Two small and very different towns -- San José del Cabo to the northeast, Cabo San Lucas at the southern tip -- bracket a twenty-mile seacoast 'Corridor,' home to a range of elegant hotels, and to a collection championship golf courses that combine the green velvet-in-a-desert look of Arizona links with the oceanfront challenges of Pebble Beach.

Picturesque and historic San José del Cabo still looks like the 18th Century mission town it once was; Cabo San Lucas, where the Pacific meets the Sea of Cortés (home to world-class Marlin fishing) at a natural stone arch, jumps around the clock with shops, restaurants and nightclubs, the Marina and the mariachis. In both towns, and all along the highway between them, are places to stay that suit any style and fit most budgets.

Los Cabos is at the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula. Approaching by air across the Sea of Cortés (which separates the Baja from the rest of Mexico) the visitor first sees contrast: the craggy peaks of the Sierra de la Laguna form a backdrop to miles of golden beach, blue water and dramatic red rock formations; saguaro cactus, palms and cultivated gardens cover the pale gold desert landscape.

Cabo San Lucas is best identified by the image of the world famous rock arch formation "El Arco" where the Pacific meets the warm water of the Sea of Cortes.