Medano Beach is the party beach in San Lucas, loaded with a bunch of hotels that pump up the festive feelings as opposed to the natural, tranquil side of Los Cabos (Nikki Beach, for example). I found many of the bars along the beach to be less than authentic, and a walk along this area will no doubt result in numerous propositions: Jet skis, boat rides, sunglasses, hats, jewelry, whatever. It sort of goes with the territory, I guess.

Those touristic causalities aside, it truly is a beautiful beach, and I'd definitely recommend checking it out if only for that reason. And if you do want to do any watersports, you'll find a bunch of competing companies on Medano Beach, so haggle away (Medano Beach and the harbor area are the two places where you can bargain for services, whatever they may be).

I wasn't there to shop (although I did buy a pair of sunglasses for $10.... they saw me coming, squinting eyes and all), I was there to check out a restaurant I had heard good things about: The Hacienda Cocina y Cantina, located in the Hacienda Beach Club on the far south end of Medano Beach, within walking distance from the rest of the hotels on that strip and from downtown San Lucas.

It's the number one rated restaurant in San Lucas on TripAdvisor as of this posting, and it's not hard to see why. I would definitely recommend paying a visit when you're in town, even if it's only for a drink to check out the view (see photo). Ceviche and fish tacos was the direction I went, leaning back in the comfortable chairs and enjoying the shade of the small, circular hut that looks out over the ocean and the beach activity to the north. You can see the hills that line the channel, leading out towards the arch.

Some places with great views tend to offer mediocre food - they don't need a great menu to attract business - but I was happy to see that Cocina y Cantina lives up to all aspects of the hype. Good food, good views. Be sure to try the churros for dessert, and take a walk down Medano after to burn them off.

Photos:

The first thing you notice about the Grand Solmar Resort is the most obvious: It's been dropped into one hell of a setting.

You can see it in the photo below, its ridiculous location at the base of a rock structure, completely enveloped in privacy and tranquility. The lights of downtown Cabo San Lucas are only ten minutes away via foot, but there's no way you'd realize that on property at the Grand Solmar. It's in one of the most undeveloped spots left in San Lucas, and a stay there will reveal one of the best kept secrets about Cabo: It's absolutely gorgeous.

Sure, you hear it's a beautiful beach town, a place to party, but not many people talk about the fact that Cabo has some incredible, national-park worthy landscape (I will show you some photos next post). Albeit hot and dry most of the year, I had the opportunity to visit just after a rainfall (the area only averages about 12 days of rain a year). Talk about the element that brings life - the hills were lush, with the green, rustic look of the cacti now joined by green-leafed, red-flowered plants (and purple and yellow and orange). You can see some of what I'm talking about in the preview photo I recently posted of the oasis near Santiago, under an hour outside of San Jose del Cabo (notice how, in that post last year, I mentioned I didn't dance. Safe to say I've come around!).

And you can't forget the infamous arch of Los Cabos, which sits just around the corner from the Grand Solmar. Although you cannot see it from the resort because of the hills, you can walk over the rocks to both Playa del Amor and Divorce Beach (and in between is Lawyer's beach, because you can't go from love to divorce without one!). As you'll see from the photos of the resort below, it is the natural surroundings of the location that distinguishes it from the dozens of other luxury hotels in Cabo:

On Saturday, after checking out the infinity pools at the Grand Solmar, Cabo Adventuresinvited us over to take a dip in the dolphin tank. My thoughts on lobby-purchased excursions are split between my traveler and vacation mindsets. The former thinks that I better do my homework, that they should offer something that I couldn't pull off on my own for less money and more authenticity (the best example of this is snorkeling). The latter says to hell with it - it's a lot easier to just get picked up and dropped off out in front of the lobby - bring on the booze cruise.

We'll save that debate for another time - the fact is swimming with dolphins was an experience that truly made an impact on me. It's easy to become jaded when you hear about something over and over, or when you're used to living by the coast and seeing dolphins. But being in the pool with one was the real deal - an interaction that really, in all honesty, isn't biologically supposed to happen (we'll also save that debate for another time).

I encourage everyone to ask around your specific destination and make sure the company you go through has a good reputation, but in all likelihood I think you'll find the experience rewarding. There's a feeling of vulnerability in that the dolphin is infinitely more comfortable in the water than you, especially when you see how fast they move. I developed a real appreciation for the animal, smooth and silky but thick and tough at the same time. Just as you start to feel a bit intimidated, Flipper plants a fat one on the side of your face and turns his head for you to return the favor.

Pucker up for some photos:

I'm headed to Los Cabos to check out the Grand Solmar Hotel in San Lucas, which is pinned against the cliffs near the infamous arch. It looks like a beautiful setting, sort of tucked away from the partying going on in nearby downtown. I'll be roaming around the area for about a week, finding tranquility but also getting into my fair share of late nights (come on, it's Cabo). I'm still working out the schedule beyond the weekend, but a trip up the coast to Todos Santos seems likely, including a stop at Hotel California, the hotel that inspired the classic rock song. We'll talk more about the details in the coming days.

For now, here's a preview shot of the Grand Solmar Hotel in Los Cabos: