At the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, the land ends in a rocky point called El Arco (The Arch), a place of stark beauty. The warm waters of the Sea of Cortés, which separates the peninsula from the Mexican mainland, swirl into the Pacific Ocean's rugged surf as marlin and sailfish leap out of the waves.

The two towns located at this farthest reach of Baja California - Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo - were distinct until the late 1970s, when the Mexico government's office of tourism development targeted the area as a major resort and dubbed it Los Cabos.

Today, the destination consists of Cabo San Lucas, San José del Cabo, and the 32-kilometer (92-mile) stretch of highway that connects them, called the Corridor. It has become one of Mexico's most popular and most expensive coastal getaways, with deluxe hotels, championship golf courses, and some of the best sportfishing in the world. The population is growing faster than in any other part of Mexico, and infrastructure will soon be a problem. Despite the development and the steep prices that have come with it, the area remains a mysteriously natural hideaway.