I love traveling to Cabo San Lucas because you get that "old Mexico" feel without having to take the long trip to Mexico. Cabo is more of a tourist region, so there are plenty of activities and entertainment. My favorite places to visit in Cabo are the old Spanish Missions in the center of town and the El Rey shopping plaza.
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I would recommend taking The Transpeninsular Highway from San Diego (via the Santa Rosalia Border Crossing) to Cabo. This highway is very safe and has plenty of exits for food, gas, and restroom breaks if you leave at an odd hour as I do :). Another option would be to take the ferry across from Coronado, but all my friends that have done this said it was a long trip because they got on after 10 pm. If you are traveling with children or without a full tank of gas in your car I suggest using the ferry.
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Once in Cabo go to "El Rey" shopping center. It's a small mini-mall filled with stores ranging from souvenir shops to jewelry stores to clothing stores. Don't forget to explore the outside areas as well, for there are more restaurants and shops that face the street. Make sure to check out the University of Tourism and Hotel Management, it's on your right side walking down the main road in "El Rey" center. This is where my friends and I learned English while staying in Cabo for a summer exchange program several years ago!
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After visiting El Rey take a taxi or bus (depends on how many people you have) to Downtown Cabo. You can take an air-conditioned taxi for about $2 per person, but if you are traveling with children this could get quite expensive because some drivers don't like having four kids in one taxi cab. If you want to drive a bus there is usually an "El Chepe" station at the Walmart shopping center in San Jose del Cabo. The buses are very cheap, but they can take some time as you have to wait for them to fill up with people before departing. If you don't speak Spanish it's best to get someone that does help you reserve your seat on the bus because I've heard of people getting hit on and robbed by other passengers...that was not a very manly experience either :)
Once at Downtown Cabo, hop off the bus or taxi and buy tickets for the Old Mission Tour inside any of the small shops right outside town. Make sure it doesn't say "Cabo Cancun", if it does then it's the newer one. There is a ticket booth on the left and right sides of the entrance, you can buy tickets for both at either but I would recommend getting them from the booth on your right side upon entering.
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Once you've got your tickets to go inside to see if there are any more tours that day (most likely there will be). This tour takes about an hour or so depending on how many questions you ask along the way, and lets you explore three different missions: "Santa Lucia", "San Francisco", and "La Soledad". The walk around each mission is very short so don't wear flip flops :)...and bring water!! You will get thirsty while exploring these old habitats. These missions were built between 1732 and 1774 by the Spanish during "The Mission Period" in Mexico.
After you've finished exploring the missions either get back on your bus or walk across the street to the current church, Iglesia del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus (Sacred Heart Church). This was once a Catholic mission for Indians but is now used for regular services. If it's time for Mass then there will be plenty of people inside, plus they sell some cool candles that smell like roses and other flowers. I recommend getting rose-scented one :)
Right next to the church is Plaza Miguel Hidalgo which is where most of Downtown Cabo is located. There are a lot of shops right down this street so feel free to explore before doing anything else. Most shops will offer you a free bracelet or necklace if you try on some of their jewelry out front...just act like you're interested in buying something and they'll hook you up ;)
Okay, now for the fun part!!! You are in Downtown Cabo so I'm sure at this point in your trip everyone has started to get hungry! Where should we go first? Well, that depends on what type of food everyone likes...do you guys like seafood? Mexican food? Burgers/hotdogs? Asian food (if yes then make sure to visit "Kaka Kaka"). There are so many places to eat in Downtown Cabo and the restaurants have excellent service, so take your time and pick one that you all will enjoy....but I'll give you a heads up on what my friends and I thought about the different types of food we tried.
- Armaan Jain