Los Cabos () is a
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
located at the southern tip of
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
's
Baja California Peninsula, in the
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
of
Baja California Sur
Baja California Sur (; 'South Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California Sur ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California Sur), is the least populated state and the 31st admitted state of the 32 federal ent ...
. It encompasses the two towns of
Cabo San Lucas
Cabo San Lucas (, "Saint Luke Cape"), or simply just Cabo, is a resort city at the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula, in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. As at the 2020 Census, the population of the city was 202,694 inhabitan ...
and
San José del Cabo
San José del Cabo (, ''Saint Joseph of the Cape'') is a city located in southern Baja California Sur state, Mexico. It is the seat of Los Cabos Municipality lying at a shallow bay northeast of Cabo San Lucas on the Gulf of California. The city h ...
(the municipal seat) linked by a thirty-two-km
Resort Corridor of beach-front properties and championship golf courses.
The area was remote and rural until the latter 20th century, when the Mexican government began to develop Cabo San Lucas for tourism, which then spread east to the municipal seat. The main draw is the climate and geography, where desert meets the sea, along with
sport fishing
Recreational fishing, also called sport fishing or game fishing, is fishing for leisure, exercise or competition. It can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is professional fishing for profit (economics), profit; or subsistence fishing ...
, resorts and golf. This tourism is by far the main economic activity with over two million visitors per year. Over 1 million visit from the United States.
Although San José del Cabo is the seat of government for the municipality of Los Cabos, it is smaller than the other city of Cabo San Lucas. However, because of federal and private investments in tourism, its growth is now rivaling that of the more famous resort area.
This growth has been regulated to outside of the town centre, especially to the south where the beaches are, leaving the historic town centre quiet and relatively unchanged.
There are still cobblestone
Cobblestone is a natural building material based on cobble-sized stones, and is used for pavement roads, streets, and buildings.
Setts, also called Belgian blocks, are often casually referred to as "cobbles", although a sett is distinct fro ...
streets, adobe
Adobe ( ; ) is a building material made from earth and organic materials. is Spanish for ''mudbrick''. In some English-speaking regions of Spanish heritage, such as the Southwestern United States, the term is used to refer to any kind of e ...
houses, jacaranda
''Jacaranda'' is a genus of 49 species of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae, native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas. The generic name is also used as the common name.
The species ''Jacaranda mimosifolia'' has achie ...
trees and a central square in front of a church that dates from the 18th century, where people gather in the evening when it is cooler.
A number of the large houses in the center date from the 19th century, and most of these have been converted into restaurants, art galleries and shops selling everything from fine handcrafts, silver, local gemstones and souvenirs. The art scene in the town is well-developed because of tourism and people with vacation homes. These shops carry high end paintings and sculptures from traditional Mexican, Mexican contemporary and international artisans and artists.
During the high season from October to May, these galleries stay open late into the night.[ The town has resisted the addition of large shopping malls and chain stores.][ There is also some colonial era architecture as well, but this style has more in common with colonial towns to the north into the United States rather than the centre and south of Mexico.]
The main example of colonial architecture is the town's parish church. It was part of the Estero de las Palmas de San José del Cabo Mission, founded in 1730. The facade is marked with a tile mural depicting the martyrdom of founder Nicolás Tamaral, killed by the local Pericu people .[ The patron saint of the town is ]Saint Joseph
Joseph (; el, Ἰωσήφ, translit=Ioséph) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who, according to the canonical Gospels, was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. The Gospels also name some brothers of ...
, whose feast day is celebrated here on 19 March. Another important occasion is the feast of the Our Lady of the Pillar on 12 October. Occasions like these are marked with traditional dance in dress styles known as “Flor de Pitaya” and the “La Cuera.”[
Other important landmarks in the town include the municipal hall (''palacio municipal''), which dates from 1981 and the cultural centre or ''Casa de Cultura'', housed in a 19th-century building.][
The tourist area of the town is the area between the town proper and the shoreline. This area has a nine-hole golf course and a line of hotels and resorts facing the ocean,][ which served over 900,000 hotel guests in 2011.]
The municipality
Overview
San Jose del Cabo is the seat and the government for the communities found in a 3,451.51 km2 area, located in the extreme south of the state of Baja California Sur. It is connected to the capital of La Paz
La Paz (), officially known as Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Spanish pronunciation: ), is the seat of government of the Bolivia, Plurinational State of Bolivia. With an estimated 816,044 residents as of 2020, La Paz is the List of Bolivian cities ...
via the Transpeninsular Highway .
