MEXICO'S EAST COAST BECKONS.

Byline: Brett Pauly Staff Writer

So you've been to Southern Baja California, but the fizzle has largely gone out of the champagne that is Cabo San Lucas.

You want something more authentic than the zoo of megahotels, nightclubs and Americanized eateries that some feel has so diluted the Mexican experience that Cabo could be Downtown Any City, U.S.A.

Welcome to Baja's East Cape - smack dab in the middle of the 130-mile stretch between Cabo San Lucas and La Paz - where the uniquely quiet, relaxed and, some night owls might say, even boring atmosphere is evidenced by the fact that the area's sole discotheque was converted into a church and the only zoo is the type with lions and tigers and bears . . . oh, my.

So often there are two sides to Mexican resorts. There's the glitz and glamour, and then there's the reality that this is a Third World country. With poor communities, livestock and litter abutting the few hotels that break up this isolated region, the East Cape leans dramatically toward the latter while still providing wonderfully quaint and clean accommodations, classic Mexican meals that come with the price of the room and more than enough to see and do.

``I see this as more laid back than a party town. It has a definite taste of genuine Mexico,'' said Aaron Coxey of Bend, Ore. ``You can kick back, enjoy the sun, avoid the crowds and, when you come back home, you feel like you've actually gone somewhere. Whereas Cabo is like an American city.''

The East Cape is the perfect alternative for those whose idea of a Mexican vacation includes noiseless beaches, stylish pools that are deserted at noon and bars that close each evening at 10.

This lonely, arid outpost that is the southeast terminus of the Baja peninsula splits the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez, or Gulf of California. Its azure waters offer an amazing array of fish - 850 species - and a seemingly endless supply. What can't be reeled in (largely billfish, tuna and dorado) can be viewed snorkeling and scuba diving. Indeed, like so many coastal destinations in Baja California Sur, the East Cape is a world-renowned magnet to saltwater anglers.

But herein lies the beauty for those who don't fish or are less committed: When the angling crowd is on the brine from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., you've got the entire region, along with its rich amenities and adventures that are often overlooked, all to yourselves.

Consider: Bird-watching, horseback riding, hiking, kayaking, riding personal watercraft, windsurfing, touring botanical gardens, viewing cave paintings, absorbing slices of life on every corner - from kids' birthday parties to dining on goat served in a private home - and speeding on all-terrain vehicles to lagoons and springs one would hardly expect to find in the desert. Families and seniors who care less about the night life should feel especially comfortable here.

The journey by air begins in San Jose del Cabo. Travel itineraries list the destination as Los Cabos, referring to the general area between San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas 25 miles to the southwest. Alaska Airlines operates a 9-month-old terminal that is an inviting alternative to the often-raucous and unkempt building that is home to several Mexican carriers.

After clearing customs - bring a passport; a driver's license or birth certificate complicates entry - a driver with the name of the hotel you'll be staying at will be on hand for those who have transfer vouchers (which can be arranged when booking a room). Otherwise, taxis in Baja are as common as the cattle that are your constant companions in this open-range territory.

Cows, goats, horses and burros line the road north toward Los Barriles, the ``hub'' of the East Cape - such as it is - that is situated on Bahia de Palmas, just north of the Tropic of Cancer. The tranquil bay is home to seven resorts along less than 25 miles of shoreline from Punta Colorada north to Punta Pescadero.

During the 45-minute ride north on Highway 1 to my accommodations at Hotel Buenavista Beach Resort, my driver, Mario Cano Alvarez of San Jose del Cabo, explained to me in a broken conversation that the numerous crosses and criptas erected on the roadside are memorials to those whose paths were fatefully interrupted by livestock.

A dusty road not well marked leads the way to the hotel, which has earned a two-diamond rating from the Automobile Club of Southern California and four stars from the Mexican government. Room rates run from $75 (U.S.) for a standard single to $200 for a premium triple, and include all meals a la the ``American plan.'' The price for children ages 11 and younger is $15. Tax is an additional 12 percent and gratuity - paid up front as a convenience to both parties so that most hotel expenses are accounted for early on - is another 10 percent.

Tile pathways accented with fountains, bougainvillea and lazily swaying palms direct visitors to 60 cozy rooms and their welcoming blasts of air conditioning. A centrally located pool is highlighted by what's billed as the region's only swim-up bar.

Locals often refer to the facility as ``Spa,'' after its original name of Club Spa Buenavista. Hot springs flow through the tropical landscape; until a water-cooling system with greater capacity was installed more recently, visitors couldn't take cold showers. The family-operated business was opened with 12 rooms in 1976 by owner Felipe Jesus ``Chuy'' Valdez Vasques.

The original buildings were erected in the 1940s as a residence and servants' quarters for then-territorial governor Agustin Olachea, according to the newly released historical account, Gene S. Kira's ``The Unforgettable Sea of Cortez'' (Cortez Publications; $39.95).

