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Sunny Days and Great Food at the Riu Resorts in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico By
George Medovoy, Editor It was almost surreal, enjoying a tasty Black Soya Bean Soup at Misaki Japanese Restaurant on the Sea of Cortez. Japanese dining on the Sea of Cortez? Yes, it was one of the pleasant surprises on a recent visit to Cabo San Lucas and a stay at the Riu Palace Resort Hotel, down here at Land's End where the blue Pacific meets the emerald-green Sea of Cortez. The famed sea explorer Jacque Cousteau called the Sea of Cortez "the aquarium of the world." And for good reason: about 3,000 species of marine animals call the sea their home, making it a favorite spot for tourist boats. A View of El Arco What a joy to wake up every morning and step out onto the terrace of our suite for another view of El Arco off in the distance, usually with one or two cruise ships anchored for the day.
(El Arco, Cabo's famous arch, where you can go from the Sea of Cortez to the Pacific in virtually an instant) El Arco, or The Arch, is the iconic rocky formation just offshore whch separates the Sea of Cortez from the Pacific. Later on during our stay we would hop one of the little water taxis waiting for us on the beach -- hold onto your hat! -- and sail right through the "window" in the arch to the Pacific side, but not without first passing a colony of noisy sea lions and taking in some dare devils diving into the water from nearby cliffs. If you prefer to "go it alone," you can also rent a motorized device, like the one in the photo above, and go through El Arco on your own.
(The spectacular Riu Palace Hotel) The Riu Palace and its sister property, the Riu Sante Fe, share the beach on pretty Cabo San Lucas Bay -- part of a 20-mile coastal strip between the sister towns of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. The strip is lined with hotels, condos, villas and golf courses, all reflecting new tourism growth and the presence of thousands of North Americans who come - and stay -- for the year-round sunny weather and an easy-going lifestyle, along with all the trappings of home like Costco, Wal-Mart, and Home Depot! El Medano for Breakfast Mornings at the Palace begin at the resort's El Medano Restaurant, where guests are welcomed with a warm "Hola!" A lavish buffet is served, either indoors or on the patio, with everything from fresh croissants and warm Mexican doughnuts sprinkled with sugar, to eggs cooked to order, cold or warm cereals, fruits and cheeses, and a variety of exotic fruit juices. The breakfast is part of Riu's all-inclusive policy covering all meals, 24-hour snacks and beverages, and room service in the price of your stay. The variety of dining options gets better as the day grows longer, with Krystal, an elegant, new-wave fusion restaurant; San Jose for traditional Mexican dishes; Mar de Cortes Steak House; the San Jose Italian Restaurant for luncheon buffets; and an all-day buffet near the hotel's Infinity swimming pools, which include swim-up bars We still remember our very first dinner at Krystal: Chilean sea bass center with stewed tomato and basil foam and then a heavenly desert, Chocolate coulant with vanilla ice cream. Yum! Riu's all-inclusive policy also covers evening musical entertainment and a nightly disco, as well as daytime programs like Spanish lessons, an introductory SCUBA diving lesson in the pool, non-motorized water sports, a fitness center, the spa's sauna and Jacuzzi, and tennis day and night. Evening Entertainment The evening entertainment included a variety of music, depending on the night, and ranged from Mexican numbers to popular Broadway musical songs. On other nights, the good-natured host would call up volunteers from the audience to be part of funny little skits. Our suite came with a hydro-massage bathtub, TV, and, of course, an all-inclusive liquor bar, which was re-stocked every day. The Palace also features several suites with outdoor Jacuzzis located on a balcony with a stellar, romantic view of the bay.
(A courtyard at the Palace has the look and feel of a scene out of Morocco) With its flowered gardens and sculptured pool edging up to the beach, the Palace has nice little touches, too, like a courtyard with the unmistakable look and feel of Morocco. The new Riu Santa Fe offers speacialty restaurants, bars, a discotheque and a mini-nightclub with daily activities.There is also a Sportsbar, gym, tennis courts, sauna and Jacuzzi. The Santa fe's look and feel is definitely Southwest, especially in the wide plaza, with its outdoor dining. Visiting Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo Both resorts offer virtually everything you could want on the property, but if you can pull yourself away, it's also fun to go exploring in Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, which is what my wife and I did. San Jose del Cabo, located about 20 miles up the coastal highway from the resort, is a rather quiet town whose central square is dominated by a big white church.
