Less than a year after my girls trip to Cabo, I went back to Mexico for a long weekend to celebrate the wedding of my closest friend from college. Liz and I were not only roommates at Florida State, but also sorority big & little sisters, and all-around partners in crime from football tailgates to nights out dancing.
The wedding festivities took place at the Hilton in Los Cabos, and Greg and I stayed at the resort for 3 nights. It was absolutely beautiful - stunning views, amazing food and drinks, clean rooms, friendly staff with excellent service, multiple pools, a swimmable beach, and everything else we could dream of.
We arrived mid-day on Friday (which happened to be Cinco de Mayo!) and since our room was ready early, we each changed into a bathing suit and headed straight to the Enclave Beach Club. Vacation had officially begun when I was swinging at the bar with a margarita in hand! Greg and I ordered lunch on the beach (tacos + ceviche from Lena) while we enjoyed overlooking the Sea of Cortez and soaking up the sunshine.
There was a welcome party for all of the wedding guests on Friday night up on the whale watching terrace of the resort. It was a perfect time to meet all of the couple's friends and family - all of whom were absolutely delightful!
On Saturday, Greg and I enjoyed breakfast at one of the resort restaurants, Talavera, which had deliciously strong coffee and an enormous buffet of everything imaginable - from a smoothie bar to an omelet station, and an overflowing assortment of pastries. After breakfast, we adventured down to walk on the beach. We found beautiful shells and coral to bring home to Jack. The scenery was breathtaking - rocks, cliffs, alcoves and the sound of the waves crashing on the shore.
We rented a cabana by the pool for the day and thoroughly enjoyed lounging in the shade while reading and sipping cocktails. For lunch, we jumped in the pool and grabbed a spot at the swim-up-bar for sushi from Mio. A guitarist was playing music nearby and it really set the vibe.
The wedding ceremony was that evening, so we got dressed up and headed down to Mio Beach. The pampas grass altar with the waves in the background was gorgeous, and the bride looked absolutely stunning in her wedding gown. Cocktail hour was filled with apps, margaritas, hugs, photos and the most spectacular sunset rainbow!
We moved over to the reception venue, decorated perfectly with shades of blush and cream florals and twinkly string lights above. With entertaining speeches sprinkled throughout the dinner courses, we ended with the most delicious cheesecake and moved right into the party. The dance floor was packed for 3 straight hours! We had the best night!
We made plans to venture outside the resort on Sunday. First up: Brunch at Bagatelle in the marina of Cabo San Lucas. The restaurant had an Alice in Wonderland theme for brunch and it was decorated as if we had fallen down the rabbit hole. We ordered a truffle pizza and the most delicious guacamole I've ever had (hot tip: basil instead of cilantro!)
After brunch, we went back to the Hilton to meet up with the newlyweds. They rented all of the cabanas at the adults-only pool so we had a semi-private area for all the guests to enjoy some R&R. It was so nice to reminisce on the night with everyone, and take a dip in the infinity pool overlooking the beach.
When I went to Cabo last year with my two best girlfriends, we tried to get reservations at Sunset Monalisa but they were closed for an event. The restaurant was ranked in the "Top 5 Coolest Restaurants in the World" in 2014 (NYT) and was at the top of my list this trip. Since they only take reservations exactly 30 days in advance, I set a calendar reminder in my phone so I could try to get us in for dinner on our last night.
We were able to snag a 6:15pm table for two, and had the best view of the entire golden hour, with The Arch of Land's End as the backdrop. At 7:40pm, right as the sun set, the staff began signaling the moment, ringing a gong and blowing conch shells. Everyone stopped to watch the magnificent descent. It seemed as though the sun sank slowly the entire night, as the sky did not go completely dark until after 9pm, when the waiters brought Mexican blankets out to the guests to bundle up in the cool breeze.
Our meal at Sunset Monalisa was truly the most memorable dining experience we have ever had. The flavor combinations were unique, the service was next level, and we could not stop soaking in the view. We chose the three-course a la carte dining menu. For our first course, Greg ordered the octopus and bluefin tartare. I went with the seared scallops that literally melted in your mouth. Our second course was caramelized duck pasta for Greg, and the totoaba for me, which is a fish native to the Sea of Cortez. Dessert was heavenly - I only shared a tiny bite with my husband! I had the peanut delight, consisting of a peanut praline, mazapan ice cream, and salty peanut mousse. I'm salivating just thinking about it. Greg had the honeycomb with meregue, gorgonzola mousse, chamomile ice cream & chocolate crumble.
The restaurant had a professional photographer who offered to take some shots of us before our meal. He presented us the collection of edited photos after dessert and we immediately bought the package as a keepsake of our all-time best meal, and unforgettable trip. I cannot wait to frame one for our home.
On Monday morning, we had just enough time for one last walk on the beach, and as we were making our way down the steps to the sand, we saw a whale jumping! Such an incredible moment! We enjoyed a nice, big breakfast, packed up and grabbed our ride to the airport. Not quite ready to leave, but our hearts were very full of amazing memories, and our arms could not wait to hug Jack. Our room number was 2028, and we made a deal that we have to come back to Mexico that year!
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