A Brief History of Los Cabos, Pt. VI: The End of the Mission System and the Birth of Cabo San Lucas
As the 19th century dawned in Baja California, the peninsular population was suffering on a number of fronts. The settling of Alta California had siphoned off many of its most talented soldiers and missionaries, not to mention much of its accumulated resources. The War for Independence from Spain, far from helping matters, had cut off communications with the mainland, so that much needed supplies were unavailable, and soldiers and civil employees were unable to be paid. The Dominican friars, although they established nine new missions during...
read moreThe Art of Fine Dining: A Q&A with Alcaravea Gourmet Chef Enrique Díaz
Cabo San Lucas locals need no introduction to Alcaravea Gourmet, or to the face of the restaurant, Enrique Díaz. The downtown eatery and its extroverted owner-chef have been fixtures of the local fine dining scene for over a decade, serving up superb Italian and other Mediterranean style specialty dishes at exceedingly budget-friendly prices. Díaz himself is instantly recognizable, always formally attired in white jacket, apron and trademark toque when he greets diners, which he unfailingly does with everyone who visits the restaurant. The...
read moreA Brief History of Los Cabos, Pt. V: The Arrival of Franciscan and Dominican Missionaries in California
On the final day of November in the year 1767, a ship carrying the first appointed governor of California, Don Gaspar de Portolá, dropped anchor in San Bernabé harbor, near the abandoned mission of San José del Cabo. The new governor had been bound for the capital of Loreto, but during his 44 days at sea the winds had inexorably pushed his ship south. Portolá was tasked with overseeing the expulsion of the Jesuits, inventorying the missions they had founded, and establishing a new order on the peninsula. The Franciscan religious order, under...
read moreParty at The Cape: Thompson Hotel Excels at Big Events
The opening of The Cape: A Thompson Hotel was one of the big events in Los Cabos last summer. Now, less than a year later, the boutique property–which overlooks one of the region’s best surf beaches, Playa Monumentos, and offers spectacular views of El Arco and the half-mile Land’s End headland in Cabo San Lucas from each of its 161 rooms and suites–is making a name for itself as a host of big-name events. Last weekend, International Chef of the Year Enrique Olvera and James Beard Rising Star nominee Daniela Soto-Innes brought Cosme, their...
read moreSabor a Cabo Redux: CANIRAC Los Cabos Cuts Big Checks for Local Charities
Baja California Sur Governor Carlos Mendoza and Los Cabos Mayor Arturo de la Rosa were the most notable dignitaries present Wednesday, April 13, at Rock & Brews in San José del Cabo for the swearing in of Rodrigo Cabeza de Vaca as the new president of CANIRAC Los Cabos, the local restaurant association. In his first act as president, Cabeza de Vaca presented a check for $200,000 M.X. to the San José del Cabo fire department, and he also announced contributions to the Red Cross and the Los Cabos Children’s Foundation. The charitable...
read more