Features FEBRUARY 3, 2020

The Guide to Mexico

Here's our coast-to-coast guide with over a dozen itineraries that will make you want to book a ticket ahora.

There’s never been a better time to explore our next-door neighbor. It’s now a breeze to hop on a flight out of Tijuana airport, and Mexican airlines have launched many new nonstops, making much of the country more accessible than ever to San Diegans. That’s why we went beyond Baja to cover the country from coast to coast. It’s not a comprehensive guide, but a good jumping-off point to experience the magical parts of the country. Through these pages, take a quick tour of Mexico starting at the jungles and shores on its Caribbean side, then work your way west back home. ¡Vámonos!

Choose Your Destination:

Cancún || Oaxaca City || San Miguel de Allende

Mexico City || Guadalajara || Mazatlán || Puerto Vallarta

Los Cabos || Loreto || Ensenada || Rosarito || Valle de Guadalupe || Tijuana

Yucatán Peninsula

Cancun

There’s more to this Caribbean paradise than clubs filled with spring breakers—if you know where to stay.

Guide to Mexico – Cancún

Why I Went

“Just play it cool, Letchworth,” my wife says as we exit our airport shuttle. “You belong here as much as anyone else.” I immediately fail this test when a bellhop asks if he can take my heavy suitcase, and on instinct I say, “Oh, no thanks! I can manage.” To his credit, he nods and waits until I’m distracted—by the two glasses of Champagne at check-in—to whisk it off anyway. We’re not at the Interstate Frontage Road Super 8 anymore, Toto.

This is just the first taste of a consistent standard of luxurious attendance at Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach (rooms from $347). Kohleun and I pride ourselves on being seasoned travelers, but as our 20s waned, so did our capacity for sleeping on the floor of the Amtrak observation car. On our first trip as a couple, it took only one night sharing a hostel room with six backpackers to realize we could afford to raise our standards a little.

And yet, stepping into our king-size suite, which could hold both my old studio apartments and opens onto a perfect Caribbean horizon, I’m still out of my depth. We’ve gotten the resort’s new premium package, “Ú,” whose amenities are so numerous we keep stumbling across their brochures like a scavenger hunt.

“Complimentary 30-minute WaveRunner ride for two?” I boggle.

“Unlimited access to the Gem Spa!” Kohleun prioritizes.

And just as I tear into the minibar’s unlimited supply of peanut-butter crackers, she waves the room service menu at me and says, “Let’s think bigger.”

It’s easy to imagine how differently this trip might’ve gone back when we were living on barista and adjunct-professor money and still had iron livers. We passed by that scene on our way in: the all-night Señor Frog and Friends party district. Since the drinking age in Mexico is 18, Cancún’s Hotel Zone is notorious for attracting American coeds looking for a spring break they’ll never remember.

But we’re here to give Cancún a second look, from the perspective of someone who can appreciate finer things at a more deliberate pace. And the Grand Fiesta Americana doesn’t disappoint: Its philosophy of service is to anticipate their guests’ every need.

Overhearing us mention wanting to go into town, a lobby rep offers a primer on local public transit. At Le Basilic restaurant, the servers not only place our napkins in our lap but replace them whenever we leave the table. In the “Grand Club” VIP beach section, an attendant bounds up with fresh towels whenever we emerge from the sea. There’s even somebody waiting by the back doors to wash the sand from our feet. Middle-class guilt flaring, it’s all we can do to make it rain with tips.

They must be on top of Quintana Roo’s reported seaweed problem, too, as both the hotel’s private beach and the closest public one are equally pristine. I embark on the Gem Spa’s Ten-Step Hydrotherapy Program with an open mind (and a stomach full of carbs, which step one, The Steam Room, expressly warns against). Kohleun loves step three, The Clay Room. I’m skeptical of step six, The Ice Room (aka “rub a snowball on yourself”), but the uninterrupted device-free time to be present, the hourlong massage add-on, and the concluding nap under a warm blanket turn my biological clock back a year.

Granted, you don’t have to leave the country (or even the county) to vacation like royalty. So what does Cancún have for the over-30 crowd that you can’t see anywhere else? The Mayan cities of Chichen Itza and Tulum are 138 and 84 miles away, respectively, but since we can’t spare a day trip on our brief stay, we get our archaeology fix at the nearby Museo Maya and at El Rey, a village with surviving temple walls, lintels, and colonnades from the sixth century, now home to an iguana kingdom.

Back at the hotel, our dinners on both nights are the pinnacle of the whole experience. La Joya restaurant’s tequila tasting pairs an añejo, a blanco, and a reposado with the proper vessel and chaser to bring out their full character. I’m no food critic, but I can tell you that their traditional Mexican cuisine was delicious and artfully presented—helped in part by the 10-piece mariachi band who had a new song for every table. Curiously, their fanciest venue, Le Basilic, is French. A live grand piano player serenades us through all five courses there, the final gilded punctuation on my nagging delirium of Whose life is this?

But by the time we leave, I’ve come to a different perspective on Five-Diamond travel. This standard of luxury may be routine for some of our fellow guests, but for most of them, a place like this is something they’ve saved up for and looked forward to for a long time. The aspiring Instagram star from Korea, who models three different swimsuits while her new husband gamely fixes the tripod in the sand; the Indian family whose five kids make dinosaur noises in the pool—these guests have learned well that money is best spent on experiences, not things. And it’s plain on their faces that they’ll remember this one for a long time.

Kohleun was right; we do belong here—and so does anyone else. —Dan Letchworth

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Southwestern Mexico

Oaxaca City

Oaxaca’s state capital is not only one of Mexico’s most affordable destinations, its culinary scene and natural wonders are priceless.

Guide to Mexico — Oaxaca City Street

STAY

There’s no shortage of lodging in Oaxaca City. You can spot a colonial building turned boutique hotel on almost every block of this walkable metropolis, but there’s a few stays that reign supreme. Built as a convent in the 1500s, Quinta Real Oaxaca has 91 rooms, a pool, and a courtyard that looks miraculously untouched by time. Within its walls, you’ll find peace and quiet, despite its primo location in the heart of the city. For a boutique option, book one of the six suites at Casa Antonieta. It does draw a younger crowd, thanks to its contemporary decor combined with the Instagrammable Spanish Colonial design that’s been kept intact. And foodies should look no further than Casa Oaxaca. The seven-room hotel’s most renowned for its restaurant of the same name, led by chef Alejandro Ruiz, whom you can book a culinary tour or cooking class with during your stay. If you’re hoping to sleep on the cheap, there’s vacation property rentals aplenty, starting around $30 per night.

EAT

When in Oaxaca, you go to the markets to get up close and personal with the local ingredients. At Mercado 20 de Noviembre, you can find all the regional staples prepared right in front of you—tlayuda (a huge fried tortilla smeared with refried beans and typically topped with chorizo and other veggies), tejate (a frothy chocolate drink made from corn), and tangy chapulines (grasshoppers). But the real draw here is that you can grill your own meats.

To put some pep back in your step, wander into one of the city’s many stylish cafés. Café Brújula has a bookstore attached to it, and Café Nuevo Mundo and Café Café have a menu with vegan and vegetarian options. Go to Expendio Tradición for a lunch or dinner shared-plates experience, and don’t pass up the ceviche (served with nuts and jicama for crunch) or the memela, a fried masa cake smothered with refried beans and sampling of proteins.

For fine-dining, book a reservation at Criollo, a restaurant founded by chef Enrique Olvera (of Pujol fame) that uses only local ingredients. Due to that, they serve only a seven-course prix-fixe menu that changes daily. For another upscale option, book a reservation at Los Danzantes, an open-air restaurant—with an upstairs bar, Selva, to boot. Order the Selva cocktail, which is topped with a piece of Oaxacan cheese that’s meant to be a little appetizer before your real feast.

No matter where you get your fill, there are many mezcalerias in Oaxaca City to enjoy a digestif or nightcap.

Guide to Mexico — Oaxaca City

DO

“Shop till you drop” (hopefully at a mezcaleria) is many visitors’ mentality in Oaxaca City. The town’s brimming with street vendors selling their wares, from clay pottery to colorful clothing. You can find them at Mercado Benito Juarez, neighboring Mercado 20 de Noviembre, and in front of Templo de Santo Domingo during the day. But to put your money right where the makers make, visit Mujeres Artesanas de las Regiones de Oaxaca. The women’s collective sells textiles sewn on site. When you’re ready to give shopping a break, pay a visit to one of the city’s many museums, like Museo de las Culturas, Museo Textil (Oaxaca is known for its textiles), or the Jardín Etnobotánico—but for a real natural wonder, book a tour or drive yourself to Hierve el Agua (photo below). About two hours from the city, this “petrified waterfall” has pools of liquid water on top, where you can take a dip or an incredible pic. There’s also the option to do a one-mile hike to see the awe-inspiring formation from below and the wild air plants along the path.

Lastly, spirit lovers shouldn’t miss the “World Capital of Mezcal,” Santiago Matatlan, about an hour from Oaxaca City and totally unassuming. On the drive out, you’ll spot clouds of smoke across the agave fields (earthen pit roasting gives mezcal its smoky flavor and is the key to agave cooking). Once in the village, make Gracios a Dios your first stop. The mezcaleria recently underwent a modern makeover and also makes its own gin. Many bottle shops dot the main drag, so you can grab more spirits to take home. Salud to that! —Sarah Pfledderer

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Central Mexico

San Miguel de Allende

Set at 6,000 feet and about 150 miles outside of Mexico City, this beguiling, Colonial-era town (and UNESCO World Heritage Site) is famous for its stunning architecture and boasts a Pueblo Mágico designation. Here you’ll discover progressive gastronomy, lively rooftop bars, vibrant marketplaces, and galleries galore.

La Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel

STAY

Located in the heart of the historic city, the luxurious Rosewood San Miguel de Allende has 67 Spanish hacienda-style guest rooms with terraces or balconies—and a rooftop with unbeatable sunset views of La Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel, the town’s famed Gaudi-esque neo-Gothic church. A new crop of boutique hotels have transformed several colonial mansions into intimate stays. Hotel Amparo, a five-room hideaway that’s an easy walk from El Jardín (the city center), is bedecked in midcentury furnishings, local art, and a high-end coffee bar to boot. Enjoy small-batch French wines and Creole bites on the roof or sip an Aperol spritz on the terrace surrounded by greenery, fountains, and birdsong. For a touch of the modern, Hotel Matilda sports minimalist deluxe rooms, a rooftop infinity pool, and an exciting collection of contemporary Latin art.

