grand resorts today. The pioneer was the Palmilla resort in the 1950s, and then, in the 60s, came the Cabo San Lucas and the Hacienda. Twin Dolphin, Solmar and Finisterra date from the 70s.
These early hostelries were small, but some had their own airstrips. Word soon got out that Los Cabos more than 1,000 miles from Hollywood - was the ultimate celebrity hideout, and before long the gleaming yachts of the rich and famous were mingling with the mingling fishing boats in the bay. The area invited celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Sophia Loren and Carlos Ponti, Lucille Ball and Dezi Arnaz, Mick Jagger, Elton John, Bing Crosby and John Wayne.
The Transpeninsular Highway from the Mexican border south of San Diego opened in the early 70s, bringing a handful of Southern California surfers with their boards strapped to their trucks. They were followed by a parade of snowbird campers and RVs. But it was only after the Mexican government agency, Fonatur, which invests in tourist development, put its weight behind a much needed resort infrastructure, that the present airport opened in 1984 and the developers moved in.
Stunning developments in the past twenty years have included the opening of seven new championship golf courses designed by such masters as Jack Nicklaus, Robert Trent Jones. These courses have made Los Cabos the golf capital of Latin America. Additionally, Los Cabos boasts a myraid of hotels, including many luxury reasons on the corridor alone. Los Cabos is also home to some of the most phenomenal master-planned (view-protected), amenity-rich communities in all the world: Palmilla, Villas Del Mar, Cabo del Sol, Espiritu Del Mar, Punta Ballena, Oasis Palmilla and more.
Since the 1970s, Los Cabos, located on the southern tip of the Peninsula, has become a popular luxury tourist destination for paradise seekers from all over the globe. Growth in beautiful vacation properties along its breathtaking coastlines have since followed, making real estate in Los Cabos in high demand. Truly a unique destination, Los Cabos has been recognized by the travel industry's leading consumer and trade publications, Travel+ Leisure and our amazing properties have been featured in world-wide publications like Architectural Digest, Robb Report and more. In fact, in 2011 Los Cabos was voted the No. 1 resort destination in Mexico by TripAdvisor's Traveler's Choice Awards, an accolade determined annually by millions of real travelers and their reviews.
Even more exciting, in 2012 Los Cabos played host to an elite collection of international dignitaries and heads of state from the most powerful nations in the world as they convened at the new Los Cabos Convention Center at the 2012 G20.
With championship golf courses, award-winning hotels, renowned spas and retreats, delicious authentic restaurants, an exciting nightlife and a premier fishing and water-sport destination, Los Cabos continues to be a favorite destination for those who want to life the lifestyle that they've earned.
Los Cabos is a Mexican municipality that is made up of the popular tourist destinations of San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas. The town of Cabo San Lucas is located at the southernmost tip of the Baja and tranlates to, "Cape of Saint Luke." Just 18-miles away from Cabo San Lucas lies the town of San Jose del Cabo, which means, "Cape of Saint Joseph." Together, the towns are referred to as, "The Capes" or in Spanish, "Los Cabos." The area between the two towns is commonly referred to as, "The Corridor." Airlines will sometimes refer to this resort destination as either Cabo San Lucas, San Jose del Cabo or Los Cabos -- but no matter what you call it, we hope you call it your favorite Mexican destination.
Los Cabos is one of several municipalities of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur, the southern half of the Baja Peninsula. Baja California Sur become a Mexican state in 1974, and incorporates several offshore islands. The state capitol is La Paz.
A mere two-hour flight from many major U.S. cities, San Jose del Cabo is located approximately 15 minutes from the Los Cabos International San Jose Del Cabo Airport (SJD) and just 25 minutes from the tip of the Baja peninsula, or Land End, located in Cabo San Lucas.
Los Cabos is truly a blue-water paradise. Our pristine swimming beaches, 350 days of sunshine, deep-sea fishing and dramatic oceanfront settings serve as constant inspiration beckoning vacationers, homeowners and guests back again and again. Once you visit Cabo, it’s likely you come back again and again.
By continuing to use this site, you consent to our use of technologies that analyze and monitor activity on our website, may record your activity on this site, and sometimes provide you with tailored advertising. You also consent to our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions
