Cabo San Lucas Shopping at the Elegant Puerto Paraiso Mall

Cabo San Lucas Shopping at Its Best - Puerto Paraiso

Cabo San Lucas Shopping at Puerto Paraiso

Cabo San Lucas shopping has recently moved up a notch with the completion of the Puerto Paraiso Mail. This 50,000 square meter, 3-level structure is much more than a shopping center. It is billed an entertainment plaza because within its marble and mosaic tile covered walls, there is dining, shopping and entertainment.

Located on the corner of Acaurio and Lazaro Cardenas (the main drag that runs through downtown Los Cabos), the shopping center is situated on a prime piece of property that overlooks the marina with spectacular views of the Cabo San Lucas Bay.

Outside the mall, the grounds are kept beautifully with a huge fountain outside the front door that is stunning by day or night and serene cascading pools fed by a waterfall on the side of the mall that faces the marina.

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The Discerning Los Cabos Shopper

If you love clothes, then you'll enjoy shopping at Puerto Paraiso. Name brands such as Dolce & Gabbana, Guess, Mossimo and Quicksilver are featured on many a mannikan in store displays. I prefer to shop at a few small boutiques where I can find items I can't find in the U.S.�artfully embellished tee-shirts and fine knit sweaters from El Desvan that hug the curves quite nicely. (Of course I can't wear these sweaters until the wintertime.) You'll also find a leather store that sells boots, shoes, belts and purses, several shoe stores, a store stocked with fine cigars and several beach wear shops, including Tropic Calypso which features beautifully coordinated swimwear and coverups.

Sprinkled throughout the marina level in the halls are kiosks selling beaded jewelry, sunglasses, watches and souvenirs.

Also on the marina level are several art galleries, fine jewelry stores and even a Harley Davidson store. My favorite art gallery is the 100% Mexico Hecho a Mano, where we've purchased many pieces throughout the years. This is traditional and progressive mexican folk art at its best. There is also the Sergio Bustamente Galeria which features art by the artist of the same name. Personally, I do not care for his style.

On the second level there is an all-women artists gallery and bookstore called Fruta Prohibida. My advice is to be careful if you make a purchase there. Last year, I bought a cookbook of Frida Kahlo's favorite recipes which I later found on Amazon for less than half the price. If you find a book you can't live without, go up to the third floor of Puerto Paraiso where there is an Internet cafe called Cabo Clipper. You can log on and check Amazon to see if you can get the books you want for less in the United States. While I don't mind paying a little more for something, I can't stand being ripped-off, especially for a book which typically has a low profit margin. When I wrote the store email address about the issue, I received no response.

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Fine Dining & Fast Food

Near the book and art store on the second floor is the Italian Coffee Co. which offers all the delicious coffees you java-lovers are used to in the United States. Their specialty coffees are smooth and foamy�much better than Starbucks.

On the bottom floor of Puerto Paraiso is a Ruth Chris Steak House which offers mouthwatering American style steaks and beautiful views of the marina.

Other fine restaurants, such as Los Garcia Restaurant and Amarone Italian Restaurant, offer patio dining that overlooks the cascading pools fed by the waterfall outside the marina entrance to Puerto Paraiso. At Los Garcia, I asked for a shot of tequila and look what I got�a delicious array of specialty tequilas, including tequila flavored with vanilla and even pomegranate. Be careful of what you ask for. For those who like to travel to foreign countries and eat the same kind of food they get back home, there is Houlihans, Johnny Rockets, Burger King, McDonald's Subway, and two separate Hagen Dazs, one on either side of the mall. Additionally, there are some fine restaurants that offer patio dining overlooking the cascading pools outside Puerto Paraiso and the marina just beyond.

There is also a Chinese restaurant, Japanese retaurant, burrito place, Burritos Chostomo and a fish and steakfood restaurant, Capitan Fish.

A favorite of mine is Senior Sweets, where I went three times to buy a non-fat vanilla, sugar-free latte, including one morning before 6 a.m., just before we went on a sport fishing trip. Senior Sweets serves delicious, freshly-made ice cream that my boys craved every time they spotted Puerto Paraiso, the Cabo San Lucas shopping center, from a distance.

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Can You Spell FUN?

On the top floor of this Cabo San Lucas shopping center, there is a ten-theater cinema center that plays movies in Spanish and in English. Last time we were in Cabo, we saw Harry Potter in English with Spanish subtitles. The movie theater was roomy, air-conditioned and the prices of tickets, popcorn and soda were much more reasonable than in the United States.

Also on the third floor is Recorcholis, a 12-lane bowling alley and arcade extravaganza. My kids and husband love it there. In fact, I usually drop them off for an hour or so while I go shopping. They have a large assortment of video games, pool tables, and foos ball. They also have carnival-like games for younger kids and kid-sized backhoes in a sandbox outside the front door that never failed to amuse my kids when they were younger.

Stay tuned as we create a listing of all the stores, services and restaurants in this upscale Cabo San Lucas shopping center. With some spaces yet unfilled, there is bound to be an even greater offering by the time you take your trip to Cabo.

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