Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 100 miles (165 km.), approximately 2.5 hours. Getting on/off a small boat from a pier; boat excursion is approximately 45 minutes with possibility of swells. Walking up to 1 mile (1.6 km); sidewalks and smooth paths.
At the hotel.
We will check out, board the motorcoach, and drive the final stretch of the peninsula to Finisterra — Land’s End. On the way, we will enter Sierra de la Laguna, the southernmost mountain range of the peninsula. Silver and gold were discovered in these mountains in the mid-1800s, attracting miners and adventurers from many countries. El Triunfo was once the largest city in Baja California Sur with more than 10,000 miners. The town was also a cultural center, with pianos and other instruments brought from all over the world. The mines shut down in 1926 and most people left. El Triunfo became a virtual ghost town. Recently, things began to change as tourists visited, cafés developed, and buildings were restored. There is even a Museo de la Musica with some of the old instruments from the golden days. We will set out with our Group Leader on a walking field trip through today’s El Triunfo to see the small colonial village and remnants from the heyday of mining including a smokestack designed by Gustav Eiffel that is more than 100 feet (35 meters) high. Boarding the motorcoach, we will drive across the peninsula at its narrowest point to the turbulent Pacific Ocean at Todos Santos, situated in a fertile oasis. Todos Santos has been recognized as one of Mexico’s Pueblos Magicos — Magical Towns — that retain the legacy of their history and culture, distinctive architecture, and characteristic charm. Missionaries founded a church here in 1723. Thanks to the area’s fertility, Todos Santos became a center of sugar cane production in the late 18th century; tall chimneys from the old plants are still in place. Today, the town is home to many artists, and former haciendas house boutique hotels, restaurants, and galleries. The Tropic of Cancer crosses here where the Sierra de Laguna mountains, the Pacific Ocean, and the Baja desert meet.
In a restaurant in Todos Santos.
The Transpeninsular Highway ends in Los Cabos at the very tip of Baja California Sur. We will continue the drive to the bustling resort of Cabo San Lucas for a boating excursion out to El Arco — the Arch—just off shore. We’ll hop into boats to go around this impressive limestone formation as well as Lovers Beach, the place “where land ends and heaven begins.” The last segment of the highway is known as the Los Cabos Corridor, a coastal road along a stretch of beautiful beaches dotted with conspicuous hotels that connects Cabo San Lucas with San Jose del Cabo, a quiet town with colonial architecture, narrow streets and a plaza sided by a Mission Church. Our hotel is located on a beautiful stretch of the San José beach, a 5 minute ride to the historic center. We will check in to the hotel with some time to freshen up, walk on the beach or take a dip in the pool. We will re-gather in the dining room for the farewell dinner to share favorite experiences with our new Road Scholar friends and to toast to our memorable educational adventure... until we meet again.
In a reserved section of the hotel’s main dining room.
At leisure. Relax and enjoy the setting, take a night stroll on the beach, attend an evening performance at the hotel, or take a taxi into town. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.