El Arco de Cabo San Lucas

One of my guilty pleasures as a young married man was was watching TV’s “Love Boat” on a weekend evening with my new bride – and each week, they’d transport us via the magic of television to Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta, and Cabo San Lucas.

So when Shirley and I got the chance to go on a cruise to the Mexican Riviera, 40 years later, we jumped at the chance.

And it was just as much fun as I expected.

But you want to know a secret?

Even though the Love Boat supposedly went to those ports almost every week, Mazatlan was the only place where they actually did any shooting!

So it turns out that WE shot more footage in Cabo San Lucas than they did 🙂

Which is a roundabout way to bring me to El Arco de Cabo San Lucas.

The Arch is a rock formation that effectively marks the southern-most tip of the Baja Peninsula – and the confluence of the Gulf of California and the Pacific Ocean.

There’s a couple of beaches nearby .. one is Lovers Beach (Playa Del Amor) on the Cabo or leeward side, where tourists often throng to swim (until they discover there are no bars, or beach umbrellas – or even bathrooms).

The other is cheekily name Playa Del Divorcio on the Pacific Ocean side – where couples can split up and do their own thing (but not swimming – the currents can be quite treacherous)

Anyway, the only way to get to El Arco, and the rest of the “Land’s End” area, is by boat.

You can kayak out, if you like – or for a small fee, take a water taxi.

There are lots of seabirds – including pelicans and cormorants, and a whole swag of sea-lions.

But what there are mostly is tourists – like Shirl and I – who mostly check out the arch, and then head back to one of the cantinas on shore for a refreshing cervesa or three.