$ 5.00 USD OR COMPLIMENTARY AT SELECT LOCATIONS GOT YOUR CAMERA? YOU’RE GOING TO NEED ONE, AS WE SHOW YOU HOW TO EXPLORE BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR LIKE NEVER BEFORE NEW THIS SEASON YOUR UPDATE ON ALL THAT IS NEW, HAUT AND HAPPENING IN LOS CABOS ALL-NEW HAUT GUIDE PAGE 71 NEW YEARS EVE IN CABO CABO NOCHE HOSTS ROYALTY, CABO’S MOST EXCLUSIVE NYE EVENT DETAILS ON BACK COVER CABO’S BEST ENTERTAINMENT DINING, ADVENTURE LUXURY, PALMILLA, WINE AND FASHION HAUTTER.COM THE MOST MODERN ONLINE GUIDE TO LOS CABOS AND BAJA SUR, MEXICO MORE AT: WINTER EDITION DEC ‘08 - FEB ‘09
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GOT YOURCAMERA?YOU’RE GOING TO NEEDONE, AS WE SHOW YOUHOW TO EXPLORE BAJACALIFORNIA SUR LIKENEVER BEFORE
NEW THISSEASON
YOUR UPDATEON ALL THAT IS
NEW, HAUT ANDHAPPENING
IN LOS CABOS
ALL-NEW
HAUT GUIDEPAGE 71
NEW YEARSEVE IN CABO
CABO NOCHE HOSTSROYALTY, CABO’SMOST EXCLUSIVE
NYE EVENTDETAILS ON
BACK COVER
CABO’SBESTENTERTAINMENTDINING, ADVENTURELUXURY, PALMILLA,WINE AND FASHION
HAUTTER.COMTHE MOST MODERNONLINE GUIDE TOLOS CABOS ANDBAJA SUR, MEXICO
MORE AT:
WINTEREDITION
DEC ‘08 -
FEB ‘09
Story By: Derrick Grahn Photography: Alex Thomson
Models: Crissty Santana and Chase Harrington
GOT YOURCAMERA?You’re going to need one on this scenic trip, as Cabo Noche and Dollar Rent A Car show you how to discover the roads less traveled in Mexico’s Baja California Sur.
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Migriño arroyo, Heading to Candelaria
WINTER 2008/09 | HAUTTER.COM
DAY ONE Baja Sur is in bloom after receiving several recent bouts of rain. No better time to explore the southern peninsula while it is green and lush, and taking advantage of off-season.
With an idea of where we were headed and the kind of terrain we may face, we opted for renting a Hummer H3 from Dollar Rent A Car for our exploratory tour of lower Baja California Sur. The H3 is a sure fire way to handle what ever we may come across in our travels. After getting the keys
to our new Hummer (and full insurance!), we grabbed several good maps of Baja Sur, available at Dollar, and headed to get the supplies for our trip. Head over to any tienda (store) and get recommended travel items: a flashlight, compass, a small cooler packed with plenty of water, snacks, beer and sandwich stuff. Grab some beach towels, sunscreen, a small portable grill, sleeping bag and a couple duffle bags to fit everything into. Don’t forget a digital camera (or two), clothing for several days and nights –pack light and kept it simple: shorts, a few t-shirts, swimwear, a sweatshirt, a pair of jeans and a couple hats. Most importantly… cash! Many places outside of Los Cabos do not take credit cards and in the rough terrain of Baja, cash is king. Next we headed to Costa Azul in San José del Cabo (across from Zipper’s Beach), to pick up two surfboards rented for our trip. Costa Azul helped us select the best boards for our experience and even hooked us up with roof mounting straps and showed us how to mount the boards to the roof of the H3. More at www.costa-azul.com.mx. By the early afternoon, we headed out of Cabo San Lucas up the Pacific side towards Todos Santos on coastal highway 19. Our first turn off of the main highway was only about 30 minutes out of town. As we headed up a
By the early afternoon, we headed out of Cabo San Lucas up the Pacific side towards Todos Santos on coastal highway 19.
