San José del Cabo is about an hour south of Cabo San Lucas in Baja, Mexico. The town has a thriving beach hotel zone and a more traditional town center. The town center is a must-do for art lovers and shoppers. Not only are there galleries and shops to explore, but you’ll find lovely boutique hotels and excellent restaurants. Here are a few travel tips to help you explore the galleries and shops of San José del Cabo.

Visit the Art Walk

San José del Cabo’s Gallery District is open to visitors most days of the week. But on Thursday nights, the galleries close the streets, and the area takes on a festive atmosphere. Two square blocks are filled with eclectic shops and fine art galleries, some of which are known around the world.

Lights in restaurants and galleries add to the magical atmosphere. Photo by: Elizabeth R Rose

The evening I went out for the Art Walk, I started at the boutique hotel Casa Natalia with my guide for the night, co-owner Nathalie Tenoux. San José is a small town, and business people like Nathalie know everyone. We were visiting gallery owners and friends within a block of walking down cobblestone streets past open-air restaurants. I learned that collectors often purchased fine art and sculpture pieces from cosmopolitan places like Mexico City.

Art Walk Night. Photo by: Elizabeth R Rose

Gallery owners offered wine and appetizers and took time to talk with visitors and explain the art and artists they represented. Gallery owner, Patricia Mendoza, showed us contemporary pieces by Mexican artists and suggested we take our glass of wine with us as we explored the district.

Patricia Mendoza Art Gallery – Patricia and Nathalie Tenoux. Photo by: Elizabeth R Rose

The doors were open, and the light of the galleries and shops flooded the streets. As we walked, Nathalie urged me to go into all the galleries. I discovered fanciful dog wall sculptures and fine jewelry and had fun with the interactive art in Ivan Guaderrama’s gallery.

Fanciful dog sculpture. Photo by: Elizabeth R Rose

Guaderrama has created paintings, sculptures, and benches that sing, light, and come to life only with the observer’s interaction, be it through the touch of a hand or a change in light… even a change in weather. We played awhile with a musical piece, and I purchased a small tile as a gift… a very special gift that would interact with the recipient via an iPhone app.

At the Guaderrama Art Gallery, we enjoyed touching the art and making music! Photo: Elizabeth R Rose

As the magical evening ended, we were serenaded by a group of musicians. We walked the short distance back to Casa Natalia and dinner at their outdoor restaurant, Mi Cocina.

Shopping for Souvenirs

Exploring the small shops of San José del Cabo is fun. You may enter what looks like a small, narrow shop and find that the building expands as you walk back through shelves of merchandise. In general, I found shopkeepers to be welcoming, and they did not pressure me.

During Art Walk this Huichol artist and the shop owner greeted us. Photo by: Elizabeth R Rose

So what can you find as a home décor item, gift or souvenir? There are Mexican handcrafts and interesting imported items.

Whether it’s providing a pop of color in your boutique hotel or hanging in windows of shops, colorful Mexican animal embroidery designs will catch your eye. Many shops carry linens with Otomi embroidery depicting fanciful animals and birds. This embroidery technique comes from the Otomi people in the central Mexican Plateau. The craft was revived in the 1960s after a drought devastated their agricultural economy. It is said that the animals on the pillows, runners, and clothing are designs taken from local cave art. Artisans do the embroidery on cotton cloth using a satin stitch over design outlines they sketch onto the fabric—the more detail in the pieces, the higher the price. You may also find machine-stitched work at a lower cost.

At Casa Natalia Boutique Hotel, they decorate with Otomi pillows. Photo by: Elizabeth R Rose

You’ll probably be drawn to the mosaic glass lamps and candle holders found in many shops along the narrow streets of San José del Cabo. The colorful, hand-made lamps, made in Turkey, are especially intriguing at night.

Several shops offered these intriguing Turkish mosaic lamps for sale. Photo by: Elizabeth R Rose

Talavera pottery is distinguished by a white glaze base coat. Typical detail colors are dark cobalt blue, yellow, orange, and green. You can find pots, dinnerware, and even house numbers. The quality varies. The pottery is hand-made.

Talavera pottery chickens. Photo by: Elizabeth R Rose

Mexican glass, known for its color and imperfections like bubbles, is in many shops. I found visiting the Baja Blown Glass Factory on Calle Manuel Doblado and watching the artisans was fun.

Glassmaker in Mexico. Photo by: Elizabeth R Rose

You can pick up those blue-rimmed Margarita glasses you enjoy at the local cantinas or take home a hand-blown heart for your loved one.

Colorful blown glass hearts. Photo by: Elizabeth R Rose

Walking the streets of San José del Cabo, I discovered an organic food and cosmetic store, tequila and mezcal shops, and the usual beachwear offerings. I write more about shopping in San José del Cabo and environs in an article featuring the area markets.

When You Go

In addition to checking out the official visitor’s website at Visiting Los Cabos, you might also check TripAdvisor ratings for shops in San José. I found honest feedback that should be taken into consideration when choosing where to shop. Bargaining, especially in the smaller shops, is part of shopping and is often expected in Mexico.

The Thursday Art Walk and Tuesday Music Nights are seasonal due to the heat in the summer. These are just a few travel tips to help you enjoy the galleries and shops of San José del Cabo.