Nikki Goth Itoi: In order to visit the cave paintings, you need to go with a licensed guide who can arrange for the required permits. I would recommend a home base in Loreto or Mulege for this trip. Mulege is closer to the cave painting sites, but Loreto has the advantage of direct flights and easy access to activities on the coast if you'd like to have that option along with your inland tour. I can recommend a guide who is based in Mulege: Salvador Castro Drew. Be sure to check out the mission at San Javier if you decide to go to Loreto. Loreto Tours is one of several companies that leads cave painting trips out of Loreto. Desert and Sea Expeditions is another option.

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Staunton: When renting a car at the SJD what insurance is needed to have good protection? We have good credit card LDW, but ended up buying full MX coverage which ran us over $500.00 us dollars. We plan to go back in a year and would like to pay less for a rental.

Nikki Goth Itoi: I have done extensive research into this topic for my guidebook writing and my own travel purposes, and determined that unfortunately, there is no way around the high cost of Mexican auto insurance when you are renting a car. The insurance that comes with your US credit card does not cover you under the Mexican legal system. So most rental agencies will require that you either buy the Mexican liability insurance, which does nearly double the daily rate of your rental, or leave a large deposit usually equal to a percentage of the value of the vehicle you are renting. Minor accidents can turn into a huge nightmare when you don't have the proper coverage. I've heard enough stories of travelers getting into trouble to be convinced that it's better to be fully covered so you can enjoy your trip. One way to keep costs down is to stay somewhere central and only rent a car for the day or two that you want to take an excursion elsewhere in the Los Cabos area.

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Dallas, Ore.: My husband and our two sons (17 and 19) will be taking our first trip to Cabo in June. We like to snorkel and swim in the ocean, and would like to stay in a condo right on the Sea of Cortez so we can swim. However, we want to be able to get into Cabo, too. Would renting a car and staying in the corridor be a smart move?

Nikki Goth Itoi: It is easy to drive along the corridor to get in and out of downtown Cabo San Lucas; however, there are limited options for swimmable beaches along this stretch of coastline. The best swimming beaches, Playa Chileno and Playa Santa Maria, do not have accommodations on them; closer to San Jose, Playa California has many condo options (Mykonos, El Zalate, Sampiguita, to name a few) and can be swimmable, although not when strong summer swells come through. Playa El Medano just outside Cabo San Lucas would be a good compromise as well—the beach is more crowded and not as secluded as some along the corridor, but it is very safe for swimming and depending on your exact location, you could walk to restaurants in town.

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Brooklyn, N.Y.: We are traveling to Baja with two young children in January. Can you advise us on the best family-friendly activities and places to stay in the greater Cabo area? Thanks.

Nikki Goth Itoi: One popular activity is to swim with the dolphins through Cabo Dolphins. A glass-bottom boat tour out to Playa del Amor is also fun for youngsters because they can see the fish through the bottom of the boat. Depending on the ages of the children, a guided snorkeling tour may also be a good family activity. The beaches at Playa Chileno and Playa Santa Maria are family-friendly, though they don't have much in the way of services or facilities. Farther afield, Playa Los Cerritos near Todos Santos would also be good for the kids.

As for accommodations, I believe the new Villas del Arco resort on Playa El Medano is geared toward families; but I would also consider renting a condo so you can have more flexibility with meals. If you're up for more of an adventure, Cabo Pulmo on the East Cape is a great place for young kids who like the water, except that it is a little more removed from medical facilities, supermarkets, and other services that you may want to have nearby.

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