Hotel Amparo

EAT

In the shadows of the towering Parroquia church, Quince draws a crowd for its rooftop DJ scene, mind-bending views, and playful menu. Start with tuna sashimi in jalapeño ponzu sauce from the sushi bar, then follow with lamb barbacoa dumplings or roasted ají pepper pork loin served in a corn husk. Enrique Olvera of Pujol fame fired up the San Miguel dining scene with Moxi at Hotel Matilda back in 2011, and today it’s still a radical palate pleaser with inventive dishes like red mole and pork belly, or tender octopus atop risotto with huitlacoche—a corn fungus delicacy. Chef Marco Cruz puts a contemporary spin on Mexican cuisine at Nomada, offering an insanely affordable yet delish six-course tasting menu on Wednesdays: esquites (toasted corn) with capers, epazote mayo, and black truffles; crème brûlée topped with beet puree; artisanal Mexican beer, wine, and mezcal. Marlin tacos, rooftop beats, and more electrifying late-night views of the city make La Única another must-stop. For a sugar fix, Café San Agustín serves up the city’s best churros and dipping chocolates.

Guide to Mexico — San Miguel de Allende Street

A streetscape in San Miguel de Allende

DO

Stroll the central plaza or post up on a park bench in El Jardín to take in the parade of people and sights, like the traditional walking serenades (callejoneadas), wedding parties who dance through the streets behind giant bride-and-groom papier-mâché puppets called mojigangas, accompanied by mariachis and tequila-laden donkeys festooned in paper flowers. There’s threads by up-and-coming Mexican designers at La Colektiva HojaSanta, handmade ceramics and tableware at Trinitate, bags and boots at Talula de la Lune, shawls, blankets, and ponchos at boho-chic Mixta, and aromatic potions and lotions at La Victoriana.

Meander through Fábrica la Aurora, a former textile factory that now houses galleries, cafés, art studios, and fabrics. Then, eat your way through the sprawling Mercado de Artesanías, where locals sell grilled street corn, tamales, and handmade sweets, along with jewelry, rugs, pottery, and more. Peruse the collection of vintage and handcrafted Mexican toys at Museo la Esquina, or peek inside La Parroquia to see its chandeliers and Baroque architecture. Finally, head to Casa Dragones. Behind the massive wooden doors awaits a stylish tasting room in the former 17th-century stables of the queen’s cavalry—a magical place to sip refined tequila and hear the tale of Mexico’s break from Spain. —Ann Wycoff

Guanajuato

San Miguel’s less touristy neighbor is a former silver mining town that’s now a wonderland of the arts and rich in culture. Here are 7 ways to enjoy it.

1. Check in to Casa del Rector, then take a dip in the infinity pool with a mezcal margarita in hand and drink in the town’s patchwork of color and the mountain views.

2. Discover Don Quixote. Head to the Museo Iconográfico del Quijote and take in the artwork and sculptures of Cervantes’ favorite character. Every fall, the city holds Festival Internacional Cervantino, a celebration of art, literature, theater, film, and dance.

3. Pay homage to Diego Rivera. Explore the famed muralist and painter’s birth house and see some of his earlier work at the Museo Casa de Diego Rivera, and then go café hopping in nearby Plaza de San Fernando.

4. Ride the funicular up to Monumento al Pipila, a colossal statue of a War of Independence hero at one of the best viewpoints in town. Afterward, get lost while wandering back down through the city’s colorful alleyways.

5. Get spooked at El Museo de Las Momias, Guanajuato’s mummy museum next to the old cemetery.

6. Catch a performance at one of the town’s three gorgeous theaters: Cervantes, Juárez, or Principal.

7. Eat sweet corn and jalapeño fritters at Los Campos, enjoy live jazz or flamenco at La Capellina, then cap the evening with a mango chai cone at Estación Gelato.

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Central Mexico

Mexico City

This city of 8.8 million people has everything you’d expect from a buzzing metropolis—history, shopping, and five-star food—but a trip to Ciudad de México also promises plenty of nature to make for a balanced urban getaway.

Palacio des Bellas Artes

EAT

Considering its mix of fine dining and thousands of street vendors, booking a trip to Mexico City entails meal planning. Start in the Colonia Roma neighborhood at either of two locations of Panadería Rosetta. Despite its European ethos and flaky croissants, you can also snack on traditional Mexican pastries like conchas and guava danishes. Contramar is a quintessential Mexico City seafood and mezcal experience, where chef-owner Gabriela Cámara turns out octopus aguachile and mouthwatering tuna tostadas with crispy leeks in the hip Condesa neighborhood. Traveling with picky eaters? Mercado Roma food hall is packed with something for everyone, from tacos and empanadas to pizza and burgers. Come dinnertime, there are lots of high-end experiences in the swanky Polanco neighborhood, like the Chef’s Table–featured Pujol, but we love the lower key but still stellar vibe at Quintonil, where Jorge Vallejo (a Pujol protégé) and his wife, Alejandra Flores, have cultivated a sophisticated yet approachable menu of Mexican classics with plenty of vegetarian options that earned the restaurant 11th place on 2018’s World’s 50 Best Restaurants (yes, you need a reservation). No matter how full you are, save room for hot, crispy churros dipped in chocolate, caramel, or condensed milk sauces at Churrería El Moro (multiple locations).

STAY

Mexico City has all the big-name hotels—from Marriott to the new Sofitel—around busy Avenida Paseo de la Reforma, but the city specializes in design-centric options that make for a more unique stay. There’s hip minimalism and a rooftop pool at Hotel Habita in Polanco, the peaceful Chaya B&B housed in a 1920s building near the city center, and the intimate, four-room Nima Local House Hotel (occupying a literal old house) in Roma Norte that includes breakfast with your room rate.

Frida Kahlo Museum

DO

A stroll through the Zócalo, the historic city plaza, offers plenty to see in one shot, including grand churches, the Estela de Luz monument, and the Palacio Nacional. The impressive government building requires a passport for entry and is home to Diego Rivera’s famous History of Mexico mural. (Seeing the work and home of his wife, Frida Kahlo, at her eponymous museum in Coyoacán is also a must, but you’ll need a reservation.) At Castillo de Chapultepec, explore nooks and crannies in the former fortress of Mexican leaders, with preserved rooms, artifacts, paintings, and manicured gardens on a hilltop that offers a bird’s-eye view of the city. And as urban as it may be, Mexico City is surprisingly green. Bosque de Chapultepec, twice the size of New York’s Central Park, has tree-lined paths for walking and running.

Make time to see the Ballet Folklórico at the stunning Palacio des Bellas Artes. The traditional folk dance shows take the stage Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings most times of the year, and you can buy tickets at the box office about an hour before showtime. Find more culture at Mercado Ciudadela, a nearly 60-year-old market of Mexican handicrafts. They do sell some requisite cheesy souvenirs, but there are quality textiles and home decor, too.

Your hotel or a local tour company can book tours to Teotihuacán, a UNESCO World Heritage Site one hour from the city. Here, you can see (and climb) the famed pre-Aztec pyramids built between the first and seventh centuries. Bring a hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses—there’s little to no shade. –Archana Ram

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Western Mexico

Guadalajara

The capital of Jalisco state, Guadalajara is in many ways also the capital of Mexican culture. Locals have diligently preserved traditions that were born here, from tequila production and mariachi music to charrería, a rodeo-like competition that’s become Mexico’s national sport.

Tlaquepaque

STAY

Originally a private residence in the 1940s, Casa Habita is in the heart of Guadalajara’s hip and walkable Colonia Lafayette neighborhood, where tree-lined streets point you toward cool concept shops and romantic architecture. When it opens next month, the shiny new 11-room Casa Rébora is expected to be an even bigger draw, with its 24/7 restaurant and bar decked out in nothing but pink. Or find a home base in Tlaquepaque—a Pueblo Mágico in the metropolitan area’s southern outskirts, about 30 minutes away—at the richly designed Juana Bautista. The restored 16th-century colonial mansion played a part in Mexico’s independence.

EAT

Find unrivaled people-watching at the city’s oldest cantina, La Fuente, which serves no-frills drinks like tequila shots and ice-chilled beer bottles (there is no fridge) and not much else. By day, snack on street food like verduro gordo (steamed veggies topped with Cotija cheese, mayo, and spicy salsa macha) or the local torito (meat, onions, cilantro, and beans in a flour tortilla, smothered in cheese and baked until bubbly) at roving carts and in market stalls.

For dinnertime, make reservations at Hueso, where the menu changes daily and everyone sits together as compañeros among thousands of chef-collected animal bones that line the whitewashed walls. Last year, one of the owners opened Veneno, an earth-toned, cavelike space perfect for sipping cazuela (a typical Guadalajaran alcoholic punch) and a boozy spin on tejuino, a staple beverage made from fermented corn. When a hankering for late-night nibbles hits, head to Guilty, a bar and restaurant that would feel right at home in North Park—with masterfully made $5 cocktails.

For an elegant afternoon out, join the well-heeled families of Guadalajara at Casa Luna, a whimsical restaurant with live music and toothsome fare tucked inside one of Tlaquepaque’s old mansions.

Palacio de Gobierno

DO

By law, tequila can be made only in certain areas, and almost all of the blue-agave-based spirit comes from Jalisco. On Saturdays, the José Cuervo Express and Tequila Herradura Express trains celebrate this, departing Guadalajara for the drink’s namesake town, taking passengers on indulgent daylong tours of the distillation process from piña to glass.

In Guadalajara, experience unique Mexican culture at Lienzo Charros de Jalisco, where highly regarded, immaculately dressed charros compete on horseback every Sunday, while onlookers cheer, sip tequila, and sing along with mariachis. Known as charrería, the rodeo-like competition honors the country’s animal husbandry traditions and is on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Tour neoclassical architecture and landmarks of political history simultaneously in Centro Histórico, where the controversial, larger-than-life frescos of muralist José Clemente Orozco (a contemporary of Diego Rivera) depict the struggle between indigenous populations and Europeans during the Mexican Revolution. He painted an astounding 57 frescos in just two years at Instituto Cultural Cabañas, a World Heritage Site, but don’t skip the Palacio de Gobierno, a gorgeous 18th-century government building where a masterpiece overlooks the grand staircase.

Wander for hours through Mercado Libertad (locally called “San Juan de Dios”), Latin America’s largest indoor market. No matter what you’re on the hunt for—bruja (witch) herbs, Mexican candies, leather goods, huarache sandals, woven bags, studded saddles, an extra duffel for souvenirs—you’ll find it here while hopelessly (and joyfully) lost in the labyrinth. —Hannah Lott-Schwartz

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Pacific Coast

Mazatlán

In this beachfront colonial city in Sinaloa, days spent on tranquil seas and golden sands can be followed up with strolls in the Centro Histórico and nights at the opera. Despite widespread violence in other areas of the state, travelers to this resort city have little to fear—and so much to gain—on its forgotten shores.

