As the cold weather begins to set in throughout the US and Canada, the climate in Los Cabos could not be more inviting during the winter months. In addition to near perfect weather, the destination offers a long list of activities and events to enjoy in the month of December.

Looking for the perfect Christmas or New Year’s Eve destination? Look no further than Los Cabos. The holiday season is a wonderful time to experience Cabo at its best. The hotels and resorts are beautifully decorated and the towns are vibrant with themed events and festivities. If you are planning a trip to Los Cabos during the Christmas holiday, be sure to check with your hotel or resort about what special events are taking place during your vacation. 

Fast forward to New Year’s Eve, the biggest party of the year in Los Cabos. Nearly every club, lounge and bar offers a fabulous event that travelers can enjoy and ring in the New Year – from Cabo Wabo to Passions at ME Cabo and everywhere in between. Not to be missed are amazing fireworks above Medano Beach in downtown Cabo San Lucas.

Foodies will be happy to hear that Los Cabos hosted an annual food & wine festival the first week of December; Sabor a Cabo (November 30 – December 6) offered a top-tier selection of the culinary world’s finest chefs during a weeklong series of ticketed events highlighting the renowned regional cuisine of Baja California Sur and the wines of Mexico’s celebrated Baja wine region. 

This year’s festival included the participation of world renowned chefs such as Dieter Koschina, No. 22 Chef in the World and Chef/Owner of Vilajoya Restaurant in Portugal; Vitor Matos of Largo do Paco Restaurant in Portugal; and Richard Sandoval, international restaurateur behind Richard Sandoval Restaurants (RSR) and Top Chef Master, among others.  In addition to a week of amazing culinary experiences, Sabor a Cabo featured a concert by Grammy-winning Chilean rock/pop group La Ley. For more information, please visitwww.saboracabo.mx.

Each year in December, one of mother nature’s most delightful signs of seasonal change occurs – the migration of hundreds of whales from the frigid waters of the arctic to the warm, calm waters surrounding the Baja Peninsula. And from now through March, there is no better place to view such a spectacular event than the beaches of Los Cabos. There are several ways to observe these magnificent cetaceans in their natural habitat. Many local tour companies offer whale-watching trips aboard all-weather inflatable speedboats, ensuring a comfortable and education ride while travelers learn about and experience these amazing creatures up close and personal, including Cabo Expeditions, Cabo Adventures and Sunriders.

This month is also prime bird watching season in Los Cabos. Birders and leisure travelers alike will enjoy the tranquil setting and beautiful scenery of Estero San Jose (San Jose del Cabo Estuary) where over 250 species of birds can be found and are protected by Mexican law.

For water lovers, December is a great time to travel to the tip of the Baja Peninsula. This month kicks off the surfing season along the Pacific Coast of Cabo. A popular spot for surfers is Cerritos Beach, located near Todos Santos, where surfers can enjoy world-class surfing conditions, great restaurants and on Sundays, live music. Also on the Pacific Coast, near Cerritos Beach is San Pedrito, known as a great surf and kiteboarding spot along with La Ventana and Los Barriles, on the other side of the Peninsula along Los Cabo’s East Coast region. In January, Los Barriles becomes the home to the annual Lord of Wind competition, a 5-day kiteboarding and SUP (Stand Up Paddle Boarding) event. For more information, please visit http://exotikite.wix.com/lord-of-the-wind.

Looking for some “art therapy” on your next trip to Los Cabos? Every Thursday evening from now through June, San Jose del Cabo hosts an Art Walk where art galleries welcome guests to enjoy an evening stroll through the neighborhood while exploring a series of events including wine tastings, dinner and “meet and greets” with the artists. Galleries are open to the public year-round and feature work from acclaimed painters and sculptors including Sergio Garval, Luis Filcer, Jorge Marin and Mario Martin del Campo. To learn more about the Art District and Thursday Evening Art Walk please visit: http://artcabo.com.  

Another weekly event in San Jose del Cabo is the Organic Farmer’s Market, which takes place every Saturday from 9am to 3pm at La Huerta Maria in downtown San Jose del Cabo from November to May. To learn more about the market, please visit www.sanjomo.com/.

