FAQ’s My Friends and I Had About Cabo Spring Break

By: Lauren Brose ‘15

Last year was the first spring break I spent as the typical college sorority girl.I’d done it all— I spent 5 days in Cabo, developed a substantially complicated relationship with tequila, and came home with cornrows and a henna tattoo of a flying cat. Never having visited Mexico prior to Cabo spring break, I had a list of concerns that potentially kept me from crossing international borders.I heard that Mexico is a highly dangerous place to visit—especially as a female. I was in no position to get abducted by members of the drug cartel only to have my body parts sold on the black market. I knew that was the exact thing my parents were thinking when I told them I was going to Mexico with 15 of my girlfriends. For a solid five minutes, their faces were priceless—and then my dad started telling me of the time he and his buddy drove to Mexico when they were 18 in the early 80s and everything was cool again. Still, I wouldn’t have touched Mexico with a 10-foot pole had their been notable social and political issues occurring south of the border. Luckily for us, paradise is uninterrupted down at the southern peak of Baja California.

Crime and Corruption

Mexico’s justice system has notoriously been flawed for longer than our parents have been alive. There are a couple of sketchy things that you will encounter during your time at the Mango Deck. For one, a plethora of locals trying to sell souvenirs and merchandise to you on the beach—and by merchandise I am not only referring to bracelets. Last year, I was propositioned one random afternoon when I was simply strolling the beach with my friends. With zero regard for the dozens of people surrounding me, he asks if I was interested in purchasing drugs and proceeds to open a cigar box filled with unspeakable substances that would land me in prison both in Mexico and America.

The last thing you want is for anyone to see you near illegal substances when you’re in Mexico. It might seem harmless since Mexico is technically not America, but it’s actually way worse! There’s a really good chance these locals are working with a police officer that is staking out around the corner so that he can arrest a young, college-aged tourist. The officers 100% doesn’t care for prosecuting you in court for breaking a law; he wants your money. It will cost between $300-500 to bail you out of prison and it’s a massive headache for you and your friends if it happens.

From the US Government website on Cabo:

Baja California (Sur): Cabo San Lucas and La Paz are major cities/travel destinations in the state of Southern Baja California – Exercise caution in the state capital of La Paz.  According to the Department of Interior of Mexico, in 2013 Baja California Sur registered its highest homicide rate since 1997.  Many of these homicides occurred in La Paz, where there has been an increase in organized crime-related violence.  

Cell phones

All resorts and hotels will have Wi-Fi, the choice method of contacting everyone that you know. Whether it’s through iMessage, Facebook messenger, WhatsApp, if you have Internet you have options. Purchasing internet and phone service temporarily through your cell provider is clearly the most full-proof way of obtaining service while out during the day and at night, but there’s a slim chance your friends will have service. My best advice is to coordinate with your immediate group of friends. Cabo isn’t the most packed place and USC does bring a ton of noise. Through my own personal experience, I did not have an issue with only using Wi-Fi when it was available. I found that communicating with my friends was a challenge so committing to the buddy system is a very effective way of not getting lost.

Money

First thing’s first, tell your bank that you are planning on leaving the country. Think about it: if you fly to Mexico out of the blue and start swiping your credit card for booze and snacks, your bank is going to assume it was stolen and freeze the funds on your card. A simple phone call to your bank will reverse this freeze—but how much of a hassle is that? I have a debit card through USC’s credit union and it waives all foreign transactions fees. I would consider withdrawing at least $400 in cash before departing the US if you don’t have a debit card that waives foreign transaction fees. There will be ATM machines at hotels/resorts, but they do charge a fee of $6-8 per withdrawal. I had to have spent at least $50 on withdrawal fees over the course of 5 days and know this year I am taking hard cash before I leave.

Taxis

Tragic news: Uber wont be offered in Mexico so taxis will be your prime source of transportation. I’d ballpark one trip from Medano Beach to downtown Cabo costing between $8-12—each Taxi will accommodate around 8 people so it’s really not a lot when it’s split with a group. My rule of thumb with taking taxis, especially if you’re a girl, is to never take them at night alone. Mexico is unpredictable so always be alert and with another person. Walking from Medano to downtown is always an option, too. It takes about 15 minutes and is obviously safest during the day. I’ve done the walk at night and in the morning and found the walk at night to be really pleasant and warm.

What will we do for food?

If you’re staying on Medano Beach (Casa Dorado, ME by Melia, Bahia), the food definitely comes at premium pricing. I spent $16 on a watermelon margarita and nearly $30 on two tacos! My first dinner in Cabo was the first and only meal I had spent over $25 on and I have to say it was the least satisfying. Venture downtown away from the beach and toward the bars. I found a great tortilla soup for $6 that came with large chunks of avocado, a BLT meal for less than $5, the worst Burger King you will ever taste (whatever you do, don’t eat BK), and $2 quesadilla’s. Mexico isn’t the place where you try the exotic dishes that are extracted from all four corners of the globe—it’s a place where chips and guac are mandatory and $10 for 10 margaritas are actually a thing.

A note on personal belongings

The tricky thing with phones is that we feel so inclined to take them out on a night out but they don’t serve any purpose since there isn’t Wi-Fi available anywhere but our hotels. While I did bring my phone out with me every night last spring, I got lost from my group at least twice and was not reunited with them despite having my phone. In fact, my phone did nothing to get me reconnected with my friends… I honestly had a better shot walking around the club and scanning the crowd for familiar faces. Moreover, my friend had her wallet, hotel card and cell phone all zipped up in her fanny pack and noticed after bustling through a crowd at Squite Roe that her fanny pack was completely unzipped. Unfortunately, her phone was nowhere to be found.

Because sun

Mexico reminds me of Hawaii in the sense that the weather is absolute paradise all year. The sun you will be exposed to in Mexico will always be of greater volume than the sun exposure in California. This all boils down to how close Mexico is to the equator but also the angle that Mexico sits on earth’s tilt in respects to the sun. While I have year-round color, I burned after one day spent in the sun at Cabo. I’d recommend taking sunblock for your body and face that has a minimum of SPF 45. Trust me, if you’ve worked on your “Cabo Bod” for weeks/months, you’re not going to want to see all of your efforts going to waste with a sunburn or worse—peeling skin.

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