Cabo's Premier Real Estate and Business Developer
Co-Owner and Architect of Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
About Marco Monroy
My Journey
As a co-owner of Cabo Wabo Cantina, I knew from the very first time I visited Cabo in the late seventies that someday it would become an amazing vacation destination. To me, Cabo is a bright happy place, a place where the sun always shines, and the light is brilliant and vibrant. I never imagined, however, that it would grow to be the spectacular spot it now is.
I moved to Cabo in 1986, just after finishing architectural school in Mexico City to start my career as an architect. Prior to that, I recall first flying in from La Paz in a small plane with my family when my father, who is also an architect, was building the first stage of the Finisterra Hotel in the late seventies. There was nothing but a few hotels and a couple of restaurants back then and not even a single stoplight.
In 1990, I was awarded the assignment of designing and constructing Cabo Wabo Cantina, which was built for the Van Halen band.
In 1994, I became Sammy Hagar’s business partner. Van Halen was on tour during construction so Sammy, who was at the time a musician with the band, was greatly surprised when he returned and first saw the almost completed Cantina. “I can’t believe it’s this big” he told me. “It’s way too big for Cabo San Lucas, but I like it!” Soon the interest of the local population was aroused and people started coming in to enjoy the cantina, which became the place to go in a town that was already a destination of choice. Cabo San Lucas had tripled in size and was no longer the simple fishing village it had been when I first arrived. Full story can be viewed here: https://blog.cabovillas.com/cabo-wabo-cantina-is-still-rocking-after-26-years/
In 1997, Cabo Wabo Tequila was developed and the company sold in 2007.
Cabo Wabo is still doing amazing and I am still amazed how Cabo has grown since the day I first arrived.