Cabo San Lucas is the nightlife capital of Baja. After-dark fun starts with the casual bars and restaurants on Marina Boulevard or facing the marina, and transforms into a tequila-fueled dance-club scene after midnight. You can easily find a happy hour with live music and a place to dance, or a Mexican fiesta with mariachis.
Mexican Fiestas & Theme Nights -- Some larger hotels have weekly fiesta nights and other buffet-plus-entertainment theme nights that can be fun as well as a good buy. Check travel agencies and the Solmar (tel. 624/143-3535) and Finisterra (tel. 624/143-3333) hotels. Prices range from $25 (not including drinks, tax, and tips) to $50 (which covers everything, including an open bar with national drinks). Otherwise, Mi Casa (tel. 624/143-1933;) is a veritable Mexican theme night every night.
Sunset Watching -- At twilight, check out Land's End, where the two seas meet. Restaurant Sunset Da Mona Lisa (tel. 624/145-8160), located on the eastern side of Cabo San Lucas Bay, is Los Cabos' premier place for sunset watching. Spectacular Arch views, dramatic terraces, and a specialty in Italian and seafood make this the ultimate place for watching the sun dive past the horizon. It's open from 8am to 11pm daily. Another option is the Whale Watcher's Bar, in the Hotel Finisterra (tel. 624/143-3333). Its location at Land's End offers a world-class view of the sun sinking into the Pacific. Mariachis play on Friday from 6:30 to 9pm. The bar is open daily from 10am to 11pm. "Whale margaritas" cost $4, beer $3. There are two-for-one drinks during happy hour from 4 to 6pm.
Happy Hours & Hangouts -- If you shop around, you can usually find an hora feliz (happy hour) somewhere in town between 10am and 7pm. The most popular places to drink and carouse until all hours are longstanding favorites like El Squid Roe, and the Cabo Wabo Cantina.
Two places to enjoy a more refined setting are the Sancho Panza Wine Bar and Bistro and Red (tel. 624/143-5645), a food, wine, and martini bar on Zaragoza around the corner from Squid Roe. While Sancho Panza offers live classic jazz, Red brings smooth electronica, both of which set the stage for rich conversation.
Men's Clubs -- If you don't see enough skin on spring breakers swerving at El Squid Roe, Cabo's strip clubs are your answer. One place to start if you want to make plans ahead of time is www.cabobabes.com. There's a changing -- and growing -- selection of strip clubs from which to choose, but the mainstays include Mermaid's (corner of Lázaro Cárdenas and Vicente Guerrero; tel. 624/143-5370), which offers its patrons their choice of topless stage shows or private dances. Admission is $5 for the general show, or $20 for the private dances. It's open nightly from 7pm to 3am. Another popular option is Twenty/20 Showgirls (Lázaro Cárdenas at Francisco Villa; tel. 624/143-5380). It's the largest of these clubs in Cabo. In addition to a topless cabaret show, it offers topless lap dances, as well as televised sports, pool tables, and food service. It's open from 8:30pm to 3am; closed Tuesdays.