The municipality borders that of La Paz to the north, with the Pacific Ocean and Gulf of California
The Gulf of California ( es, Golfo de California), also known as the Sea of Cortés (''Mar de Cortés'') or Sea of Cortez, or less commonly as the Vermilion Sea (''Mar Bermejo''), is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean that separates the Baja Ca ...
surrounding it in the other directions. The municipal government consists of a municipal president, a syndic
Syndic (Late Latin: '; Greek: ' – one who helps in a court of justice, an advocate, representative) is a term applied in certain countries to an officer of government with varying powers, and secondly to a representative or delegate of a universi ...
and fourteen representatives called regidors.[
The main areas of the municipality are the seat, Cabo San Lucas, and the tourist corridor along the coast between them. Although San Jose del Cabo is the government, Cabo San Lucas has a higher population and its natural arch at Land's End is the symbol for the municipality.] Outside of the two main cities, other important communities include Colonia del Sol, Las Veredas, Colonia Los Congrejos, San José Viego and La Ribera.[
The municipality is one of the most important tourist destinations in Mexico, for its fishing, beaches, and resorts.][ Historical landmarks are relatively few but include the municipal hall, the Casa de Cultura in San Jose del Cabo, the Faro Viejo and the San Jose del Cabo and Santiago de las Coras missions. The latter was founded in 1721 by Ignacio María Napoli.][
]
Cabo San Lucas and the tourist corridor
The city of Cabo San Lucas, about 32 km (20 mi) to the west of San Jose del Cabo, is far more commercial. Unlike most Mexican towns, Cabo San Lucas has no main plaza or large cathedral. Instead, it is centered around the marina and entertainment district.[ Up until the latter 20th century, the area was a small fishing village when tourist infrastructure begun. Despite its success, high rise construction has been kept limited, focusing on resorts and sand-top restaurants in the beach area.][
The main attractions are fishing, nightlife and whale watching.][ It is a place for vacation, where most visitors stay at all-inclusive resorts. The two main events during the year are Spring Break and ]Sammy Hagar
Samuel Roy Hagar (born October 13, 1947), also known as the Red Rocker, is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He rose to prominence in the early 1970s with the hard rock band Montrose and subsequently launched a successful solo car ...
’s birthday which happens on the second weekend in October as his birthday is 13 October 1947. The latter focuses on his Cabo Wabo
Cabo Wabo is a nightclub, restaurant and bar company founded in 1990 by American singer-songwriter and rock musician Sammy Hagar. Located in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico franchises exist along the Las Vegas Strip and on Hollywoo ...
bar and restaurant in the city.[
The success of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo has created a tourist corridor along the coastal highway between the cities. While there has been some development of resorts, hotels, and golf courses, there are still smaller isolated and undeveloped beaches.][
]
Socioeconomics
By far the main economic activity for the municipality is tourism, focused on a shoreline corridor between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo.[ Most visitors come from the United States (especially California) and Canada, followed by Mexico, and many visitors return year after year.] Visitors can get by in Cabo San Lucas purely in English and use U.S. dollars.[
Most of the about two million visitors a year arrive by plane to the Los Cabos airport, but the Cabo San Lucas marina also has facilities for cruise ships. In 2012, the area has hotel occupancy of just over 60% with 248 cruise ships visiting.][ The area's high end resorts have also attracted notable names such as ]Bruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is a retired American actor. He achieved fame with a leading role on the comedy-drama series ''Moonlighting'' (1985–1989) and appeared in over a hundred films, gaining recognition as an action hero a ...
, Kelly Preston
Kelly Kamalelehua Smith (October 13, 1962 – July 12, 2020), known professionally as Kelly Preston, was an American actress. She appeared in more than 60 television and film productions, including '' Mischief'' (1985), '' Twins'' (1988), ...
and John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor. He came to public attention during the 1970s, appearing on the television sitcom ''Welcome Back, Kotter'' (1975–1979) and starring in the box office successes ''Carrie'' (19 ...
, and San Jose del Cabo also has a notable expatriate population, mostly retirees who have economic influence.[
The main draw for most visitors has been the environment, where the desert meets the sea, best symbolized by El Arco, a natural stone arch over the ocean in Cabo San Lucas where the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of California meet.][ The natural features have led to ecotourism such as boat tours to El Arco, tours of the San Jose Estuary and the coral reefs of ]Cabo Pulmo
Cabo Pulmo National Park ( es, Parque Nacional Cabo Pulmo) is a national marine park on the east coast of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula, spanning the distance between Pulmo Point and Los Frailes Cape, approximately north of Cabo San Lucas ...
