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 SHOPPING IN LOS CABOS From San Jose del Cabo to Todos Santos, treasures await. We’ll tell you what you’ll find and where to find it. Although few products are created in Baja Sur, the area markets items from many regions of mainland Mexico. Pottery from Guanajuato and San Bartolo Coyotepec, woven and embroidered goods from Oaxaca, Chiapas and the Yucatan peninsula and beautiful beaded crafts created by Huichot Indians in Nayarit. Many businesses gladly accept credit cards and purchases can be made with both US dollars and pesos. Using pesos usually results in a better deal, as most shops will tilt the exchange balance in their favor if you’re paying in dollars. Shops usually open at 10:00 a.m. unless there is a cruise ship arriving early in the morning, in which case, many open earlier and close later. In Cabo San Lucas, you’ll find that the majority of the shopping to be had borders the marina. There you’ll find the Puerto Paraiso mall on the north end, dozens of small boutique shops and jewelry stores on the street that fronts the marina, and a sunken center plaza filled with all kinds of Mexican handicrafts. On the opposite side of Marina Blvd., a short walk will bring you into more of a swap meet area of vendors selling everything from Margarita glasses to T-shirts and typical tourist items.  If you’re looking for custom designed jewelry, many shops in Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo can design just about anything you’d like and have it ready in a day or two. Mexican Fire Opals are a great choice to add to any design and the selection in Los Cabos is very good. Stop in, discuss your design, return the next day and wear it out to dinner that evening. Not a bad way to enjoy your new purchase.  Just up the road from Cabo San Lucas, a visit to the Blown Glass Factory gives shoppers the opportunity to see glass blowers at work, creating the colorful wares that line the shelves inside the store. More than 400 works a day are turned out by 35 artisans who utilize a method relatively unchanged since its inception in Asia almost 4,000 years ago. Mixtures of different metals are added to the liquefied glass to create the deep, rich tones of the figures produced by these artists. If you’re so inclined, you too can opt to create your own work of art, just don’t expect it to come close to the work that the “pros” produce.  Some other notable shops to explore in Cabo San Lucas include; Faces of Mexico - masks from various Mexican cultures (Ave. Cardenas, behind the Mar de Cortes Hotel); Huichol Collection - beaded crafts from the Huichol Indian tribe (Guerrero & Madero downtown); Joyeria Brilanti – silver jewelry created by the Brilanti family that is highly collectable and sought after (Guerrero in between Madero and Zapata); and Magic of the Moon – where owner Pepita creates very unique clothing and will also fashion garments from buyer’s own design (Hidalgo just off Marina Blvd). There are many other worthwhile shops, do a little exploring of your own and you may just turn up a diamond in the rough!  FROM TODOS SANTOS TO CABO SAN LUCAS A drive north from Cabo San Lucas on the Pacific side of the cape makes for a great day of sightseeing and shopping. Travel out of downtown Cabo on the main drag and just follow the signs pointing you to Todos Santos. The road north is well paved and maintained but watch out for livestock on the roads.There are dirt roads that lead to the beaches all along this stretch of highway and it’s well worth exploring them. Around KM 80, you’ll come across two small businesses on your left that you should stop in at. The first is the Blanket Factory; the second is Art and Beer. The Blanket Factory produces some of the few homegrown products and has some terrific hand-loomed rugs, blankets, clothing and hammocks. Walk through to the back of the shop and you’ll see the loom where these items are all created. Have a custom design? The family who runs the show will have it ready for you, usually in two days or less.  Just north is where you’ll find Art and Beer, an art gallery and restaurant owned and operated by Lourdes Campos and her partner Alfredo Ruiz. The two are both artists and have become somewhat of an institution in their own right. Art and beer are not the only things to be found here. Enjoy some chocolate clams or a wonderful lunch on the shaded patio or atop the sun drenched rooftop of the main building, where the art, beer and the hospitable hosts can be found.  Once you’ve reached the sleepy town of Todos Santos you’ve arrived in a handicraft shopper’s paradise. Many little shops can be found such as Artesanias Zahuapan where you can purchase silver, onyx and quartz products as well as handmade blankets. For bronze sculptures, try Fenix de Todos Santos, who also carries cotton resort wear and Baja styled beach clothing. Agua Y Sol is a good choice for wood and iron sculptures, jewelry and hand painted pottery. Several galleries tempt the art lover to pop in and browse. Todos Santos has earned a reputation as the home of many internationally recognized artists and the colony offers up a wide variety of items sure to please just about everyone’s tastes. Spending time strolling the galleries and shops will no doubt build an appetite, luckily there are several excellent restaurants in town. To return to Cabo, head back on Hwy 19 south, or, continue on towards La Paz. About 15 minutes out of Todos Santos, you’ll come to the intersection of Hwy 19 and Hwy 1, take Hwy 1 south. The drive this way takes about an hour and a half to two hours, but the drive through the Sierra Laguna Mountains and along the East Cape coastline is something you shouldn’t miss. SAN JOSE DEL CABO This is perhaps the best location to purchase high-quality jewelry, home furnishings and folk art in Los Cabos. Start out at Plaza Mijares in the center of historic colonial San Jose and fan out in all directions to explore dozens of small, mostly owner-operated shops. Scattered amongst the shops are many restaurants serving both regional and international foods. For those in search of jewelry, I’d suggest a visit to Amethyst where silver, gold and semi-precious stones take center stage. A small shop, Copal, just up the street brings animals to life in sculptures carved from mesquite wood. For a great selection of Oaxacan artisan works, Galeria Veryka on Blvd. Mijares brings embroidered clothing, silver and hand-molded black and green pottery from the mainland much to the delight of both local and tourist shoppers.  If Tequila is on your list, a visit to Los Barrilles de Cuervo is in order. Rare tequilas housed in imaginative and often collectable decanters make it easy to browse but difficult to decide. Which one is the right one? Well, why not take two, or three... Cigar lovers are well advised to make a stop at Amigos Smokeshop & Cigar Bar. Make a selection and sit back and enjoy a snifter of fine tequila and keep you’re eyes open for the occasional celebrities that make this one of their favorite out-of-the-way stops while in Los Cabos. Last but not least, furniture and accessories for your home can be found at Art, Design and Decoration, located on Calle Doblado at Morelos. Stock up on handpainted ceramic dishes, hand-carved furniture, accent pieces and decorations at a fraction of the cost of what you’d pay back home. There are many, many more shops in the area and every time I visit I find new ones that coax the cash right out of my pocket, but at the price, at least I know I’ve found a true bargain.
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