* The days are still hot with temperate highs in the 70s and 80s (Fahrenheit).

* The nights are still warm and cozy with temperatures in the 60s.

* Hurricane season has passed so the chance of a nasty rain storm is pretty slim.

* The beaches are still lovely for swimming temperate—with temperatures in the 70s.

* It’s off season so the beaches aren’t too crowded!

* If you like fishing—the marlin and tuna are still biting.

These are just a few of the reasons why November is such a perfect time to book a pre-winter vacation at one of the many and lovely Cabos villas in Mexico. As if you needed a reason…

With balmy temperatures still soaring in the 70s and 80s, Los Cabos is still primed for swimming and water sports—you get the opportunity to book a day cruise or dolphin swim with little chance of showers. Plus, fishing charters are still running and so are the marlin and tuna, which anglers will find plentiful for the catch.

In early November is also ripe with traditional Mexican festivals and events in Cabo San Lucas, for instance it’s the ideal time to take in a number of traditional favorites, such as:

1. Dia de Los Muertos: From November 1^st until November 2^nd, the annual Dia de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, celebrations take place all across Mexico. Dia de Los Muertos honor family members and friends who have passed away. Visitors will be lucky enough to see traditional Mexican homes with families decorating blooming altars within as a sign of respect for their dead. Mexican cemeteries are also colorfully decorated and music and parades march throughout the city streets.

2. Revolution Day: If you prefer to book your vacation at the end of November, you will be just in time to catch Revolution Day, which marks the beginning of the Mexican Revolution. Revolution Day occurs on November 20^th, a federal holiday in Mexico, when banks, government services and businesses close their doors for the day to celebrate with festive music, fireworks and even a parade that runs right through the center of San Jose del Cabo.

3. The San Jose Annual Organic Market:  San Jose’s delectable Organic Market kicks off during the first week of November and runs every Saturday from 9am to 3pm. Peruse the organic maze of fresh produce—which includes locally grown fruit and vegetables—as well as handmade Mexican jewelry and traditional crafts.

4. San Jose del Cabo’s Art Walk: From November to May visitors to Los Cabos are in for an eyeful of inspiring art, classy events and meet and greets with the famous artists of Mexico. The Art Walk is held each Thursday evening, from 5pm to 9pm, when the most impressive galleries in the city open their doors to the public and host delicious wine and cheese soirees. Visitors have the option of booking a guide tour (with translation) or opt for a self-guided tour using a city Art Walk map.

5. Visit the beautiful Sol de Mayo waterfall: The best time to visit this stunning 30-foot waterfall, located in Fox Canyon, is in the month of November. Take a lazy drive up Santiago and stop for a day hike and picnic near the waterfall.  You can take a rejuvenating dip in the canyon or area hot springs, which fill up with water after September’s rainy season making it the ideal swimming time. After you dry off, pop over to the nearby Ecological Rancho Sol de Mayo for dinner and drinks in a lovely natural habitat.

Nov. 14, 2011, 12:08 p.m. EST
New Non-Stop Flights Connect Loreto With Cabo San Lucas and Tijuana in Mexico
Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto and Aereo Calafia launch new flights

ISLANDS OF LORETO, Mexico, Nov. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — New flights between popular Mexico vacation destinations Cabo San Lucas, the Islands of Loreto and Tijuana launched on October 21, providing U.S. travelers with additional options for getting to the Islands of Loreto and the destination’s luxurious new Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto.

The new Aereo Calafia flights depart Wednesday, Friday and Sunday and link the Islands of Loreto International Airport (LTO) with Cabo San Lucas International Airport (CSL) and Tijuana International Airport (TIJ). Flights from the Islands of Loreto to Tijuana are just one hour and 50 minutes with rates starting at $320 round trip. Flights from Los Cabos to the Islands of Loreto are just over 60 minutes and start at $240 round trip.

Loreto, Mexico’s next “it” destination, offers incredible beauty in Baja California South with views of the Sea of Cortez and the surrounding Sierra de la Giganta Mountains. Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto offers a variety of water and ecological activities to enjoy the natural beauty of the surroundings, ranging from snorkeling in the indigo waters to hiking nearby trails. When staying at the resort, guests can easily explore the nearby islands such as Danzante, an astonishing volcanic island, or Isla del Carmen, which offers incredible whale watching and fishing opportunities. Rates at the resort start at just $127 per night, plus tax, based on double occupancy. Special packages will soon be announced to celebrate the new flights.

“We are so excited to share the news about these new flights,” said Villa Group Resort partner Luz Maria Torres. “With this new airlift, more travelers will have an opportunity to experience the pristine and magical Islands of Loreto for themselves.”

For more information or to book your stay at Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto, visit www.villadelpalmarloreto.com/flights/aereo-calafia or call the toll free numbers for the U.S. (866) 209-0726 or Canada (855) 440-5590.

Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/villadelpalmarattheislandsofloretoFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/VilladelPalmarL Join our YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/VilladelPalmarLoreto Locate us on Foursquare: https://es.foursquare.com/villadelpalmarl

About The Villa Group

The Villa Group was founded in 1984 and is one of Mexico’s leading privately owned hotel, resort and real estate development companies. The portfolio includes beachfront destination resorts, exclusive fractional and full ownership luxury real estate developments. The collection includes: Cabo San Lucas – Villa La Estancia, Villa del Arco and Villa del Palmar; Puerto Vallarta – Villa del Palmar; Riviera Nayarit – Villa del Palmar Flamingos and Villa La Estancia; Cancun – Villa del Palmar Cancun; and Loreto – Villa del Palmar Beach Resort and Spa at the Islands of Loreto. For more information visit www.VillaGroupResorts.com . Follow Villa Group Resorts on www.facebook.com/villagroup and www.twitter.com/villagroup .