, and whale watching from January to March, when the animals arrive to breed.[
Sports fishing is a major and the longest established draw as there are about 800 species of fish in the waters off the coast.][ High season for this activity is in the summer, the season for ]marlin
Marlins are fish from the family Istiophoridae, which includes about 10 species. A marlin has an elongated body, a spear-like snout or bill, and a long, rigid dorsal fin which extends forward to form a crest. Its common name is thought to deri ...
, although fishing for various other species extends all year. There are certain exotic species that are off limits due to conservation concerns and others are “catch-and-release” only.[
There are four main golf courses in the municipality, designed by the likes of ]Jack Nicklaus
Jack William Nicklaus (born January 21, 1940), nicknamed The Golden Bear, is a retired American professional golfer and List of golf courses designed by Jack Nicklaus, golf course designer. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest go ...
and Pete Dye
Paul Dye Jr. (December 29, 1925 – January 9, 2020), known as Pete Dye, was an American golf course designer and a member of a family of course designers. He was married to fellow designer and amateur champion Alice Dye.
Early life
Dye was ...
.[ Other activities for tourists include snorkeling, diving, dune-buggy rides, camel rides, zip-lining, rides on water-propelled jet packs,][ surfing (especially at the Acapulquito Beach), jet-ski riding, kayaking, sailing, horseback riding, ATV riding, hang gliding, mountain biking, camping, tennis and rappelling.][ Off the beaten path, there is the town of Miraflores (for its leather crafts), the Santiago fossil museum, the traditional towns of Caduaño, San Antonio and San Bartolo and a glass blowing factory.][
Los Cabos hosts a culinary event called Ritmos, Colores y Sabores, which attracts chefs from the United States and Europe.] The gastronomy of the region is based on seafood, which includes clams, marlin, snails, tuna and shark. A locally produced liquor is Damiana, sweet and flavored with a local herb, said to be an aphrodisiac
An aphrodisiac is a substance that increases sexual desire, sexual attraction, sexual pleasure, or sexual behavior. Substances range from a variety of plants, spices, foods, and synthetic chemicals. Natural aphrodisiacs like cannabis or cocain ...
.[
The main export of the municipality is the production of salt. There are also limited mineral deposits, especially in the Capuano and Mezquite areas such as limestone and granite.][
The small town of Miraflores is known for its leatherwork, especially saddles and other gear for horseback riding. Jewelry and decorations made with shells are produced in San José del Cabo, Cabo San Lucas and Santa Rosa.][
Despite the development, 28.5% live in poverty and 5.6% live in extreme poverty; 18.1% live in substandard housing and 27.1% need food assistance.] There are 313 schools from the primary to high school level. 9.3 years of schooling for those over 15. There are two vocational schools and twelve centers for adult education. There are no schools specifically targeting an indigenous population.[
]
Geography and environment
The municipality of Los Cabos is at the southern end of the Baja California peninsula, where desert meets the sea and the Gulf of California meets the Pacific Ocean.[ The area was originally underwater, evidenced by the many fossils of marine animals, which are up to 25 million years old.] The basement rock underlying Los Cabos formed even earlier, approximately 115 million years ago.
The municipality has an average altitude of forty meters above sea level. There are three main terrain types, mountain terrain, semi flat areas and flat areas. The mountains consist of the Sierra de la Laguna and the Sierra de San Lázaro, both formed of volcanic rock, covering about fifteen percent of the total territory with peaks between 400 and 1000 meters. The semi flat areas are located between the coast and the mountain ranges, mostly of sedimentary rock and account for sixty percent of the territory. The flat areas are along the coast, beaches and alluvial plains, which account for twenty five percent of the territory.[
One of the main natural resources is the beaches. Major beaches include Los Frailes, Buena Vista, Agua Caliente, Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Chileno and Punta Colorada, often promoted together as the Costa de Oro (Golden Coast).][ One very popular beach in Cabo San Lucas is Lover's Beach, which is surrounded by dramatic rock shapes.][ The sea experiences lows of 72–73 °F (22–23 °C) in winter, and highs of 77–84 °F (25–29 °C) during the summer months.