(The white church in the town center of San Jose del Cabo) Nearby there are small art galleries, cafes behind colorful facades, and shops with locally-made clothing, jewelry and handicrafts.
(Colorful handicrafts for sale in San Jose del Cabo)
(San Jose del Cabo also has many small shops selling locally-produced clothing) San Jose Del Cabo's art district association hosts a guided art walk from 9 a.m. - noon November - May with free coffee, as well as a Thursday night art walk from 5 - 9 p.m. from November - May. Cabo San Lucas, by contrast, is a lot busier than its sister city to the north. And a lot noisier, if you include Cabo Wabo, a popular bar and nightclub owned by rock star Sammy Hagar. La Fonda Restaurant Our actual introduction to the town was a lot quieter and came during a lunch at La Fonda, a traditional Mexican restaurant tucked away on a hilly one-way street not far from Cabo's marina in the center of town.
(Chef Boone of La Fonda Restaurant, located on a quiet street in Cabo San Lucas) La Fonda is owned by Chef Elliott Christopher Chong Boone, whose Chiles Rellenos Dorita, reflecting Chiapas tastes, was a delicious stuffed ancho sundried chile with platano macho and cheese, tomato sauce, beans and rice. The meal came with a nice glass of Bodegas de Santo Tomas cabernet-merlot from Mexico's new wine-making region up north area near Ensenada. Boone studied at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco and the Culinary Institute of America in Napa and keeps his cuisine "really original." When we wondered about the "Chong" in his name, he told us an interesting story. His
great-grandfather arrived in Mexico from Canton, China.
(Chiles Rellenos Dorita at La Fonda) "My great-grandfather never learned Spanish," said the chef, "and my mother never learned Chinese, but they had 12 children." His mother, a third-generation Mexican, gave him the name Boone. Boone's innovative menu also includes something called "Prehistoric Appetitzers." These are definitely exotic and include: Maguey Worms, crispy critters served with guacamole and lime, rolled up in a tortilla; Ant Eggs, a bit like caviar; and Grasshoppers, sauteed with garlic and butter and perfect with tacos. Not far from the restaurant and just three miles from the resort, Cabo San Lucas is also home to a pretty marina, where we joined a whale-watching tour and saw many breaching whales.
(The small Lovers Beach, between the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific, is near the famous arch, but you can only get to it by water taxi)
On the way back to the marina, we passed flying manta rays, which lifted themselves out of the water like strange, prehistoric creatures. Senor Greenberg's in Puerto Paraiso Later on, we walked around the upscale Puerto Paraiso shopping mall, near the marina, and discovered an eatery of a different kind, Senor Greenberg's combination New York-style deli and upscale Mexican diner.
(The Puerto Paraiso Plaza is a place to go for high-end shopping next to the marina...and Senor Greenberg's) One of the brains behind this partnership of two "gringos" from North America is David Greenberg, who is also a mainstay of Cabo's Jewish community and the Casa Shalom synagogue, in downtown Cabo, led by Chabad Rabbi Benny Herschcovich, who hails from Montreal. The synagogue has about 100 members from Mexico, Argentina, Israel, France, the U.S. and Canada. Greenberg first came here from his native Los Angeles to do some hard thinking about attending law school, but after awhile, everything changed.
(Senor Greenberg's in the Puerto Paraiso Plaza) "I had heard great things about Cabo," he said, "and decided to indefinitely postpone law school once I began working here." Before opening the first Senor Greenberg's, the young entrepreneur worked in a variety of businesses and served as United States consular agent for Baja California South. There is now a second Senor Greenberg's at the Wal-Mart shopping center, and Greenberg and his partner, Jim Sutter, plan on opening a wine bar in the Puerto Paraiso mall. WHEN
YOU GO… For reservations and more information, visit www.riu.com or call 888-RIU-4990. For information about the Jewish community, Greenberg asks visitors to email him at dcgcabo@hotmail.com.
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