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Los Cabos Information

CITY INFORMATION

Population: 25,000

Visitors: 250,000 annually

Location: In the State of Baja California Sur, in the southern portion of the Baja California peninsula. The capital is La Paz. Approximately 2.5 hours flying time from Los Angeles to Los Cabos.

Elevation: 16 feet

Languages: Spanish, but English is spoken in most areas.

Time Zone: Mountain Time Zone The time is two hours behind that of New York City. When it is 11:00am in New York City; it is 9:00am in Los Cabos. Daylight saving time is observed between April and October, the same as in the US.

Weather: Average Temperatures (in Fahrenheit): High Low January – March 79 55 April – June 93 59 July – September 96 74 October – December 90 57

Los Cabos is sunny and mild year round. There is very little rainfall (7.5 inches per year!) There are 360 days of sunshine.

Tourist Assistance: Secretariat of Tourism 91-800-90392

Consulates:

United States Of America 830272 Plaza Caracol II # 2 3rd Floor 832296

Canada 833360 Plaza Caracol II 3rd Floor #L330 833361

Currency: The unit of exchange is the peso which comes in paper denominations of N$10; N$20; N$50; N$100 and N$200. Coins come in denominations of five, ten, twenty and 50 centavos and one, tow and five pesos. N$ stands for new pesos which were introduced in 1993 to replace “old pesos.” Sometimes the currency is referred to as “m.n.” followed by the number of new pesos. The m.n. stands for moneda nacional or national money and is the same as N$. If you see a bill with a high value, in the thousands or millions, that is “old pesos” and you have to drop three zeros from the number to get the true value.

All payments are rounded off to the nearest multiple of 5 centavos. Most places will take US dollars as well as pesos, but will not give as much in exchange as would a bank or ATM machine. It is customary for vendors to set their own exchange rate, and not to rely on the one set by the government or the banks. Please be advised that PEMEX gas stations will not take credit cards or US currency. If you are driving in Los Cabos, be sure to have Mexican cash with which to pay for gasoline purchases.

Banks and Currency Exchange Facilities: US Dollars are easily exchanged into pesos in banks and major hotels.

Business Hours Banks are generally open weekdays 9-3. Government offices are usually open to the public 8-3; along with banks and most private offices; they are closed on national holidays. Stores are usually open weekdays and Saturdays from 9 or 10 AM to 7 or 8 PM; shops may also be open on Sundays. Some stores may close for a two-hour lunch break—about 2-4. Airport shops are open for business seven days a week.

Most credit cards are accepted in shops, hotels and travel agencies. Major purchases are best made with a credit card. You automatically receive the bank rate of exchange, which is higher than the rates given in town or at the hotels.

Credit and Bank Cards: Before you go, check with your credit card company to get their exchange rate for Mexican pesos. You may find that plastic is more economical than cash for some purchases. However, small stores might charge an extra 10% for credit card sales, so you will need some cash. Cash advances and ATM withdrawals typically come in pesos.

Passports and Visas

Entering Mexico U.S. and Canadian citizens need only proof of citizenship for entry into Mexico. Tourists from other countries should check with a Mexican consulate or embassy. Minors traveling alone; with one parent; or with a relative or friend who is not their parent need notarized consent from parents. In addition, visitors must carry a Mexican Tourist Permit, which is issued free of charge after proof of citizenship upon arrival. This permit must be given to officials upon departure.

Customs and Duties

Arriving in Mexico Upon entering Mexico, you will be given a baggage declaration form and asked to itemize what you’re bringing into the country. Mexico has instituted a $15 visitor fee that applies to all visitors except those entering by sea at Mexican ports who stay less than 72 hours and those entering by land who do not go past the 16-18-mi checkpoint into the country’s interior. For visitors arriving by air, the fee, which covers visits of more than 72 hours and up to 30 days, is usually included in the airline-ticket price. You must pay the fee each time you extend your 30-day tourist visa.

