One of the many pleasures of my job is helping new residents get oriented. This is most important for clients who are moving here to live full time; folks buying vacation homes have property managers. But if you’re here full time you’ve got to learn where and how to pay bills, where to shop for groceries, and many other day to day details. So, as soon as they get here I like to take some time out of the office, put them in the car with a map and something to write on, and we just drive around to all the places they are going to need. And YIPPEE! Monday is my next excursion, and here are some of the stops we’ll be making.
We’ll be starting out at my office, which is on the main drag right across from Immigration, between the Chevy dealer and Amerimed Hospital. By the way, the main drag’s real name is Lazaro Cardenas Blvd. Lazaro was President of Mexico from 1934 to 1940 and he’s the guy who put Mexico into the petroleum business. We’ll head into town on L. Cardenas past the old town square. After the square the street changes names, but we’re only going a block to the back entrance of Pedregal. There, on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday mornings, is an organic market. They have great produce (seasonal, of course) but also eggs, chicken, homemade cheeses, tamales, baked goods and raw honey. On Saturdays there are also vendors selling arts and crafts, homemade soaps, jewelry, and the Humane Society has pet supplies and English-language books. When I miss the Saturday market you know it’s really, really serious.
Leaving the market you have only two choices at the intersection: turn left or go straight into an alley. We’ll go straight, at the next intersection we’ll see ProSan. ProSan is a restaurant supply store that may have the baking sheets they need. We’ll continue in the same direction until we reach Cabo San Lucas Blvd, one of the major ‘down’ streets. Cabo San Lucas, and it’s opposite direction sibling Hildalgo are major arteries for the west end of town, running from Marina Blvd all the way through the north end of town where they become Mexico route 19 traveling to Todos Santos and La Paz.
Anyway, when we reach the intersection of CSL and Marina we’ll take a right into Pedregal Park. Here we’ll visit the CFE (the electric company). In this location they only have a 24/7 electronic teller. You will swipe your bill, pay your bill and receive your receipt. It’s the client’s responsibility to keep proof of payment: the utilities will not check their records even if they cut you off in error!
Heading back to Marina Blvd, we’ll pass one of the two veterinary clinics I recommend (they have two special needs dogs). The other is in the same plaza as my office. Both sets of vets are EXCELLENT!!
We’ll head back to Hildalgo Blvd (named for the priest who started the War of Independence) and head uphill. Just past the old town square we’ll see the Cabo Church (Christian services in English), the BelAir day spa, and just past the OXXO is an insurance agency. A few blocks further we’ll pass El Grill, home of EXCELLENT burgers, chicken and ribs. A few more blocks we’ll pass the El Calejon home décor store and just next to it is the phone company, TelMex. Here again you can pay through an automated teller, but you will eventually have to go inside and speak to a real person. I recommend you go early to avoid the long, slow lines. The same advice applies to TelMex’sister company TelCel. Their customer care center is across the street from my office about a half block toward the Chevy dealer.
A few blocks further up you’ll turn right on Alikan and go two blocks to the fish store. I can’t recall the exact name, but you’ll have no problem finding it: it’s bright, bright blue with a large round window. I believe it’s Cabo Mar or something like that. They have a good selection of seafood at very reasonable prices. Not quite as good as catching your own, but fresh.
Coming back to Hildalgo, you’ll be watching for a very large, very yellow building on the corner of Ortega (you’re watching for the house because the sign isn’t visible. A right turn and two blocks and you’ll see a tiny kind of unsavory looking ‘tienda’ called Las Palmas. Don’t let its looks fool you; if you’re observant you’ll recall seeing their logo on little white trucks delivering to all the better restaurants in town. The wholesale operation takes up nearly the full block, but they never closed the original store. Don’t pay attention to what’s in the case, they have all the really good stuff in the back. Just ask for what you want, they know the English for most of the cuts of meat. If it’s something really tricky like a crown rib roast it wouldn’t hurt to take a photo with you.
Leaving Las Palmas we’ll continue north on Hildalgo and almost to the top we’ll pass SAT (Mexico’s version of the IRS). Where we merge into what’s left of the Morelos diagonal (the soldier who was Hildalgo’s co-conspirator) at the Delegation. The Delegation is sort of like a city hall, and it is where you’ll go to pay your property tax in January. It’s also the site of the real town square and the Red Cross. This at the intersection of Blvd Constituyentes (the Bordo road that connects Rt 1 to Rt 19 and one of the fastest ways through town). To our right is a gas station, if we turn left we can access the parking garage for MEGA, Cabo’s newest grocery superstore. More about MEGA later.
Still heading north, on what is now Mexico Rt 19 just past the gas station we’ll turn into Lizaraga, the green grocer. This is exactly like the butcher shop: a huge wholesaler with a small retail outlet. This is a good place to find the items you didn’t find at the Farmer’s Market.
The next block has the Chedraui grocery store. I try to avoid that one, as I can smell the meatcounter (on the back wall of the store) just as soon as I enter the store. ‘Nuff said? But, if you’re in a bind and it’s something non-perishable it might be worth a look.
Next you’ll see another CFE office; this is where you pay your bill or where you will go to arrange for service. And just a bit further we’ll see Sendero Plaza, the mall for real people. It has theatres and shops and is also home to the Soriana’s grocery store. Worth taking a browse.
About now we’ll be hungry so we’ll head back, perhaps stopping at La Michoacana for Carnitas, since El Grill is still on summer hours (dinner only). These are fabulous carnitas, most people consider them the best in the area. They also have a restaurant close to downtown, on Leona Vicario street. But, that’s another street and another blog…
Carol Billups is Broker/Owner of Cabo Realty Pros. She has enjoyed working with both buyers and sellers for over twelve years and still thinks hers is the best job on earth. She is also the real estate columnist for Los Cabos Magazine. You can read more of her articles on the website blog http://www.caborealtypros.com. You can reach her from the U.S. or Canada at 1-760-481-7694, or in Cabo at 044-624-147-7541. You can listen to our 24/7 broadcast on http://www.livecabo.net for a mix of happy music, weather reports and local information.
© 2013 Carol S. Billups
Real Estate In Cabo 