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Los Cabos Magazine - Issue #9 Articles
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Shopping in Los Cabos - The Hot Zone
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| Half the fun of acquiring something new is finding it. In Los Cabos, the municipality that includes Cabo San Lucas, San Jose del Cabo and the Tourist Corridor connecting the two cities, irresistible fashions and accessories add just the right sizzle to tropical days and nights. Boutiques and galleries beckon with original art, jewelry and handcrafted keepsakes. This vacation make time to splurge—the perfect memento awaits. Los Cabos Magazine article by Sabrina Lear - Issue #9 - July 2004. |
| Exotic fashions Cabo San Lucas Style You came with two full suitcases but you don’t have a thing to wear? Sounds like you’re looking for an excuse to go shopping. Relax, since the opening of Cabo’s upscale Puerto Paraiso mall on the marina, finding that special something has never been easier. At the mall, Cotton Club has fresh, comfortable women’s resort wear in cotton, linen, and rayon by Latin American designers. Whether you’re looking for a dress for dinner for two or an outfit to hit the beach, Cotton Club has a wide range of sizes and looks plus fun, original accessories to make any outfit shine. At Tropica Calipso Swimwear, must-have mix and match bathing suit separates in extra small to extra large sizes fit and flatter any figure. California Waves, Endless Sun, and Tropica’s own Calipso line have an extensive selection of triangles, underwires, bandeaus, tankinis, tangas and rios in sizzling designs—sized up to DD-cups. Bottoms feature matching pareos in prints or simple solids. Tropica Calipso carries cover-ups, dresses and quality resort wear in lovely shades and tropical print designs, and neutral coordinates in touchable textures of Mexican cotton, cotton knit and linen. Animale carries resort wear in Indonesian cotton and rayon under their Animale and Paola labels. Dos Lunas, at Plaza Bonita for many years, has moved to the mall. And new Puerto Paraiso shops are opening all the time with Nautica, Façonnable, Donnina, and Sunglasses at Cabo a few that grace this elegant shopping experience. On Boulevard Marina near Plaza Bonita, UltraJewels and UltraFemme have set a new standard in Los Cabos. Carrying the finest timepieces and jewelry, UltraJewels represents Rolex, Bulgari, Cartier, Raymond Weil, TAG Heuer, Baume & Mercier, Tiffany, Omega, Gucci, Hermes, David Yurman, Mikimoto, Lladró, and more. This is the place for that very special gift or holiday indulgence. UltraJewels, based in Cancun for 25 years, has earned a reputation for excellence throughout the world. At the UltraFemme Perfume Boutique, designer perfumes and top cosmetics and skincare from Lancome, Clarins, Chanel, Dior, Estee Lauder, Clinique, and Elizabeth Arden are all here for a truly luxurious shopping experience. (You’ll find Clarins and Lancome sunscreen, too.) Part of the successful 28-store chain in Cancun, Cozumel, and Playa del Carmen, this is UltraFemme's first boutique on México’s west coast. At Plaza del Sol on Boulevard Marina, the well-stocked and stylish Tropica Boutique has the Tropica line of cotton, linen, and rayon casual wear for men and women. Tropica features over fifty designs of dresses and separates, custom made in as little as 24 hours. Fabulous hats, accessories, jewelry, and gift items make it easy to coordinate a whole new Cabo look at this classy shop. Get wet in gorgeous swimsuits in dazzling designs and mix and match sizes. Tropica is also the Cabo San Lucas Humane Society’s official store. Proceeds from logo t-shirts, sweatshirts, bandanas and caps support their animal shelter. Also at Plaza del Sol, No Worries offers casual clothing designs with the No Worries logo. Browse their collection of sundresses, t-shirts, shorts, hats, and visors. For one-of-a-kind clothing handmade in Cabo San Lucas, don’t miss exotic Magic of the Moon, on Hidalgo near Boulevard Marina. Choose from off the rack or express your true spirit with custom designs available in over 650 pre-washed European fabrics. No body goes without at Magic of the Moon—they will make anything in sizes from extra small to 4X, in 72 hours. Almost all of Magic of the Moon’s many fashions are original designs, all sewn by hand, one at a time. Flattering feminine dresses (including matching mother and daughter outfits), sexy bustiers, resort coordinates, and men’s fashions fill this colorful boutique, with a line of fun jewelry and accessories. New to the Magic line this year are hand-painted fashions, definitely worth a look. For custom-made bathing suits ready to wear in 24 hours, Chicas Sin Limites (girls without limits) is the place. Pick from a wide range of bathing suit fabrics and exotic or