I was recently challenged by Frank Tomanelli to provide more information about fun things to do in Los Cabos that don’t involve food. So, this is the first of a planned series of posts about the different activities that make Los Cabos an interesting and vibrant place to visit or live.

One of the interesting things to do is to explore and enjoy the art and culture available in the region. There are art galleries and artisan shops throughout Los Cabos from Todos Santos to San Jose del Cabo.

San Jose del Cabo – Every Thursday evening from 5:00 pm in Plaza Mijares in San Jose del Cabo is Art Park and Art Walk on the adjacent street. The plaza is filled with the work of local artists and artisans. Whether you like jewelry, photography, ceramics, sculptures, paintings or prints, the selection at Art Walk in San Jose is incredible. Several of the galleries along Alvaro Obregon in the Gallery District offer wine to their visitors on Sunday nights. Watching Huichol arts created their intricate works or seeing the traditional paper art of the indigenous population provides a sense of the history of art and artisans in Mexico. Exploring the large metal sculptures made from “junk” by Juan Sotomayor adds to the interesting evening.

But art and culture are not limited to Thursday nights. There are two pottery shops in San Jose del Cabo – Casa Musa and Barro – where you can take pottery classes and make your own masterpieces to be fired and glazed in their kilns. There is an Artisan Plaza on Blvd Antonio Mijares with a wide variety of shops where you can see product made in Mexico. A visit to the Mission of San Jose del Cabo will also provide you with a sense of the creation of the string of missions that were built along the Baja Peninsula. If you want, a walking tour with the history of the southern Baja, sign up with Cabo City Tours. A guide will take you on a walking tour and provide the history of the region, with the proceeds going to support tours for school children in San Jose del Cabo.

Cabo San Lucas – On Friday between 5:00 and 9:00 pm in Plaza Amelia Wilkes, the civic square on Calle Hidalgo in Cabo San Lucas, there is also an art fair. With a display of contemporary and traditional art as well as folkloric dancing and entertainment. Nearby is Whimsical Gallery featuring the works of select local artists including Maximiliano Smiriglio who creates his painting as mosaics with small pieces of colored paper. Further down Calle Hidalgo closer to the marina, you can also see samples of the large sculptures of Juan Sotomayor made with nuts, bolts and scrap gears and pieces of metal. If you want a true art experience, you can join a few of the local artists for wine and lessons. About once a month Fifi Benavente Kundalini di Venuta hosts an evening of Art & Wine at her condo, where a group of students paint the same image and enjoy wine and appetizers. Holly Heiser Hornyan, a painter and mural artist has been hosting Art and Champagne evenings at Latitude 22 The Roadhouse as well.

One of the best know sources of products from artisans in Mexico is Artisano’s on the frontage road going north across from the Walmart Shopping Center just on the north edge of Cabo San Lucas. You can find paintings, ceramics, pewter and glass and dish ware. If you are interested in blown glass, a visit to the Glass Factory in Cabo San Lucas is very worthwhile. You can watch glass ware and glass art being created in real time as well as choose from a wide selection of glass art. There are also a number of museums in Cabo San Lucas including the Whale Museum and The Museum of Natural History as well as a Regional Museum of Anthropology and History.