Cabo Pulmo (90 minutes north on the East Cape road) is the most important coral reef in the Sea of Cortez — a UNESCO World Heritage Site that bounced back from near-total collapse after local fishing was banned in 1995. The reef now has some of the densest fish populations in the Eastern Pacific. Boat trips and diving can be arranged from the small village.
Sierra de la Laguna Biosphere Reserve begins immediately inland from San José: a mountain range rising to 2,000 metres that contains the only tropical forest on a major desert peninsula in the world. Guided hikes to the interior — where pine and oak forests suddenly appear at altitude — take two to three days, but day hikes to the lower forest zone are manageable.
La Paz (3 hours north) is the capital of Baja California Sur and a completely different experience from the resort coast: a real Mexican city with a beautiful waterfront malecón, the excellent Museo Regional de Antropología, excellent whale shark snorkelling nearby (in season), and the world's most comfortable ferry terminal for crossing to the mainland.
Todos Santos (90 minutes northwest) is a small town on the Pacific coast with a thriving art gallery scene, good surf, and the famous (if somewhat misrepresented) Hotel California. A pleasant alternative to an afternoon in Los Cabos.