Family Adventures in Cabo
LOS CABOS’ MOTTO, “LEAVE IT ALL BEHIND,” DOESN’T HAVE TO APPLY TO THE KIDS. KELLEY GRANGER EXPLORES THE BEST FAMILY OPTIONS IN LAND’S END.
Daytime Excursions
A DIP WITH DOLPHINS Kids as young as a year old can interact with dolphins at Cabo Dolphins, a gorgeous marine center near Cabo San Lucas’ marina and downtown. (cabodolphins.com)
PIRATE THE SEAS Cruise the famous Cabo arch in a 18th-century replica ship or book the Treasure Hunt, a snorkeling tour, which departs near Lover’s Beach. (buccaneerloscabos.com)
WHALE WATCHING
December to March is prime whale-watching
season in Los Cabos. Book a sailing trip, from two hours to a full day, with Cabo Whale Watching. (cabowhalewatching.net)
SPA DAY Make a spa day with the kids at the Hilton Los Cabos’ Spa Oasis. You’ll enjoy a yogurt and honey pedicure while your little ones get ice cream foot treatments. (hilton
loscabos.com)
HIT THE LINKS Don’t miss the chance to play at one of Los Cabos’ many renowned seaside golf courses. The Jack Nicklaus-designed Cabo del Sol, called the “Pebble Beach of Baja,” offers stunning ocean and desert courses. (cabodelsol.com)
Cabo Cuisine
FAMILY STYLE (Agua) Reservations are recommended at One&Only Palmilla’s seaside, palapa-style restaurant. With dangling Moroccan lanterns and killer views, the spot offers a delicious Mexiterranean menu along with children’s choices. (oneandonlyresorts.com)
TABLE FOR TWO (La Panga Antigua) Relish an intimate dinner of contemporary Mexican cuisine (try seared sea scallops with dry chili oil saffron risotto) across the street from a historic mission and among charming colonial San Jose del Cabo. (lapanga.com)
INFORMAL EATS (Mariscos Mocambo)Stop here for some of the finest traditional Mexican seafood in Cabo San Lucas. Savor smoked marlin or sea bass in a poblano sauce. Kids love the fish fingers or burritos from the children’s menu. (mariscosmocambo.com)
LATE NIGHT (Cabo Wabo Cantina)If you’re out and about after-hours, check out dinner, drinks or live music at Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas, where Sammy Hagar does for tequila what Jimmy Buffett did for margaritas. (cabowabocantina.com)
With Kids in Mind
One&Only Palmilla / San Jose del Cabo
Your children will love the resort’s newly expanded KidsOnly program, which offers a range of classes on reflexology, aquatic movement, yoga, salsa dancing, pastry-making and more for children ages 4 to 11. They’ll end each day (programming runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) excited for the next, and you’ll get the alone time you need at the resort’s private spa villas (think outdoor baths, private rain showers and Mexican daybeds in a secret gardenlike setting). Big families might consider booking the four-bedroom Villa Cortez at the resort. It has ocean views, a private infinity pool and a fire pit on 2,000 square feet of furnished outdoor space. Be warned: Once you experience the kid’s offerings and beauty of the property, you just may be ruined for all family getaways to come. (oneandonlyresorts.com)
In Flight
Continental Airlines provides nonstop flights from Newark Airport to San Jose del Cabo. The flight time is just more than six hours.
Passport Tip
You’ll need a passport for travel to and from Mexico (passport cards are only valid if you’re traveling by land or sea).Allot at least six weeks to complete the application process for a first-time passport. All children, including newborns and infants, need passports too.