The Malecón

Nearly a century has elapsed since Mexico’s first beach resorts sprang up in this Pacific Coast port city, luring Ernest Hemingway. In the interim, Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta, and Cancún stole the show. Worse, the city’s location in the cartel-violence-plagued state of Sinaloa tarnished its image.

But over the years, vast sums have been invested to restore the Pearl of the Pacific’s luster. The historic district has been exquisitely restored. The 13-mile Malecón, the world’s second longest waterfront walkway, has been revitalized. An impressive new aquarium and central park are under construction. And ever more high-rise hotels pierce the sky.

After a period of diminishing calls, cruise ships have returned, too: 130 docked in Mazatlán last year. Two-thirds of the city’s 3.5 million visitors are Mexicans, so you’ll find yourself rubbing elbows with travelers exploring this intriguing corner of their own country.

EAT

Welcome to the Shrimp Capital of the World. Aguachile and ceviche are the reigning dishes here. Be warned: Sinaloans do not shy from heat. You can get your first taste of aguachile from vendors right on the beach in the Golden Zone. Another local classic is camarones a la diabla, shrimp in a fiery red sauce of tomatoes and pureed guajillo and chile de árbol peppers. Beyond a bounty of mariscos, Sinaloa is famous for chilorio, slow-cooked shredded pork made with citrus, ancho chiles, and apple cider vinegar. Along with Pacífico beer, brewed here since 1900, meals are washed down with ToniCol, a local vanilla-infused cream soda.

Whether for dinner or just drinks, plan an evening at El Presidio Cocina de México. Through a corridor off a side street, enter a 170-year-old mansion transformed into an enchanted courtyard. Dine on modern Mexican dishes like pork shank in banana leaf or duck confit burritos in the shade of towering banyan trees. In the heart of the historic district, Casa 46’s marlin tacos and lobster chimichangas pair fine dining with a seductive view of Plazuela Machado.

Guide to Mexico — Mazatlán Calle Angel Flores

Homes lining Calle Angel Flores

STAY

The name of the tourist-friendly Golden Zone came from 49ers headed to California, but it may as well have been inspired by its miles of soft sand. Mazatlán’s resorts tower above the beach here, cutting an impressive skyline. The air is filled with the brassy sound of banda music, serenading beachgoers. It’s a wonderful home base, if touristy and slightly removed from the historic core. Travelers will find deluxe amenities at Golden Zone resorts like the El Cid El Moro Beach Hotel (double rooms from $115) or Pueblo Bonito Mazatlán Beach Resort (double rooms from $175). Many Golden Zone rooms feature kitchenettes to accommodate families. For boutique digs closer to the historic core that still offer ocean views, check out the eight-room Casa Lucila Hotel Boutique at the southern end of the Malecón (rooms from $260).

Glorieta Rodolfo Sanchez Taboada Park

DO

Founded in 1531, Mazatlán is busy port city of a half million residents. To feel it out, flag down a pulmonía—one of the open-air taxi carts that are unique to Mazatlán. Take a ride along the city’s main artery: the impressive Malecón. (There are also bikeshare stations). Connecting the historic district and the resort-studded Golden Zone, it packs in so much of what there is to love: a stunning coastline, endless cafés serving mariscos, and Old World architecture.

At Olas Altas Beach, find a century-old renovated saltwater swimming pool with an eye-catching corkscrew slide. Continue to the Glorieta Rodolfo Sánchez Taboada park, where cliff divers plunge into the sea. A short stroll away, next to the leafy Plaza de la República, stands one of Mexico’s architectural treasures: Mazatlán’s Basilica Cathedral. Begun in 1856 and still the city’s main house of worship, it encompasses Gothic, Moorish, and Baroque styles, and holds a trove of ornate art and stained glass windows. Before dark, locate the super-photogenic jewel-toned homes along Calle Angel Flores.

Dating to the 1830s, the Centro Histórico, or Old Town, is a mélange of French, Italian, and German Neoclassical architecture. Art galleries, boutiques, and cafés pack the cobblestone streets. (At night, the sidewalks are lit by recessed ground lights, lending the quarter a spellbinding glow.) At its center lies the dreamy, tree-lined Plaza Machado. Steps away is the Ángela Peralta Theater, named for a beloved soprano who led a tragic life. The three-level Italian Romantic opera house, built in 1874, fell into disrepair decades ago but has since been impeccably restored. It’s a gorgeous place to take in dance, music, or theater performances.

Plaza Machado

On the beach, keep an eye out for whales and sea turtles, like the protected olive ridleys that lay their eggs on shores to the north. From August to December, tourists can join conservationists to release baby turtles from the Verde-Camacho Turtle Sanctuary. The jungly Isla de Venados sports an irresistible stretch of white sand; it and neighboring Isla de Pájaros lie less than a mile offshore. Both are ecological sanctuaries accessible by sailboat, banana boat, or personal watercraft, for rent on the beach. You can hire a guide to show you around while you keep a lookout for tropical seabirds like the blue-footed booby.

Haul in some marlin and sailfish on deep sea fishing trips, which are popular here in the Billfish Capital of the World (another of Mazatlán’s monikers). Diehard surfers won’t find Cabo-quality waves, but rideable surf turns up year-round, with the best swells in summer. As the name suggests, Olas Altas Beach provides consistent conditions in a picturesque urban setting.

Less of a spring-break hot spot than it was in years past, Mazatlán’s nightlife isn’t of the plastic-yard-glass variety. However, revelers flood the city each February to celebrate Carnaval, the third largest in the hemisphere. –Chase Scheinbaum

3 Side Trips from Mazatlán

1. Tour the Mangroves

Beyond the docks of the shrimp fleet, the harbor tapers into narrow waterways fringed with dark green mangrove trees. Just a few miles from the city, this tidal lagoon is an important nursery for the region’s famed crustaceans. Recognized as critical for many critters, it’s a protected habitat well worth a half-day visit provided by King David Tour Company. You board a tractor outfitted with bench seats, and it delivers you to a stretch of wind-lashed beach that may as well be a deserted island.

2. Cheer On the Venados

Mazatlecos are avid baseball fans. Catch their team, the Venados, at the recently renovated Estadio Teodoro Mariscal.

3. Visit El Verano

The verdant Sierra Madre mountains are home to charming pueblos like El Verano, population 250. Just 45 minutes away, it caters to adventure lovers—with a taste for tequila. Veraneando Adventure arranges tours, including transportation from Mazatlán, that’ll take you zip-lining over gorges choked in cardon cactus, floating the lazy Presidio River, or revving ATVs over rocky trails. Afterward, soak in a hot spring and get a tasting tour of the town’s agave distillery.

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Pacific Coast

Puerto Vallarta

If you haven’t been in a while, here’s five reasons to revisit this resort town.

Playa Los Muertos pier in Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta has long been known for its tropical beauty, amazing dining, and fantastic resorts. Now, plush new hotels are popping up in Vallarta proper, putting a new twist on a consistent favorite. The ultra-luxurious adults-only Hotel Mousai debuted recently with a disappearing-edge rooftop pool and an all-inclusive package touting eight different dining options. The Garza Blanca Preserve Resort & Spa features birdwatching and hiking tours spread over 85 acres, and a bevy of multi-bedroom suites that sleep up to eight guests. Trendy restaurants have popped up as well, including La Leche, which sports an all-white interior and is popular for its namesake roasted duck. For a fun and filling outing, try the walking Taco Tour, which hits eight different culinary establishments downtown in a battle of who-makes-it-best. An old standard, the Iguana Restaurant & Tequila Bar set inside Elizabeth Taylor’s former home-turned-hotel, is still out-of-this-world delicious. Plus, this spot offers the most impressive mariachi band you will ever experience live. —Jon Bailey

Punta Mita

Want a more private slice of paradise? Find it one hour north of Puerto Vallarta proper.

While Puerto Vallarta is packed with all-inclusive resorts and has a bustling main strip, Punta Mita on the Riviera Nayarit is the exact opposite. The 1,500-acre point and several of the white-sand beaches on its scalloped edges are privately owned (some big-name investors include Bill Gates), and the region has become a haven for tech executives. If you want privacy and days that sway as slowly as palm fronds in the breeze, this is your place in the sun.

Punta Mita

The Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita and The St. Regis Punta Mita are the main places to hang your (beach) hat, and both are right on Banderas Bay. Every room at the St. Regis comes with butler service and the resort is known for its golf courses, whereas the Four Seasons has a younger vibe with fun bars and trendy restaurants, like Dos Catrinas. The new two-story restaurant overlooks the Pacific and has mezcal tastings and shareable plates like soft-shell crab tacos. Seafood lovers, take note: Every day at 11 a.m., a small boat docks at the beach fronting the resort, where chefs come to purchase the catch of the day.

Fill your days by the infinity pool and watch the resident green iguanas snack on bits of pineapple, take a bike ride through garden trails, or just hang out in a comfy beach cabana. If you prefer to stay active, the Apuane Spa has fitness classes, like a yoga session where the instructor plays the flute during savasana, and an intense suspension training developed by a Navy SEAL. — Marie Tutko

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Baja California Sur

Los Cabos

This destination isn’t just for spring breakers anymore. The rocky coastlines and cactus-filled hillsides in “the capes” are morphing into a new Monte Carlo, with hotels that scream luxury, roads traversed by fleets of Escalades, and an airport packed with private jets. But you can still have a low-key stay in either Cabo San Lucas or San Jose del Cabo and experience local culture.

Guide to Mexico — Los Cabos

STAY

The hotels at the southern tip of Baja really are the star—most visitors pick a resort, unplug, and don’t leave the grounds for a few days. Last year alone, 10 new luxury properties were built in both capes, and seven more are debuting soon, including the Park Hyatt, Caesars Palace, and St. Regis.

Perched on a quiet beach in Cabo San Lucas, the Nobu Hotel has a Malibu Farm restaurant, its rooms have onsen (Japanese soaking tubs), and it attracts celebrities during the annual Los Cabos Film Festival. Garza Blanca has an all-inclusive plan for food and drinks, eight pools, and six restaurants. The rebranded Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal is close to the marina and downtown San Lucas.

About 19 miles east in San Jose del Cabo, the grand dame of luxury properties is One&Only Palmilla. Celebrities have been staying here since the ’50s for its private access to Pelican Beach, and today it’s known for obliging service (all guests have access to a butler) and tastings of its exclusive tequila line from Clase Azul.

