Attractions

Watersports and partying are Cabo's main attractions, but there are also a few cultural and historical points of interest. The Spanish missionary Nicolás Tamaral established the stone Iglesia de San Lucas (Church of San Lucas) on Calle Cabo San Lucas near the main plaza in 1730; a large bell in a stone archway commemorates the completion of the church in 1746. The Pericúe Indians, who reportedly resisted Tamaral's demands that they practice monogamy, eventually killed him. Buildings on the streets facing the main plaza are gradually being renovated to house restaurants and shops, and the picturesque neighborhood promises to have the strongest Mexican ambience in town.

Nearby Day Trips

Most local hotels and travel agencies can book day trips to the city of La Paz for around $60, including beverages and a tour of the countryside along the way. Usually there's a stop at the weaving shop of Fortunato Silva, who spins his own cotton and weaves it into wonderfully textured rugs and textiles. Day trips are also available to Todos Santos ($60), with a guided walking tour of the Cathedral Mission, museum, Hotel California, and various artists' homes.

La Candelaria

Converting from a painter to a potter may not seem like much of a life change, but for Lorena Hankins of Portland, Oregon, the change was less about what she was doing, but where. For 16 years, Hankins has been living in the ranch community of La Candelaria, a ruggedly beautiful village on the interior route from Cabo San Lucas to Todos Santos, and she has become famous among locals and tourists for her pottery made in the ancient traditional style, which involves digging up clay during a specific cycle of the moon -- a technique she learned from her sister-in-law.

La Candelaria is quite literally a two-horse town, but it's worth a stop on your way to Todos Santos to check out Hankins's pottery and to inquire about local mythology. Described in National Geographic, the old pueblo is known for the practice of white and black witchcraft, but the locals chuckle at the mention of brujería.

It's possible to get to La Candelaria on your own, but the road is sandy and bumpy, and if you're in a rental car with a no off-roading clause, you probably don't want to risk it. Baja Outback (tel. 624/142-9215) can help you arrange a tour via Humvee. Lush with palms, mango trees, and bamboo, the settlement gets its water from an underground river that emerges at the pueblo, and you'll get a chance to take it all in on a daylong excursion.