BY EL MONDO DE CABO

Junior picked me up the other day and took me to the Cabo Surf Hotel and Spa for lunch. Sure enough, it is still one of the best restaurants in Cabo and one of those businesses that are frequented more by the locals. Junior had the shrimp, which ate too many carbs and did not work out. I am talking about some really fat shrimp. Actually, they should have a different name. Giant prawns is a good one. In fact, the shrimp were so big, Junior gave up and put the last one on my plate. Now you see why I hang out with him so much. We also had a big plate of fried calamari. It has been a favorite of mine since I was a kid living in Madrid where they sold them on the street and served them up, salted in cones of newspaper. I had a charmed childhood and never lived in the U.S. until I was 15. More on that later. 

The Seven Seas has a brilliant menu packed with incredible gourmet foods and they do take out and beach delivery all under the watchful eye of the handsome Master Chef, Alejandro Rodriguez. If you are a vegan or one of those gluten-free people, no worries. The menu is clearly marked and you will find your way guilt-free to delicious and wonderful. Now here is something worth noting. Alejandro has his own bakery and, more importantly, an ice cream maker. Think mango lime with a little chili on top… mmmmmmmm. 

They do not call it the Cabo SURF Club for nothing. In all my travels I have never seen such consistently perfect surfable wave sets in front of a hotel, and so close. My son is a surfer, and you can imagine his reaction when he came back from the war in Afghanistan, and I got him the penthouse suite with the jacuzzi on the balcony. He was in heaven! Cabo Surf owner, Mauricio Balderrama, heard about it and did some nice things for him, too. Mauricio, by the way, looks like Daddy Warbucks in Annie and is a real gentleman and a man’s man as they say. His family is famous for five-star hotels in magic locations all over Mexico. See www.hotelesbalderrama.com if you want to know more. 

Caroline Wilson does the heavy lifting at the hotel. She is a decades-old resident of Cabo and knows her trade. She is one of the reasons Cabo Surf gets as much business from the surrounding areas including the One & Only Palmilla, perhaps one of the most exclusive resorts and residential developments in the world.

Veteran Palmillians wander over to Cabo Surf, which is next door, where Caroline pampers them a little more economically in her spa, salon, and beach service. The beach, by the way, is open to one and all. Pop on down and they will supply you with umbrellas, chairs, towels and anything else you may need. The spa features all manner of massages and you can have them on the beach, in the garden or in your suite. While you are at it, you might as well get your Mani/Pedi and a nice pore cleansing facial… and don’t forget the hair! In fact, it would be best to get off the plane a mess, check-in and let Caroline and her army of magic workers turn you into a fun-loving youngster again.

There are three kinds of rooms at the Cabo Surf Hotel and Spa — Garden, Ocean, and Elite Ocean Suites. Think $300 to $700 USD that sleeps four to six people. Try to find a room like these on the French Riviera for anything near those prices. Compared to some of the hotels on the Pacific side of Cabo, also very competitive, and you actually can safely go swimming in the ocean at Cabo Surf.  

Mauricio is one of the few hotel owners who is very active in the ecosystem that provides him with a good living. He also puts his money where his aspirations are. He just dropped six figures into solar paneling and will sell the excess electricity back to the CFE. Almost every aspect of his management style takes the ecosystem into consideration. He’s also very strict about the new pandemic effect of doing business and goes above and beyond the government recommended guidelines to make his hotel safe. He only allows 30 percent of the rooms to be occupied at any one time and he is full. Everyone obeys social distancing and wears masks with no exceptions! Hand sanitizer and Clorox mats are everywhere. 

Need to freshen the marriage up a little? Or going to pop the big question? Or celebrate a bitter divorce with your new honey bunny? Call Caroline personally at 624 142 2666. Forget the annoying answer machine as it is worth the wait and get her to tell you about the Full Moon Spectacular. Tell her El Mondo sent you!