Business in Cabo Downtown Slowing Down. According to Robbin Hernandez, president of the Entrepreneurial Leaders of Los Cabos, sales in Cabo downtown decreased between 20 and 30% in 2023. The ones that have seen the highest loss are nightlife businesses. With more luxurious hotels offering great food and beverages, it seems our visitors prefer to stay in and enjoy them. Other reasons for the loss of business might be the high prices in restaurants and bars, some of which have increased 100% in one year, the high cost of taxi transportation – even Uber is pricey, – and the abundance of street vendors harassing everyone with offers of all kinds, legal, or not.
San Jose Wants to Become Magical. The new program of the Mexican Tourism Secretariat, called “Barrios Magicos,” or magical neighborhoods, has attracted the attention of the Los Cabos government and downtown San Jose business people. The area is already a magnet for tourism, so the city has applied to be part of the program, which would get us more promotion and make downtown even prettier. It is a program similar to the Magical Towns, of which Todos Santos, Loreto and Santa Rosalia are already part of.
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Artists’ Studios’ Doors Open, Reserve Your Spot! The 13th Annual Todos Santos Open Studio Tour will take place February 2 – 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a Friday, February 1 Opening Night Party. Only 300 pesos per person – children free. The tour will benefit the Palapa Society of Todos Santos, A.C., which devotes its efforts to helping educate and empower young people to dream and aspire to great things. Ticket Sales: Eventbrite and the weekend of the tour at The Palapa Learning Center. For More Info: https://todossantosopenstudio.org/
More Cruise Ships Coming This Year. The number of cruise ships arriving in Baja California Sur this year will increase from 200 last year to 240 this year. The Carnival Panorama arrived on New Year’s Day at La Paz and Cabo San Lucas with 4,716 passengers and a crew of 1,450. They invaded the malecon, stores and restaurants making all the business owners happy. La Paz will see the biggest increase, 30%, in cruise ship arrivals.
Balandra Beach Enters the Top 10 of the World. The World’s 50 Best Beaches site just released its 2023 list. It is voted on by “over 750 of the world’s best travel journalists, editors, bloggers, influencers and agencies.” Balandra made it to the list. This award follows the “Best Beach in Mexico” award that our gorgeous beach won last year.
Millions Visited Cabo Last Year. We are just three days away from New Year’s and the Los Cabos hotel association is reporting that most likely, the final number of tourists that visited us in 2023 will surpass the 4 million figure. Our destination also ends the year with 94 hotels, 5 more than last year, and 18,664 hotel rooms.
New, Alternate Road in the Planning. The incredible growth in the population of Los Cabos and the increasing number of vehicles (and car wrecks) along the fourlane between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo needs urgent attention. An alternate road is being discussed between the business associations and the city government. An alternate road from Cerro Colorado to a point near Cabo San Lucas is an option being discussed now. We say, stop the discussion, get to work!
In Life, Connections Mean Everything. And Cabo is a living proof. Our tourist destination’s boom has been fueled by connections, connections, connections. The recently inaugurated Las Vegas – Los Cabos route with Alaska Airlines marked the date when we reached the number of 30 direct flights arriving from the U.S. Add that to 16 national routes, one seasonal from Spain and 10 from Canada, and there you have the reason for our success. Not to mention the gorgeous beaches, tasty tacos and Margaritas plus the wonderful weather. A reason to celebrate? Who needs a reason?
Hilton to Open a Hotel in La Paz. That would be the remodeled Hotel La Perla in downtown La Paz, right across from its beautiful malecón. Currently undergoing $10 million USD in renovations, the 90-room hotel should be open in the first quarter of 2024.
Los Cabos Closes the Year with Good Occupancy. The hotel association of Los Cabos stated that during the Christmas long weekend, the average occupancy in our resort destination was 88%, with an average room rate of $550 USD. Hotels in San Jose del Cabo and the tourist corridor had an occupancy of 87-88%, while the ones in Cabo San Lucas reached 89%. “We expect similar numbers over New Year’s,” said the association’s spokeswoman Lizli Orzi.
Music Concert and Dinner Invite.Book these dates in your calendar so you don’t miss the event! The East Cape Guild will hold its annual Songwriters Music Concert and VIP Dinner at the Hotel Palmas de Cortez in Los Barriles, East Cape, on March 1 & 2, 2024. Stay tuned for more information at eastcapeguild.com. The mission of the East Cape Guild is to provide educational benefits for the students of the East Cape. See you there!
Free Tennis Courts Coming to Cabo. The MexTenis corporation, which organizes the ATP 250 every year, agreed to donate 2 tennis courts for public, free use in exchange for the tournament fees that they have to pay the city government every year. Clearing of the land has begun and the construction will begin in early 2024 near the Don Koll stadium in the Cangrejos neighborhood in Cabo San Lucas. We can’t wait to play!
Three More Hotels Opening in Los Cabos. You probably read this before if you follow us. If not, shame on you! The new hotels opening this year in our tourist destination are the 160-rooms and 28 residences Park Hyatt at Cabo del Sol, the US $30 million, 70-room Soho House in the tourist corridor and the 20 bi-level residences Aman resort in La Ribera on the East Cape.
Mexico’s First Lunar Mission Took Off. On Monday, January 8, Mexico launched five Microbots from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The microbots, which were created by a team of Mexican scientists and nearly 250 University students, weight 2.11 ounces and measure 4.7 inches. They will begin taking measurements that have never been taken before, including lunar plasma temperature and the size of particles floating just above the moon’s dusty surface. The robots will travel aboard the Vulcan Centaur, a two-stage-to-orbit, heavy-lift launch vehicle under development by United Launch Alliance since 2014.
New Boat Dock Being Built. A 328-foot-long, $6 million USD boat deck is currently being built in Puerto Chale, a small fishing community 2 hours north of La Paz on the Pacific side. This community is evolving from shrimp and fish fishing only to a touristy place with many foreigners visiting during the whale watching season. Others stop by to fish or just take a boat tour. It is a tranquil haven with very friendly residents. Visitors should budget half a day to head out on a panga to spot some whales, grab a bite to eat at Puerto Chale, and return with plenty of time to enjoy a fun evening in La Paz.