The menu is changed for each meal at the hotel's restaurant, known for awesome breakfasts (French toast, beans, sausage, bacon, Mexican-style eggs, coffee and orange juice) and adequate lunches and dinners.

For a taste of the surroundings, venture just up the road to Loncheria Tia Licha, where a shredded beef or pork torta sells for 17 pesos - or about $1.80 with the exchange rate of 9-1/2 pesos to the dollar.

A $10 round-trip taxi ride into Los Barriles is worthwhile. Such touristy enterprises as East Cape Tackle & Art, Baja Beach Company and Buzzard's Bay Sports Cantina are found in Plaza del Pueblo. Taqueria La Palma on a nearby backstreet has tempting tacos de pescado for 6 pesos. For a most memorable meal, ask around for the ``Goat Farm,'' where a local lady prepares goat in her kitchen for a moderate price of about $10.

``Everybody thinks it's just the hottest deal,'' said area fly-fishing guide Gary Graham. Dying for American-style fare? Try the more upscale Tio Pablo's Grill, Mananas Grill or Otra Vez Restaurant & Cantina. But, by all means, stroll the friendly streets of Los Barriles and enjoy the culture that is Mexico. Remember that many operations - hotels excluded - shut down from 2 to 4 p.m. for siesta time.

Apart from being infused with money from tourists and - as one local put it - ``gringos building houses,'' the region is largely agricultural, with mangos, basil, tomatoes and chiles primary crops. Then there's the beer, lots and lots of cerveza. You frequently can't go a city block without running into one distributor or another.

For the less obvious adventure, inquire back at the hotel. Nearly any odyssey available can be personalized - for a price - and appropriately attentive hotel personnel will ask several times a day if they can arrange just that.

``For people who think this is an entertainment capital, it's not,'' said Steve Chism, concessionaire of fishing tackle rentals at Hotel Buenavista Beach Resort. ``But there are so many things to do that people don't know about.''

Chism charges $90 for an all-day bird-watching tour via ATV. Coastal lagoons with brackish waters attract egrets, snowy plovers, ospreys, peregrine falcons and an assortment of shorebirds. The same rate is applied for guided trips up an arroyo bottom to a mango-, guava- and palm-punctuated spring - or chorro or ojo de agua. Chism identifies plant life - including a boggling variety of cactuses - en route. The ride itself justifies the price; there's nothing quite like the thrill of punching a four-wheeled ATV full throttle in fifth gear over open sand or riverbeds. Chism can take five people in a Suburban to see ancient cave paintings.

Some 20 miles to the south and inland, Parque Zoological Santiago - described as the only zoo in the state - is utterly remarkable in how close visitors can get to the animals. At less than 3 feet from a tiger, you earn an entirely new respect for Siegfried & Roy.

The well-groomed grounds and neatly kept buildings are perhaps the East Cape's most pleasant surprise. The compact facility was completed in July 1983, reportedly built with funds raised by politicians' wives as a way to give something back to the community. Look for ring-tailed cats, an ocelot, a badger and a snake pit with coiled rattlers. Cactus provides a contrasting backdrop to the black bear display. Footpaths are framed with plumeria, mangos, Spanish dagger and wild plum. A mural depicts the Pueblo de Santiago y Mision in 1768.

The town of Santiago itself is a government center. A museum with erratic hours pays tribute to the largely defunct sugar crop that helped define the area in earlier days. The town's namesake hotel is thought to have been one of the places where then-president Dwight D. Eisenhower and the Secret Service slept during many dove-hunting and big-game-fishing trips to the East Cape during his administration.

Of course, fishing - the East Cape's bread and butter - is a given. Boats and crews go for $225 to $400 or more per day, with fishing licenses, bait, rental gear and tips extra.

And, heck, if you can't go another day without more socializing, music and dancing, $120 will rent a taxi to Cabo San Lucas for the entire day, and the driver will serve as the guide. But save that as a last resort for this resort.

EAST CAPE RESORTS

Hotel Punta Colorada, [phone].

Rancho Leonaro Resort, [phone].

Hotel Buenavista Beach Resort, [phone].

Rancho Buenavista, [phone].

Hotel Palmas de Cortez, [phone].

Hotel Playa del Sol, [phone].

Punta Pescadero Resort, [phone].

CAPTION(S):

4 photos, box, 2 maps

PHOTO (1 -- 2 -- color) Baja California's East Cape may not be able to match nearby Cabo San Lucas in glitz, but it doesn't have to apologize for its stunning sunrises. And if you wander just a short distance from the resort boundaries, you're likely to find all kinds of intruiging desert creatures.

(3) Capacious East Cape pools offer refreshing fun in the sun

(4) Visitors can get up close and personal with the animals of the Parque Zoologico Santiago in Baja California

Brett Pauly/Staff Photographer

BOX: East Cape resorts (see text)

MAP: (1) East Cape

(2) Baja California