Brad Pitt is on location for the shooting of the movie TROY, which was shot in and around the beaches of Los Cabos and Baja Sur.
April 9th John Travolta’s surprise 50th-birthday blowout. The 250+ revelers included Tom Cruise, Sean Penn, Sylvester Stallone, Meg Ryan, Quincy Jones and many more.
2003 2004CELEBRITIES CABO
large Migriño arroyo, in search of a small town called Candelaria. Traveling the main highways of Baja Sur is not much different than a small rural road you might find in the countryside’s of the U.S.A., but speckled with goats and little or no shoulders. However, do not expect the same when turning off these main Baja Sur highways, thus the H3. On the maps, you may see a line that represents a road. However in actuality, what is printed in your map may actually signify more of a goat trail, made of sand and dirt. But don’t be alarmed, that is just the way it is out here in the Baja outback. Besides, you will come to discover that this is part of the charm and what makes a trip of this nature so special, memorable and so adventurous. Heading up the arroyo was instantly amazing. The H3 was like an over sized ATV, without the uncomfortable grit (sand dirt, etc). Only thirty or so minutes
out of Cabo and the trip was already worth it. Jetting rocky mountain walls surrounded both sides of us as we made our way up the deep gorge, while the blue sunny skies reflected off the beautiful sun bleached sand. Fifteen minutes down this sandy ravine and we hadn’t even passed another car or person, only several horses and random buzzards. You may begin feeling a bit lost or that you are perhaps going the wrong way. But don’t worry, that feeling will pass. You will bump into other people; tiny towns or ranches and eventually, you will find your way to the hidden gems of Baja Sur. Baja Sur is made up of an amazing array of microclimates; from dry cactus filled desert to moist oasis areas with dense greenery, palm trees and even natural spring waters flowing from the ground. You will see a lot of fee range livestock – cattle, donkeys, horses, chickens, roosters, pigs, goats and even turkeys. The views are
On the path to Candelaria
WINTER 2008/09 | HAUTTER.COM
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OctoberAdam Sandler enjoys a stay and surfing at Cabo Surf Hotel.
JanuaryBeyonce, Jay-Z
and Kelly Rowland in Squid Roe. They stayed
at Esperanza Resort.
SeptemberChristina
Aguilera stayed at the One&Only
Palmilla.
2005 2006
breathtaking and the journey gives you a true sense of tranquility as you realize how much beauty is surrounding you. It is just you on the Baja outback, discovering things you were unable to imagine before taking this trip.
AT CANDELARIAAfter a short time being pleasantly disoriented and driving in what seamed to be circles, we eventually found our way to Candelaria. It was not exactly what we were expecting; yet it was satisfying enough. Candelaria is a petite and quiet mountain village in the middle of nowhere. To us, everything we discovered along the way to finding this little parish made it worth our while. We took a break, stretched our legs, asked (in our awkward Spanglish) for directions to Todos Santos and hit the road, or should I say dirt. I’m not sure how, but we made it, we found our way back to Highway 19. We took a right turn and headed up the
smooth asphalt towards Todos Santos. As we approached the township of El Pescadero, we made a pit stop at one of our favorite eclectic bars, Arts & Beer, on the ocean side of Highway 19, around kilometer 69 (see map on page 120). The crew ordered Clamato and beer concoctions, made of Clamato, your beer of choice, fresh seafood, and what ever is available, which on this day was caviar, wasabi, fresh clams, celery and more. We were on a tight schedule, so we quickly enjoyed our beverages and pushed on. However, I must say that Arts & Beer is a wonderful place to catch the Pacific Ocean sunset before retiring for a nights stay in one of Todos Santos’ much-admired bed and breakfast hotels. Another enjoyable diversion on your way to Todos is the newly opened Cerritos Beach Club, which is only several more miles past Arts & Beer. To get there, you would turn
As we approached the township of El Pescadero, we made a pit stop at one of our favorite eclectic bars...
CELEBRITIES CABO
WINTER 2008/09 | HAUTTER.COM
On the way to TecoloteBeach in La Paz
WINTER 2008/09 | HAUTTER.COMWhen you’re readyfor the best.