SOURCE The Villa Group

Copyright (C) 2011 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

Comtex

Whatever the weight of the billfish, it was an extraordinary catch, especially considering that the battle played out for nearly 28 hours, giving this yarn a Hemingway quality that seems more like fiction than fact.

The angler credited with the catch is Richard Biehl of Traverse City, Michigan, but he had help from the crew aboard the 31-foot yacht, Go Deep, which was plying the Pacific Ocean north of Cabo San Lucas at Baja California’s tip.

After an offshore marathon that began Saturday morning at 8:20 and ended close to noon Sunday, those aboard the yacht either resembled or felt like very old men of the sea.

“That was the hardest thing I ever did in my life by far,” Biehl told Pisces Sportfishing general manager Tracy Ehrenberg, who on Monday evening published the first detailed account of the remarkable episode. “I’ve shot bull moose and trekked out with 200 pounds on my back and it doesn’t even compare.”

Nobody knew what was in store when the marlin attacked a trolled lure at what is known as the 95 Spot, and dashed toward the horizon. The fishermen were targeting much smaller striped marlin and using only 60-pound-test line — far too light for giant blue marlin.

When the great billfish first jumped, about 400 feet from the boat, the crew guessed its weight to be about 700 pounds.

Word of the catch didn’t spread until Monday, when many in town and in the billfishing community considered the catch to be a rumor. Then photos and sparse details began to appear on Facebook. One photo showed the weight at 972 pounds, but that did not tell the story.

Ehrenberg on Monday afternoon interviewed Capt. Luis Abaroa and his crew, and briefly spoke with Biehl. (Efforts to reach Biehl for this story, via cellphone, were unsuccessful.)

Abaroa told Ehrenberg that the marlin registered only 972 pounds because the hook of the electronic scale used to weigh the fish was not high enough for all of the fish to clear the ground, so a time-tested measurement formula — using length and girth — was used to determine the 1,213 pounds. The marlin measured 137 inches long, or 11.4 feet, not counting its bill or tail. It was 75 inches, or 6.25 feet around.

Weight records for marlin caught off Cabo San Lucas are not kept officially, but an 1,111-pounder caught in the 1980s is believed to be the heaviest.

More recently, in this era of high-speed reels and other technological advancements, overnight struggles with giant billfish have become increasingly rare.

Biehl, bemoaning the use of light line, fought the giant blue marlin by himself until about sunset, then relinquished the rod to a deckhand. By then food and water had been exhausted and another vessel captained by Abaroa’s brother, Frankie, was summoned via radio to deliver supplies.

The marlin leaped again, closer to the boat, as darkness fell. The weight estimate was revised upward to between 800-1,000 pounds.

A long night was fitful because to keep the line from breaking the captain and crew had to keep just enough pressure on the marlin, and constant maneuvering of the boat was necessary.

At sunrise a rejuvenated Biehl reclaimed the rod and resumed the fight. With the line and leader weakening, the crew aboard the other boat had devised a snag rig and managed to setting more hooks into the cheek of the wearying marlin.

Finally, the billfish tired and was brought alonside the boat, and according to Ehrenberg, Biehl chose to have it gaffed and brought to port. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime fish. I want to take him,” he said.

Surprisingly, Biehl went fishing again Monday and caught and released a striped marlin, before himself succumbing to all he had been through by coming down with a bout of seasickness.

– Images of giant marlin are courtesy of Go Deep Sportfishing. Top image shows angler Richard Biehl (holding fishing rod) next to his prize catch. Click here to visit Go Deep’s Facebook page, or here to visit the Pisces Sportfishing Facebook page

http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/blog/30401/monster%20blue%20marlin%20caught%20after%2028-hour%20battle%20off%20cabo%20san%20lucas/

Anglers fish a 746-pound marlin out of Los Cabos waters

Just a day prior to the kick off of Bisbee’s Black & Blue Marlin Tourney, Patrick and Jean Neville and Thomas and Penny Heinz pulled a real sea monster from the depths.

The Florida anglers nabbed a 746-pound blue marlin from the waters just 2-miles off the Pacific side of the Baja California Peninsula near Cabo San Lucas, aboard the 31-foot Tracy Ann, captained by skipper Julio Castro.

Had the fish been nabbed just a day later, the Neville’s and Heinz’s would have landed themselves some serious cash…to the tune of oh, about a few million dollars! The world’s richest billfish tourney, Bisbee’s Black & Blue, runs from October 18 to 22, 2011, welcoming anglers from all over the globe for five days of organized fishing excitement in Los Cabos. However, this marlin was caught same day that check-in and registration began, disqualifying the catch from the actual tournament prize pot.

According to Pete Thomas Outdoors blog, team Neville-Heinz battled with the marlin for almost 2-hours in what resembled a “high-speed car chase”. Sadly, the massive marlin sounded and died less than an hour into the fight and was raised lacking a bill.

Renowned captain of the Tracy Ann, Julio Castro, said, “This is the 2nd biggest Blue Marlin catch in my life…We were blessed with a bit of luck today.”