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Old 03-18-2012, 11:51 PM
 
Location: Houston
960 posts, read 2,749,143 times
Reputation: 876

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I'm 41 years old and I've already been to Playa del Carmen for our honeymoon and then to Belize in 2009 for our anniversary. Now my wife wants to go to another beach at Los Cabos this summer with a group of couples.

But I'm sick of the same touristy, all inclusive beach scene. Back then, I would look for an all inclusive resort and enjoy drinking on the beach and at night clubs. But I became sober and sitting around is quite boring now.

I know there are some activities but I don't like shopping, fishing, golfing, surfing, or spa treatments. So, that leaves me with scuba diving which doesn't seem that great in this area according to the internet pictures compared to my experience in Belize and Honduras . There is baja driving but that may be good for half day. I've already done zip-lining in Belize which is a joke compared to my Boy Scout custom zip-lining.

Over all, I'm not getting convinced to sign up for Los Cabos as it appears to be overrated, over-priced and belongs to people from Hollywood. But I hope I'm wrong for the stakes of bearing to go with my wife.

Basically, I'm hard to please as I'd rather go on a backpacking trek in Washington State, cycling adventure in Europe or a rustic beach for a fabulous scuba diving. Please pursue me to try Los Cabos! Thanks!
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Old 03-19-2012, 10:02 AM
 
Location: SoCal
6,420 posts, read 11,590,922 times
Reputation: 7103
Ooh. I wish I could, for the sake of marital harmony. But I think you've accurately described Los Cabos for 40-something tourists.

Cabo San Lucas is, as far as we saw, full of bars for 20-somethings to party. We did enjoy the boat ride out to the arches. Then we went elsewhere.

We stayed in San Juan del Cabo. We enjoy visiting the towns in Mexico (not so much the touristy areas). We did drive over to the part of the Sea of Cortez coast that's not "owned" by any of the resorts. It's incredibly gorgeous scenery. And we drove around the "loop" and visited places in the area.

None of that sounds like what you'd like to be doing. There may be such activities in the area, but we weren't looking for them.
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Old 03-19-2012, 12:42 PM
 
Location: Providence, RI
12,825 posts, read 21,993,461 times
Reputation: 14129
I share your disdain for "that" type of scene. Ok, maybe "disdain" is not the correct word; but that crowd isn't exactly appealing and your impressions of the area are more or less spot on.

You COULD, however, come to a compromise. I ALWAYS look into vacation rentals when on beach vacations. They're even better with multiple couples as you can split the cost and share the home. Staying in a vacation rental does a few things for you...

1) Avoid the crowds. As you pointed out, the scene is not exactly geared towards 40-something couples down there. A rental will keep you off of the resort (unless, of course, you want to go visit)

2) Avoid the touristy hotspots. The rentals are generally in more "authentic" locations as they are residences. Sure, they're going to be more upscale than what the average local Mexican has for a home, but it's a far cry from the resort.

3) Flexibility when it comes to activities. All-inclusives tend to have contracts and agreements with "excursion" providers. This means you have limited selection and generally pay a premium. If you rent a home for the week, you will have a lot more flexibility in terms of what you do for fun.

I'd highly recommend renting a car if you go the vacation rental route. Driving is not that difficult in Mexico, and you will give yourself the ability to drive anywhere you desire. You also won't be paying for parking at the resort (which they discourage, anyway). I'm a big fan of snorkeling, but I cannot stand the snorkeling "Excursions" or groups (too little time in the water, bad locations, etc). I'd just assume map out a secluded beach and reef and go off on my own, with my girlfriend or with a friend. I've never been able to do this from an all inclusive as they will only recommend a tour group. The same goes with hiking, biking, kayaking, etc. Get a car and you won't regret it.

Finally, if the other couples can't be sold on the idea of a vacation rental, there's no reason you and your wife can't rent a place and visit the other couples on their resort for dinner a few times. I promise you, they'll be jealous of your decision. You may actually end up spending less too.

A few sites I've used in the past are:
Vacationrentals.com
VRBO.com (http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/mexico/baja-california-sur - broken link)
Homeaway.com
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Old 03-21-2012, 11:36 AM
 
Location: CHicago, United States
6,933 posts, read 8,490,492 times
Reputation: 3510
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bike4Life View Post
Basically, I'm hard to please as I'd rather go on a backpacking trek in Washington State, cycling adventure in Europe or a rustic beach for a fabulous scuba diving.
Take separate vacations. Many couples do that.
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Old 03-21-2012, 04:55 PM
 
Location: Houston
960 posts, read 2,749,143 times
Reputation: 876
Yep, I've opted out of San Cabo Lucas. I just can't go with this group and found better deals for Costa Rica that has more adventures. Fortunately, I've made some honest comments about the plans and friends have come forward liking my travel preferences. We'll plan a different trip.
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Old 03-21-2012, 06:53 PM
 
Location: Providence, RI
12,825 posts, read 21,993,461 times
Reputation: 14129
Costa Rice is FAR more appealing than Cabo. Good choice!
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Old 03-22-2012, 06:19 PM
 
Location: Stuck in NE GA right now
4,585 posts, read 12,361,755 times
Reputation: 6678
Rent a beach cabin in the PNW during the summer or early fall, lots to do on day trips loooooooong nearly empty beaches to walk and view tide pools, great seafood, hiking in the Mountains...Oh so much to do.
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