Electricity For U.S. and Canadian travelers, electrical converters are not necessary because Mexico operates on the 60-cycle, 120-volt system; however, many Mexican outlets have not been updated to accommodate three-prong and polarized plugs those with one larger prong, so to be safe bring an adapter plus. If your appliances are dual-voltage you’ll need only an adapter. Don’t use 110-volt outlets, marked “For shavers only,” for high-wattage appliances such as blow-dryers.

U.S. Embassy Paseo de la Reforma 305, Col. Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City, 5/209-9100. Emergencies Police 114/3-39-77 Cabo San Lucas; 114/2-03-61 San Jose del Cabo. Hospital 114/3-15-94 Cabo San Lucas; 114/2-00-13 San Jose del Cabo. Red Cross 114/3-33-00 Cabo San Lucas; 114/2-03-16 San Jose del Cabo.

Language Spanish is the official language of Mexico. Basic English is widely understood by most people employed in tourism, less so in the less developed areas.

Mail The Mexican postal system is notoriously slow and unreliable; never send packages , as they may be stolen. For emergencies, use a courier service or an express-mail service, with insurance.

Post offices oficinas de correos are found in even the smallest villages. International postal service is all airmail, but even so your letter will take anywhere from 10 days to six weeks to arrive. Service within Mexico can be equally slow.

Taxes Mexico charges an airport departure tax of US$18 or the peso equivalent for international and domestic flights. This tax is usually included in the price of your ticket, but check to be certain. Traveler’s checks and credit cards are not accepted at the airport as payment for this.

Many states charge a 2% tax on accommodations, the funds from which are used for tourism promotion. Mexico has a value-added tax of 15%, which is occasionally and illegally waived for cash purchases. Other taxes and charges apply for phone calls made from your hotel room.

Tipping When tipping in Mexico, remember that the minimum wage is the equivalent of $3 a day and that most workers in the tourist industry live barely above the poverty line. Recommended tips: Porters and bellboys at airports and at moderate and inexpensive hotels: $1 per bag. Porters at expensive hotels: $2 per person. Maids: $1 per night all hotels. Waiters: 10%15% of the bill, depending on service make sure a 10%-15% service charge hasn’t already been added to the bill, although this practice is more common in resorts. Taxi drivers: Tipping is necessary only if the driver helps with your bags - 5 pesos to 10 pesos.

Telephones The country code for Mexico is 52. The area code for Los Cabos is 114.

Directory and Operator Information Directory assistance is 040 nationwide. For international assistance, dial 00 first for an international operator.

International Calls To make a call to the United States or Canada, dial 001 before the area code and number; Long-Distance Calls One option for long-distance calls is to find a caseta de larga distancia, a telephone service usually operated out of a store such as a papeler­a stationery store, pharmacy, restaurant, or other small business; look for the phone symbol on the door. Casetas may cost more to use than pay phones, but you have a better chance of immediate connection.

Internet – Public internet service is available in downtown Internet cafes.

National Holidays: Jan 1 New Year’s Day Nuevo Feb 5 Constitution Day Mar 21 Birthday of Benito Juarez, Mexican president and national hero Holy Week Semana Santa Good Friday through Easter May 1 Labor Day Día del Trabajo with workers’ parades May 5 Battle of Puebla commemorates the Mexican victory over the French at Puebla in 1862 Cinco de Mayo Sept 1 The President of Mexico delivers the annual State of the Nation address Sept 16 Independence Day Oct 12 Day of the Race Dia de la Raza Columbus Day Nov 1-2 The Day of the Dead Nov 20 Revolution Day: Anniversary of the 1910 Mexican Revolution Dec 12 Feast Day of the Virgin of Guadelupe Dec 25 Christmas Day

Emergency: Local Police 841913/ 842342 Fire Department 841202 Highway Police Federal 841542/ 841107 State Police 841171 Federal Police 887291

Public rest rooms: Restrooms are difficult to find in most places. You are expected to supply your own toilet paper.