]
As it is on the edge of the desert that covers most of the Baja California peninsula, it is one of the sunniest locations in the world, with an average of 320 days of sunshine per year.[ The climate is characterized as hot and dry to the north of the town of San José del Cabo, hot and semi moist in San José and along the southern coast and temperate and dry in the highest elevations, because of cyclones that hit this area. Average annual temperature is 24C with the coolest month being January. There is a rainy season in the summer, with most rain in September.][ The rain and terrain make for a variety of micro climates, including areas with a climate similar to the Mediterranean.][ Areas between 0 and 400 meters are desert and semi-desert, with many areas having deep sand deposits. Higher elevations get more water and can have pine forests.][
The main surface water of the municipality is the ]Río San José
Rio or Río is the Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Maltese word for "river". When spoken on its own, the word often means Rio de Janeiro, a major city in Brazil.
Rio or Río may also refer to:
Geography Brazil
* Rio de Janeiro
* Rio do Sul, a ...
or San José River, which runs north to south, mostly during the rainy season. Other streams run only during rains and include Santiago, Miraflores, Caduaño and Las Palmas.[ There are subterranean deposits of water such as the Santiago and San José del Cabo, but the lack of water is the main impediment to human development in the area.][
]
The Río San José stops just shy of the ocean, with a one km long sand bar creating an estuary
An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...
, the third largest in Mexico. This pooling of brackish water has created an oasis in the surrounding Sarcocaule desert. The Río San José flows largely underground for from its origin in the Sierra de la Laguna
The Sierra de la Laguna is a mountain range at the southern end of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico, and is the southernmost range of the Peninsular Ranges System.
It is located in La Paz Municipality and Los Cabos Municipality of sout ...
(Laguna Mountains), although its Miramonte River tributary adds almost an additional . Its tributaries flow down the eastern side of the sierra and include Santa Rosa, Santa Lázaro, San Miguel, San Ignacio (at La Palma), Caduaño, Miraflores and San Bernard.
The river used to flow above ground until the beginning of the 20th century due to anthropogenic causes. For more than 250 years the Río San José has furnished drinking and irrigation water for the town of San Jose del Cabo, beginning as a source of fresh water for Spanish galleon
Galleons were large, multi-decked sailing ships first used as armed cargo carriers by European states from the 16th to 18th centuries during the age of sail and were the principal vessels drafted for use as warships until the Anglo-Dutch War ...
s traveling back from the Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
.[Encyclopædia Britannica, Second edition, 1778, Edinburgh, page 1580. Scan of page can be found at http://www.hyzercreek.com/britannica.htm ] Over the sand bar from the estuary is a bay referred to by early Spanish explorers, including Sebastian Vizcaino, as the Bahía de San Bernabé or Bay of San Bernabé, and now as the Bay of San José del Cabo.
The estuary is home to both native and migratory birds and aquatic species, 250 species of tropical birds alone.[ Most of the migratory species use the area as a stopover on their way to southern Mexico, Central American and South America. It also acts as a nursery to many juvenile and larval stage species. It was declared a state environmental reserve, but pollution and excessive water extraction has caused it to degenerate, leading to a complaint by Greenpeace.][ One effort to improve the water situation is the creation of new water treatment plants in the 2000s.]
Vegetation varies mostly by altitude and soil type and how much moisture the area receives. However almost all species are those adapted to desert and semi-desert zones.[ The highest elevations have pine forests.][ Wildlife is varied and includes mammals such as badgers, skunks, coyotes, foxes, pumas and other wild cats, deer, raccoons, rabbits, bats and various rodents. Bird species include quail, doves, cardinals, woodpeckers, swallows and marine species such as pelicans and seagulls. There are over 850 species of aquatic animals off the coast such as marlin, ]sailfish
The sailfish is one or two species of marine fish in the genus ''Istiophorus'', which belong to the family Istiophoridae ( marlins). They are predominantly blue to gray in colour and have a characteristically large dorsal fin known as the ...
, swordfish
Swordfish (''Xiphias gladius''), also known as broadbills in some countries, are large, highly migratory predatory fish characterized by a long, flat, pointed bill. They are a popular sport fish of the billfish category, though elusive. Swordfis ...
