by Perri Peairs

Resort design goes well beyond theming, architectural style, and exotic plant palettes to take advantage of landforms, climate, views, and . . . It involves a blending of setting and culture . . . an expression that can't be measured with three diamonds or four stars . . . or any number of "giggling marlins"-even in the marlin capital of the world where LASN begins its 1995 tour of "Winter Resorts."

The Pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Cortez at los cabos (the capes) on the remote tip of the Baja penninsula where, rimmed by desert and a mountain backdrop, 20 miles of white sandy beaches between Cabo San Lucas and the colonial settlement of San Jose del Cabo exalt the art of resort design.

Pictured is "da Giorgio's," a restaurant near the missiones in Cabo San Lucas. The palapa-covered structure offers a spectacular open-air view of the famous geologic formations at land's end-"Los Arcos"-and of the annual migration of thousands of gray whales.

Theming conveys culture, not kitsch. Thatched roofs, natural stone, Mexican tile, and beach pebbles-used for the mosaic sea water pool and its boulder breakwater or inlaid whole in casual swaths along serpentine pathways and in intricate patterns in patios-evokes the character and style of a hospitable Mexican pueblo combined with an island paradise. A profusion of palms, bougainvillea, and other tropicals completes the restful, relaxing atmosphere of an exotic land. Next stop . . . LASN