We have many updates to share with you in this special newsletter, ranging from hotel openings to activities and events available for you to enjoy on your next visit.  We also invite you to visit our new websiteunstoppablecabo.com, a collaborative effort between the Mexico Tourism Board and the Los Cabos Tourism Board, to keep the travel community and our visitors informed.  

Upcoming Events: 

Los Cabos is thrilled to host the following events in the upcoming months – be sure to mark your calendar for your next visit:

Lord of the Wind Competition: January 15 - 18

Todos Santos Music Festival: January 15 – 17, 21 – 24 

Todos Santos Art Festival: February 5-14

Cabo Comedy Festival: February 4 – 8

Los Cabos Half Marathon: February 7-8

San Jose Jazz Weekend: February 13 - 14

XV Rally National HOG Los Cabos: Loreto Harley Davidson: February 25 – March 1

Whaleman Los Cabos Triathlon: March 29

Airport Update:

Los Cabos is happy to announce several new international routes to the destination, launching in December 2014 and early 2015. Later this month, on December 20, Delta Airlines will launch a nonstop flight to Los Cabos from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on Saturdays, as well flights from Seattle and San Diego. 

Spirit Airlines announced a new flight from Houston, which will launch May 7, 2015, while Mexico’s Volaris airline announced new flights from Culiacan to Los Cabos, operating twice per week and the same route to La Paz four times per week starting March 29, opening up another route to Los Cabos from an important domestic market. In June 2015, Los Cabos will welcome a new flight from Baltimore (BWI) via Southwest Airlines. 

Please note: it is recommended that you check directly with your preferred airline before booking your trip to Los Cabos to receive the latest information:

INTERNATIONAL
AIRLINE	DESTINATION
American Airlines (AA)	Dallas; Los Angeles, Chicago
Southwest (ASA) (SWA)	Denver; Los Angeles; Orange County; Portland; Seattle; San Jose California; San Diego; San Francisco
Delta (DAL)	Atlanta & Salt Lake City
Frontier Airlines (FFT)	Denver
US Airways (USA)	Phoenix; North Carolina
United Airlines (UAL)	Chicago; Denver; Houston; Los Angeles; San Francisco
Spirit Airlines (NKS)	San Diego
Virgin America (VRD)	San Francisco
WestJet Airlines (WJA)	British Columbia; Calgary; Edmonton; Vancouver
DOMESTIC
AIRLINE	DESTINATION
Aeromexico (AMX)	Cd. Mexico & Monterrey
Interjet (AIJ)	Toluca; Cd. Mexico; Guadalajara & Toluca
Volaris (VOI)	Cd. Mexico; Monterrey & Guadalajara; Tijuana
Vivaerobus (VIV)	Culiacan & Monterrey
Magnicharters (GMT)	Cd. Mexico

Beach Update:

Many of the beaches throughout Los Cabos actually benefitted from Hurricane Odile, which passed through in September. Some beaches – such as Palmilla and the beaches along the Corridor in San Jose del Cabo (from the Holiday Inn to Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos) – are wider and more spacious post-Odile. Also, the water around Los Cabos has been noticeably bluer, a common occurrence following a storm and cooling water temperatures. 

It is important to note that Playa del Amor (Lover’s Beach, located next to the Arch) is not yet accessible to travelers but can be enjoyed by boat or snorkeling/scuba diving in the area. Divers will be happy to hear that Hurricane Odile also unearthed two sunken ships to the ocean floor – one located near the Arch and the other in the East Cape -adding a new thrill to the already amazing diving conditions in Los Cabos.

Buried under more than 15 feet of sand, the ships were uncovered by the force of the waves from Hurricane Odile. Located near XX, one the ships - named Lundenberg – is of German origins and has been hidden for 30 years. The ship was carrying plaster from San Marcos Island in the Gulf of California in 1954 when it crashed against the rocks and sank into the ocean floor. The underwater conditions, due to currents and ocean depth, where the ship is located will create an artificial reef, making this an incredible diving experience for scuba enthusiasts. 

