Mexico: Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo

There's a great Mexican phrase that seems to sum up the twin towns of Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo, which sit on the dazzling stretch of sugar-white beach at the southernmost tip of the Baja California peninsula:

“Tan lejos de Dios y tan cerca de los Estados Unidos” – “So far from God, so near to the United States.”

Showing their wry sense of humour, it’s a nod to the economic realities of living in an area mostly dependent on the US dollar to turn an honest peso. The influence of North America is everywhere in Los Cabos; it’s a popular destination for US teens.

Like most of Mexico, it’s a place of incredible contrasts: in Cabo San Lucas the streets are teeming with “all-you-can-eat” shrimp bars and tequila joints priced in dollars rather than pesos; even in the more picturesque San José del Cabo, English rather than Spanish is the main language.

You’ll also find some of the most luxurious hotels in the world, set alongside stunning beaches. It was hard to tear myself away from the infinity pools and blissed-out spa of my hotel, the Marquis Los Cabos, but it was worth the effort.

Head inland to get a different feel for this northernmost Mexican state, where the interior is mostly arid desert or mountains. I’d had my doubts about a four-wheel-drive desert safari, but finding out about the different plants, flowers and cacti was fascinating. Many are edible and the Baja peninsula is one of the few places where you
can see the world’s largest, the cardon – or elephant – cactus, which can grow up to 70ft high.

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Mexico: Isla Holbox, Cabo Pulmo and Bahia de los Angeles

A shark the size of a whale might sound like a science-fiction nightmare, but whale sharks (Rhincodon typus), which are three times the size of the biggest great white shark, are peaceable creatures unperturbed by visits from curious humans. Mexico's Isla Holbox, possibly the best place to swim with the world's largest fish, recently hosted the International Whale Shark Conference, during which the country's National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (known by its Spanish acronym CONANP) declared Aug. 30 International Whale Shark Day.

Whale-like only in size, whale sharks are in fact sharks, but they're dolphin-like in their sanguine and playful personalities. They swim around at a leisurely pace, sucking in thousands of gallons of water to filter out microscopic plankton, krill and algae. The greatest danger to humans is getting too close to one of their cavernous mouths (opening 5 feet wide) and getting gulped in with the plankton. (The shark will obligingly and promptly spit you out, but it's not likely to be a pleasant experience.)

Snorkeling or diving with these giant fish is a unique and awe-inspiring experience, and this is Mexico's peak season. Though they typically stick to the deep waters of the ocean sea, Mexico is blessed with several locations where whale sharks frequently surface close to shore

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