Reserve Today! 624.143.2022or save 10% by reserving online at www.hautter.com/alexanders
JuneJennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn enjoyed a stay at Villas Del Mar in Palmilla.
JuneDesperate
Housewife star, Eva Longoria and
they boyfriend Tony Parker enjoyed
Cabo Dolphins in Cabo San Lucas.
June and July Brad Pitt, Demi Moore, Ashton
Kutcher and Orlando Bloom
were all spotted in Los Cabos.
2006
left around kilometer 65 (see map on page 120), down the dirt road. You will find Cerritos Beach Club all the way at the end, on the beach. Cerritos is a wonderful place to surf, swim and relax. The Beach Club serves drinks, ice-cold beer and appetizing chow. More at www.cerritosbcs.com.
We chose to feast in Todos Santos for dinner. Todos Santos is an artsy Mexican town filled with fine restaurants, galleries, shops, cafés and more. Todos is one of the places we at Cabo Noche and Hautter.com recommend that everyone should visit at
least once while on vacation in Los Cabos. After a stroll through several downtown stores, we headed to our favorite Todos Santos restaurant, Il Giardino Pizzeria Trattoria. Il Giardino is an Italian owned and operated gem of cuisine. Everything on the menu is superb, made with fresh and mostly organic ingredients. Being Giardino regulars, our recommendations are their tender garlic roasted chicken and the potato rosemary pizza. Believe us, you will absolutely not be disappointed. Read more about this amazing restaurant and Todos Santos at www.hautter.com/todo-pacifico.
JulyJessica Simpson marked her 26th birthday with her parents and close friends in Cabo. San Lucas.
2006
LA PAZAfter a truly fulfilling meal, complete with homemade desserts of tiramisu and crème brulee, we pushed on to La Paz. As true adventurers (and being off-season), we had no plans of where we would stay or camp each night, we just winged it. Near sunset, we found ourselves on the Malecon, a beautiful stretch of road and boardwalk, running alongside the marina and bay of La Paz. The Malecon boardwalk was packed with people, all of which were enjoying the amazing view as they strolled casually down the wide well lit stretch of sidewalk that ran alongside the
LA PAZ
PLAYA EL CAIMANCITO
PLAYA EL TESORO
PLAYA PICHILINGUE
PLAYA BALANDRA
PLAYA EL TECOLOTEESPIRITU SANTOISLAND
PLAYA EL COYOTE
PLAYA EL COROMUEL
MOGOTE
GOT YOUR CAMERA?38
on Camino a Pichilingue (the coastal road), passing several ferry and barge ports. This is where you can catch a ferry to Mexico’s mainland – another adventure path worth eventually traveling. After passing the ports, we begin to notice an all-new aesthetic; different from what we are used to in Los Cabos and unlike what we had seen the previous day. This stretch of road is completely breathtaking. We felt like we were in a Corona beer commercial. The road twisted and swerved up and down along beautiful, uninhabited, white and soft sand beaches with jewel blue green waters that seamed to never end. The beaches located off Camino a Pichilingue face Puerto Balandra, a calm and undisturbed saltwater lagoon that seams to be as endless as the beaches that frame it. Being summer vacation time for European tourists, we noticed many more Europeans than Americans while on our visit
road. La Paz is absolutely serene, hence its name, which in English means “peace”. For our stay, we settled at Hotel Marina, which turned out to be a great choice. We completed our evening with a swim in the pool and late night poolside service from Dinghy Dock, the hotel’s restaurant and bar. The rooms were comfortable and quite and included air conditioning and a kitchenette. Hotel Marina is located on the Malecon’s east end. More about Hotel Marina can be found at www.hotelmarina.com.mx
DAY TWOA plentiful breakfast buffet at the Dinghy Dock made for a perfect start to our journey ahead. Fresh squeezed orange juice, coffee, pastries, bacon, sausage, omelets and pancakes made directly in front of us, French toast, yum… this breakfast hit the spot, as did the peaceful marina view. We made our way out of town
DecemberJennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, David Arquette and Sheryl Crow enjoyed a getaway at Esperanza Resort in Cabo San Lucas. They rang in 2007 with dinner at Mi Casa Restaurant.
