Living In San Jose del Cabo
by David Mandich, Baja Real Estate Advisor

A Jungle of Palms and Bougainvillea line Mijares Boulevard in downtown San Jose adding grace to the colonial architecture. Here, in the evenings one can mingle with un-tethered horses, cows, dogs, chickens and local families gamboling about as in a slow motion film on old Mexico. San Jose del Cabo is a little town trying hard not to grow up.

West San Jose del Cabo features the famous Costa Azul beach with its world-renowned surf breaks. Many retired Gringos reside in the hills in this area including some surf legends from the early days of California surfing. Many more fine, secluded, virtually uninhabited and little used surf breaks are to be found along the East Cape. Along with the residences of some famous Hollywood types, more surf legends and some famous politicos both Mexican and American.  

Activities around the estuary include bird watching, horseback riding, ATV excursions, mountain bike and motorbike rentals, surfing, surf fishing and swimming.

Leatherback turtles lay their eggs on the beaches and the little ones can sometimes be found crawling their way back to the sea when hatched. Pangas can be rented for sportfishing in the former fishing village of La Playita located a mile away from town across the estuary.

La Playita is twenty miles closer to the famous Gorda Banks fishing spot for big game fish than Cabo San Lucas. Larger boats can be rented departing the hotel Palmilla also located in San Jose del Cabo.

I have attempted to drive the East Cape on more than one occasion and I’ve been told that it only takes 90 minutes from San Jose to make the journey. But I always get only ten or so miles when I start discovering these fabulous coves with incredible surf breaks and I get distracted – for several hours. By the time I’m finished from having all the waves I can handle, without anyone else to fight over them with, it’s always too late to complete my East Cape expedition, so I head back to San Jose. Someday, when I get really, really old (I’m almost sixty now) and can’t surf anymore, I’ll learn to play golf and I’ll drive around the East Cape without surfing!