San Diego to San Diego

Attention all sun, sea and surf lovers! Welcome to the place that considers those three words the only three little words worth saying. This is where the vibe is cool, the living is easy and weekends are spent worshiping the holy trinity, beachside.The southernmost city in California, San Diego borders Mexico which gives the place a slightly transient feel, although as America’s eighth largest city, it is anything but. Made up of little neighbourhoods, each has their own personality which gives a blended family feel. There’s Mission Beach, Little Italy, the Gaslamp Quarter, Downtown… all in all 17 neighbourhoods range from quirky to cool result in a city which is much more than a sum of its parts.European settlers arrived in the mid-18th century although Iberian explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo claims to have discovered San Diego Bay in 1542, 200 years previously. Regardless of when the Europeans arrived, there is proof that Native Americans populated the land 12,000 years before, and a trip to the San Diego History Centre is both educational and inspirational. The town became part of the United States of America in 1848 (it had been under Mexican rule before that) and since then has carved out a niche for being “America’s finest city”, a moniker that you’ll see everywhere from t-shirts to bumper stickers.If it feels familiar, that’s because it is. Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe filmed Some Like It Hot here and the city’s slightly worn around but ever so glamourous feel has remained.

Founded in 1531 by an army of Spaniards and indigenous settlers, Mazatlán (which is a Nahuatl word meaning “place of deer") is a Mexican town along the Pacific shoreline in the state of Sinaloa. With lovely islands dotting the shoreline, a long seaside boardwalk, and miles of beautiful beaches and blue lagoons, it has earned the nickname “Pearl of the Pacific.” Mazatlán is the second largest city in Sinaloa, with a population of nearly 440,000. nterestingly, in its history the city was influenced by the presence of German immigrants who arrived in the mid-19th century who left their imprint in the form of Banda music, which is a fusion of Mexican and Bavarian folk music that is still played in Mexico today. In its Centro Histórico, or Old Mazatlán, 19th-century sites to see the Immaculate Conception basilica and the Teatro Ángela Peralta theater. Mazatlán’s boardwalk (malecón) is 21km long, and its shores are renowned for big-game fishing. The modern district of Zona Dorada is known for nightlife and hotels.



While La Paz is the perfect starting point for exploring the Baja Peninsula, it holds plenty of attractions of its own, from the iconic Cathedral of Our Lady of La Paz, to colourful street art that celebrates the region’s rich natural history, all of which is hemmed in by stunning beaches such as the one at Balandra, with its much-photographed Mushroom Rock (best seen at low tide). 

 
It’s the Sea of Cortez however, that serves as the focal point of the city. After learning about the peninsula’s most famous visitors at the Whale Museum, you can soak in the local vibe along the Malecón. This snaking waterfront boulevard is great for people-watching but also serves as an open-air sculpture gallery, where the theme is marine: look for whales, hammerhead sharks, a mermaid playing with a dolphin and the famous marine explorer Jacques Cousteau, who described the clear waters of the Baja Peninsula as 'the world’s natural aquarium'. The 5 kilometre (3 mile) long Malecón is conveniently populated with restaurants to replenish your reserves with cold drinks and freshly caught seafood.


While intimate encounters with grey whales get all the attention in-season (January - March), the peninsula south of La Paz has a less well-known natural gem: the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Sierra de la Laguna. This forested mountain range - an island of vegetation in a desert - has high endemism (20 of its 50 mammal species are found nowhere else) as well as critical breeding habitat for both Costa’s and Xantus’ Hummingbirds.





While La Paz is the perfect starting point for exploring the Baja Peninsula, it holds plenty of attractions of its own, from the iconic Cathedral of Our Lady of La Paz, to colourful street art that celebrates the region’s rich natural history, all of which is hemmed in by stunning beaches such as the one at Balandra, with its much-photographed Mushroom Rock (best seen at low tide). 

 
It’s the Sea of Cortez however, that serves as the focal point of the city. After learning about the peninsula’s most famous visitors at the Whale Museum, you can soak in the local vibe along the Malecón. This snaking waterfront boulevard is great for people-watching but also serves as an open-air sculpture gallery, where the theme is marine: look for whales, hammerhead sharks, a mermaid playing with a dolphin and the famous marine explorer Jacques Cousteau, who described the clear waters of the Baja Peninsula as 'the world’s natural aquarium'. The 5 kilometre (3 mile) long Malecón is conveniently populated with restaurants to replenish your reserves with cold drinks and freshly caught seafood.


While intimate encounters with grey whales get all the attention in-season (January - March), the peninsula south of La Paz has a less well-known natural gem: the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Sierra de la Laguna. This forested mountain range - an island of vegetation in a desert - has high endemism (20 of its 50 mammal species are found nowhere else) as well as critical breeding habitat for both Costa’s and Xantus’ Hummingbirds.



Found at the tip of Baja California Cabo San Lucas is where the desert meets the ocean. A trip to Cabo (the San Lucas is optional) will not leave you disappointed. With swaying palm trees turquoise seas and long ribbons of white sand this is a resort that ticks every box: great food great nightlight which equal great times – for some. Others may prefer to scratch the surface just a bit deeper and travel along the peninsula that is known for its dramatic scenery of desert terrain and rugged coastline marked by many unusual formations. The sweeping views of the bay are simply sensational. A quick turn inward takes you to San Jose del Cabo Cabo San Lucas’ older and more grown up sister. Offering a very much calmer and much more authentic atmosphere just half an hour along the coast leaves you in its desert terrain and leaves a very different impression from the lively beachfront bars and cafes of San Lucas. Perhaps one of the most stunning ways to see Cabo though is from the water. With the Arco de Cabo San Lucas featuring highly on many must-see lists a trip around the bay is a must. The braver among you might also like to indulge their inner adrenalin junkie and swim with whale sharks – a memorable and totally risk-free experience if there ever was one. End your day of sightseeing with a fabulous sunset a (tequila) sunrise in hand watching the fishermen come home from their adventures.

Attention all sun, sea and surf lovers! Welcome to the place that considers those three words the only three little words worth saying. This is where the vibe is cool, the living is easy and weekends are spent worshiping the holy trinity, beachside.The southernmost city in California, San Diego borders Mexico which gives the place a slightly transient feel, although as America’s eighth largest city, it is anything but. Made up of little neighbourhoods, each has their own personality which gives a blended family feel. There’s Mission Beach, Little Italy, the Gaslamp Quarter, Downtown… all in all 17 neighbourhoods range from quirky to cool result in a city which is much more than a sum of its parts.European settlers arrived in the mid-18th century although Iberian explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo claims to have discovered San Diego Bay in 1542, 200 years previously. Regardless of when the Europeans arrived, there is proof that Native Americans populated the land 12,000 years before, and a trip to the San Diego History Centre is both educational and inspirational. The town became part of the United States of America in 1848 (it had been under Mexican rule before that) and since then has carved out a niche for being “America’s finest city”, a moniker that you’ll see everywhere from t-shirts to bumper stickers.If it feels familiar, that’s because it is. Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe filmed Some Like It Hot here and the city’s slightly worn around but ever so glamourous feel has remained.