FebruarySarah Michelle Gellar enjoys a brief vacation in Cabo San Lucas.
to this beautiful coastline. It was refreshing to see that Baja Sur was far worldlier than we had realized. In the afternoon we turned around at Playa El Coyote, which was the end of Camino a Pichilingue. The only way out is to return back to La Paz.
TOWARDS THE EAST COAST OF BAJA SURWe headed out of La Paz, driving south on Highway 1, one of the two highways in Baja Sur. Just after the small village of San Pedro,
we veered left (or east) towards Los Barriles, which also leads back to Los Cabos. We were careful not to veer right, towards Todos Santos, where we were the day before. About thirty minutes down the road, we found ourselves floating into El Triunfo. I say floating, because the approach to El Triunfo from La Paz is down hill and the view of this tranquil village gives you the sense that you are hovering as you pull into it. We were unable to find a restaurant, at least not one that was open at the time we arrived. This is when it is good to have a cooler of snacks and
JuneBrooke Burke and family enjoyed Medano Beach in Cabo San Lucas.
AugustWill Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith enjoy a vacation and rounds of golf in Los Cabos.
AugustTara Reid vacations at ME by Meliã Cabo. She spent her days at Nikki Beach and Medano Beach and enjoyed Passion Club at night.
2007CELEBRITIES CABO
A SECRET OASIS
WINTER 2008/09 | HAUTTER.COM
sandwiches. After a short sandwich break and some photos, we were on our way to San Antonio. San Antonio is an old mining town, built around a small grouping of aged structures, a church and the remains of fatigued mines. Many photographers take advantage of the picturesque brick chimneystacks that mark the town’s skyline. Depending on your appetite for adventure, you could choose to head east towards the towns of El Sargento, Las Arenas, Costa de Oro and Ensanada Los Muertos.
AugustAdam Sandler and his family stayed at ME by Meliã Cabo. The staff at “ME” even built a mini Chinese opium bed for his English bulldog, Motzaball to sleep in.
SeptemberThe season finale of Rock of Love (a VH1 reality series) featuring Bret Michaels (lead singer of Poison) was shot in San Lucas.
Nicole Richie and Joel Madden stayed at Las Ventanas.
Playa Balandra
2007
LOS BARRILESLOS BARRILES
BUENAVISTABUENAVISTA
LA PAZ SEA OFCORTEZ
EL TRIUNFO
SAN PEDRO
SAN BARTOLOSAN ANTONIO
SANTIAGO
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CELEBRITIES CABO
NovemberSandra Bullock vacation’s in Los Cabos.
NovemberMary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were bridesmaids at their manager’s wedding in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
NovemberAdam Sandler was in Cabo San Lucas filming the movie Zohan.
2007
Due to our particular schedule, we opted to continue on towards Los Barriles. We arrived in Los Barriles and began taking a look around. Famous for its fishing, windsurfing and kite surfing, Los Barriles is a quiet and charming community on the edge of the Sea of Cortez. A noteworthy fishing hub, anglers can expect to catch blue, black and striped marlin, enormous Wahoo, tuna, yellowtail, sailfish, roosterfish and Dorado in these premier sport fishing waters. Scuba diving, snorkeling, eco- and adventure tours, horseback riding, kayaking, Jet Ski and ATV riding and hiking can be had in Los Barriles too.
