How is Cabo San Lucas compared to Cancun and Playa del Carmen?

[cavew0man]

For what you describe I would rather stay in La Paz and visit Cabo Pulmo, San Jose and maybe Todos Santos. If I had a bit more time I would drive up to Loreto.


Try googling La Paz and see what you find !

The islands in front of La Paz are much, much better diving areas than the CSL/San Jose area and also you can go snorkeling/kayaking .

The summer will be hot !!

Vallarta is not a bad idea either, the summer is when the warm water/higher viz season kicks in.

Oh, that's a good idea too, especially if you can get flights right in to there. Yes, HOT in the summer. There's some interesting development going on in Loreto. Haven't been to La Paz - how would that be for the parents' walkabout entertainment and cuisine?

 

[Jeff Toorish]

I've been to all three places, Cabo and Playa in the past year. They are all pretty touristy --Playa the least so, but even Playa is getting that way.

If it doesn't have to be one of those locales, how about La Paz. It's only a couple of hours from Cabo and it is more authentic, plus it has good diving in the Sea of Cortez.

Jeff

 

[divebrasil]

Scuba diver mexico, is the La Paz area and other areas you mentioned safe, considering the recent conflicts in the Baja area?

 

[Scuba Diver Mexico]

Scuba diver mexico, is the La Paz area and other areas you mentioned safe, considering the recent conflicts in the Baja area?

From your question I think you have been watching CNN lately (if not go ahead and google CNN Mexico). What exactly do you mean by Safe ?? Big time drug related crime happens more in the drug traffic areas such as the US border states inlcluding Baja California but not much in Baja California Sur. l do several liveaboard expeditions out of Ensenada, Baja California every year to go see the Great whites of Guadalupe island and lots of guests get picked up in San Diego to come thought Tijuana for this trip.

I can tell you I have been in La Paz a few times this year already and it is pretty safe for me. Vallarta, but more the Cancun area (not the hotel zone) have had bad stuff happening in the last months (I guess more so because drug sales take place due to some of the tourists demanding them). Cabo has some of this too ( I would recommend any one visiting not to buy illegal substances as this is what fuels the traffic of course). I am in Vallarta very often too and don't feel unsafe.

The safest on the other hand is possibly just the big hotels and restaurants in the hight traffic tourist areas which is what I believe you want to avoid because it is too unreal.

La Paz is a great place to dive and stay !!

 

[1TexasDiver]

My wife and I stayed in Cabo for 11 days and wish we had split it up. Finding you can dive all Cabo has to offer in 2 days.LaPaz has alot more to offer the diver and snorkler, also has more authentic eateries. Our next trip to Baja will be to LaPaz with a side trip south to Cabo. Also you can expext water temps to be 10-15 cooler than the Carib side.Enjoy

 

[Scuba Diver Mexico]

Oh, that's a good idea too, especially if you can get flights right in to there. Yes, HOT in the summer. There's some interesting development going on in Loreto. Haven't been to La Paz - how would that be for the parents' walkabout entertainment and cuisine?

La Paz is the capital of the state and has some nice restaurants on the Malecon, the new developments and marinas towards Pichilingue as well as down town.

If you can not fly to the La Paz airport you can still fly to the Los Cabos airport and rent a car from there.

I will insist in the diving though, the place is good for larger pellagics such as whale sharks, other sharks and also very good regarding biodiversity for macro photography. There are a bunch of guide books that include the animals of the gulf of California(AKA Sea of Cortez). If you like photography / videography I could hook you up with specialized dive guides, also if you want to take a rebreather

 

[ItsBruce]

I like Cabo and I like the diving there. While you can certainly go to areas that make you think you are in Los Angeles, most of it is still largely unspoiled.

Since some others have mentioned other destinations, I will mention my favorite: Ixtapa.

 

[cavew0man]

La Paz is the capital of the state and has some nice restaurants on the Malecon, the new developments and marinas towards Pichilingue as well as down town.

If you can not fly to the La Paz airport you can still fly to the Los Cabos airport and rent a car from there.

I will insist in the diving though, the place is good for larger pellagics such as whale sharks, other sharks and also very good regarding biodiversity for macro photography. There are a bunch of guide books that include the animals of the gulf of California(AKA Sea of Cortez). If you like photography / videography I could hook you up with specialized dive guides, also if you want to take a rebreather

Protec has a location there, do they not? Did my cave with them here in PDC. They're great. It sounds like the diving portion of this trip might be a little bit secondary to the family time portion, though... Esp. with only four days.

 

[Scuba Diver Mexico]

Protec has a location there, do they not? Did my cave with them here in PDC. They're great. It sounds like the diving portion of this trip might be a little bit secondary to the family time portion, though... Esp. with only four days.

Well not exactly,

My friend Scott Carnahan who used to be co-owner of Protec Diving in Playa del Carmen is now living very close to La Paz. He teaches advanced diving through IANTD and co-owns IANTD Mexico and an operation in Cozumel but is mostly dedicated to organizing video production shoots having to do with diving and the ocean waters in Mexico as well as the Cenotes. He will organize diving for groups visiting the La Paz area. 20. Scuba Diving / Instruction - tp


Actually I was just with him last week doing somethig with BBC in the cenotes of Q. Roo. He is now taking a few days off in southern Q. Roo before returning to Baja California Sur.


Alicia Hermosillo Eastern Pacific Nudibranchs has done lots of diving in the area and has specialized in dive guiding for macro photographers (Cabo Pulmo, La Paz, ..) , she can organize macro photo safaris in the area gueri25@hotmail.com. Also my good friend Peter Schalkwijk will guide discerning divers locally in Espiritu Santo island or some of the other dive sites Sensational Seas DVD - Contributors and Credits - Peter Schalkwijk , he can also be a rebreather dive guide in say El Bajo as well as arrange for gases and scrubber.