Los Cabos Primer

CLIENTELE: The typical visitor to Los Cabos has been described as an upscale and well-educated traveler between the ages of 25 and 49. The client is typically college educated with a household income of $75,000-plus who stays four nights. It's safe to say he or she also loves the outdoors, for Los Cabos is a destination that encourages active exploration of its sea and desert, as well as leisurely enjoyment of its golf courses. Visitors are active nature lovers with an equal interest in creature comforts. They're the types who enjoy exploring the rugged desert terrain in a Land Rover by day and then returning to their five-star resort to dine in luxury.

Los Cabos has a lot of appeal for residents of the West Coast, since it's easily accessible, with numerous direct flights.

REQUIREMENTS FOR GETTING THERE: Most visitors arrive by air, although Los Cabos is also a significant cruise port. The institution of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative requires U.S. visitors traveling by air to show a passport on their return to the U.S. This requirement extended to cruise passengers this year and will extend to land travelers in 2009.

AIRLINES: Several carriers fly into Los Cabos. A few to keep in mind include AeroMexico (www.aeromexico.com), Alaska Airlines (www.alaskaair.com), American Airlines (www.aa.com), US Airways (www.usairways.com), Continental Airlines (www.continental.com), Delta Air Lines (www.delta.com), Frontier Airlines (www.frontierairlines.com) and Mexicana Airlines (www.mexicana.com).

WHERE TO STAY: The Marquis Los Cabos Beach, Golf, Spa & Casitas Resort (www.marquisloscabos.com) is a sophisticated property with an extensive Mexican art collection. The resort's director of sales, Frederique Naffrichoux ([email protected]), is also the travel-agent liaison. She recommends booking one of the property's 28 Pool Casitas. These have their own private pool, are only steps from the beach and are like renting a little house rather than staying in a suite.

Las Ventanas al Paraiso (www.lasventanas.com) is one of the peninsula's top-rated resorts. Best rooms to book are the Luxury Suites, numbers 101, 102, 801 and 802. These are oceanview, oceanfront suites with a private pool. All rooms have butler service. Agents can contact Michael Reul, sales coordinator, at [email protected].

All-inclusive resorts on Los Cabos include Dreams Los Cabos Suites Golf Resort & Spa (www.dreamsloscabos.com). Because Los Cabos is on a peninsula, some resorts are treated to a sunrise, while others have sunset views. Dreams has views of the sunrise—the best rooms for observing the new day arrive are in Phase Two; however, Phase One also has ocean views. Dreams' travel-agent liaison is Ankara Angulo, sales and marketing director. She can be reached at [email protected].

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PACKAGES: The Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort (www.hiltonloscabos.com) will offer its Summer Family Fun Promotion from June 29 to October 19, 2008. The promotion extends to hotel amenities for all guests staying at the Hilton Los Cabos, including a welcome "Cabo Cooler" and surprises for the kids; daily "Vacation Station" activities; a "Dive-In" movie for the entire family twice a week; kids' spa treatments, which will be discounted 50 percent with the purchase of a regular 50-minute treatment; Mexican cooking classes twice a week and complimentary 10-minute poolside massages. Additional amenities include complimentary use of the Hilton shuttle?bus, with scheduled stops to and from Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, and complimentary wireless Internet access.

RESTAURANTS: Most of Los Cabos' finest restaurants are in San Jose del Cabo. Mi Cocina at Casa Natalia (www.casanatalia.com) serves Euro-Mexican fare, and La Panga Antigua (www.lapanga.com) is a five-star restaurant offering contemporary Mexican cuisine. In Cabo San Lucas, the double-decker palapa beachside restaurant, Edith's (www.edithscabo.com), serves seafood and a Cadillac Margarita, made with a dash of Grand Marnier.