A SECRET OASISJust ten minutes south of Los Barriles, sits the tiny town of Buenavista (beautiful view). On a strong referral of our friend Josh, we stayed the night at Hotel Buenavista. Over 30 years of family run history add to Hotel Buenavista’s charm. The hotel features many
water fountains, a beautiful pool, well kept grounds, comfortable rooms, pleasant staff, a gorgeous beach, full restaurant and bar and even its own experienced fishing fleet. The rooms feel open and large due to the double entrance, with sliding glass doors leading to your own hammock and to the pool. Past the pool you can stroll on the path through mature foliage and fountains down to the beach. Perhaps the most impressive amenity of Hotel Buenavista is its water. Set atop a natural hot spring aquifer, the water flowing into the hotel is amazingly pure –perhaps even more pure than some bottled waters that we drink. Instead of hot water heaters, Hotel Buenavista has had to install cold water coolers, in order to cool down the water in which naturally flows hot. The water at Hotel Buenavista is not only drinkable, but considered to be therapeutic as well. We decided to experience the salutary waters for
WINTER 2008/09 | HAUTTER.COM
Buenavista
WINTER 2008/09 | HAUTTER.COM
Blvd Mijares, San José del CaboPlaza Misión #8624-142-6655
DecemberActor Adrian Grenier performed with his band, The Honey Brothers, at Nikki Beach.View photos from this event at www.hautter.com/gallery/07_12
2007
ourselves, with a relaxing dip in their hot tub, which is filled directly with hot spring water. At this point of our journey, we were only an hour or so drive from Los Cabos, yet in the timeless serenity of this hotel and destination, we felt as if we had taken another vacation on top of our vacation, to a place that was simply too neat to fully
describe. We were in the zone now, relaxation that is felt only on rare occasions like these. In only a couple of days, we had experienced more unique sight seeing than many see in their entire stay while in Los Cabos.
DAY THREEBeing the middle of summer, it was fairly hot outside but we still grabbed a wonderful early breakfast at Hotel Buenavista’s restaurant on the beach. We departed Buenavista heading south, towards the legendary Cabo Pulmo, considered by many to be the diving capital of Baja and perhaps even the entire West Coast of North America. In fact, Jacques Cousteau once called Cabo Pulmo, “The Aquarium of the World.”
CABO PULMO REEFThe live coral reef is embedded within the Cabo Pulmo National Park. The Cabo Pulmo Reef is the only hard reef in the Baja California peninsula, and is one of only three living reefs
MarchEnrique Iglesias (shown with Zaret Del Toro) enjoys an evening at Zoo Bar and Dance in downtown Cabo San Lucas.
In town for the December 7th Honey Brother’s gig, the Kardashian sisters spent a week enjoying ME by Meliã Cabo, Nikki Beach, Passion Club and Medano Beach.
2008
GOT YOUR CAMERA?46
in all of North America. The reef is said to be home to over 250 different species of fish, as well as a nesting and feeding site for a great variety of birds, whale sharks, gray whales, as well as Loggerhead, Hawksbill, Olive Ridley, Black and Leatherback Sea Turtles – some of monstrous proportions. Cabo Pulmo is considered to be one of the most bio-diverse ecosystems in the entire world. Recognized as one of Mexico’s many natural protected areas, Cabo Pulmo is under the stewardship of Amigos para la Conservación de Cabo Pulmo (ACCP),
a local grassroots network of fishermen and residents dedicated to protecting this precious ecosystem, and preserving the natural resources of Cabo Pulmo. More at www.pulmoamigos.org We enjoyed a break over lunch at the Coral Reef Restaurant, located atop a busy dive shop. The ceviche was super fresh and the beer, ice cold. Cabo Pulmo was buzzing with people from all over the world. While dining in Coral Reef Restaurant, we conversed with people from Europe, Asia, North America and
beyond. Cabo Pulmo seamed to attract a wide range of visitors, including families, couples, retirees and adventure seekers. Though many of the tourists seamed to be avid scuba professionals, we quickly learned that beginners were more than welcome to enjoy the wonders of Cabo Pulmo. Though scuba diving and snorkeling are the “staples” of Cabo Pulmo, this destination offers a variety of additional tours and activities, including fishing, kayaking, hiking, biking, windsurfing, bird, whale and wildlife watching and more.