Viceroy Los Cabos is one of the most visually stunning properties here: Its rooms are surrounded by water and connected by elevated pathways. Montage Los Cabos is right on the best beach in the region, Santa Maria Bay, which has calm waters since it’s protected by cliffs. Book a kayak or stand-up paddleboard excursion on the bay at sunrise, then sip a margarita at the pool’s swim-up bar.

EAT

If you’re a foodie who loves high-end restaurants and celebrity chefs, then this is your town. One&Only’s sushi restaurant, Seared, has Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s name attached to it, and he visits the property a few times a year for special dinners. Montage started a new quarterly culinary series where acclaimed chefs come and cook for guests on the hotel’s sprawling lawn—the most recent included Michelin-starred Jon Yao from Kato in LA. Manta restaurant at The Cape hotel is helmed by chef Enrique Olvera. One of the most sought after tables in the region is Flora Farms, an organic restaurant set on a working farm that’s been here for two decades—reservations book up months in advance. For something edgy, La Revolucion in downtown San Jose del Cabo is a modern eatery that turns into a nightclub after dark. They smoke all their meats in-house—get the tacos kastakan, a cross between chicharrones and carnitas—and if you’re brave, head to the bar and order a shot of sotol (a cousin of mezcal) that’s been preserving a dead rattlesnake in a jar on the counter.

Guide to Mexico — Los Cabos Beach

DO

Carve out time in the afternoon to see the famous limestone arch, or El Arco, at Land’s End, where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific Ocean. To get to the rock formation at the end of the peninsula, rent a water taxi from the Cabo San Lucas Marina, or book a tour through your hotel, then stop at Lovers Beach for swimming and lounging on the sand. You can book a whale-watching tour during the winter months, when humpback and gray whales migrate here.

Take a day to explore outside the tourist zones and wander around downtown San Jose del Cabo. Start at Plaza Mijares, the lively town square anchored by San Jose del Cabo Church, first built in the early 1700s. Then head to Calle Alvaro Obregon, a cobblestone artery lined with galleries. Step into Cabokero, and watch as Ricardo Quero elaborately paints cow skulls with a syringe. November through June, there’s an art walk in the neighborhood every Thursday night. —Marie Tutko

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Baja California Sur

Loreto

Jacques Cousteau called it one of his favorite places on the planet, and there’s no reason to argue.

Back in the day, this quaint fishing village was home to a few intrepid fishermen, and one or two tiny hotels. Fortunately, today it’s not terribly different—except for the modern conveniences, several luxury resorts, and a bevy of golf courses that rival the best in the world.

Guide to Mexico — Loreto

STAY

If sunny plazas, church bells, and leisurely strolls through cobbled streets is your vibe, book a room at Posada de Las Flores Hotel & Spa downtown. The rosy pink hacienda-style hotel is small and stylish, with a rooftop pool and Colonial furnishings that make it feel like someone’s stately home. Tumble out of bed for strong coffee laced with cinnamon and take in the views of Loreto’s main city plaza and nearby mission. The very first founded by Saint Junípero Serra during his voyage up the California coast, the Misión de Nuestra Señora de Loreto has been standing guard over the town since 1697.

For a more country-club setting, try the suites at Villa del Palmar Resort 30 minutes south of downtown. Five pools, three restaurants, a spa and enormous rooms serve up postcard-perfect views from every angle. Villa del Palmar boasts the No. 1 golf course in Mexico, TPC Danzante Bay, designed by Rees Jones. The 17th hole is particularly notable—par 3 and 170 yards, but the green sits on top of a rocky plateau that plunges hundreds of feet into the surf below.

EAT

Fresh seafood is the primary focus of every menu in Loreto. Try Los Olivos at La Mision Hotel, where simply prepared and perfectly seasoned fillets come straight from the fishing boats in the marina. Another local specialty is the famous paletas (Mexican ice pops) from La Michoacana near Loreto town plaza. Try several unusual combinations like mango chile lime, guava, and cucumber.

Guide to Mexico — Loreto Kayak

DO

Visitors come to Loreto Bay to enjoy its front-door location on the Sea of Cortez. Board a charter boat easily at the marina, where scuba, snorkel, and fishing enthusiasts will go crazy for the clear, warm waters. It’s one of the richest underwater environments in the world, teeming with some 900 varieties of fish and more than 2,000 marine invertebrates. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Sea of Cortez is also home to more species of whales and dolphins than anywhere else on the planet. Wild Loreto Tours takes visitors on boats to spots up and down the coast and to nearby islands daily. —Jon Bailey

La Paz

The capital of Baja California Sur is a prime destination for unique ocean experiences

La Paz means “peace,” and this serene coastal city provides just that, thanks to its small, navigable size and blue panoramas. But you won’t have the luxury of lazing about, because there are so many bucket-list activities to check off. Situated on the Sea of Cortez, La Paz draws divers from all over the world, as it’s one of the few places where you can swim alongside California sea lions (about an hour’s boat ride away to Isla Espíritu Santo) and majestic, friendly whale sharks (just 15 minutes from shore). Both encounters are quite heady, but the whale sharks will stay with you for life. You can take them through companies like Cortez Club. Depending on the time of year, divers can also see Mobula rays (June to August), hammerheads (September to November), and hundreds of other species. Another must-visit is the pristine beaches of Balandra Bay and, if there’s time for a side trip, driving one hour across the Baja peninsula to explore its little Pueblo Mágico, Todos Santos.

The popular hotel beyond the main strip in La Paz remains the CostaBaja Resort & Spa, but foodies may want to stay right in town at one of the many affordable vacation rental homes. The central zone has a slate of great options for every meal—don’t miss the romantic Sorstis Restaurante, the super-fresh Nim, and, for mezcal tasting, La Miserable.

A trip in the winter means you’ll need a wetsuit, but you will score access to both whale sharks (October to April) and the highly sociable sea lions, which you can pet (September to June). If you fly out of San Diego or even LAX, you’ll make as many as two or three stops over 18 or more hours to get there. But if you fly from Tijuana, you’ll be there in less than two hours. —Erin Meanley Glenny

Who Will Love It

Scuba divers, snorkelers, fishermen, foodies, and families

Eat This

The gourmet hot dog is all the rage, with toppings that go way beyond ketchup and mustard, like bacon, cheese, pico de gallo, and mayo or guac.

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Baja California

Ensenada

Long adored by surfers, fish taco lovers, and cruise ship passengers, this beach town is just within reach of San Diego (and a quicker drive than going north to LA).

Guide to Mexico – Ensenada City

This bustling port is a seafood haven and charming cultural hub. Start at the walkable Mercado Negro—an open-air bazaar of fresh-from-the-boat fish and crustaceans—then head out to sample the catch. People still line up at the seafood cart La Guerrerense for ceviche tostadas, but it’s worth sitting down at the same owner’s Sabina Restaurante for grilled octopus or shrimp tacos. Old school Punta Morro still delivers whitewater views, upscale eats, and damn good bloody marys at Sunday brunch, while the tree-shaded patio of Boules remains a locals’ favorite for leisurely lunches of mushroom risotto or yellowtail sashimi. At the award-winning Wendlandt Cervecería, order up their Super Harry Polanco, an imperial red ale and gold medalist, or head to microbrewery Agua Mala for Mako Pale Ale and teriyaki oysters. For cheap and cheerful street fare, try the tortas al pastor at Trailero, fish tacos at Don Zefe, and shrimp at Tacos Mi Ranchito el Fenix.

Guide to Mexico – Ensenada Beach

After eating all that seafood you may be inspired to catch your own on an adventure with Sergio’s Sportfishing. Or explore the city’s storied past at the Riviera de Ensenada, the glamorous hotel and casino turned cultural center, then sip a margarita at Bar Andaluz, a 1930s jazz haunt and one of the claimed birthplaces of the margarita. For an art fix, check out CEART, home to rotating exhibits, dance workshops, cinema, music, and more. —Ann Wycoff

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Baja California

Rosarito

You can be on this shoreline in just 45 minutes by car.

An easy day trip from San Diego, this friendly beach town is just 10 miles south of the border. Bring your board and surf off the pier or go diving near the sunken patrol boat Uribe 121. Rent Jet Skis or paddleboards at Rosarito Ocean Sports, or if you prefer terra firma adventures, they’ll saddle up camels or horses for beach rides.

Once the stomping ground of Old Hollywood, the historic Rosarito Beach Hotel calls for a frothy margarita at its bar, but if you’re spending the night, cliffside Las Rocas has a lovely infinity pool, a decent spa, and memorable chilaquiles for breakfast. Authentic Neapolitan thin-crust pizza can be found at Ollie’s, a quaint Italian eatery with a fully exposed brick oven kitchen. Ready for dessert? The same owners just opened Brown Dog Gelato next door. For freshly made tortillas, juicy steaks, and local wines, grab a table at El Nido. Tequila connoisseurs should pop into the Mercado del Mar, a spot that’s home to more than 500 unique bottles and a noteworthy butchery. If you’re in the mood to gallery hop, standouts include Ugi Gallery and Kota Art Gallery, and La Iguana for handcrafted ironworks by artisan Edgar Orozco. —Ann Wycoff

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Baja California

Valle de Guadalupe

Word’s out on Valle de Guadalupe. Everyone’s singing its praises, from the New York Times to chefs like Rick Bayless. But what’s most exciting about this epicurean scene is that it keeps evolving. Here are the latest things to love about Baja’s wine country.

Casa Misiones

Sushi at Deckman’s En El Mogor

Michelin-starred chef Drew Deckman has long led the culinary charge here, with his namesake restaurant and bustling outdoor kitchen, but now he’s added sushi into the mix. Master sushi chef Toshi Tsutada (ex–Sushi Ota) has joined the team to collaborate on Baja Omakase at Deckman’s en El Mogor, offering guests a chance to enjoy local sustainable seafood in the company of grapevines. A lovely terrace hosts a dozen seats at this alfresco sushi bar, where guests are wowed by a 12-course, prix-fixe omakase menu.

Glamping

While Cuatro Cuatros and its safari-style tents win props for being the area’s original glampground, the trend is now popping up across the valley. You can sleep under the stars in one of ten bubble tents set up next to vineyards at eco-friendly Campera, or hunker down in an Airstream at Valley Nomads. Four luxury tents with lounge decks and cabanas await in a boulder-dotted landscape at Casa Misiones. Maglén Resort has striking modern glamping cubes with outdoor hammocks and fire pits. At pet- and baby-friendly Lumi, choose between cozy cabins with rooftop decks or six simple tents with queen-size beds. It’s owned by a Mexican and Finnish couple, so naturally they have a fabulous sauna.

