WHY GO
If your goal is to escape the cold, the southern tip of Baja California is a good bet. The weather tends to be less temperamental than Mexico’s Caribbean coast—an average of 350 sunshine-full days a year means there are few clouds to spoil a last-minute getaway. During our November visit, the sun held up its reputation and let us get our tan on. Over never-ending tacos and piña coladas on the sun-drenched beach, we were already plotting our return-trip. Next time, we decided, we’ll head down during peak season (December to March) when casual lounging can turn into epic wildlife watching: Humpback and gray whales set up camp in the warm waters for the winter.
WHERE TO STAY
We bunked down at Grand Velas Los Cabos, a sprawling, high-end retreat that hits the sweet spot between big-resort swag and individualized hospitality. On any given day we had our choice of three pools or the beach (though Cabo’s notorious currents preclude ocean swims) and an abundance of restaurant options. Cocina de Autor is a tasting-menu spot led by chef Sidney Schutte, whose Librije's Zusje, in Amsterdam, has two Michelin stars; Cabrilla is a killer poolside ceviche bar. All-inclusives have a rep for less-than-stellar service, but the staff at Grand Velas was attentive and personable—despite having just over 300 suites, employees remembered both our names and our fresh-squeezed juice preferences at breakfast ( the green morning juice is amazing).
THE FOOD
Grand Velas is home to seven notable restaurants and one of the most extensive wine lists in Mexico (some of the bottles are stunningly displayed at the Italian restaurant, Lucca). While we enjoyed Cocina de Autor as well as the seven-course Mexican tasting menu at Frida, our hearts lay with the uncomplicated delights: grilled shrimp tacos on the beach and chilaquiles at Azul’s epic breakfast buffet.
WHAT WE LOVED
Esther: “The thoughtful architecture. Each room has a balcony, and waking up each morning to the sunlight streaming through the glass doors, the ocean sparkling beyond the bougainvillea, put me immediately into vacation mode.”
Jes: “The poolside service. Along with never-ending margaritas, Luis was wonderful enough to bring over a wooden tray of SPF-laden lotion and an ice bucket full of water bottles.”
THE MOMENT
Arriving at sunset, just as the marble and stone lining the massive lobby lit up in pink, gold and violet. After a very long day that began in the early hours of the morning in New York, it was just the welcome we needed.