East Cape Real Estate | The Ultimate Buyers Guide
The East Cape is the future of development in Baja California Sur, it is the most desirable but undeveloped area, where you can experience the true Baja Lifestyle.
In terms of Real Estate, there is a little bit of everything for everyone.
From lots to build your custom home or just to secure a nice spot near the beach for the imminent future, to luxury homes ready to go right in front of the beach.
You can find really nice homes starting from $400k up to $900k, but if you really want to upgrade you can really see the difference starting at $1.3M USD.
For instance, there are several communities along the coastline of the East Cape that start in Zacatitos, near San José del Cabo, all the way up to Los Barriles. But let's not forget that the East Cape consists of several points of interest, so we will be taking a quick look at the best areas to live in the East Cape here in Baja.
There are 2 sides of the East Cape, North and South, while North East Cape communities are closer to La Paz, South East Cape communities are closer to San José del Cabo.
East Cape South:
Considered the most undeveloped side of the East Cape, the south side offers great surf spots, unpaved roads and off-the-grid lifestyle, this means that everyone living out there rely on solar panels for electricity and a cistern for water storage, water service is trucked and is on 24/7, so is not a big deal.
Communities in the East Cape South:
1- Zacatitos
2- Playa Tortuga
3- Rancho Tortuga
4- El Cardón (Shipwrecks)
5- La Fortuna
6- Santa Elena (9 Palms)
7- Vinorama
8- Costa de Oro
9- Boca del Salado
10- Castillo de Arena
Dirt roads are usually in harsh conditions like a 2 out of 5, so you better have a great car with even greater suspension.
ZACATITOS:
Santa Cruz de los Zacatitos, that's the original name, but over time, it became shorter, not officially, but shorter. This is one of the first East Cape communities, since it's closer to San José del Cabo, people used to go out there, when it was considered to be "far" from town a couple of decades ago, with all dirt roads, and only a few houses.
This community is still far enough to enjoy privacy, uncrowded beaches and a really serene atmosphere.
5★ is considered the best
Community
★★★★
Location
★★★★
Amenities
★
Swimmable Beach
★★
Surf
★
Distance from San Jose del Cabo - 9 miles
Dirt road - 1.5 miles
Great place to live if you have to go to San José on a daily basis.
Playa Tortuga | Rancho Tortuga | El Cardon (Shipwrecks)
This area is still considered close to town, since the paved road was built a few years ago, you can drive from downtown San Jose to Playa Tortuga in 20 minutes, and Playa Tortuga, Rancho Tortuga and El Cardon are basically next to each other, so we are talking kinda of the same area, which is nice, being next to paved road means that you don't have to do a lot of off-road to get home if you live in this area.
A lot of construction going on right now, and it only makes sense because this is like where civilization begins with the paved road directly connected to town.
El Cardon is one of the most beloved surf spots in the East Cape, it is conveniently located as the first surf spot when you are out there, so it's the easiest and fastest beach out there that you can get to, when the right swell hits, waves are all over, left and right.
In terms of Real Estate, you can find ocean view lots in the $150k up to $800k for beachfront lots, and houses somewhere between $700k up to $3 or $6 million USD for beachfront.
5★ is considered the best
Community
★★★
Location
★★★★
Amenities
★
Swimmable Beach
★★
Surf
★ ★ ★ ★
Distance from San Jose del Cabo - 12.5 miles
Dirt road - 1 mile
La Fortuna :
La Fortuna is the next surf spot you encounter when you pass El Cardon, it's like a 15 min drive from one beach to the other.
Even though La Fortuna means a little more driving to, this area has become very popular among surfers, with a few restaurants where you can grab a bite or have some drinks with friends or family, most of the restaurants are seasonal, but practically they are usually closed during August and September.
So with more things to do around and a really nice beach where you can surf or swim, La Fortuna is definitely a must do if you are exploring out there.
In Real Estate terms, it's a very rare thing to find any properties for sale within less than half a mile of the surf spot, super rare I would say, mostly because properties out there are still big chunks of land, meaning that there are not many residential areas/lots that can be offered to the regular people, but most likely to huge developers.
5★ is considered the best
Community
★★
Location
★★★
Amenities
★★★
Swimmable Beach
★★★
Surf
★ ★ ★
Distance from San Jose del Cabo - 15.7 miles
Dirt road - 3.6 miles
Santa Elena (9 Palms):
Santa Elena is like another 15 min drive north from La Fortuna, the same Real Estate terms apply, but a little less, It's definitely easier and not so rare to find residential lots for sale, they usually sell fast, that's the reason we don't see them very often.
There are no restaurants or bars in 9 Palms, so you better gear up for a beach day.
Surf is a really nice and long wave, it will depend on the swell, but it's usually super friendly, unless it is too big and with a constant period, other than that it is a beautiful surf spot.
5★ is considered the best
Community
★★
Location
★★
Amenities
★
Swimmable Beach
★★★
Surf
★ ★ ★ ★
Distance from San Jose del Cabo - 20 miles
Dirt road - 7.6 miles
You are a solid 30 - 40min drive from the paved road to Santa Elena.
Now we have come a long way from San José, anything after Santa Elena means at least 1 hr drive on the rough road, this is where you have to evaluate if this is for you.
Cabo Vinorama Estates:
15 min north from Santa Elena (9 Palms) and 1 solid hour from the paved road, we will find Cabo Vinorama Estates, a private gated beach community with a few houses and a beach more suitable for surfing than swimming.
Need to mention that after Santa Elena, driving more than 40 mins off road just to get home, can be challenging for most people, this is when I say that this part of the East Cape is not for everyone, it's for the brave.