, tuna, dorado and whales. Many species and subspecies of both plants and animals are endemic only to Baja California.[
]
History
The indigenous Pericu names for San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas were Añiñi and Yenecami, respectively, with the current names given by the colonizing Spanish.[ The name of San José was given by Nicolás Tamaral in honor of José de la Fuente Peña y Castrejón, the Marquis of Villa Puente who sponsored the mission. The appendix of “de Los Cabos” is to distinguish it from San José de Comondú as well as its proximity to Cabo San Lucas. San Jose was also known as San Barnabé, as the nearby bay was named this. Pirate ]Thomas Cavendish
Sir Thomas Cavendish (1560 – May 1592) was an English explorer and a privateer known as "The Navigator" because he was the first who deliberately tried to emulate Sir Francis Drake and raid the Spanish towns and ships in the Pacific and retu ...
called Cabo San Lucas “Safe Port” as he hid there from Spanish authorities. The seal for the municipality of Los Cabos (referring to the two cities) was approved by the state government in 1981.[
When the Spanish arrived the main indigenous group in the area was the Pericus, a hunter-gather culture with ]Stone Age
The Stone Age was a broad prehistoric period during which stone was widely used to make tools with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years, and ended between 4,000 BC and 2,000 BC, with t ...
tools. It is possible that these people arrived to the region with a more evolved culture which later simplified to adapt to the harsh conditions. Evidence of this includes the region's cave paintings as the peoples found by the Jesuits did not have an artistic tradition. The Pericu people and culture were distinct from other indigenous groups, first by being taller and second by being polygamous in a tribal organization. Their diet consisted of local seeds and fruits, as well as fish, reptiles, and small mammals. Men were in charge of large game hunting of deer.[
]
Hernán Cortés
Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro Altamirano, 1st Marquess of the Valley of Oaxaca (; ; 1485 – December 2, 1547) was a Spanish ''conquistador'' who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of w ...
himself arrived here in 1535, and named the Gulf of California the Sea of Cortés (Mar de Cortés) the name still used for it in Spanish.[ The harsh conditions impeded colonization by the Spanish, which did not begin in earnest until 1730, when Father José Echeverría and Father Nicolás Tamaral founded a mission in what is now San Jose del Cabo in 1730.][ This date is considered the founding of the town, although a second ceremonial found took place in 1822, when it was declared a town of the Baja California territory.][
Diseases brought by Europeans devastated indigenous groups here,][ and in 1768 more missionaries arrived.][ While colonization was slow, the area was important as a way station for the ]Manila Galleon
fil, Galyon ng Maynila
, english_name = Manila Galleon
, duration = From 1565 to 1815 (250 years)
, venue = Between Manila and Acapulco
, location = New Spain (Spanish Empire) ...
and other ships, which stopped here for fresh water, as well as fruits and vegetables.
However, its remoteness also made it a place for pirates to hide.[ The first pirate in the area was ]Francis Drake
Sir Francis Drake ( – 28 January 1596) was an English explorer, sea captain, privateer, slave trader, naval officer, and politician. Drake is best known for his circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition, from 1577 to 1580 (t ...
in 1578, followed shortly after by Thomas Cavendish, both after the treasures from Spain's Asia trade. One major attack was that on the Santa Ana Galleon, whose looting caused the Spanish colonial government to explore and map the area around Cabo San Lucas at the very beginning of the 17th century. There were recommendations to establish a mission here, but this was rejected in favor of Loreto. This left Cabo San Lucas as a strategic hideout for English pirates until the 18th century. In 1709, pirate Woodes Rogers
Woodes Rogers ( 1679 – 15 July 1732) was an English sea captain, privateer, Atlantic slave trade, slave trader and, from 1718, the first List of colonial heads of the Bahamas, Royal Governor of the Bahamas. He is known as the captain of ...
attacked the Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación y Desengaño. Hiding nearly a month in Cabo San Lucas, he also mapped the area and wrote detailed descriptions. He was followed by George Shelvocke in 1721, who later published the oldest known drawings of the Pericues.[
After ]Independence
Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...
, the Baja Peninsula was part of the California province, but Cabo San Lucas was named head of a municipality. Its remoteness kept the area out of active participation of most of Mexico's 19th and early 20th century tumultuous history.[ One exception was the ]Mexican American War
Mexican may refer to:
Mexico and its culture
*Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America
** People
*** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants
*** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...
. Resistance to U.S. forces was organized in the small community of Santa Anita, near San José, headed by José Matías Moreno, Vicente Mejia and José Antonio Mijares, who was in charge of the marina at Cabo San Lucas. One of the main streets in the town is now named after Mijares, who died defending the town.[
The major political players during the Mexican Revolution were Manuel Gonzalez and Pedro Orozco, along with Félix Ortega. In 1915, Ildefonso Green Ceseña, head of forces loyal to ]Venustiano Carranza
José Venustiano Carranza de la Garza (; 29 December 1859 – 21 May 1920) was a Mexican wealthy land owner and politician who was Governor of Coahuila when the constitutionally elected president Francisco I. Madero was overthrown in a February ...
