Our week in Cabo San Lucas was a fairy tale in more ways than one. As someone who has frequently traveled to all-inclusive resorts in Cancun, I expected Cabo to be similar to those trips. This was definitely not the case. With the exception of one completely surprising turn of events (we will get there in a bit), the star of the show was our hotel, Pueblo Bonito Pacifica.
If you’re in the same boat and trying to decide which Mexican destination is right for you, see our post about the differences between Cabo and Cancun here!
Cabo San Lucas vs. Los Cabos?
Cabo San Lucas and Los Cabos are often used interchangeably but they are, in fact, not the same. Los Cabos (which translates to “the (two) Cabos” is the region of Mexico made up of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. Cabo San Lucas is situated at the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula while San Jose del Cabo lies just northeast of Cabo. Cabo San Lucas is the major tourist destination and most likely where you will be traveling on your vacation!
Why Pacifica?
The Pueblo Bonito resort chain consists of eight properties throughout Cabo San Lucas and Mazatlán. Pueblo Bonito Pacifica and Sunset are in the residential development of Quivira, while Pueblo Bonito Rose and Los Cabos are downtown. A couple of (certainly not all) defining differences that influenced our choice: Rose and Los Cabos are located near the lively hustle and bustle of the downtown area on a stretch of pristine, but crowded, beach. These two resorts offer direct, onsite access to swimmable beaches. Pacifica and Sunset do not. While Pacifica is located directly on a beach the exceptionally strong currents make swimming dangerous and therefore prohibited. One of the biggest draws to the Pueblo Bonito chain is that you can take free shuttle services to its sister hotels.
Now I’m not someone who goes on a vacation without doing days’ worth of research on a place, but I can confidently say I was wholly unprepared for just how breathtaking this resort was.
My boyfriend and I usually choose the cheaper hotel and stay for a longer period but this vacation we were going with another couple, so we ended up choosing Pacifica. Honestly, I was initially hesitant to choose this hotel because I love the beach. I have no problem staying on a beach for hours during a vacation so the thought of being unable to swim while looking at the clear, turquoise, wildly inviting ocean in the blazing Mexican sun gave me pause. After staying at the resort, however, I can honestly say this did not bother me nearly as much as I anticipated. The amenities, restaurants, pools, and luxury of Pacifica more than makeup for this drawback.
Our Trip
Day 1-2: Arriving in Paradise
We traveled to Cabo in April of 2021 for my boyfriend’s birthday (or so I thought). After about a 45-minute drive from the airport (on the resort shuttle), the salty breeze of the Pacific Ocean shores greeted us. Upon checking into our room, we were met with mesmerizing ocean views and a sweeping landscape of the entire Pacifica property. Our first day at Pueblo Bonito Pacifica consisted of getting to know the grounds, downloading the Pueblo app, and making reservations for the upcoming week. We had dinner on-site and ended the night watching the hotel’s fireworks from our balcony overlooking the beach!
We awoke the first morning to gorgeous weather. We decided to stay on-site and immerse ourselves in the opulence of Pueblo Bonito Pacifica. We spent the day lounging by the beachfront pools, sipping on handcrafted cocktails from the swim-up pool bar, and indulging in all the different cuisines they offered poolside. It was a perfect day in paradise.
That night I was pretty preoccupied with planning the next day (his birthday). Little did I know, he had already orchestrated a surprise that would change our lives forever. As the sun started to set and the sky was painted with orange and pink we decided to take a stroll on the beach. We grabbed a drink at the beach bar and then headed out to the completely vacant stretch of shore on the property. It was here that he got down on one knee and popped the question. I can’t even remember the speech he made through my absolute surprise and tears, but it couldn’t have been more perfect. We were soon greeted by our friends (who had been hiding nearby) and a hidden photographer he had hired through locallens.com (I can’t recommend them enough!!). After all the tears and hugs subsided, we called our parents, hopped on the shuttle to Sunset Beach Resort, and had a romantic dinner at La Frida Restaurant. It was the most perfect day.
Day 3-4: Birthday Celebrations
On the morning of my now fiancés 30th, he and his friend headed over to Quivira Golf Club for a round of eighteen at one of the most stunning courses any of us had ever seen. It’s a Jack Nicklaus Signature course that offers ride-along tours for anyone who would like to see the course but not pay the steep golf fee. It’s totally worth it, especially if you plan to eat at the Quivira Steakhouse on-site.
While the guys golfed, us girls took the shuttle over to Pueblo Sunset. This sister hotel is only about a 5-minute drive up to the cliffs overlooking Pacifica. This resort is not adults only so if you want to stay with kids at a Pueblo Resort but away from the downtown hustle and bustle this is the place for you! Sunset Beach offers The Market at Quivira, an indoor, upscale “food court” style dining area that has numerous dining options ranging from drinks, coffee, and gelato to full dining meals.