Guide to Mexico — Valle de Guadalupe Tent

Casa Misiones

Cocktail Culture at Cuatro Cuatros

The hottest lounge setting at sunset can be found at Bar Bura, but this lofty mountaintop perch just outside the Valle gets booked up quickly, so Cuatro Cuatros cleverly created a new cocktail scene down below at Bar Noa. The bars are built inside beached wooden fishing boats, so you can sip a margarita, sangria, or mojito on the deck, overlooking the property’s circular vineyards.

Epic Eateries

At Lunario, a new greenhouse-style gem at La Lomita Winery, chef Sheyla Alvarado presents a farm-fresh six-to-eight-course tasting menu. You’ll find a rustic vibe, warm service, and made-from-scratch cuisine by chef Alfredo Villanueva at Villa Torel, set hillside on the Bodegas Santo Tomás outpost in the valley. At Brote, rising talent chef Miriam Moreno has built a menu honoring the wines of legendary vintner Victor Torres Alegre of Vinícola Torres Alegre y Familia. Tucked behind the pyramids of Clos de Tres Cantos, Ariete offers a romantic alfresco setting and artistic plates. Lantern lit and set beneath a massive tree canopy, Primitivo may be off the beaten path, but it’s worth the search to experience Chef Carolina’s wood-fired seafood, grilled meats, and fresh greens.

Next-Level Wines

The wine scene continues to evolve. At Bruma, savvy winemaker Lulú Martínez Ojeda is expanding the vineyards and planting certified vines from France (see the restaurant review on page 40). Paolo Paoloni, winemaker and owner of Villa Montefiori, is building a new restaurant on-site, while Monte Xanic welcomes new winemaker José Antonio Calderón from Napa. Vena Cava’s Phil Gregory is adding natural wines including ambers and pét-nats (sparkling wines) to his repertoire. Bodegas Magoni just released a new line of reserve wines—be sure to try their tempranillo. —Ann Wycoff

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Baja California

Tijuana

Little itineraries for where to stay, eat, drink, relax, and otherwise act like a local in the city just across the border

303 Nail Spa

If you’re looking for an inexpensive place to get a manicure or pedicure with the same options and customer service you’d expect in San Diego, this high-end salon’s two locations come recommended. They give you complimentary fruit tea, and you can make reservations through their Facebook page. Bulevar Agua Caliente 8470 and Avenida Negrete 8470, Zona Centro

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Things to Do FEBRUARY 13, 2026

Travel: A Guide to What’s New in the Desert in 2026

Explore the latest attractions blooming in these warm-weather destinations near-ish San Diego

By Troy Johnson & Amelia Rodriguez

From artsy, boutique hotels in New Mexico to a revolutionary restaurant in Baja, explore what’s new in these desert cities around San Diego.

Coachella Valley

Terra Palm Springs, Palm Springs

Serenity-seeking guests (and, presumably, the free-spirited ghosts of naked people) roam this 13-room wellness escape that was once a clothing-optional resort. Opened a year ago, it offers exclusive, 24-hour access to a Himalayan salt sauna, cold plunge pool, and rain room. For food and drink, it’s tonics and juice cleanses, plus poolside bites from Michael Beckman, exec chef of the nearby Workshop Kitchen + Bar.

Casa Palma Hotel & Bungalows, Palm Springs

Opened last year on the historic, two-acre Movie Colony neighborhood property originally built by actor Errol Flynn (it was called the Normandy then), this is a micro-hotel for people who love Taschen books. Casa Palma reimagined the place as a minimalist, veneers-white 33-room escape with pickleball; tennis; and a mountain view bistro serving breakfast, salads, and sandwiches.

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DSRT Surf, Palm Desert

“Surfing in the desert” sounds like an absurd ayahuasca notion, but the Coachella Valley already has one wave pool (Palm Springs Surf Club), and, soon, a 5.5-acre surf lagoon will anchor DSRT Surf, an incoming resort at the Desert Willow Golf Courses. Planned for completion in mid-2026, it’ll include a 139-room hotel, 57 luxury villas, and restaurants.

New Mexico

Hotel Willa, Taos

Last spring, the Casetta Group (the same folks who own SD’s Pearl Hotel) resuscitated an old motor lodge in Taos, a longtime beacon for creatives, and named it after Willa Cather (who finished her novel Death Comes to the Archbishop in town). The 51-room Hotel Willa has adobe architecture, an artist residency, a pool with a giant weeping willow nearby, and a seasonal restaurant from husband-and-wife duo chef Johnny Ortiz Concha and artist Maida Branch.

Arrive Albuquerque, Albuquerque

Originally built in 1965 as the Downtowner, a classic, six-story inn on the motel-culture strip of Route 66 in downtown Albuquerque cycled through several identities before last year, when Palisociety reimagined it with the Secret Gallery (featuring modern work from Southwest artists), a cocktail bar, a restaurant, and 137 dog-friendly rooms. Like any good desert road trip hotel, Arrive Albuquerque hotel is a cheeky, midcentury affair centered around an umbrella-shaded pool scene and those strappy ’80s patio loungers.

Leo’s, Santa Fe

After forming Vital Spaces, an org that leased abandoned warehouses and rented them at a low cost to artists, furniture designer Jonathan Boyd launched Leo’s, a no-signage, no-reservations restaurant last August with James Beard Award–winning chef Zakary Pelaccio. It focuses on Thai and Malaysian dishes—catfish sum tum, pork belly with garlic prik phao, fried chicken with tofu-mustard sauce and jiao chili sauce—plus natural wines and inventive cocktails. It promptly landed on Esquire’s Best New Restaurants of 2025.

Arizona

Trailborn Grand Canyon, Williams

Trailborn is the base camp of hotel groups. It’s focused on America’s grand outdoorsy arenas, with spots in the Rockies; the Blue Ridge Mountains; and now, Williams, a mile from the Grand Canyon Railroad Depot. This kitchy, 96-room roadside hotel offers a moody, wood-paneled steakhouse; adventure excursions; free breakfast inside a bustling “camp hall;” and front-row access to the fanfare of Route 66’s centennial celebration this year.

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Kimpton Miralina Resort & Villas, Paradise Valley

Early this year, Paradise Valley (the mountain-wrapped town neighboring Scottsdale) will welcome the 40-acre Kimpton Miralina, with six pools; more than 400 rooms and villas; and three restaurants, including Hecho Libre, a new Baja-inspired concept from fellow Beard semifinalist Wes Avila (known for Angry Egret Dinette and MXO in Los Angeles).

International Dark Sky Discovery Center, Fountain Hills

As cities grow and stargazing becomes an endangered pastime, an org called International Dark Sky Places works to protect the best areas in the world to behold night skies. One of them is Fountain Hills on the outskirts of Phoenix. This summer, it’ll get even better with a $28 million discovery center featuring a massive telescope, a planetarium, science exhibits, and a stargazing terrace.

Nevada

Cote Korean Steakhouse, Las Vegas

Cote is the only Michelin-starred Korean steakhouse in the US, an idea from Seoul-born and James Beard nominated chef and restaurateur Simon Kim. Part of The Venetian’s $1.5 billion renovation, it’s a show—18,000 square feet, with stadium seating, VIP skyboxes, a crow’s nest DJ booth, a glowing central bar, 1,200 wine bottles, and the inimitable buzz of energetic impulse spending.

F1 Arcade, Las Vegas

2025 was a big year for Formula 1 racing—the sport celebrated 75 years with a Brad Pitt film (for which Rancho Bernardo–based Sony Electronics created a one-of-a-kind camera that took viewers inside the cockpit), and Caesars Palace welcomed a 21,000-square-foot F1 Arcade where fans can flex their inner Lando Norris with 87 racing simulators.

GSR Arena, Reno

When built in the 1970s as the MGM Grand, the Grand Sierra Resort was one of the biggest hotels in the world with over 1,000 rooms. Almost 50 years later, it’s nearly doubled its occupancy and is undergoing a billion dollar upgrade. The star will be the $435 million, 10,000-seat GSR Arena, which broke ground in September. Once completed (hopefully in fall 2027), it’ll be home to the University of Nevada men’s basketball team.

Utah

Dendric Estate, Kamas

Utah’s High West Distillery was a groundbreaker, the first legal distillery in Utah when it opened in 2006. Now High West’s master distiller Brendan Coyle has left to open his dream project with his wife, Carly. They purchased 20 acres in Kamas Valley at the foothills of the Uinta mountain range, where they’re growing high elevation apples and flipping them into bone-dry boozy cider with Dendric Estate. You can tour the estate or wait for the onsite tasting room, planned for 2027.

The Inn at Sundance Mountain Resort, Sundance

In 2020, Robert Redford sold his famed, conservationist-minded mountain ski resort to Broadreach Capital Partners and Cedar Capital Partners, who promised to keep his “build some, preserve more” vision going. Since, it’s earned a Michelin Key. This month, The Inn at Sundance Mountain Resort—a 63-room, ski-in/ski-out inn—opens with views of the 12,000-foot Mount Timpanagos. Perched right out front, the Outlaw Express chair lift takes you to the Mandan summit in seven minutes (getting there used to take 20). There’s a wrap-around porch, relaxation pools, a sauna, outdoor showers, and a cold plunge at The Springs.

Canopy by Hilton Deer Valley East Village, Park City

Four years after hosting the Winter Olympics, famed ski-only resort Deer Valley is undergoing a massive expansion of its East Village, including eight new hotels (the Grand Hyatt is already there, and the Four Seasons and others are incoming). Scheduled to open this summer, Canopy will be Hilton’s 180-room, ski-in/ ski-out property with après-ski and rooftop lounges. Deer Valley has also added 2,000 additional acres of skiable slopes, 100 new runs, and 10 new chairlifts.

Baja

Diego, Valle de Guadalupe

In the 2010s, Ensenada-born chef Diego Hernández was a headliner in the food-culture revolution in Valle de Guadalupe with Corazón de Tierra—named number 30 in the 2018 “World’s 50 Best Restaurants” list. It closed in 2020 (damn pandemic!). Last January, he returned with an eponymous 40-seat restaurant, Diego, inside Valle’s Museo de La Vid y El Vino, relying on onsite gardens and in-house butchery to prepare seasonal, multi-course tasting menus and à la carte dishes nodding to his Corazón roots.