SURFINGIf you’re a surf enthusiast, no trip to Cabo is complete without trekking to our next stop, Shipwreck. This break got its name from a wrecked ship that was beached here years ago. The actual shipwreck was detached from the shoreline by a hurricane in the 1980’s, but the name stuck. Shipwreck has gained regard due to its ability to pick up many ocean swells. The ocean shore faces south, instead of southeast, such as The Rock and Zippers in San José del Cabo, allowing Shipwreck to pick up swell more consistently. For non-surfers,
AprilNew York Giants quarter-back Eli Man-ning married Abby McGrew in Cabo San Lucas.
OctoberPuff Daddy and Peter Safran at the 10th Annual Pimp N’ Ho, Costume Ball Party 2008 at ME Hotel.
MayTracy McGrady of the NBA’s Huston Rockets spent evenings at Passion Club and Zoo Bar and Dance.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 64
2008
WINTER 2008/09 | HAUTTER.COM
in all of North America. The reef is said to be home to over 250 different species of fish, as well as a nesting and feeding site for a great variety of birds, whale sharks, gray whales, as well as Loggerhead, Hawksbill, Olive Ridley, Black and Leatherback Sea Turtles – some of monstrous proportions. Cabo Pulmo is considered to be one of the most bio-diverse ecosystems in the entire world. Recognized as one of Mexico’s many natural protected areas, Cabo Pulmo is under the stewardship of Amigos para la Conservación de Cabo Pulmo (ACCP),
a local grassroots network of fishermen and residents dedicated to protecting this precious ecosystem, and preserving the natural resources of Cabo Pulmo. More at www.pulmoamigos.org We enjoyed a break over lunch at the Coral Reef Restaurant, located atop a busy dive shop. The ceviche was super fresh and the beer, ice cold. Cabo Pulmo was buzzing with people from all over the world. While dining in Coral Reef Restaurant, we conversed with people from Europe, Asia, North America and
beyond. Cabo Pulmo seamed to attract a wide range of visitors, including families, couples, retirees and adventure seekers. Though many of the tourists seamed to be avid scuba professionals, we quickly learned that beginners were more than welcome to enjoy the wonders of Cabo Pulmo. Though scuba diving and snorkeling are the “staples” of Cabo Pulmo, this destination offers a variety of additional tours and activities, including fishing, kayaking, hiking, biking, windsurfing, bird, whale and wildlife watching and more.
SURFINGIf you’re a surf enthusiast, no trip to Cabo is complete without trekking to our next stop, Shipwreck. This break got its name from a wrecked ship that was beached here years ago. The actual shipwreck was detached from the shoreline by a hurricane in the 1980’s, but the name stuck. Shipwreck has gained regard due to its ability to pick up many ocean swells. The ocean shore faces south, instead of southeast, such as The Rock and Zippers in San José del Cabo, allowing Shipwreck to pick up swell more consistently. For non-surfers,
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Shipwreck is still a beach worth visiting.
PIZZA, BEER AND FILET MIGNONAfter hitting the waves for a short session, we were loaded back up and on the trail to San José del Cabo. The road is still unpaved until you get to the new San José marina, then it is smooth sailing into San José. Upon arriving into town all of us were hungry and in need of brew and some grub. The crew decided to hit the BBC, short for Baja Brewing Company. (page 103).
We devoured the BBC’s wood fired pizza, Cabo homemade micro-brewed beer and even some fabulous filet mignon. Everything was full of flavor, the beer was cold and the atmosphere was fitting for the last stop on our trip. View
photos of and read more about BBC at www.hautter.com/bbc DO IT!Exploring Baja Sur is one of those things in which we recommend to anyone who is on vacation here in Cabo. You have made it this far, so why not? Things to remember: Bring your camera, reserve your Hummer H3 and travel safe and responsibly. Gas stations are limited in certain areas, so be sure to refill as often as possible. Lastly, enjoy yourself as your explore one of the most unique geographical areas of the world. Reserve your Hummer H3 or other 4x4 vehicle today. Call Dollar Rent A Car at 624.105.8410 or visit www.dollarloscabos.com.
Premium wines from the Worldsmost prestigious appellations;aged, blended and bottledhere in Los Cabos.
