Weekend Warrior Series - La Ventana
We’ve launched the Weekend Warrior Series so you, Cabo local, can read about fun and exciting places that are easily accessible on a long weekend. We seem to hit the same spots over and over - Todos Santos, Cerritos, Los Barriles, La Paz; but there is so much more in our little corner of Baja.
We’re guilty as well. We have to admit to at least 10 years spent just visiting the East Cape, Pescadero and not much outside of that. With this series we’ll try to steer away from the more well known and well visited towns and instead focus on the less traveled villages. Up this week: La Ventana, El Sargento and surrounding beaches.
La Ventana
La Ventana is mostly known for Kite and Wind Surfing. During the winter months the wind favors the sport most days. There are quite a few spots to kite from and when the wind is really blowing there can be head high swells up and down the beach. The wind normally starts around 11 or 12, which means mornings are free for other activities.
From your beach front hotel you can go snorkeling, kayaking and SUPing. There’s beach volleyball and sand that goes on for miles and miles for us walkers. If you decide to try this extreme sport, there are plenty of kite schools on the beach. Even if you don’t kite, it’s really interesting to watch.
The beach is lined with restaurants and RV parks where you can watch the rainbow colored kites for a few hours during lunch. We’ve seen days with at least 50 guys in one area and we can’t imagine how they don’t get tangled up in each others lines. We’ve yet to figure out the etiquette. Around 5 pm the wind starts to back off and the sea again resembles a lake, allowing you to go for a swim or paddle before dinner.
El Sargento
El Sargento is just next to La Ventana and you wouldn’t even notice the distinction between the two. El Sargento has quite a few beachfront hotels and some cool restaurants. There are no resorts here, so you can be sure you’re not in Cabo anymore.
Quaint Boutique style hotels line the shore. Nothing too fancy at all but most are safe, clean and comfortable. Glamping, hostels and tee-pees have even made an appearance.
Bahia do Los Sueños is truly like a dream. Crystal clear waters on a gorgeous rocky bay with the classic Baja backdrop.
Bahia de Los Sueños (De los muertos)
The history of this bay is rather interesting. Early Spanish explorers named this shore ‘the bay of the dead’. When a Chinese ship was denied entry into the La Paz harbor because of yellow fever, the crew anchored here. All of the crewmen died here and were buried by local fisherman. The east facing bay has since been renamed ‘Bahia de los Sueños’. It certainly is more fitting, as this place is a beautiful dream.
Today this beach is a happening fishing port. We recommend spending the day on the far side of the beach near the hotel. The water is crystal clear and it tends to be calmer in that area.
At sunset, come down to where the restaurant is and watch the boats go out. They all fish at night and it’s quite a sight to see so many boats drop in at the same time. 1535 restaurant has pretty decent food and drinks. We highly recommend the tortilla soup and chilis rellenos de camaron.
Punta Arena offers wide open spaces with a very low density of visitors. Spend the whole day here with 500 meters between you and your neighbor.
Punta Arena
Most of you have seen the turquoise banks of Punta Arena in travel blogs or brochures. This beach lives up to it’s name and is worth the hype. We almost hesitate to type thi,s as we truly enjoy having this beach to ourselves. We lost Balandra due to blogs such as this. Nevertheless it’s our duty to share this gem.
Punta Arena is named aptly for its huge sandy point. The bay ends at a huge beach and turns east to open sea. Last weekend we saw 8 dolphins and hundreds of mantas just offshore.
Someone on our Local Baja team grabbed his board and paddled after them as quick as possible. He was able to interact with the dolphins for a stretch and then hung out in the middle of the mantas for quite a well. This beach is good for both camping and fishing. There are no installations and you are about 15 minutes from the nearest mini super.
Winter events
Throughout the winter season, there are competitions and events in the area. We were entertained by a hydrofoil competition last month that was really cool. Last weekend we went to an anniversary party of a beachfront restaurant.
When things calm down a bit, and you’re ready to check out the area, let us know. We can make some recommendations that will help your weekend go smoothly.
In the meantime these empty beaches and bays are perfect for social distancing while still getting plenty of Vitamin D and Sea. Please, report back and let us in on all the fun you had!
