Q. Where is Casa de Sueños located?
A. Our home is located in the Pedregal subdivision, just to the west of the Cabo San Lucas marina. The home overlooks the marina and Medano Beach. It’s about a fifteen-minute walk via local roads to downtown Cabo and the Cabo marina. Here’s a Google map centered on our lot, although the most recent aerial photograph doesn’t show our home (or many of the other newer homes in the area): http://wikimapia.org/#lat=22.8766571&lon=-109.9206859&z=19&l=0&m=b
If you’ve never been to Cabo San Lucas, it’s important for you to know that there are two different towns with the name CABO in them: Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. Don’t get them confused! Cabo San Lucas is at the tip of Baja and is the “CABO” you want. The airport is located at San Jose del Cabo (SJD), which is a town located 20 miles east of Cabo San Lucas. SJD has resorts, but not as upscale as Cabo San Lucas; also, the weather’s more humid around SJD. In between Cabo San Lucas and SJD is the “tourist corridor” and many resorts are located along this stretch (Hilton, Westin, Esperanza, Palmilla), but they are not in “CABO” and require an expensive taxi drive to get to CABO.
Our home is located in Cabo’s most exclusive subdivision, Pedregal.
Directions to Casa de Sueños: Entering Cabo San Lucas from the “four-lane” (the highway from the SJD airport), you’ll be on “Lazaro Cardenas” street. Please reference this map: http://www.loscabosguide.com/maps/dwntwncsl.htm. Follow Lazaro Cardenas to one street past Hidalgo Street, which will be Avenue Cabo San Lucas. Hidalgo is a one-way street heading north and Avenue Cabo San Lucas is the next street; it’s a one-way street heading south. Turn left onto Avenue Cabo San Lucas and proceed south about 3/8ths of a mile. Avenue Cabo San Lucas will take you past many shops and then merge with Boulevard Marina. Continue south (another map: http://www.loscabosguide.com/maps/cslmap.htm) and you’ll see a green sign saying “Pedregal” and pointing to the right. Take this right to the Pedregal gate. You’ll need to tell the guard you’re heading to Casa de Sueños, located just across the street from the tennis courts. Here’s a pdf map of Pedregal, showing the route to Casa de Sueños: https://cabocasadesuenos.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/CasadeSuenos.pdf
Q. Is Cabo San Lucas Safe?
A. There’s been a lot of negative press lately about the border cities of Mexico and drug-related violence. It’s really impacted people’s perceptions on visiting Mexico. However, it’s like second-guessing a Montana fishing trip just because you heard bad news about New York City.
Here’s an interesting article, written by Linda Ellerbee, a journalist for NBC News: Is Mexico Dangerous?
Cabo San Lucas is almost one thousand miles south of the border. With one road in and one road out, it’s a virtual island. Here are some recent news articles discussing the safety of Mexican tourist destinations:
In our experience, Cabo is as safe (or safer) than the typical American city. We feel safer in Cabo than many European tourist destinations.
Q. What's the weather like in Cabo?
A. Here’s a compilation of average temps, along with a link for current weather:
Cabo Revealed: Weather Information
What’s important when you research weather is that you keep in mind that most weather reports are from the SJD airport, which is inland and can be 10-15 degrees warmer than the temperatures in Cabo San Lucas, which is located right on the ocean. The ocean, which acts as one big heat sink (a regulator of temperature), limits the extremes in temperatures found just a few miles inland.
Q. Is there broadband internet access at Casa De Sueños?
A. Yes. We have a secured WiFi (wireless) network. A password will be supplied to you.
Q. What airport do I fly into?
A. San Jose del Cabo — SJD. SJD is located about 20 miles from Cabo San Lucas and is just north of the town of San Jose del Cabo. Private flights can fly into the Cabo San Lucas airport, located just three miles north of Cabo San Lucas and Villa La Estancia.
To get to Villa La Estancia from the SJD airport, either rent a vehicle or catch a shuttle or taxi. If driving, head LEFT out of the airport (toll road) and that will save you about 15 minutes of driving time. At the Fonatur roundabout, take the first right which puts you on the four-lane highway to Cabo San Lucas. Entering Cabo San Lucas, turn left at the first traffic light after you pass Costco (about a mile past Costco). At the “T” intersection, turn left and follow the road into VLE.
Q. I'm American. Do I need a passport to travel to Mexico?
A. YES. More information is available from the U. S. Department of State at www.travel.state.gov.
Q. What extra charges are there?
A. The rate we quote you is complete and includes cleanout maid service.
Q. Is maid service available? What is the charge for maid service?
A. We provide maid service once (for departure cleaning). There is no extra charge for this departure cleaning. As an option, you can upgrade maid service.
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Q. Do you rent for less than seven days?
A. Our preferred rental period is seven days, beginning on a Friday or Saturday. However, we do rent for less than seven days.
Q. What about tipping?
A. US$10-20 is always VERY appreciated by our maid. Prior to leaving for Cabo, we make sure to get a handful of 1’s and 5’s; for us, tipping very much improves our stay in Cabo — and at the same time plays a BIG part in spreading goodwill and of improving the lives of the workers that work hard in making our stay enjoyable. We typically tip $1/bag and at restaurants, 10-20% of the bill. If you shop at the local markets, the kids and people bagging your groceries aren’t paid and depend on tips. Note: cab drivers do not expect tips in Mexico.
Q. What currency is used in Cabo?
A. The Mexican Peso is the official currency however, most merchants will take US dollars (but sometimes at an exchange rate that favors them; the most common is to exchange at 10 pesos to the dollar). The current exchange rate is approximately 12.85 pesos per US dollar (click HERE for an update). We usually pay by credit card and let the issuer handle the conversion. Beware of vendors that quote in dollars but charge your credit card in Pesos — the vendor may convert the transaction at an unfavorable rate and then your credit card will charge to convert in addition. Best to just get quoted in Pesos — in fact, insist on it.
If you’re heading to Cabo from Canada (and taking advantage of the strength of the Canadian Dollar!), you’ll probably need to convert to US Dollars or Pesos, or risk getting vendor conversion rates based on the “old” rate. That may change in time.
Q. Can I drink the water?
A. Cabo San Lucas has a municipal water system. However, we do recommend that our guests drink and cook with bottled water.
Q. What time zone is Cabo in and does the time change with daylight savings time?
A. Cabo is in the Mountain Time Zone and observes Daylight Savings Time. Whatever the time is in Denver, that’s the time in Cabo.
Q. Does the house have laundry equipment?
A. Yes, a washer and dryer unit are standard. We even provide detergent.
Q. What makes the perfect Margarita?
A. Always a favorite (passed on by a musical friend):
Crushed ice
3 wedges lime
2 ounces gold tequila (Cuervo 1800)
1/2 ounce tequila (Cuervo white)
1 1/4 ounces Rose’s lime juice
1/2 ounce triple sec (Bols)
1 splash orange Curaçao (Bols)
Put all ingredients except the 3 lime wedges into a shaker. Squeeze 2 of the lime wedges into the shaker. SHAKE WELL! Rim outside of glass only with lime. Salt only the outside of the glass. Add fresh crushed ice to glass. Strain mixture over ice. Squeeze remaining lime wedge in glass.
Yes, there’s a blender in the villa in case you like yours blended!