A jungle-themed farm-to-table dining experience. Start with some Guacamole & Chips and then try some mouth-watering Pork Belly Tacos. After eating, explore the beautiful property and make a pit stop at the animal sanctuary. They also offer wedding venues, bike rentals and more.
Address: Calle Sin Nombre, Animas Bajas, 23407 San José del Cabo, B.C.S., Mexico
Hotel El Ganzo
Enjoy the bay view from the balcony. Try the fresh juices, Açai bowls and the pancakes.
Address: 23400 Blvd. Antonio Mijares s/n Plaza La Mision Local 1 A, Centro, 23400 San José del Cabo, B.C.S., Mexico
Habanero’s Gastro Grill
Sit in the garden by the bar to get a nice view of the pool. Then start with their zucchini bread and have the oatmeal as a main course meal.
Address: 23400 Blvd. Antonio Mijares s/n Plaza La Mision Local 1 A, Centro, 23400 San José del Cabo, B.C.S., Mexico
Chula Vegan Café
This establishment have moved to a larger location in downtown San Jose and expanded. They now have an indoor and outdoor seating area as well as a small boutique. The smoothies and juices here are great. You can’t go wrong with their açai bowls either. The staff members are also friendly and helpful.
Address: 23400 Blvd. Antonio Mijares s/n Plaza La Mision Local 1 A, Centro, 23400 San José del Cabo, B.C.S., Mexico
Floras Farms
This place is very popular. Be sure to make reservations ahead of time to ensure that you have a table. It is a true farm-to-table restaurant that grows and uses its own vegetables. The salads and pizza are excellent. Additionally, you can walk around the perimeter to see their farm and pond filled with ducks and fish.
Address: Carretera Transpeninsular San José del Cabo Km. 30 Las Ánimas Bajas, 23407 San José del Cabo, B.C.S., Mexico
Zachs
A casual dining restaurant located in the middle of the desert. You can get everything from tacos to burgers on the menu. I usually order the shrimp tacos here and the most delicious flan in town. Sometimes, you’ll see the owner behind the bar as well.
Address: Lot n mza 3 Los Zacatitos, 23440 San José del Cabo, B.C.S., Mexico
Within an hour of Mexico City, you can visit the Pyramids of the Sun, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The site was home to at least 25,000 people in pre-Columbian Mexico, and much of it remains unknown. I was intrigued.
Recommendations
Items to bring: Cash – for entrance, toll road, etc. Take Uber (+ Toll Road): 90 pesos Hat and Snacks
Enter Gate 2 Eat at La Gruta
There are a couple of things to note before visiting The Pyramids of the Sun in Teotihuacán. First, it is best to visit in the early morning, at least before 10am when tour buses start arriving and when the weather is generally cooler. The area where the pyramids are located is wide open, with little to no shade. While exploring in the sun, it’s difficult to not sweat when it’s hot outside, and the sun beaming down on your face makes you feel uncomfortable. As I walked from one pyramid to another in the middle of winter, I was already dying from the heat. In the summer, I can only imagine how hot it must be. So make sure you have an umbrella, a hat or some form of protection for your face.
Uber was our main mode of transportation. There was no problem getting one to and from our destination. However, you may need to pay for toll roads. In advance, our Uber driver told us that he did not have a toll road censor, so we paid him cash. Our travel time was reduced since we only had to cross one toll road, which cost 90 pesos. After returning to the city, we were never asked to pay the toll road, so I guess it depends on the driver.
When we arrived at the pyramids, I was surprised by how far apart they were. The fact that we were dropped off at gate 2 was great, since it led directly to the Pyramids of the Sun. This was convenient.
Gate 2 EntrancePyramids of the Moon
To enter the pyramids, there are three main entrances. Because the sun will be shining down on you, it is best to start with a pyramid you wish to see first. We started with The Pyramids of the Sun as it was the largest, followed by The Pyramids of the Moon, and ended with The Citadel.
Unfortunately, we discovered that none of the pyramids were accessible due to covid during our visit. Although we were disappointed, it was nice to see the pyramids in person. I had never seen any type of pyramid in my life, so this was very exciting for me.
Unexpectedly, climbing was allowed at the Citadel. As the steps up were very narrow, I found zigzagging up to the top made the climb easier.
We probably walked and explored the pyramids for about 2-3 hours altogether.
After we were done we worked up an appetite and walked over to La Gruta restaurant. It was very convenient that the restaurant was only a few steps over from where we were.