Kadún, Cabo San Lucas

Over the years, the trend in Cabo resorts has been to get away from the action with secluded beachfront hideouts. Well, not all who travel to Cabo want to be tucked away. Last October, Mexico Grand Hotels (known for elaborate luxury resorts like Marina Fiesta and El Encanto) opened a smaller but still opulent thing: Kadún, a 110-room hotel with a rooftop pool and sundeck. It’s within walking distance to the Cabo Marina (the Vegas of Baja’s southern tip) and Medano Beach (one of the only swimmable beaches in Cabo).

Ensenada Bay Village, Ensenada

Carnival Cruise Line has a vested interest in building up the ports it parks in. It’s established spots in Grand Turk, Roatan, and Cozumel, and its next elaborate disembarkment project is a $26 million beachside playground in Ensenada, planned for completion in 2027. Expect a sort of Pinocchio’s Island isthmus packed with zip lines, dune buggy rides, river rides, an adult pool, thermal springs, a spa, and wine and cheese pairings from Valle de Guadalupe (the wine region is 15 minutes inland).

About Troy Johnson

Troy Johnson is the magazine’s award-winning food writer and humorist, and a long-standing expert on Food Network. His work has been featured on NatGeo, Travel Channel, NPR, and in Food Matters, a textbook of the best American food writing.

See profile

About Amelia Rodriguez

Amelia Rodriguez is a writer and journalist and winner of the San Diego Press Club's 2023 Rising Star Award and 2024 Best of Show Award, she’s also covered music, food, arts and culture, fashion, and design for Rolling Stone, Palm Springs Life, and other national and regional publications. After work, you can find her hunting down San Diego’s best pastries and maintaining her five-year Duolingo streak.

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Things to Do FEBRUARY 5, 2026

So You Want to Surf in Arizona?

A guide to visiting Revel Surf Park—where to stay, eat, and explore in the city of Mesa

By Cole Novak

What the hell am I doing in Arizona looking for water?

It’s the kind of question that creeps in the moment you step off the plane at Sky Harbor and the dry heat hits like an open oven door. Arizona is famous precisely because it’s unforgiving, a place where the presence of life amid the extreme lack of water is its own marvel. The compelling thing about attractions on this hot moon is the ingenuity behind the fact that they exist at all.

Long before the golf courses and cul-de-sacs, the Indigenous Hohokam people engineered one of the most sophisticated canal systems in the ancient world, diverting water from the Salt River to irrigate crops and sustain entire communities. Built by hand more than 1,000 years ago, portions of those canals still guide water through the Mesa valley today.

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Phoenix’s main pockets tell different stories: Scottsdale has its polished, resort-town sheen; Tempe is full of young brains on vices; and Mesa is expansive and quietly strange. The kind of Arizona you think of when someone says Arizona. It’s the state’s third-largest city by population, but it feels like a series of outposts stitched together: historic downtown blocks, desert trailheads, leftovers of the Old West, and now—the improbable thing that brought me here—a surf park.

As I pull into Revel Surf Park, a watery lagoon glows blue against a backdrop of red dirt and distant peaks. The waves come and go like someone endlessly draining and refilling a mirage.

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Revel—the centerpiece of Mesa’s Cannon Beach development—opened in late 2024, turning a patch of desert into Arizona’s first full-scale surf park. Roughly 2.2 million gallons of water circulate through the lagoon in an area that averages just over eight inches of rain a year.

It looks excessive, wildly irresponsible. It isn’t.

“We built this very strategically,” general manager Ryan Armstrong explains. “The well is located right here on the property. It’s processed and piped right into the lagoon.”

The pool runs on a closed-loop filtration system, recycling every drop and losing water only to evaporation. Developers say the park uses less water than a single golf hole—and a mere two percent of what the alfalfa field that once occupied the site consumed. Because Revel draws directly from the ground rather than city taps, Armstrong notes, “our water bill is essentially zero.”

Like many of the staff members at Revel, Armstrong is a surfer transplanted from the coast. The wave technology he oversees didn’t come out of a research lab, but a backyard. Matt Gunn, the creator of Swell Manufacturing, built a functional model of the wave in his own yard before partnering with developer Cole Cannon and pro surfer Shane Beschen to bring it to scale. The result is a private ocean—a lagoon where surfers can choose between the sloping lines of Trestles, the hollow barrels of Oahu’s V-Land, or Malibu’s mellow shoulders.

As a surfer spoiled by San Diego’s coastline, I’m equal parts curious and skeptical. Wave pools can feel sterile, stripped of the wild consequence that makes the ocean seem alive. But the sea can’t come close to the constant supply of waves a surf park offers. “We’re running eight hours a day, eight sessions a day, 10 surfers in each session, with waves every minute,” Armstrong tells me. “We have stadium lights, so sometimes we’re out here surfing until midnight.”

I opt for the Trestles setting, expecting smooth sailing. I’m wrong. The drop is quick, the margin for error thin. I get pitched. I recover. I link together a few snaps, then lose it again. Even manufactured waves have a way of humbling you. A few solid rides save the session.

As I dry off, Armstrong walks me through the broader vision. The 44-acre Cannon Beach district surrounding Revel will include roughly 500,000 square feet of retail.

“There are about seven or eight restaurants going in and a super high-end med spa,” he says, pointing toward the construction. Beyond food and surfing, the site is designed as a multi-sport hub. A massive KTR (Kids That Rip) indoor action sports park is in the works, featuring trampolines, parkour obstacles, and a world-class skate park.

This corner of the desert won’t stay quiet for long.

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In hindsight, the advantages to Revel Surf Park are obvious: no suffocating crowds, no jockeying for position. Waves arrive every minute, precisely on schedule (if you miss one, that’s on you). There are no flat days at Revel. You don’t have to monitor weather reports and tide charts to know when it might be a good day for a surf. The swell is never not quite right for the break. It’s surfing’s version of shooting fish in a barrel—a strange, athletic fever dream and a convincing way to scratch the surfing itch when the nearest ocean is more than 300 miles away.

About Cole Novak

Cole Novak is an award-winning writer with a passion for highlighting local figures, small businesses, and nonprofits. Born and raised in San Diego, Cole is passionate about photography, surfing, art, the local food scene, and the great outdoors.

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Things to Do JANUARY 29, 2026

Chasing Spiritual Enlightenment in Sedona

Arizona’s desert landscape provides a restorative escape for solo travelers seeking mind-body renewal

By Nicolle Monico

Yolanda Curtis’ straight, auburn locks fall past her shoulders and over her multihued poncho; mala bead bracelets wrap around her wrist. She’s not the only riot of color in this place: Oak Creek Canyon’s soaring red rocks encircle us. Green desert flora—Ponderosa pines, sycamores, agave plants, juniper trees—stand like middle fingers to winter. And, if Curtis is right, I’m enveloped in a kaleidoscope, too, with white, purple, and blue auras orbiting various parts of my body.

“I spent a lot of time down [on your feet] because it felt like you need to connect to the Earth more,” says Curtis—a mystic, artist, and healing facilitator—after our one-hour reiki session, where she hovered her hands over me with the intention of moving what practitioners call “universal life force energy” through my body.

She’s not wrong—grounding is why I, like millions before me, have come to Sedona. I headed here alone in search of emotional balance and stability, hoping to quiet my overly anxious mind that has led to years of insomnia and mental fatigue.

Apparently, Curtis can sense that, too. “It [feels] like you get in your head a lot. When you’re in your head, you’re cutting off your spirit in a way,” she says. “The next time you’re in your head, just take a moment to clear your mind.”

A barn in Jackson Hole, Wyoming's "Mormon Row" during the winter

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I’m hoping this trip will be full of those moments. According to the Chinese zodiac, 2025 was the year of the snake—a time to shed old habits and beliefs and embrace new paths forward. It seemed fitting, then, to board the one-hour flight from San Diego to Phoenix, then make the two-hour drive to Sedona, an area known for its regenerative energy.

For centuries, Sedona’s striking formations and expansive desert scenery have been the backdrop for those seeking restoration and a higher power. From about 650 to 1400 CE, the region that is now known as Sedona was inhabited by the Sinagua Indigenous peoples. Their art—specifically pottery such as Mogollon-style pots with distinctive “kill holes” (often found in burials)—suggest ritualistic practices.

Later, Hopi, Yavapai, Apache, and Navajo tribes made their way to Sedona and regarded its red rocks as spiritually significant, incorporating them into their narratives and ceremonies. When early European American settlers inhabited the region (between 1876 and the 1950s), ranches and orchards popped up throughout Sedona’s landscape—though it still retained its Wild West feel.

In the late 1940s, the area’s scenic beauty drew in artists and, later, mystics like real estate agent Mary Lou Keller, who proclaimed the ranching town a global center of spiritual energy and founded the supernaturalist “Church of Light” in her office. While this may have been a savvy marketing ploy to attract more buyers, the New Thought movement—characterized by spiritual exploration and metaphysical practices—emerged.

In the 1980s, Page Bryant, a psychic and spiritual teacher, popularized the area’s Airport Mesa, Bell Rock, Boynton Canyon, and Cathedral Rock as “vortexes,” or “energy spots” said to elicit feelings of calmness, emotional clarity, and physical tingling.

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Spiritualists had a new home. Wellness and yoga retreats (like Enchantment Resort, founded 1987), energy healers, and mindfulness workshops (the 1987 Harmonic Convergence, hosted by José Argüelles, was among the first globally recognized meditation events) began popping up across the county.

Today, roughly around 750,000 of Sedona’s three million annual travelers visit for spiritual or wellness reasons.

“When I first came to Sedona, I kind of felt like I was being electrocuted energetically,” Curtis says. “It doesn’t always affect everybody like that. It’s just that I’m really sensitive. So everyone feels the energy differently.”

After growing up in the mountains of Utah, Curtis spent her early career in Los Angeles in the fashion industry. “I went through a healing crisis when I was in LA and it forced me to tap into these energetic, holistic ways of healing ourselves,” she says. “It brought me closer to my connection to this kind of higher power.”

She moved to Sedona a few years later to begin training as a guide and healer. Like her, I’m in search of the area’s cosmic answers. I’m not camped out in a self-made yurt in the red dirt, though—I prefer my spirituality to have a higher thread count.

From the rooftop deck of my room at the adults-only Ambiente hotel, Curtis’ energy cleansing session starts to tickle my mind. She read me in a way that felt like she’s known me for years. Is this the energy?

About Nicolle Monico

Nicolle Monico is an award-winning writer and the director of creative projects, digital editor for San Diego Magazine with more than 16 years of experience in media including Outside Run, JustLuxe and The San Francisco Chronicle.