Hotels & Resorts Update: 

More and more hotels and resorts throughout Los Cabos continue to open their doors every week. Below please find an official list of hotel openings in the destination:

Currently Open:

• Bahía Hotel and Beach Club
• Barcelo Grand Faro Los Cabos
• Best Western Aeropuerto
• Cabo Villas Beach Resort & Spa
• Casa Dorada at Medano Beach
• Decameron All Inclusive Resort
• El Encanto Inn
• Fiesta Americana Grand Los Cabos
• Grand Solmar Land's End Resort & Spa
• Hacienda Encantada Resort & Spa
• Holiday Inn Express Cabo San Lucas
• Hotel California (Todos Santos)
• Hotel Guaycura (Todos Santos)
• Hotel Suites Las Palmas
• Los Cabos Golf Resort At Country Club
• Marina Fiesta Resort & Spa
• Montecristo Estates by Pueblo Bonito
• Playa Grande Resort & Grand Spa
• Posada Real Los Cabos
• Pueblo Bonito Los Cabos Resort
• Pueblo Bonito Pacífica Holistic Retreat & Spa
• Pueblo Bonito Rosé Resort & Spa
• Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach Resort & Spa
• Quinta Del Sol
• The Ridge at Playa Grande
• Riu Palace Los Cabos
• Riu Santa Fe
• Royal Solaris Los Cabos
• Sandos Finisterra
• Secrets Puerto Los Cabos
• Sheraton Hacienda Del Mar Resort & Spa
• Solmar Resort
• Tropicana Inn
• Villa Del Arco Beach Resort & Spa
• Villa Del Palmar Beach, Resort & Spa
• Villa La Estancia Beach, Resort & Spa
• Wyndham Cabo San Lucas

December 18

• Holiday Inn Resort Los Cabos

December 22

• Bel Air Collection Resort & Spa Los Cabos

February 2015

• Me By Meliá Cabo

March 2015

• Esperanza An Auberge Resort
• One&Only Palmilla
• The Westin Resort & Spa Los Cabos

April 2015

• Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos

June 2015

• Cabo Azul Resort & Spa (Javier’s Restaurant is open and operational)

July 2015

• Hyatt Place Los Cabos
• Meliá Cabo Real

TBA:

• The Resort at Pedregal 
• Dreams Los Cabos Suites Golf Resort & Spa
• El Ganzo
• Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort
• Las Ventanas Al Paraíso
• Marbella Suites En La Playa
• Marquis Los Cabos
• Sirena Del Mar Welk Resorts
• The Grand Mayan Los Cabos
• Zöetry Casa Del Mar, Suites, Golf & Spa Resort

Sportfishing Update:

The successful 2014 sport-fishing season continued in Los Cabos with the conclusion of the Los Cabos Big Game Charter Boat Classic just last week. 340 anglers from around the world – including England, Denmark, Sweden, Australia, Canada, Ireland, Mexico and 25 states in the US - registered for the four-day event and fished on Los Cabos Charter Boats in hopes of winning $40,000 in cash plus trophies and prizes. 

A total of 122 different charter boats from the East Cape, San Jose and Cabo San Lucas took advantage of the great conditions and the tournament received dozens of release photos including blue, black and striped marlin and sailfish. Several triple digit tuna hit the scales, along with quality wahoo and dorado. Many of the anglers experienced their first billfish release, “catch of a lifetime” or a tournament-placing fish.

Catching, photographing and releasing billfish is an amazing experience whether you’re new to the sport or a seasoned veteran.  Anglers in the Charter Classic enjoyed a great marlin bite with dozens of releases occurring during the event. 

Golf Update:

The destination’s golf courses sustained only minor damage and are bouncing back quickly. Below is a list of the courses that are currently open as well as the future openings scheduled for 2015:

Currently Open:

• Cabo del Sol – Ocean & Desert Course
• Cabo Real 
• Club Campestre San José
• Cabo San Lucas Country Club 
• Chileno Bay
• Diamante Dunes
• Puerto Los Cabos 
• Querencia 
• Quivira
• Future Openings:
• Vidanta Golf Los Cabos- December 15
• Palmilla – March 15 

Two high-profile newcomers, Quivira Golf Club (designed by Jack Nicklaus) and Diamante’s El Cardonal (Tiger Woods’ first completed 18-hole course), are slated to open December 4 and 16, respectively. These two new venues will bring the destination’s total course count to 14, qualifying Los Cabos as Mexico’s golf capital. 