5★ is considered the best
Community
★★
Location
★★
Amenities
★
Swimmable Beach
★
Surf
★ ★ ★
Distance from San Jose del Cabo - 22 miles
Dirt road - 9.5 miles
Costa de Oro:
The community of Costa de Oro has grown these past couple of years, with more people building in the area, this beach community is slowly becoming an even nicer spot to live in, even though you are far from town (1hr and 20 mins from the paved road) the community seems to be doing things right, slow but right.
Beach is alright, mostly rocky but you can find some clean spots to take a dip.
Plus you have Vida Soul Hotel 5 mins from there, that means that you have a restaurant and bar to chill nearby, definitely you need an all terrain vehicle if you consider living there.
5★ is considered the best
Community
★★★
Location
★★
Amenities
★
Swimmable Beach
★★
Surf
★
Distance from San Jose del Cabo - 24.3 miles
Dirt road - 12 miles
Boca del Salado :
Boca del Salado is a small private community, this is where the beach factor changes, the more to the north, the more you get into the Sea of Cortez, this means that the ocean is not as wild as in the south, so the more chances you get to find swimmable beaches, and Boca del Salado is the first example, the beach at Boca del Salado is perfect for swimming most of the time.
Only a few homes and rarely anything for sale in Boca del Salado, overall it is a good spot to live just because of the swimmable beach, it is just a little too far.
5★ is considered the best
Community
★★★
Location
★
Amenities
★
Swimmable Beach
★★★★
Surf
★
Distance from San Jose del Cabo - 28.6 miles
Dirt road - 16 miles
Castillo de Arena:
Castillo de Arena is the last community coming from San José, easy 1hr and 30 min drive when the road is in okay conditions, if it rains and gets bad you will be looking at 2 hrs and 20 mins easy just to get there from San José. So is it far? Yeah kinda.
Setting aside the long drive, Castillo de Arena enjoys one of the best beaches out there for swimming, fishing and the community is growing, part of the reason is that prices are not that crazy on that side, and the beach and community definitely adds up value to consider living there.
If you like pickleball, this is a great place to be, since you have your own pickleball courts, when you are out there far from everything, you definitely need things to do around, you have the beach, the pickleball, trails to explore, hiking, mountain biking, off-roading, if you think of living in Castillo de Arena, consider that you need toys for your amusement like some quads, side by side, and amenities in your property.
5★ is considered the best
Community
★★★
Location
★
Amenities
★★★
Swimmable Beach
★★★★
Surf
★
Distance from San Jose del Cabo - 29.7 miles
Dirt road - 17.5 miles
East Cape North:
North side of the East Cape comprehends a few communities where it is just easier to take the highway to get there, everything is like an hour drive from the San José International Airport. It is very different from the south, here you don't have any surf breaks, but you do have amazing swimmable beaches 24/7.
Communities in the East Cape North:
1- La Ribera
2- Buenavista
3- Los Barriles
4- El Cardonal
Services are available in the most populated areas and the road is fully paved if we talk about just getting there.
Another benefit on this side is that you are closer to the waterfalls in Santiago and Miraflores, which is nice.
La Ribera:
La Ribera is now home of Costa Palmas, an ultra-luxury development with a private golf course, marina and a new high-end community right on the beach.
But not everything is just luxury in La Ribera, there are a few sub-communities around it where you can enjoy pristine beaches like in LightHouse Point Estates, nice ocean views from Las Lomas II, and walking distance to the beach from Playa Colorada community.
Here in La Ribera, Real Estate market is moving forward towards a luxury destination, in terms of investment, you can't go wrong investing in any type of property in La Ribera.
5★ is considered the best
Community
★★★★
Location
★★★
Amenities
★★★
Swimmable Beach
★★★★
Distance from San Jose del Cabo - 37.6 miles on the highway
Dirt road - 0
Buenavista & Los Barriles
Buenavista and Los Barriles are two of the best beach towns to live in, they are next to each other and one curious thing about it is that Buenavista is in the municipality of Los Cabos, and Los Barriles is in the municipality of La Paz.
Buenavista is a smaller town, with fewer things but still you can roll in a side by side (razor) around everywhere, beaches are gorgeous and Buenavista has Playa La Gaviota, which is a Blue Flag certified beach, like Palmilla in San José , Chileno or Santa Maria Bay, that basically means that is really nice.
Los Barriles is slightly bigger compared to Buenavista, but still you are only a 5 min drive from it, so living in either town won't make any difference. Los Barriles feels a little more alive, you have plenty of restaurants, pickleball courts, hiking and biking trails, beautiful beaches and a sense of community that you can really enjoy living in.
5★ is considered the best
Community
★★★★★
Location
★★★★
Amenities
★★★★
Swimmable Beach
★★★★★
Distance from San Jose del Cabo - 40 miles on the highway
Dirt road - 0
El Cardonal:
Situated 30 mins north from Los Barriles, El Cardonal is a great option to invest for the long run.
Beaches in El Cardonal aren't all sandy and beautiful, a lot of spots are very rocky and if the beach is a strong factor for you, you need to be really selective, only a few areas enjoy white sandy beaches in El Cardonal.
Community is slowly growing, definitely, the slower growing side of the East Cape, but still, if you find a good deal and the beach looks good, you may want to consider El Cardonal.
5★ is considered the best
Community
★★★
Location
★
Amenities
★
Swimmable Beach
★★★
Distance from San Jose del Cabo - 60 miles on the highway
Dirt road - 0
Ultimately the East Cape is a really cool destination in Baja where depending where you are located, you have a different set of amenities and outdoor activities. Is a perfect spot for retirement in the future or to start living right away.
Connect with me for more insights about the East Cape and lets find the perfect property for you.
Luis Acosta
Real Estate Advisor
+52 624 1565337
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