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San Jose Del Cabo, 33km east of Cabo San Lucas, is older and more
traditional then Cabo San Lucas. Sporting a handsome Municipal Palace,
charming courtyard restaurants, shops, boutiques, and a lovely tropical
estuary. The atmosphere here is subdued compared with the more rowdy
town of Cabo San Lucas.
Founded in 1730 as a mission San Jose Del Cabo grew into an
agricultural centre and small port. Few traces remain of its earliest
years, those older buildings that do date from the 1880s onward.
Although they are fast being swamped, the old plaza and the Paseo
Mijares (which now leads to a modern hotel zone about 1km seaward) are
still more or less intact, and there's a small local museum in the Casa
de la Cultura. Of historical interest is the San Jose Mission founded in
1730 by the Jesuits Jose de Echeverria and Nicolas Tamaral. Above the
church entrance, built in 1940, is a scene of the martyrdom of Father
Tamaral when he was killed by the Perice Indians.
The numerous shops and restaurants that line the streets and shady
courtyards are interesting. You'll find a good variety of cuisines, but
prices are high. Visitors to San Jose Del Cabo tend to come for the
aquatic flora and fauna, and most of the hotels can help arrange tours,
guides and equipment, although you should shop around to make sure you
get a good deal.
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