The Gruta Restaurant is a unique cave dining experience. We enjoyed the food. To start, we ate the La Gruta salad and the Barbacoa as our main dish. This salad had a bit of sweetness to it that made it very tasty. The salad features Quelite greens, caramelized pecans, caramelized tomatoes, and farmer’s cheese tossed in a sour pear and agave syrup vinaigrette. Delicious!
The restaurant is nicely decorated, and the whole experience of dining in a cave was quite interesting. Make reservations as the place is quite popular and bring a small sweater since it does get cold after a while.
We began 2022 with a one-week vacation in Mexico City. There was so much to see that even a week felt insufficient. As North America’s most populated city, you definitely will need to know where to go. The city’s population alone is 21.9 million in compare to Los Angeles, CA. at 3.91 million. Luckily my boyfriend and I had friends who helped us navigate around the city during our trip. We couldn’t have done it without their assistance. Here are some things I learned.
Health & Safety
In any city, you must keep your wits about you, especially a big city like Mexico City. Whenever we were out and about, I rarely wore jewelry, and my purse was always inside my long cardigan or, at the very least, in front of me. Some areas, such as downtown Polanco and Condesa neighborhoods, I felt very safe walking around during the day and night.
Covid protocols are strictly followed in Mexico City. Every main attraction, restaurant, or Uber either took our temperatures, sprayed us down with sanitizer, had an extra layer of protection between passengers, wore masks inside and outside, or did all of the above. When it comes to Covid, I felt more secure in Mexico City than in California.
Further protecting our sanity, we purchased health insurance for the trip. IMG’s Patriot Platinum Group costs $40 for both of us, covering theft, natural disasters, and more. We didn’t have to use it, but it gave us peace of mind knowing we were covered abroad.
The last advice based on recommendations from our local friends is to avoid drinking tap water. Throughout our trip, we only drank filtered water (including washing our toothbrush). It may seem extreme to some, but I didn’t want to get sick.
Altitude
Mexico City has an elevation of 7315.36 feet (or 2229.72 meters) in comparison to Los Angeles at 284.93 feet (or 86.85 meters). It was in the back of my mind before our trip that there was a possibility it could be a problem, however, I underestimated how much it would affect me.
On our first day, my night ended with a throbbing headache and vomiting whatever food I had left in me. The only thing I could do was go to the bathroom and then get back into bed. I was hurting.
Luckily, my boyfriend found a local app called Rappi and ordered Tylenol and food for me that night. Throughout the rest of our trip, we pretty much ordered all of our necessities through the app and had them delivered to us for a reasonable price.
I took Tylenol that night and immediately fell asleep. I felt completely back to normal the next day as if nothing had happened. Therefore, if you’re prone to altitude sickness like me, be sure to bring the right medications.
Accommodations
Airbnb offers a variety of options for finding accommodation at an affordable price. I suggest staying as close to downtown as possible in Condesa (near Parque Mexico) or Polanco (near Av. Pdte. Masaryk), especially if this is your first time exploring places to stay in Mexico City.
When we were looking for accommodation, we had no idea where was “safe” to stay, so we thought anywhere in Polanco would be fine. It wasn’t. Later, a local friend informed us (after we had booked everything) that we were in a sketchy part of Polanco, and that he had been robbed there once. We decided to stick with it, despite what he said, since our plans were pretty set. Despite the location not being the best, the airbnb experience was pretty good; we had extensive security in our building and had a decent view of the city from our apartment. While I wouldn’t stay there again since it was too far from the main attractions, for my first time being in the city, it was perfect.
Language
It would be helpful to know a few Spanish terms so you can communicate with the locals. Our experience was that most restaurants and tourist areas spoke English. Apart from that, we had to speak Spanish.
Transportation
There are a few ways to get around the city. You can take Uber, a taxi, or the metro.
Uber is the safest and most reliable form of transportation in Mexico City. We were informed by our friends that this is the best way to get around, and now I totally agree. Also, we find that it is affordable, as it costs us around $3-6 per ride in comparison with $16+ for an Uber in California.
Taxis are also available. However, avoid hailing one from the street because you might get scammed. To be sure, have a hotel staff member order one for you.
Metro is also available in Mexico City. It’s a gender-segregated area, so it’s safe for women, but I personally didn’t want to be separated from my boyfriend. Thus, we bypassed the metro altogether.
In case you plan to rent a car, be aware that drivers here are very aggressive. LA drivers seem aggressive, but they are nothing compared to those in Mexico City. It’s a totally different story.
