Goooood morning friends!
Good news: you, me, and Neal–we’re going back to Mexico today!
Okay. Kind of. I wish we were ACTUALLY going back to Mexico, but it’s almost as good. We’re sharing a fun video of our honeymoon!
I recently remembered that I took so much video on my iPhone during our honeymoon, and then never got around to putting it all together! I also thought that we all needed a little reminder of what sunshine and warm weather feels like, so today, you get to tag along with us back to Cabo! Click to play the video above!
The first half of the trip (when a lot of these videos were taken) we stayed at Secrets Puerto Los Cabos Resort near San Jose Del Cabo! It was absolutely beautiful and I can’t tell you how much it was needed after all the wedding craziness! (If you didn’t hear about it, we touch on that at the beginning of the video ? It was all still very raw then, haha!) We only left the resort once (which is nice, you really don’t need to leave at all, they have so many things to do and places to eat!) You can see part 1 of our honeymoon recap and review of Secrets Cabo right over here.
The second half of the trip is what we’ll focus on starting…now!
After three awesome nights at Secrets, we switched locations and moved about 20 miles away to downtown San Lucas (which is where all the action is!) We thought the balance of the two experiences was perfect, and after a few days of all-inclusive relaxation, liked the mix-up of being just a 5 minute cab ride to all the incredible restaurants and activities downtown. If you’re looking to spend more time off the resort than on it, staying near downtown San Lucas would be a great idea!
Where to stay in Cabo San Lucas:
We stayed at Villa La Estancia where our friends were so gracious to let us stay at their condo! The pool was so nice–quaint, not crowded at all, and the drinks and food were really good. The cool part about it is that there are actually three resorts in one, so you get access to lot’s of different restaurants, bars, and even a little grocery market and deli that are a quick walk–and the spa next door at Villa del Arco is hands down the best spa I have EVER been to. (Yes, it blows even The Four Seasons out of the water).
It’s also great that each resort is comprised of condos, so they have kitchens where you can cook on your own (great if you’re trying to make your trip more economical) and really nice to make your own margaritas and lay out on the deck if you wish! ? Being so close to downtown also means you get the best views (with the famous arc close by!)
If you’re interested in vacation rentals in cabo, I’d recommend going through our friend Jane! She has been doing vacation rentals in Cabo for more than a decade and knows Cabo better than anyone else I know and handles a lot of rentals at La Estancia! (I’m going back with my best friends to stay there again for our friend Michal’s 30th birthday! I’m sooo excited!)
My favorite poolside essentials:
Everlane Sandals:
I wore these Everlane sandals EVERYWHERE. They’re easy to slide on and off for the pool, but they’re chic enough to wear out to dinner!
I also purchased these nude colored Splendid flip flops as another option for the pool/beach. I love how little space they took up so they were super easy to throw in any bag you needed! Plus, they’re tasteful, not like most tacky flip flops you find.
Amazon swimwear:
But my biggest vacation clothing secret? AMAZON! OMG you guys, they have the CHEAPEST cover ups and bathing suits that are so cute! Admittedly, the brands are a little sketchy (like, where are these coming from?) but whatever. Who can afford to buy four new $200 bathing suits!? ? I hadn’t bought bikinis and cover-ups in probably 5 years so I needed to stock up!
Cover ups: In the first photo above, I’m wearing this black lace cover up (which can be worn over a black tank and shorts for a night out!). I also got this pretty crocheted cover up in white. I lived in these during the day (I don’t love wearing shorts and a top to the pool because I think it’s a pain to pull off your shorts without worrying about pulling your bottoms down, and shimmying them back up with a damp bathing suit is just difficult). Both are under $17!
Bathing suits: I got this adorable maroon ruffle suit, this light blue scalloped suit, this black crocheted bikini (go up one size!) and this white palm print criss-cross bikini. ALL of these are like $15 for the SET.
Purse: This little basket bag was my purse for the whole trip, and it’s only $23! Is it the MOST quality item I’ve ever purchased? No, of course not, but again–it’s vacation-wear. You don’t want to bring anything expensive on vacation!
