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With air connectivity between the United States and Mexico stronger than ever before, and this semester’s figures in already, we can confirm Los Cabos is one of the most sought-after destinations by Americans traveling South of the border.
As reported by The Cabo Sun, it is growing at an ‘unprecedented’ rate, set to overtake Cancun’s. In May alone, it registered as much as a 28 percent increase in available airline seats compared to the pre-pandemic reference year of 2019.
But what’s behind Los Cabos’ sudden spike in bookings, and where could it be headed next? Here are 5 reasons why it’s become so hugely popular:
It Is Latin America’s Wellness Capital
In a successful attempt to fence off competition by newcomers, particularly in the wider Latin American world where travel is booming, Los Cabos has ensured it stays on top of travel trends. Its continuous strides in investing in wellness have particularly benefited the destination as a whole.
Wellness is one of the top trends this year, as Americans favor slow-paced, relaxing getaways after the last few dreadfully stressful years, and both San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas, which jointly form the ‘Capes’, have an enviable concentration of world-class spas.
In fact, they boast the greatest proportion of wellness retreats anywhere in Latin America, making the twin cities trailblazers in this burgeoning industry. Vacationing in Los Cabos, guests can expect the highest level of comfort, as well as cutting-edge technology when attending spa and salon treatments.
Luxury Retreats
Los Cabos is also a self-made luxury hub, having quickly transcended from mere colonial-era fishing villages straddling the Pacific Ocean to high-end tourist developments in only a few decades. Needless to say, this rapid transformation has attracted a valuable high-spending clientele.
More often than not, tourists come here to check into a luxurious enclave in the heart of the bustling coast, put their worries to bed, and be well looked after, and they can be sure they will.
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Last year, Cabo beat Cancun and Puerto Vallarta to win an award for best destination in Mexico, and this is largely due to the quality of the services offered and the prestige enjoyed by its hotel zone, which posted as many as six properties on La Liste, a publication ranking the 1000 best in the world.
In fact, one of them has even cracked the top three, with The Waldorf Astoria in Cabo San Lucas’ El Pedegral district being crowned the second-best globally – the highest-ranking accommodation provider in all of Mexico.
Digital Nomads Love It
Other than wellness retreats and luxury, Cabo is one of Mexico’s unofficial digital nomad capitals. Every year, the number of expats working remotely based in the Baja California Sur peninsula increases, actively contributing to the diversification of the local economy.
Back in 2022, local authorities partnered with AirBnB to promote long-term stays across numerous destinations across the region, including Los Cabos, which according to the vacation rental platform, ‘has a flavor of the sea’.
Nomads are particularly drawn to Cabo’s year-round warm weather, the proximity to nature, the accessibility of affordable health services, especially if you’re earning in dollars, and the locals’ friendliness to foreigners.
Not As Crazy As Cancun
Though it is a resort destination with a wide array of entertainment options, including bars, restaurants, and your usual beach clubs, Los Cabos has been distancing itself from Cancun’s and Vallarta’s reputation as party destinations.
Instead, it’s branded itself as a relaxation retreat, and that’s partly why it’s become America’s new favorite, dethroning the Caribbean giant. Whether on short-term breaks or slow travelers, tourists come here mostly to unwind and be closer to nature.
That’s not to say it is a sleepy destination with an absence of attractions or an inexisting nightlife scene: quite on the contrary, it is the Mexican Pacific’s liveliest and best-frequented resort. However, leisure and entertainment are not at the front of Cabo’s much grander tourist offer.
It Is Easy To Travel To
Finally, there is the fact that Los Cabos is well-connected to an extensive list of U.S. and Canadian cities, making travel easy for North Americans.
Overall, the busy Los Cabos International Airport hosts flights from over 30 departure points in the States and Canada.
The complete list can be found below:
- Air Canada
– Serves Montreal-Trudeau (seasonal beginning December 2023), Toronto-Pearson, and Vancouver
- Alaska Airlines
– Serves Los Angeles, Portland (OR), San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose (CA), Seattle/Tacoma, Las Vegas (seasonal beginning December 2023)
- American Airlines
– Serves Austin, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Phoenix-Sky Harbor, and Charlotte and New York-JFK seasonally every winter
- Delta Air Lines
– Serves Atlanta, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Seattle/Tacoma, and Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York-JFK seasonally every winter
- Frontier Airlines
– Serves Denver
- JetBlue
– Serves Los Angeles, New York-JFK
- Southwest Airlines
– Serves Austin, Denver, Houston-Hobby, Oakland, Orange County, Phoenix-Sky Harbor, Sacramento, San Diego, and every winter-spring Baltimore, Chicago-Midway, Kansas city (beginning October 2023), and St Louis (beginning March 2024)
- Spirit Airlines
– Serves Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston-Intercontinental, Los Angeles every high season
- Sun Country Airlines
– Serves Dalas/Fort Worth, Minneapolis/St. Paul every high season
- United Airlines
– Serves Chicago O/Hare, Denver, Houston-Intercontinental, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco
- Viva Aerobus
– Serves Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky every high season
- WestJet
– Serves Calgary, Vancouver, and Edmonton, Kelowna, and Victoria every high season, with Victoria flights laughing November 2023
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com