Weather
During January, the temperature rose to the 70s in the day and dropped to the 40s at night. We experienced a drizzle once while there, but it was mostly pleasant. I wore long sleeves everyday with jeans and a light sweater that I could easily take off and put back on.
A trip to Mexico City would not have been complete without food, and we dined at plenty of top-notch restaurants. Reservations were required at most restaurants. There are also Michelin-starred restaurants like Pujol that require reservations two months in advance. While I was disappointed that we couldn’t go, I will keep it in mind for when we return to town.
Here are a few restaurants I recommend:
Lardo El Mayor Galanga Thai House Pujol
Rosa Negra El Japonese Tori Tori Rosetta Galia La Condesa
Basico Brassi Matisse Maximo Bistro
There are a lot more places to eat that we didn’t have time to visit. See my Mexico City Guide here.
Mexico City had a lot of museums and sights to see. Some of them are free, but the ones that charge fees require cash. Only cash is accepted, and they prefer exact change.
Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral Zocalo Templo Mayor Basilica De Guadalupe Outside Mexico City: Visit Teotihuacan
Museo Anahuacalli Museo Jumex Soumaya Museum Palacio de Bellas Artes Chapultepec Castle
Anthopology Museum Av. Pdte. Masaryk Mercado Roma The Angel of Independence Biblioteca Vasconcelos
Mexico has been a unique experience for us, and we would like to visit the country again in the future.
On my mom’s birthday we had lunch at Blue Fish Restaurant, a place known for sea food and oh so delicious meals!
I ordered fish and shrimp tacos today, a plate that I often go to every time I come down to San Jose Del Cabo. I don’t know what it is but, I think the tacos here are so much better than in California. Could it be the combination of the fresh food or the way the food is cooked? One thing for sure is that I can’t seem to get enough of it. We ended our meal with a cheesecake dessert that were equally shared among the 3 of us. We were full and very satisfied.
After lunch, we walked around downtown San Jose where I made a quick stop at Rogelio Sanchez jewelry store. Rogelio, the owner and designer has the eye for intricate details and knows his silver rings inside and out. I’ve bought most of my rings from him and I always seem to come back every time I’m in town. Today was no different, I came home with 2 new rings and that I happily am glad to add to my collection.
The rain followed me in Cabo because it poured the whole day. It’s a good thing that there’s a fitness center in Los Cabos that comes with a membership for those who live in the area, since I could run there for a quick gym session.
The gym itself is a decent size and has treadmills, stair-masters, weights, and more. What won me over was this nice view overlooking a golf course and the beach. I was able to work on the threadmill with the help of the view. Also, the free wireless enabled my energetic music to flow via Spotify. I would probably spend most of my day at the gym if I had one like this every day.
I arrived Saturday night, tired from the flight yet mentally excited for a much needed break in Mexico. Having been here many times now, I feel SJD has become my 2nd home, however, the amount of places to see is still vastly waiting to be discovered. SJD is a booming market with new hotels (i.e. La Ventana coming soon) and restaurants being built every year, there always seem to be something new to see.
As soon as I landed, my folks picked me up at the airport and we immediately went to try a newish restaurant in downtown San Jose.
The food was ok. I ordered the Chicken Fajitas, while dad had the Steak plate, and mom had the Red Pepper Stuffing dish. I think the Bone Marrow appetizer was the best plate we had that night to be honest.
Steak Plate
Bone Marrow
Red Pepper Stuffing
After dinner we walked around the square and found it quite buzzing with the locals roaming around the area. There was music playing, kids riding scooters, skating, teenagers canoodling and/or family birthday gatherings. We bought some popsicles and sat on a bench to people watch. It was a cool night and a great way to end the day.
I’m writing to you from our porch within steps from the ocean. Looking up, the water is inviting and appearing to be magnetic trying to draw me in. Ah, the East Escape is a paradise to me. Still, considered unspoiled and untouched, I come here almost every year with my family for a dose of sunshine, warmth and the ultimate serenity. Continue reading “The East Escape”→
If I had to pick a local hang out restaurant in the East Escape, where you can keep returning to on a regular basis everyday and anytime, it would be Zack’s Restaurant. In compare to Buzzards Restaurant, Zack would be the big brother that offers a heftier menu, convenient schedule, more space and all around a mix between Mexican and American style. Continue reading “Dinner in the Middle of the Desert.”→
A Stint Abroad 