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Studio S APRIL 15, 2026

10 Years In, Puffer and Malarkey Are Just Getting Started

A look back at the risks, grit, and instincts behind the local restaurant powerhouse

By Partner Content

In this city, chef Brian Malarkey and restaurateur Chris Puffer are kind of like peanut butter & jelly, tacos and Tuesday, Padres and Petco—they just go together. This month, the duo celebrates 10 years of partnering on some of San Diego’s top restaurants including their first venture, Herb & Wood.

To celebrate this milestone, we stepped back and revisited their journey becoming some of this city’s most successful restaurateurs.

But first, let’s go back to the beginning. The duo met at Oceanaire in 2007 where they both worked. Malarkey was still riding the high from his stint on Top Chef Season 3 where he won runner-up. He was a great chef, Puffer recalls, if not a tad arrogant. Whatever he was doing, though, it worked. Sales doubled under his watch.

In 2009, Malarkey was approached by some patrons to start what would become Searsucker. He knew he wanted Puffer to be his partner. They had great chemistry and loved hospitality and food. “We both came to this with a bit of a chip on our shoulder,” says Malarkey. “We wanted to prove it to other people that we know what we’re doing.”

Searsucker, Gabardine, and Herringbone (under the Fabric of Social Dining restaurant group) were born through the new partnership. But in 2012, they sold their concepts to Hakkasan and soon partnered on a new lease.

That building would eventually become Herb & Wood. “We were going to do it differently this time around,” says Malarkey as he reflects on Wood’s early days. “And we [wanted to] build it to last.”

The vision: Great food. Great music. Great service. It’d be a place where diners would let go, put their phones down, and be fully present to enjoy a meal together. When they walked into 2210 Kettner Blvd, they knew they had found their spot.

The only problem was that, at the time, that area of Little Italy was still severely underdeveloped. In a 8,500-square-foot space, they were going to have 230 seats to fill. “It may as well have been on Mars,” says Troy Johnson, San Diego Magazine publisher, content chief, and the city’s longtime food critic.

And, of course, there were the naysayers. The prevailing feeling in the dining world was, “Let’s see what these f**king idiots do,” recalls Malarkey. The duo let all the noise be noise. In fact, the noise fueled them. “We weren’t going to cater to the haters,” Puffer says.

Their next hurdle would be to tackle the restaurant’s design. “There was nothing. It was literally a box,” says Puffer of the former space. Design teams were too expensive or didn’t quite get their vision—no, they didn’t want exposed beams or wooden tables made from reclaimed barns. “Then, Puffer was like, ‘f**k it, dude, I’m going to design this restaurant.’”

Having never really designed something like this before, he decided not to work in the programs that most professionals use to create their layouts. 3D mockup? Didn’t need it. CAD? That’s what a paper and pencil are for.

“It was all in my head,” he recalls. “I had this moment where I was like, ‘If I died right now, no one would know where any of this shit goes.’”

“Yeah, it made no sense,” Malarkey says.

And it still doesn’t if you hear him explain it. A mishmash of vignettes from the inner workings of his memory bank, evoking everything from Mississippi riverboats to Eiffel tower ironwork, Kensington home façades, an old theater he frequented, and a canoe, because why not? Yet somehow, it all worked.

“It’s a sense of nostalgia,” says Puffer. “People might say, ‘Oh, my gosh, this feels good’ and they don’t realize it reminds them of the time they were in Paris.’”

“We don’t play trends,” Malarkey says. “We play timeless.”

Over the course of many years and plenty of trial and error, the partnership has continued to thrive. And, the Puffer Malarkey Collective has found its sweet spot within their restaurants: The service had to be kind and unpretentious and the food had to come out quick, delicious, and consistent. “Consistency is key!” says Puffer.

They also learned to balance out one another. “He’s a go-go-go-go [person],” says Puffer, “I’m a let’s-take-a-deep-breath-and-sleep-on-it [type of person].”

So, when they opened the doors to Herb & Wood in April of 2016, with those lessons in place, everything was just right. “We knew it had to fire on all cylinders,” says Puffer. “And it did.”

There was no pretense and the dress code was exceedingly simple. “Money in your pocket,” says Malarkey. “That’s all you need.”

The phones rang, the seats filled, and the haters had to give it to them, those gnocchi hit. People began embracing every aspect of the place, even the edgier ones.

“We thought people were going to complain about all the paintings with boobs,” says Puffer of the many John Lanes on the wall. “But the amount of people who take pictures in front of the boobs is amazing.”

They even had a middle finger statue that Puffer had picked up from a yard sale. If a table was rude or antagonistic toward the staff, he’d walk over to them with the finger. “Congratulations,” he’d say, handing it over. “You’ve won asshole of the night.”

The point is, they were ready to laugh (and not take shit from anyone). When someone wrote a review of Herb & Wood and called it Weed & Boners, they both had a laugh. It’s one of the keys to longevity.

Along with the fun and deliciousness, they’ve also served as a culinary talent incubator for San Diego. “It’s like a centrifuge,” says Johnson about Herb & Wood. “They train up all these young chefs and start spinning all this talent into different parts of the city.”

There’s Sebastian Becerra with Pepino, Samantha Bird of Relic Bakery, Aidan Owens at Herb & Sea, and Tara Monsod of Animae and Le Coq (San Diego’s first James Beard award finalist) to name a few. “They’ve expanded the footprint of the food revolution in San Diego,” says Johnson.

Their plans for the next 10 years?

“We’re just going to keep the magic going,” says Malarkey.

Arts & Culture DECEMBER 24, 2025

Weekend Guide to Exploring South Coast Plaza

Only an hour from San Diego, the Costa Mesa mall is home to Michelin-star dining, Tony-worthy performances, and high-end shopping

By Isabella Dallas

I’m standing in a hotel lobby with a carry-on suitcase packed with three pairs of flats, two pairs of heels, a dress I hope isn’t wrinkled for The Nutcracker later, and a handful of outfits perfect for wandering a multi-story mall. Light Christmas music floats through the air, mingling with the scent of pine and the gentle hum of holiday chatter. The lobby of The Westin South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa is dotted with festive vignettes: a twinkling tree here, a cozy red-ribboned seating nook there, and even a mailbox for letters to Santa. I glance down at my boyfriend, his backpack-size suitcase at his feet, and silently question whether I truly needed all this.

Then, a couple glides past us: he in a maroon suit, she in a matching floor-length velvet dress, both stopping for a quick drink before The Nutcracker. I know instantly I made the right call.

The Marriott Westin South Coast Plaza hotel in Costa Mesa, California — Courtesy of Marriott
The Westin South Coast Plaza

I’d heard of South Coast Plaza before—my boyfriend, a UC Irvine alumni, swears it’s the best mall in California—but I’d never had the chance to explore it for myself. By chance, the weekend doubled my birthday getaway, making it feel perfectly serendipitous.

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We’re greeted by the hotel receptionist with a warmth that matches the lobby’s glow, informing us that our room awaits on the 15th floor, overlooking the city. From our window, it spreads below us, a sky of lights crowned by a towering Christmas tree. To the right, the Segerstrom Center for the Arts; to the left, the sprawling luxury of South Coast Plaza.

South Coast Plaza mall in Costa Mesa, California during the holidays and Christmas — Courtesy of West Coast Plaza

A note to overpackers: it’s never too much. My boyfriend realizes he has nothing to wear, but luck is on our side. South Coast Plaza houses over 280 upscale shops, from Harry Winston to Zara Man, Dior Beauty, and Max Mara. We weave through boutiques and storefronts, leaving with a polished outfit for him—socks and shoes included.

Dressed and ready, I slip into my black long-sleeve, ballerina-esque dress with white heels and a red bag, while he looks freshly pressed from head to toe (thank you, H&M). The short walk to Segerstrom Center for the Arts feels like a scene from a Hallmark movie.

Interior of Costa Mesa's Segerstrom Center for the Arts — Courtesy of Segerstrom Center for the Arts

Segerstrom Hall, with its crimson interior and 3,000 seats, has welcomed the world’s greatest dance companies, Broadway productions, and operas since 1986. Until Dec. 23, Segerstrom Hall’s 8,500-square-foot stage transforms into a sparkling winter wonderland for The Nutcracker, where dancers soar and twirl with precision and the Tchaikovsky score fills every corner. Outside, fountains ripple alongside the Palm Collection, a curated botanical display of 87 unique palms celebrated for their diversity.

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Post-performance, we attend the cast’s after-party and learn about the mall’s nearly 60-year history as a West Coast luxury landmark, its dedication to the arts, and its continuous innovations to ensure guests keep coming back for much more than just shopping.

Knife Pleat Michelin-starred restaurant at South Coast Plaza mall in Costa Mesa, California — Courtesy of Knife Pleat

The next morning, the hotel offers breakfast in the Great Room, but we make the tough decision to skip it. We somehow have bigger plans. Holiday tea at Knife Pleat, the Michelin-starred restaurant just across the way, awaits. Seasonal, beautifully plated, and thoughtfully executed, it reminds you that South Coast Plaza is as much a dining destination as it is a shopping one.

Knife Pleat’s Holiday Tea begins with caviar, pomme gaufrette, toasted brioche, and silky scrambled eggs with chives, followed by a tiered tower of savory and sweet bites—from Persian cucumber with herb cream cheese, squash buckwheat tartlet, deviled eggs with smoked trout roe, and Maine lobster éclair, to orange-glazed spice cake, peppermint macarons, pistachio financier, and tropical choux. We devoured it entirely (not as gracefully as we should have, but it was too good to care).

Knife Pleat Michelin-starred restaurant at South Coast Plaza mall featuring their holiday tea plate — Courtesy of Knife Pleat

We also meet chef Tony Esnault along with his wife, restaurateur Yassmin Sarmadi. Behind the scenes, the kitchen is stacked with top-tier talent, the freshest locally sourced ingredients, and a service staff who never let our teacups run dry.

South Coast Plaza mall in Costa Mesa, California — Courtesy of Visit Buena Park

Stomachs far too full, we wander the mall again, exploring the newest additions—Manolo Blahnik, Skims, Bottega Veneta—and soaking in the curated holiday displays: two story-tall Christmas trees, Santa workshop setups, and garlands lit along every railing. And, just when you think they have every store imaginable, you turn a corner and discover a niche shop you didn’t even know existed in a real-life mall.

Costa Mesa itself tempts with art installations, the Walking Sculpture Tour, and the Orange County Museum of Art. Only about an hour and a half from San Diego, yet it already feels like a mini getaway.

