Along
the highway from Cabo san Lucas to Todos Santos, at about
the 69km marker, stands Art and Beer. This place is really
a collection of small round stucco buildings and a few
ramshackle palapas that would be easy to miss if you didn’t
keep an eye peeled.
This very eclectic oasis
is difficult to define. The walls are covered with paintings
and sculptures all of which reflect the unique personalities
of the owners Alfredo and Lourdes. There is a "hippie"-like
atmosphere which is undeniable. Is it a bar that sells
art or an art gallery disguised as a bar? Hard to say.
When I first stumbled across this place
many years ago I sat under the large palapa-covered bar
and watched as Lourdes prepared a drink the likes of which
I had never seen. As she crafted this magnificent libation
I ask her how long she had been there. She smiled and
without hesitation said in a quiet tone: one thousand
years! From that moment on we have been amigos!
Lourdes is not so much a bartender as she
is an alchemist creating drinks that might be best described
as a "meal in a glass". The Bloody Ceasars and
Clamattos are brimming with shrimp, mussels, oysters,
and scallops. Though I have had these countless times
they are always different and always wonderful.
Certainly, as the name implies, they have
a wonderful selection of Mexican beers as well as killer
fruit drinks which are made from fresh fruit prepared
before your eyes and they are a feast for the senses.
Their Mango drink is the finest i have ever had. Tequila
and other drinks are available but the real treat are
Lourdes creations. Though there is no menu Alfredo will
gladly fix you up with a platter of local fresh seafood.
Awesome.
A narrow circular staircase leads to a rooftop
palapa overlooking the Pacific where you can idle for
hours watching the whales pass by and enjoying plates
of the freshest mussels, oysters, and shrimp while sipping
the beverage of your choice. It is a magical setting to
say the least. The prices for most of the exotic drinks
are around $6 usd and the seafood plates $6 to $9 usd.
This place reminds me of Baja Sur 30 years
ago. Its laidback atmosphere is intoxicating. To say the
Alfredo and Lourdes are eccentric and a bit weird would
be an understatement but they are what they are and that
is the Baja attitude which makes this my favorite hangout
in Los Cabos.
When you are ready to depart Alfredo will send you off
with a free beer "to go"! Only in Baja, you’ve
got to love it! If you want to experience a genuine vestige
of "old Baja" Art and Beer is not to be missed.
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