Live from Cabo San Lucas

[Karen G]

We're in Cabo now and just wanted to report a few things:

One of our favorite restaurants on the marina, Senor Sweets, is closed. There's a big construction fence around the whole side of marina shops where it once was & a sign saying all the luxury stores that were going in there. But, we learned that Senor Sweets will reopen in another location near the Harley Davidson Cafe. Margaritaville is also undergoing renovation.

The main street in Cabo is all torn up and they're putting in underground wiring and repaving. Traffic is a mess with detours all downtown.

The new buildings and resorts that have gone up in just a year are just phenomenal.

The exchange rate is lousy! 9 to 9.5 pesos to the dollar! Makes the high prices even higher. Fortunately we have three couples in our group who did the Pueblo Bonito Sunset tour for $200/each in food vouchers so we can eat our main meals at PB restaurants.

If you're offered "free" ATVs as part of a presentation gift, be aware they now require $15 insurance fee on each one. We have 8 reserved so that's a big number for insurance for something supposed to be free.

More later.

 

[Caius]

The exchange rate is lousy! 9 to 9.5 pesos to the dollar! Makes the high prices even higher.

Does this mean we'll do better by exchanging to pesos or just taking USD? Our bank here will exchange money for us for no fee....

 

[Karen G]

Does this mean we'll do better by exchanging to pesos or just taking USD? Our bank here will exchange money for us for no fee....

I think that would be a good idea if they will not charge you a fee. See if the exchange rate they will give you beats the 9.0 to 9.5 we've seen in stores here.

Getting your pesos at home will also save you the 3% fee your bank ATM will charge you and any ATM fees here in Mexico if you got pesos from an ATM here.

 

[Caius]

FYI-

http://www.xe.com/ gives exchange rates updated continuously. It's listing 10.1+ pesos to the dollar. I know it dipped below 10 a week or two ago, but if the locals are telling you 9-9.5 they're cheating you a bit....

 

[Monica]

Does this mean we'll do better by exchanging to pesos or just taking USD? Our bank here will exchange money for us for no fee....

They don't charge a fee, but I'd be willing to bet the exchange rate they give you is close to 10% less than the rate of exchange. That's where they make their money.

I checked into that once, and that is what Bank of America was doing. No fee, but 10% less. I'll just keep using my ATM card w/ the 3% fee and the 70 cents fee the Mexican side charges.

 

[Caius]

They don't charge a fee, but I'd be willing to bet the exchange rate they give you is close to 10% less than the rate of exchange. That's where they make their money.

I checked into that once, and that is what Bank of America was doing. No fee, but 10% less. I'll just keep using my ATM card w/ the 3% fee and the 70 cents fee the Mexican side charges.

I was speaking of BoA indeed.... But when I went today, the teller told me I'd have had to order the pesos in advance. The one I spoke to a couple of weeks ago didn't tell me that. So were just taking USD.

 

[pammex]

FYI-

http://www.xe.com/ gives exchange rates updated continuously. It's listing 10.1+ pesos to the dollar. I know it dipped below 10 a week or two ago, but if the locals are telling you 9-9.5 they're cheating you a bit....

The dollar did dip last week in the 9 range in comparison to the peso, but yes it has risen to 10.1, but keep in mind, bank, hotel , cabio whatever never gives you what the exact rate is, they have to take a cut, or they do. Right now we are getting between 9.8 and 9.9 in our area.....lets hope it at least stays in the 10 mark.....this all means a weak dollar and a strong peso.

 

[easyrider]

Hi Karen
Are you at the Sunset, Rose or Blanco ? Lucky you where ever you are.

 

[Karen G]

Hi Karen
Are you at the Sunset, Rose or Blanco ? Lucky you where ever you are.

We're at the Rose where we have owned for ten years. We have a 2-bed presidential oceanfront unit on the 4th floor, and we are indeed blessed! We're having a great week in spite of the exchange rate. Our daughter was married on Pedregal beach Tuesday and we're all having a lot of fun.