Exterior of Costa Mesa's Orange County Museum of Art — Courtesy of Visit California

On the drive home, I’m already plotting my next escape, maybe dinner at one of South Coast Plaza’s trendiest spots like Water Grill or a return for a concert at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. I’ll give it to my boyfriend… South Coast Plaza is an insane mall. But it’s more than that. It’s an experience that blends luxury, culture, and the quiet thrill of discovering something new, just a car or train ride from home.

About Isabella Dallas

Isabella Dallas is a freelance writer for San Diego Magazine and the Arts and Culture Editor at The Daily Aztec in her final year at San Diego State University. She previously worked as an editorial intern for SDM, but when she’s not writing, you can find her trying the best coffee spots in SD, devouring the latest rom-coms, and indulging in anything and everything pop culture.

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Guides OCTOBER 27, 2025

7 Unique Weekend Getaway Trips Near San Diego

From coastal retreats to inland adventures and everything in between, here are some of our favorite destinations within driving distance or a quick flight away

By Cole Novak

Living in San Diego, we’re spoiled with options when it comes to easy road trips and spontaneous weekend escapes. While everything is 30 minutes away in-town, drive a little further and you can be wine tasting in rolling hills, wandering red rock canyons, or lounging on picturesque beaches south of the border. Whether you’re after a quick reset or a full-on adventure, these destinations are within driving distance or less than a two-hour flight away.

Newport Beach, CA

Where to Stay: Pendry Newport Beach

Newport Beach in Orange County has a little bit of everything. Visitors can enjoy a mix of activities and experiences that cater to every type of traveler, including both beginner-friendly and powerful surf breaks; casual, beachside dining spots and upscale chef-driven restaurants; and designer shops dotting the coast next to mom-and-pop boutiques.

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Locals heading north can check into the Pendry Newport Beach for an easy weekend getaway just two hours from San Diego. The four-star property features chic accommodations, a mix of casual and fine dining, a full-service spa, outdoor pool, and a members-only club, The Elmwood Club. The latter boasts a private restaurant and bar, a pub with golf simulator, a cabaret, a screening room, a members-only boardroom, and a rare art gallery.

San Diego nearby getaway trip featuring the Pendry Newport Beach Hotel — Courtesy of Pendry Hotels

Nearby, guests can also visit South Coast Plaza (about a 14-minute drive away) to enjoy fine dining, luxury brands, and world-class arts and culture experiences at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, South Coast Repertory, and the Orange County Museum of Art. Or, for those looking for outdoor adventures, Newport’s many beaches—including The Wedge (known for its massive waves)—are only about a 20-minute drive away. Families can catch the ferry to explore Balboa Island and check out classic arcade games or the ferris wheel before trying a local fave: a frozen banana.

San Diego nearby getaway trip featuring Santa Barbara's Rosewood Miramar Beach luxury hotel

Santa Barbara, CA

Where to Stay: Rosewood Miramar Beach

Santa Barbara feels like California’s little slice of the Mediterranean. Between its Spanish Revival architecture, sprawling vineyards, and palm-tree-lined coast, this seaside city blends easygoing SoCal charm with a refined, European edge. It’s perfect for travelers who want equal parts culture, wine, and sunshine.

Interior of the Spa House penthouse at San Diego hotel, Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa

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Start your day in Santa Barbara, strolling down State Street and make a quick detour to the Funk Zone, a revitalized warehouse district filled with tasting rooms, surf shops, and open-air cafés. From there, head to the waterfront for kayaking, sailing, or whale watching around Stearns Wharf. For history buffs, the Old Mission Santa Barbara—founded in 1786—offers a glimpse into the region’s colonial roots.

Base yourself at the Rosewood Miramar Beach, an elegant oceanfront resort where white cabanas, two sparkling pools, and an on-site spa make it easy to settle into vacation mode. The property also features eight restaurants, including the Michelin-starred Caruso’s, a sushi bar, and even an old-fashioned ice cream shop for post-beach treats. Off-property, grab oysters and a Bloody Mary at Brophy Bros., or enjoy local wines at Deep Sea Tasting Room right on the pier.

San Diego nearby getaway trip featuring Fontainebleau Las Vegas casino floor — Courtesy of Fontainebleau Las Vegas

Las Vegas, Nevada

Where to Stay: Fontainebleau Las Vegas

While San Diegans are all too familiar with a quick weekend trip to Las Vegas, sometimes posting up at your property for the entire stay is the best way to enjoy Sin City. Leave the Ubers and walking between casinos to the birds.

Pool at the Kona Village Resort on the Big Island of Hawai'i featuring palm trees and lounge chairs

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Opened at the end of 2023, the Fontainebleau Las Vegas is one of The Strip’s most glamorous and, now, its tallest hotels (it clocks in at a cool 67 stories). The property feels like its own destination with 36 restaurants and bars, a casino, designer shopping, six outdoors pools with a separate 21+ section, a 55,000-square-foot spa, a full service fitness center, and LIV, the sister nightclub to its Miami location.

San Diego nearby getaway trip featuring Fontainebleau Las Vegas luxury hotel room — Courtesy of Fontainebleau Las Vegas

For dining options, check out Chyna Club, which features a special peking duck tasting menu offering five ways to enjoy this rich and savory meat. Or book a reservation at Papi Steak, set inside a nightclub-like space with an old Hollywood vibe. Everything here is a show, including the full performance (illuminated signage, a dedicated entrance song, and staff hyping up your table) any time the $1,000 tomahawk steak is ordered.

What’s nice about a stay here is that everything is modern and upscale—even the casino floor feels like a dress-up occasion. Everything about the Fontainebleau promises a more elevated and sophisticated Vegas, the kind that doesn’t require an unofficial NDA afterwards.

Aerial view of the city of Ensenada in Baja California, Mexico — Courtesy of Baja California Tourism Ministry

Ensenada, Baja California

Where to Stay: Villa Simul Hotel Boutique

About Cole Novak

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Partner Content SEPTEMBER 27, 2022

Visit Tuolumne County to Find the Unmistakable Spirit of Fall and Winter

Take a refreshing trip to Tuolumne County, where your senses will get their fill and your wallet will stay full with off-peak accommodation prices

Gold Country Columbia Stage Coach.jpg

It’s that time when all of your senses are awakened by the unmistakable feel, sights, tastes, smells, and sounds of fall and winter. Experience them all in Tuolumne County in Northern California! Discover a different side of Yosemite National Park in the quieter and less crowded destinations. Watch as history comes to life with local tales and vibrant colors in Gold Country. Temperatures are dropping, but cooler adventures are found on the trails and slopes of the High Sierra and at unique events throughout the County.

Take a refreshing trip to Tuolumne County, where your senses will get their fill and your wallet will stay full with off-peak accommodation prices.

Find Serenity in Less-Crowded Yosemite National Park and Surrounding Area

Yosemite

Yosemite has quieted down, and now’s the time for national park adventures and new explorations. Find yourself in awe as you take in the sights among the giant sequoias backdropped by colors of maples and dogwoods and maybe some glistening snow in the Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias. Or, hike around stunning Hetch Hetchy Reservoir.

Wander in Groveland, outside of Yosemite, and enjoy a warming pumpkin spice latte or a one-of-a-kind seasonal brew. Feel like shopping? Pop into some of the unique shops in town to find gifts and seasonal decor to bring home.

Discover an Era Past in Gold Country

Gold Country Jamestown – Railtown SHP Roundhouse-3.jpg

Explore Gold Country starting with the nooks of Columbia State Historic Park, and let your eyes and nose lead you into candle, candy, and provisional shops where their seasonal creations will warm your heart. Listen for clanging from the blacksmith shop or clinking of the authentic stagecoach as it enters town.

In nearby Jamestown, become immersed by the smells, sounds, and sights of Wild West railroad culture at Railtown 1897 State Historic Park, and stroll down Main Street where you’ll find shops, restaurants, and inns housed in picturesque historic buildings.

In Downtown Sonora, you’ll find many shops and restaurants located in historic buildings; as you step inside, you’ll see some interiors are left to show the architecture of 150 years ago. Also, take in a show at the Gold Country’s premier theater company, Sierra Repertory Theatre.

Reach the Mountain Tops in the High Sierra

High Sierra Ski_Photo Credit-Dodge Ridge Mountain Resort.jpg

High Sierra adventures await where brisk mountain breezes are the perfect excuse for a cozy sweater. Take a hike along the Pinecrest Lake Loop Trail, and catch unreal views of changing leaves set against rugged granite mountains. Feel the invigorating wind in your face as you ski, snowboard, or snow tube down glorious mountain sides.

Visit the nostalgic mountain town of Twain Harte and enjoy a relaxing stroll to find some fun fall fashions or handy cooking gadgets to help with upcoming holiday cooking or gift giving.

Stir Up Your Seasonal Cheer

Events Sonora Christmas Parade.jpg

Seasonal cheer is found in every town throughout Tuolumne County. Events include Fall Fest at Indigeny Reserve in Sonora and Harvest Festifall in Columbia State Historic Park in October. The night-time Sonora Christmas Parade, the night after Thanksgiving, and the sights and activities of Christmas Town Sonora delight all ages. The Polar Express departs Railtown 1897 State Historic Park for the North Pole on weekends following Thanksgiving.

Plan Your Trip to Tuolumne County

Rush Creek Lodge

You’ll need a place to stay during your visit. Pick from mountain resorts, historic inns, cozy vacation cabins (perfect for gathering the family), distinctive B&Bs, and full-service RV parks.

Start planning your vacation with the help of travel inspiration and information delivered directly to your mailbox. Request your FREE Tuolumne County Travel Guide at VisitTuolumne.com today. Or, call the Visit Tuolumne County team at 209-533-4420.

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The Guide to Mexico

Trending

Choose Your Destination:

Yucatán Peninsula

Cancun

Why I Went

Southwestern Mexico

Oaxaca City

STAY

EAT

DO

Central Mexico

San Miguel de Allende

STAY

EAT

DO

Guanajuato

Central Mexico

Mexico City

EAT

STAY

DO

Western Mexico

Guadalajara

STAY

EAT

DO

Pacific Coast

Mazatlán

EAT

STAY

DO

3 Side Trips from Mazatlán

1. Tour the Mangroves

2. Cheer On the Venados

3. Visit El Verano

Pacific Coast

Puerto Vallarta

Punta Mita

Baja California Sur

Los Cabos

STAY

EAT

DO

Baja California Sur

Loreto

STAY

EAT

DO

La Paz

Who Will Love It

Eat This

Baja California

Ensenada

Baja California

Rosarito

Baja California

Valle de Guadalupe

Sushi at Deckman’s En El Mogor