San José del Cabo

San José del Cabo is a coastal town at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula in Mexico, where the colonial core shows whitewashed buildings and shaded streets lined with palms. Around the central Plaza Mijares you find restaurants, small shops, and galleries, while the sea lies just a few minutes' walk away.

The settlement began in 1730 as a Spanish mission outpost on the Gulf of California and grew over centuries as a modest fishing village. Only from the late 1980s onward did it change into a tourist destination with hotels and holiday homes along the coast.

The town takes its name from Saint Joseph, whose church still anchors the old quarter around the central square. In the evenings, the streets near Plaza Mijares become a gathering spot where locals sit on benches under the palms and talk.

The airport sits between San José del Cabo and its neighbor Cabo San Lucas, so taxis or rental cars offer the easiest link to the old quarter. The quietest months run from May through October, while December through April is fuller and warmer.

The estuary of the San José river protects a moist palm grove in the middle of the dry coastal land, where herons and other waterbirds nest throughout the year. This small nature reserve lies just a few steps from the town center and forms a quiet contrast to the busy streets.