 

[jkrich]

Upcoming visit/laundry facilities

Karen
We'll be at the Pueblo Bonito Rose in September in a three bedroom unit. (second time in Cabo, first at Pueblo Bonito). Since we are going to have our one year old granddaughter with us, we may well need to do some laundry. I don't see any mention of laundry facilities on site in the reviews or the Pueblo Bonito web site. Do they have a laundry service or self service facility at either Pueblo Bonito Rose or Blanco?
Jerry Rich

 

[Kenrabs]

Karen
We'll be at the Pueblo Bonito Rose in September in a three bedroom unit. (second time in Cabo, first at Pueblo Bonito). Since we are going to have our one year old granddaughter with us, we may well need to do some laundry. I don't see any mention of laundry facilities on site in the reviews or the Pueblo Bonito web site. Do they have a laundry service or self service facility at either Pueblo Bonito Rose or Blanco?
Jerry Rich

If they don't there is one a short walk away near La Golondrina area that is cheap.

 

[Karen G]

If they don't there is one a short walk away near La Golondrina area that is cheap.

They don't have self-serve laundry facilities at the PB resorts, but the one mentioned above is nearby. They will do laundry and dry cleaning for you at PB, but it's really expensive.

The laundry above is about two blocks away--take a left out the PB Rose gate and the laundry is on the corner on the right. The Golondrina restaurant is along the street once you turn the corner at the laundromat, on the right, and if you continue you'll come to the City Club entrance on the right.

 

[jkrich]

Karen and Kenrabs
Thanks for the good directions. Both of our daughters, sons in laws and our grandaughter will be having a family vacation with us, so I suspect we will be making at least one trip to the laundry. It makes packing light a whole lot easier.
Jerry

 

[Karen G]

Karen and Kenrabs
Thanks for the good directions.

Jerry, just to clarify my directions--once you exit the main PB Rose gate, it's about two blocks to the left to the intersection where you'll take a right. The laundromat is on the corner.

We ate at La Golandrina last night and I can highly recommend it. It's now one of my favorite Cabo restaurants. Excellent menu, H-U-G-E portions (think about sharing!) and wonderful night time ambience. There are several large trees in the open air setting with lots of lanterns and other types of outdoor lighting so it's quite nice at night.

Plus, it's so close to the PB Rose you can easily walk there and back.

 

[SteveHCMM]

Karen, interestingly we are both from LV, NV and were both in Cabo at the same time. We were there from 8/6 to 8/16. Boy was it HOT!

We stayed at Palmar & Sunset Beach and had a great time despite the heat and road detours. We especially enjoyed SB.

Have you had a chance to see Hacienda Encantada?

 

[Karen G]

We were there from 8/6 to 8/16. Boy was it HOT! . . .Have you had a chance to see Hacienda Encantada?

What a coincidence! Yes, it was extremely hot this year--hotter than we remember from the last ten years. But, we still enjoyed it.

We toured Hacienda Encantata last year and thought it was a beautiful place. I'm sure it must be even better this year if they have finished more of it.

We were astonished at all the construction that has occurred just since last year. Cabo is really growing.

 

[SenorOjO]

How far along are they with the street work?

HI Karen G,

My wife and I will be going to our unit at Cabo Beach resort in late November. Hope the streets will be completed by then. I would think that they would be shooting for completion by the Bisbee tournament in October.

thanks for the update on Cabo, We love Cabo.

 

[california-bighorn]

Karen

I will be in Cabo next month to do some scuba diving. One of the websites I check has listed the water temp at 86 degrees. Does the water seem that warm? If that is correct, I may be doing some dives without a wetsuit.

Thanks Marty

 

[Karen G]

One of the websites I check has listed the water temp at 86 degrees. Does the water seem that warm?

I just checked with my husband as he went swimming in the ocean several times and he said it was at least that temperature, if not warmer.

 

[Karen G]

HI Karen G,

My wife and I will be going to our unit at Cabo Beach resort in late November. Hope the streets will be completed by then. I would think that they would be shooting for completion by the Bisbee tournament in October.

thanks for the update on Cabo, We love Cabo.

I hope they are finished with the streets by then. It's kind of hard to tell how far along they are. They had the northbound lanes totally blocked on the main street in town from about the northern edge of the Paradiso Mall to the intersection by the bullring. The pavement was all torn up with lots of sand piles and ditches where the new sewer pipes and underground wiring will go. Traffic was open going southbound with a detour of the northbound lanes along the road that runs in front of the Pueblo Bonito Rose. That road is one way now with the detour.