San José del Cabo is the quieter, more cultured half of the Los Cabos resort area at the southern tip of Baja California. While neighbouring Cabo San Lucas draws the party crowd, San José has a genuine Mexican town centre with colonial architecture, a handsome church on Plaza Mijares, and a Thursday-evening art walk through the galleries along Calle Álvaro Obregón.
The town sits where a freshwater estuary meets the Sea of Cortez, and the San José Estuary is a protected bird sanctuary — a surprising pocket of green in this otherwise arid landscape. You can walk the boardwalk trail and spot herons, frigatebirds, and the occasional crocodile. The beaches south of town have a strong shore break — Costa Azul is the main surf break — though Playa Palmilla, a sheltered cove further south, has calm water and good snorkelling.
The restaurant scene has improved dramatically in recent years. The centro histórico has several excellent Mexican restaurants and mezcalerías, and prices are considerably lower than the resort corridor. The organic market on Saturday mornings is worth a visit for fresh tamales, local cheese, and Baja wines. From San José you can arrange diving trips to Cabo Pulmo, one of the best coral reefs in the Sea of Cortez, about 90 minutes up the coast.