What to eat + do in Cabo San Lucas:
El Faralón:
This is hands down the most romantic place I’ve ever been in my life. It’s the cliffside restaurant/champagne bar you see at the end of our video. Truthfully, nothing does it justice. It’s so, so incredibly special. It’s VERY pricey, but completely worth it. (Seriously, a glass of champagne is like $30, but it’s unreal.) They’ll give you a pairing of different types of sea salt to taste with the champagne, and it’s the coolest experience. Even if you just go for a glass and to take in the views–it will be an experience of a lifetime. The restaurant pretty much serves exclusively seafood, but when I told them I don’t like fish, the chef prepared a special appetizer, salad, and dinner course just for me! The service and the food was as incredible as the views were. If you’re on your honeymoon, you can’t NOT go here.
What I wore: I basically lived in this little black off the shoulder bell sleeved mini dress during our trip! Since it’s black, you can get away with wearing it to dressy places (black always feels more formal!) Again, repeat offenders–I wore these black slides from Everlane pretty much everywhere on the trip, from the pool to dinner! I really want them in brown and white next summer!
Mi Casa:
So, this place and the next three were actually closed during our honeymoon (renovations during the low season–they’re all the same owners) but I’ve been on previous trips to cabo and they’re some of my favorites. Mi Casa is an awesome Mexican restaurant you must try!
Edith’s:
Also a nice restaurant (although nothing compared to El Faralon!) with amazing atmosphere and service–it is a bit more on the pricy side, but definitely worth checking out for a dinner date!
Tacos Gus:

Doing a BIG 180 here–if you’re looking for authentic street tacos, you have to go to Tacos Gus. It’s a COMPLETE hole i the wall (but those are the best kind!) You’ll find plenty of locals here, so you know it’s good! They bring out four different kids of salsa and a huge tray of fixings so you can top your tacos with whatever you’d like. We were in heaven.
What I wore: Ummm this was a different night, but I’m wearing the same outfit as above ?
Flora Farms:

Okay, technically I know I already covered Flora Farms in my first edition of our Cabo honeymoon recap BUT. It’s seriously too TOO good not to touch on in this post one more time. (I couldn’t risk you not seeing part 1 and missing it altogether!) Flora Farms was one of the highlights of our trip–and we barely touched the surface of everything there! The food was incredible–the service was amazing. Seriously, we mentioned to our bartender that we were on our honeymoon and he notified the wait staff so that when we sat down 30 minutes later, we had champagne and a “congratulations” sign on the table. The best part is that there are adopted dogs roaming around on the property (who have all been rescued from the street). Seriously, just go. It’s amazing. (Also Adam Levine got married there!)
What I wore: Perhaps my favorite dress of all (that I also wore several times, haha!) was this pom pom maxi dress from ASOS. Shaheen borrowed it to wear on her Mexico trip last week as well, and she loved it too!
Mango Deck:
This is a fun place to go-to during the day or at night (although the crowds die down pretty early from our experience). They have live music and it’s always a really fun atmosphere!
The Office:
More of a bar than a restaurant, but it’s both, and right on the beach. You can’t get a cooler atmosphere than this one, with lights strung everywhere and tables in the sand!
Sunset Cruise:
There are a TON of these to choose from, whether you want something more rowdy, low-key, or in-between. The one we did served dinner (the fajitas were actually really good!) and it was a really fun time–you get such a beautiful view of the scenery and the sunset is to die for!
What I wore: This dress was another one that came out frequently on the trip! It’s a midi dress, which is nice when it gets windy, as it often does! (You never want to be worrying about your dress flying up when you’re trying to have a good time!) It’s so fun and the embroidery details made it feel perfect for a mexico vacation. I also brought these tassel earrings in several colors, they make everything look adorable!
Thanks for coming along for the ride, and hope you have a great (and warm) Wednesday!
Hey Jess,
Do you have a link to those tassel earrings? love them! Thanks!
SO FUN. Love the video!
xo, Laura | brightandbeautifulblog.com
So cute! What did you use to edit it? I’m honeymooning in July, and would love to steal your idea for us!
OMG! I love your trip report and the video. I’m going in August celebrate my birthday. First time cant wait! Yes Amazon is your friend. I didn’t see the purse you stated you carried. Did you take this to the pool too? I ordered a small cross body from Amazon. Thanks for the great info.