classic swimsuit styles and add a matching shawl, wrap, or pareo. Chicas Sin Limites also carries beach accessories. Find them on Hidalgo across from Plaza Amelia Wilkes. At Plaza del Mar, next to El Squid Roe on Boulevard Marina, Cabo Hats (with another location at Plaza Nautica), has an extensive selection of headgear for men and women including the Scala Collection, plus sun visors, beach totes and handbags, and accessories. At Peer del Mar, choose from the many t-shirt designs by Peter Mussfeldt and Peer’s well-known clothing line for all ages in sizes up to XXL. Across the street in Plaza Bonita, El Squid Roe Clothesline has t-shirts, easy going clothing, and glassware, all with the famous Señor Frog and El Squid Roe logos in a variety of designs. Silver - All that glitters . . . Mexican silver gleams from street to street, with many designs and degrees of artistry. The colonial city of Taxco is renowned worldwide for its top quality silver and much of the better jewelry in Los Cabos is from this hilly colonial town near Acapulco. Silver is also found at the outdoor markets and from vendors. While the design and the price may be attractive, check the quality and look for the all-important sterling .925 or .950 mark. Souvenir shops have silver, yet it’s best to save those costly purchases for a specialty store. At any one of Bla Bla Bla’s three locations or Mexico Lindo’s six shops, you’ll find sterling from Taxco. At Joyeria Brilanti, on Guerrero, the famed late Mexican silver designer Ana Brilanti’s youngest son, José, carries on the tradition at this most interesting shop. In San José, La Mina on Boulevard Mijares’ “silver row” is a good bet. Arts and Crafts - From Hand to Hand In Los Cabos, you’ll find tempting handmade treasures, from Talavera to textiles. Although prices are negotiable at the market stalls and with beach vendors, it’s considered in extremely poor taste to bargain in stores . . . unless they offer. At a small shop tucked away near the western end of the marina at Costa Real Cabo Hotel, a Huichol family creates nearikas (yarn paintings), ojos de Dios (eyes of God), and intricately beaded animal figures and symbols. One of the few indigenous cultures not completely assimilated into contemporary Mexican society, Huichol artforms are based on animistic religious beliefs. At Plaza Bonita, Veryka (also in San José del Cabo beside Casa Natalia) has a fine collection of textiles, hand-embroidered clothing, Day of the Dead ofrendas, paintings, etchings and other excellent examples of folk art. Nearby, Cartés has a wide selection of pewter and ceramics. At Puerto Paraiso Entertainment Plaza, exquisite examples of fine arts and crafts are at Casa del Alfarero. Macario Ortiz’s Mata Ortiz pottery, Alfonso Castillo’s ofrendas and Joel Garcia’s papier mâché alebrijes are just some of the exciting talent here. Sergio Bustamente’s new gallery (the original is at Plaza Bonita) shows the well known artist’s fantasy sculpture and stylish jewelry designs. Galeria Kaki Bassi, Signature Art Gallery and Fruta Prohibida have paintings and art objects from many Mexican artists. Murano glass is now in Cabo San Lucas at the Kristal Gallery. A few shops around Los Cabos carry authentic hand painted Mexican Talavera pottery, originating in the 16th century at Puebla, near México City. Authentic Talavera is signed and made by certified workshops in the Talavera Zone (Puebla, Cholula, Atlixco and Tecali), following the traditional process based on Spanish majolica. Fired twice, the painted designs and glaze are applied between the two firings. Imitations are found in handicraft shops and markets. Necri, on Boulevard Marina, has many fine authentic Talavera objects from plates to jardinieres and a selection of top quality pewter. In downtown San Jose del Cabo, visit Necri on Boulevard Mijares; and ADD and Casa Uriarte, on Hidalgo, have selections from famous Puebla workshops. Most of the affordable ceramic, metal and glass decorative pieces found in Los Cabos come from the Guadalajara suburbs of Tonalá and Tlaquepaque. Candelabras, suns, moons, and figurines in addition to many shapes and sizes of vessels and pots are everywhere. Checkout El Callejón on Guerrero. Chile y Anis, near McDonald’s, has affordable arts and crafts. In San Jose del Cabo don’t miss Veryka; and Villa Valentina, an upscale interior design gallery, displays a fine collection of folk art and accent pieces. Original Art - Palette Pleasers For fine art, The Golden Cactus Gallery, now in its eighth year, is a top venue in Cabo San Lucas. Owned by Canadian artists Chris MacClure and Marilyn Hurst, the gallery provides collectors with a broad spectrum of mediums and styles. Two Mexican painters exhibit here: abstract expressionist Fernando Tames, and realist Enrique Ortega. Mesmerizing Tames moves deftly through abstract