After meeting back up with the guys we had dinner at Siempre, on-site. This menu featured international cuisine with a Mexican flare and the food was to die for!
We woke up on our fourth morning to sunny skies and the beach calling our name! We were able to rent a beach bed through the resort for the morning. This is an extra fee but we thought it was worth it to be able to lay in comfort, have privacy, and be served right on the beach! As the sun started to make its descent, we took the shuttle downtown for our Sunset Catamaran Cruise. The views on this cruise were spectacular. It was definitely more of a booze cruise than a leisurely sunset sail! Once the cruise was over we grabbed an Italian dinner with live music downtown and headed back to the resort for bed.
Day 5: El Arco
On the fifth day, we were up for a little adventure! We took the complimentary Pueblo Bonito shuttle to their sister resort: Rose. This resort (and Los Cabos) were the two that we were deciding between when we finally settled on Pacifica. Although these two are both downtown with swimmable beaches and closer to all the hustle and bustle, seeing them in person solidified our choice in Pacifica. At this stage of our life, especially for a romantic couples trip, there was no better choice for us.
One great thing about Pueblo Bonito Rose is that the beach it sits on has water sports for rent. This was our destination. The currents in Cabo can be pretty strong and although you can swim at this resort, where we would be taking the kayaks crosses a major waterway, so they recommended a guide to bring us through. Honestly, I thought this was overkill and maybe a way for them to make extra money off of us but I quickly found out how wrong I was. We started kayaking across the waterway and soon were in front of El Arco, commonly known as Land’s End. This is a rock formation erupting from the sea at the tip of the Baja Peninsula. You can get to El Arco by kayak, boat, or water taxi and can even stroll beneath it when low tide hits and a small sandbar is present.
This was where kayaking got a little touch and go for us. My fiancé and I have been kayaking many times and even own a couple of kayaks ourselves but with the area being so saturated with other boats and water taxis, in combination with strong currents and pretty decent-sized waves, it was definitely helpful to have the guide with us. He brought us to a nearby island and helped us in and out of the kayaks. He even watched them while we were able to explore. I think the biggest plus of having him was getting back out to sea. When I tell you the waves and current make it pretty impossible to get out I’m not kidding. He was actually maneuvering and pushing our kayaks out during wave downtimes!
Once we got back to Pueblo Bonito Rose, we walked next door to Pueblo Bonito Blano Los Cabos and had a spectacular lunch at Cilantro Restaurant which overlooks the beach. This meal was included with our Pacifica all-inclusive resort fee as it was a sister resort.
We decided to split up this night as my fiancé and I wanted to see what downtown was all about. We had dinner at Los Tres Gallos—a super fun restaurant with a Mariachi band and outdoor, courtyard seating. The food was phenomenal. We ordered empanadas as an appetizer and then the tacos del mar and the carnitas de Chamorro for entrees. The carnitas de Chamorro is pork marinated in herbs, onion, and orange juice then slow-cooked for three hours and served with tortillas. I can’t tell you how delicious! After eating we stopped at a few places for drinks. The first, and one we couldn’t in good faith skip being from Boston, was Fenway Bar. We were able to play a couple of games of pool with pictures of Fenway Park as our backdrop. We then headed over to Cabo Wabo where we joined in on a jenga tournament, then made our way to Jungle Bar where we grabbed seats and listened to rock cover bands for the rest of the night! There is definitely plenty to do downtown for all ages!
Day 6: Farewell to Paradise
Unfortunately, our friends left early this morning, but we still had one more day to go. We got a late start after having one too many drinks the night before but had set up a tour/ride-along at Quivira Golf Club for the afternoon. My fiancé couldn’t say enough about the course and was dying to show it off. It was even named one of the world’s 100 greatest golf courses by Golf Digest! We grabbed a drink at The 19th Hole Bar in the clubhouse and then had a guide bring us along and show us different vantage points and facts about the course. It was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. It sits atop the cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean and even has a covered, outdoor bar partway through with sweeping views.
After the tour, we had an early dinner at Quivira Steakhouse and the steak was phenomenal! Even if you aren’t a golf lover, I would recommend this tour for the views alone-they are spectacular!
Our stay at Pueblo Bonito Pacifica will forever hold a special place in our hearts, not just as the backdrop to one of the most magical moments of our lives but also as one of our favorite vacations to date. From the captivating sunsets and ocean views to the unique and authentic cuisines, every moment was a testament to the care and dedication this resort puts forth every day. We will absolutely be back!
Until next time! Keep wandering, dreaming, and falling in love with the world.