Also, for the second year in a row, Los Cabos welcomed a select group of 20 major golf tour operators and wholesalers affiliated with IAGTO (International Association of Golf Tour Operators), an industry powerhouse that has partnered with the Mexico Tourism Board and is currently devising a Golf Tourism Strategy for Mexico focused on boosting golf visitor arrivals, for the Copa Los Cabos golf tournament. A unique celebration for key travel providers, the Copa Los Cabos took place from December 3 – 7 and included tee times on the destination’s world-class courses, tours of award-winning hotels and attendance to the Sabor a Cabo food & wine festival.

Restaurant Update:

Nearly all of the restaurants throughout Los Cabos are open and operating normally. A notable newcomer to the Los Cabos food scene is Templo in Cabo San Lucas, from the owners of DOC, offering an innovative approach to dining by incorporating South American-style grilling, Asian wok preparation and a seafood-rich natural bar. 

New to San Jose del Cabo is El Wine Shop, located near the Mega supermarket and a retail area known as Villa Valetina. Offering a wide selection of wines from around the world, with a special focus on California wines, and also known for serving some of the best coffee in Cabo. 

As mentioned earlier, Los Cabos recently hosted the annual Sabor a Cabo food & wine festival from November 30 – December 6. This highly anticipated gastronomic event was the largest since the festival’s debut in 2006 and for the first time in its history, included weeklong series of ticketed events highlighting the renowned regional cuisine of Baja California Sur and the wines of Mexico’s celebrated Baja wine region. For more information or for tickets to this year’s festival, please visit www.saboracabo.mx.

Activities & Tours Update:

The Los Cabos Tourism Board understands that activities and tours are an important part of the Los Cabos vacation experience. The following is a list of the activities currently in operation throughout the destination:

ATV's	Rancho Carisuva, Rancho Tours, Amigos ATV'S, Cactus ATV, Wild Canyon
Buggys	Baja Buggys, Xtreme Adventures
Camel Tour	Cabo Adventures, Wild Canyon
Fishing	Picante, Pisces, Solmar, Silverados, Minerva, Tequila Fleet
Flyboard	Hydro Flyboard Los Cabos, Cabo Adventures
Horseback Riding	Rancho Carisuva, Camino Aventura
Mountain Bike	Cabo Adventures
Parasailing	Cabo Expeditions
Sunset Cruise	Sunrider, Cabo Adventures, Cabo Escape, Bucaneer Queen, Ecocat, Cabo Rey, PezGato, Oceanus, CaboMar, Tropicat, Princesa
SUP/Kayaks/Canoes	TIO Sports, Baja Outback, Baja Watersports
Snorkeling	Cabo Expeditions, Cabo Adventures, Sunrider, Rancho Tours, Princesa, PezGato, Tropicat, Cabo Escape
Scuba Diving	Cabo Expeditions, Cabo Pulmo, Manta Scuba Diving, Cabo Adventures
Swim with Dolphins	Dolphin Discovery, Cabo Dolphins
Zip Lines	Wild Canyon, Canopy Costa Azul
Tours to Todos Santos, Cabo Pulmo, City Tours, Tequila Tasting and Art Walk	Baja Outback, Cabo Expeditions, Rancho Tours, Tours Are Fun
Whale Watching	Cabo Expeditions, Cabo Adventures, Sunrider
Swim with Whale Sharks	Cabo Expeditions, Cabo Adventures

Thank you for your continued support of Los Cabos and we hope to welcome you back to our piece of paradise in the near future. For more information, be sure to follow Los Cabos on Facebook, Twitter and Instragram @LosCabosTourism.

Los Cabos #UNSTOPPABLE