expressionism to Fauvist-inspired fantasy, drawing you into each canvas. Ortega, a consummate romantic, signs his detailed renditions of colonial México with “For Love.” With over 30 years as a professional artist, realist MacClure draws on local subjects to create frozen moments in time captured with an uncluttered style. Hurst favors portraiture. Accomplished impressionist Brent Heighton, seascape master Jonn Einerssen, and contemporary painter Brent Lynch guarantee something for every collector. Larry Sept is the latest Golden Cactus artist, forming the Golden Cactus Glassworks with the gallery, creating art on and with glass for commercial and residential installations. The Golden Cactus Gallery is upstairs at the corner of Madero and Guerrero off Boulevard Marina. You’d think a sushi bar would be the last place to go for fine art but thanks to artist and owner Luis Rionda, Arts and Sushi Goyito San hangs his versatile works and other high impact paintings from Panama’s Héctor Estrada, Polish impressionist Isabela Roskowska, Taxco’s Silvana Campos, and other fine artists behind Olé Olé at Plaza Bonita. Galeria de Kaki Bassi, with three locations in Los Cabos, represents artists from all over México. Artist Bassi has lived and worked in Cabo San Lucas for almost 20 years and is known primarily for her large format rupestrian art, based on cave paintings in Baja California and Italy. The gallery represents Mexican artists, notably Nolasco Martinez, Moises Gomez, Diana Olvera and Rafael Chavez. Her striking, two-level gallery is in Puerto Paraiso, near Häagen Dazs, with the original gallery at Morelos and Alikan, eight blocks up from the main light at Lázaro Cárdenas. In San José del Cabo, Galeria Kaki Bassi is downtown on Hidalgo near Zaragoza. Original fine art along with sculptures, prints, posters and custom framing are featured at all locations. Also in San Jose del Cabo, recently expanded Pez Gordo features contemporary art with over 40 Mexican artists. Laura Siqueiros’ encaustic figurative expressionism is a true find. Like any captivating work of art, the longer you look at it the more it reveals. Nearby, watercolorist Ida Gustafson’s galeria de ida victoria shows her work alongside Luciano Spano, Andrés Garcia Peña, and local favorites Tomas Spangler and Dennis Wentworth Porter. In the same neighborhood, see Julian Garcia’s metal sculptures and paintings at Arte; El Armario shows Yazmin Mora and others; and realist painter Joaquin Piñeda’s studio is at Plaza Catedral, near ADD. Specialty and mega-stores make shopping a breeze Specialty markets and superstore movers and shakers have finally arrived, along with a bevy of gourmet and deli choices, making it oh-so-much easier and more affordable to shop in Los Cabos. The biggest news is the opening, practically simultaneously, of mega-stores Costco, C.C.C. (Centro Comercial Californiano), and Soriana. Costco, east of town near Kilometer 4, requires a $35 U.S. membership, and honors U.S. and Canadian cards. Giant C.C.C. and Soriana, almost side by side on Highway #19, have great deals on everything from fresh fruits, vegetables and meats to liquor, beer and wine. If you’ve got a rental car, all three are worth the trip. It’s become a lot easier to find a good bottle of Mexican, Californian, Chilean, or Italian wine thanks to Tutto Bene, also featuring organic and deli items, on Boulevard Marina near the entrance to El Pedregal. An in-house sommelier will assist if you just can’t make up your mind. Great selection here, with very competitive prices. La Europea, at Kilometer 7 across from Santa Carmela, has the area’s largest selection of wines and spirits with a deli and a temperature-controlled wine room stocked with hard to find vintages. A second smaller La Europea is at Puerto Paraiso next to Harley Davidson. Sure, there are many places to buy tequila in Los Cabos, but one of the most competitive with a great selection of blancos, reposados and añejos, is Tequila’s House with two locations in downtown Cabo. Find them on Boulevard Marina next to The Shrimp House and on Morelos near the stoplight. Kahlua is a good buy here and they sell wine, beer, and Mexican and Cuban cigars. Coffee lovers can now take home a unique Cabo San Lucas souvenir with freshly roasted mountain grown organic beans from the Cabo Coffee Company. This flavorful medium roast, served in many restaurants, is another way to savor Cabo long after you’re gone. At the corner of Madero and Hidalgo, near La Dolce. Drop in for a bag or two or stick around for an espresso. |
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Copyright © 2004 - Joseph A. Tyson - All Rights Reserved
Los Cabos Magazine - Los Cabos Visitor's Guide - Tyson Promotions - Promociones Tyson, S. A. de C. V.
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico - Last Revision - 19 June 2004