The next day it as time to finally hit the playa so I made a hike up a surprisingly steep hill and then back down again to get to the heart of the Medano beach. I had read about a relatively chill spot that had a nice view, Milky Beach.

There were 3 levels but I chose the middle one which my hostess said was her favorite. It was indeed a beautiful view that I basically had all to myself. Wanting something a bit lighter for lunch I opted for the seafood ceviche with fresh shrimp, octopus and tuna.

I should have put something next to this for scale but it was a massive bowl of seafood goodness. It was a bit spicier than I prefer but I eventually got used to it. They even gave me a free bottle after apologizing for it being a bit too spicy. That was a nice touch.

I had read about a local brewery, Cabo Brewing Company, which happened to be right up the hill so off I went. I navigated my way through a new, sleek hotel and went up to the 7th floor to be greeted by this truly stunning view.

The owner, Guillermo, welcomed me and asked what type of beer I liked. I said I wanted to try a few different ones so he gave me a taster option of 4 of his favorites – ranging for a hazy IPA to a Black IPA (my favorite) The quality was quite good and I mean just look at the view!

I remarked to Guillermo that the biggest change that I’ve seen since I was here 21 years ago is the height of the buildings. I never had really gotten an aerial view like this before of the coast.

I decided to have one more round of 2 other beers – their signature blonde and a sweet potato one (interesting but a sample was enough) along with the black IPA and the stout I had earlier.

Tonight was the only night where I didn’t have any dinner plans so I asked Guillermo where he goes on his night off. He quickly replied with Gardenias Tacos. Sold.

So after a much needed siesta, soon I was off to go check out this favorite of the locals, which was pretty close to my apartment. I love hole in the wall places like this so I was a happy camper.

I had yet to have a fish or shrimp taco so why not both? I selected a grilled fish, shrimp and fried shrimp taco. Not exactly the speediest of service but eventually was presented with this glorious trio. I started with the fish, which was perfectly cooked and smoky. The grilled shrimp was nice and as good. But the mindblower was the fried shrimp, with a light but perfectly crispy batter and paired beautifully with their outstanding crema. By far the best meal I had had thus far – and only $15 with tip.

Wanting to walk off the tacos, I headed towards the bar district to check out the scene. It being Friday night the area was bustlingly. I stopped into a few including the famous El Squid Roe, which really hadn’t changed since I was last here.

Overall it was skewing a bit too touristy for my tastes so I walked back towards the Marina to a local favorite, The Nowhere Bar. I hung out a bit there but eventually heard my bed calling so I made the now familiar path to my building. Tomorrow would be a day of visiting old haunts, which would be a lot of fun.