Today’s Topic

The approach into the airport at San Juan del Cabo is deceptive. The plane glides low over the bare brown mountain range and casts a moving shadow over gray weathered buildings that are scattered among the cacti and sage brush on the valley floor. There are no signs of the slick, glossy images we saw in the travel magazines and on-line when we were researching Los Cabos for our first visit to Mexico’s Baja Peninsula. It appears to be harsh, arid land…and one of great poverty.

The plane clears the mountain top with what seems just feet to spare, banks sharply and the scene from the window changes drastically from the drab landscape to one illuminated by the magic that is Los Cabos - turquoise water, soft beige sand and brilliant foliage. The contrast is startling and the feeling I have is one akin to that Dorothy must have felt when she stepped out of her Kansas clapboard into Oz.

Los Cabos (The Capes) is comprised of the twenty mile stretch of the Baja Peninsula between San Juan del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas. In recent years, the increased infrastructure has facilitated the growth of vacation homes, condominiums and grand luxury hotels along the corridor. Los Cabos offers something for everyone, from fine dining and lively night life to hamburgers on the beach under a thatched cover.

In the winter months whale sightings along the Pacific coast are common.

Los Cabos is known for its excellent sport fishing and other water sports, as well as land-based activities like golf. There are several beautiful and challenging courses for avid golfers to attempt to conquer and, with 350 days of sunshine and year-round temperatures ranging from the mid-fifties in the winter to high nineties in the summer, every day is a good golf day in Los Cabos.

My husband and I are celebrating our tenth wedding anniversary and the completion of his college degree. We are looking for a place to slow down, relax and reconnect after the pressures of work and school. Our destination is all-inclusive luxury resort Dreams Los Cabos.

As soon as we step out of the taxi at the hotel we are greeted by a staff member bearing a silver tray laden with cold, moist towels.

It’s mid-June and very humid so we gratefully accept the towels and immediately press them to our flushed faces. This one simple act of welcome confirms our choice in lodging like nothing else could. If there are any lingering doubts, those are swept away when we approach the front desk to check in and are presented with glasses of chilled champagne in honor of our anniversary and my husband’s academic achievements. This is truly a staff who understands customer service.

My husband and I have visited all-inclusive hotels before, but never one that takes all-inclusive to the level that Dreams does. There are five restaurants on-site where visitors can order from a full menu and choose a bottle of wine from an extensive list. Special wines are available for an additional cost, but even the most discerning wine connoisseur is able to find acceptable wines on the standard wine list. Room service is also included in the all-inclusive package.

For those travelers, who are not really interested in an active vacation, there are plenty of opportunities for relaxation. The hotel spa provides a multitude of services for an additional charge and the fitness facility is open to all visitors. The open courtyard around which the hotel is situated provides a place to sit, have a drink, and watch the activity among towering palms and lush plantings.

Along the beach, lounge chairs are set up beneath thatched umbrellas and this becomes our favorite spot. Roving wait staff circulate, ducking beneath the umbrellas to take orders for food and drink, then deliver them moments later.

Also along the beach are the obligatory vendors, hawking the usual silver jewelry, straw hats and brightly colored scarves. They are segregated from Dreams’ guests by a single rope barrier which they do not cross unless one of the lounging guests indicates an interest in their wares. Even in this matter, Dreams has set the stage for uninterrupted relaxation.

Although we are enjoying a “grown-up” vacation, Dreams does have plenty of activities that are geared toward families and children. The staff provides daily activities for their younger guests, allowing some much appreciated time alone for Mom and Dad. Evening activities are provided for all ages and offer an opportunity for families to share in the festivities.

My husband and I spend the full seven days of our vacation without leaving the resort, except for one afternoon excursion to Cabo San Lucas.

There are kiosks in the hotel lobby with friendly staff waiting to help guests rent a car, take a tour or participate in any number of possible excursions.

There is much to see and do both inside and outside the walls of Dreams for those who are looking for an active vacation. But if vacationers want to relax, they need go no further than their Dreams of Los Cabos.

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