What to Do in Cabo San Lucas

I will never forget ~~stumbling after too many margaritas~~ strolling elegantly into Market restaurant at the One & Only Palmilla in 2009 thinking I had stepped into an episode of Entourage. It was full of gorgeous, southern California types who looked like they power lunched daily at the Polo Lounge or Grille on the Alley.

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Then there was us: two tipsy Texans who had driven over in a golf cart from where we were staying in the nearby Villas del Mar development. We were in love. Not so much with each other (ok, I did marry the guy) but with Los Cabos. Its pristine beauty, its character and the genuine good nature of everyone we met.

Since then, my husband and I have been bitten by the Cabo bug. We have returned every year since, taking our then-six month old daughter, Jordan, there in 2012. It's an easy trip from DFW airport and is usually quite affordable if you time your airline ticket purchase properly.

At the pool in Palmilla

I've helped a number of friends plan Cabo itineraries: a couple on their honeymoon, a Texas Rangers executive in need of a getaway with his wife after a stressful season, as well as friends on Twitter.

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The square in San Jose del Cabo during Christmas

Here are some of my favorite things to do in Cabo:

San Jose del Cabo is a charming, small town. There is a bakery called French Riviera & Bakery on one of the side streets, a great tequila shop (it's THE tequila shop) and more. I like it better than Cabo. Fewer tourists.
Flora Farms - this is my #1 must visit. Worth the drive down the bumpy, dusty road. Travel & Leisure magazine recently "discovered" it. This is why you must go.
On our way into Palmilla from the airport, we love to stop at Voila for lunch in San Jose del Cabo. It has a beautiful outdoor patio and exceptional lobster burritos. Those lobster burritos are full-on #foodporn.
NickSan for sushi and Manuel's for finer, Mexican cuisines. Both of these are in the Shoppes of Palmilla.
Try El Farallon restaurant at the Capella Pedregal resort. It is one of the most stunningly beautiful dining experiences you will ever have. The fish is stocked daily by local fishermen. You can visit the "fish bar" to select your fish, chose how it is cooked and served. The experience is magical.
You have to do the One & Only Palmilla, even if it is just for breakfast on the terrace. The views of the Sea of Cortez are magnificent and you just might get a better view of a Hollywood celebrity dining at your next table. Every restaurant in the resort is expensive. Supremely so. There is also a great, luxe boutique onsite. Again, pricey but in a lush, gorgeous setting like this what do you expect? My tip: buy some Blue Agave scented room spray as a souvenir. It was $45 at last check but lasted two years. More fabulously, it was a lovely reminder of the scent of the Baja capable of providing a brief respite on a landlocked Dallas day.