, drove out those of Francisco Villa
Francisco "Pancho" Villa (, Orozco rebelled in March 1912, both for Madero's continuing failure to enact land reform and because he felt insufficiently rewarded for his role in bringing the new president to power. At the request of Madero's c ...
out of the southern part of the peninsula.[
Some development of the area began after the ]Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution ( es, Revolución Mexicana) was an extended sequence of armed regional conflicts in Mexico from approximately 1910 to 1920. It has been called "the defining event of modern Mexican history". It resulted in the destruction ...
with a lighthouse at Cabo Falso as early as 1905, just southwest of Cabo San Lucas, in part to remind U.S. ships in the waters here that the territory remained Mexican. Today, it is known as the “Faro Viejo” (Old Lighthouse) and is a historic monument. In 1917, a U.S. company began tuna fishing operations here and had a floating processing plant. In 1927, the Compañía de Productos Marinas based its operations in Cabo San Lucas and helped develop the port to make it open to tourism later. In the 1920s, the first road connecting San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas was begun but not completely finished until 1970.[
For the most part, the area remained rural and undeveloped until the latter 20th century, when the federal agency Fonatur began to develop a tourism industry here.][ Development began with Cabo San Lucas for vacationers, but then spread to San Jose del Cabo, but with a different direction with more ]art galleries
An art gallery is a room or a building in which visual art is displayed. In Western cultures from the mid-15th century, a gallery was any long, narrow covered passage along a wall, first used in the sense of a place for art in the 1590s. The lon ...
and promotion of its traditional Mexican character.[
The current municipality of Los Cabos was created in 1981, separated from the municipality of La Paz, with the seat at San Jose del Cabo. The town had previously been a municipal seat of a municipality of the same name in 1917 but lost this in a political reorganization in 1972.][
Mayor Armida de Jesús Castro Guzmán quit on March 1, 2021 because of sexism by the party′s state leader, Alberto Rentería Santana, and because he did not support her reelection.
As of March 1, 2021, the municipality reported 7,796 recoveries, 209 active cases, and 404 deaths from the ]COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
The COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico is part of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, worldwide pandemic of COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 ().
The virus was confirmed to ha ...
.
Crime
Reports of increased violence in the Los Cabos municipality are connected to the 2016 arrest of drug kingpin Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán
Joaquín Archivaldo Guzmán Loera (; born 4 April 1957), commonly known as "El Chapo" (), is a Mexican former drug lord and a former leader within the Sinaloa Cartel, an international crime syndicate. He is considered to have been one of th ...
, following an interview with US actor Sean Penn
Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an American actor and film director. He has won two Academy Awards, for his roles in the mystery drama ''Mystic River'' (2003) and the biopic ''Milk'' (2008).
Penn began his acting career in televisi ...
for ''Rolling Stone Magazine
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its cov ...
''. Instability that eluded Los Cabos, Mexico's "most prized and protected tourist resorts" according to the ''Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'', stemmed from the void in the drug cartel.
Generally the violence from fragmented, warring factions, seeking to gain control in the region, has not targeted tourists. "The vast majority of the violence is playing out in the poor desert hillside communities that house resort workers, far from the beaches that have made this region a magnet for business moguls and Hollywood stars." The "lucrative drug-smuggling corridor" of the twin cities of Los Cabos has led to bloodshed among rival gangs contributing to the fastest-rising homicide rate in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur from 2015 to 2017.
Warring gangs often use intimidation tactics to announce their presence such as hanging victims in public spaces next to banners called " narcomantas." In December 2017, rival gangs hanged six bodies from bridges near major resorts, one with a public banner that was translated as: "This is what will happen to anyone who does not fall into line with us. It has been made more than clear that we hold all the power and that Baja north and south are ours." Such signs are used to threaten government officials and serve as warnings or intentions of "cleansing" the drug-smuggling corridor. The city since then has considerably lowered the crime rate after the local government cracked down on violent cartels in early 2018.
References
External links
Ayuntamiento de Los Cabos
Official municipal government website.
{{Authority control
Municipalities of Baja California Sur
Populated coastal places in Mexico