After a decade long stint as the first lead female vocalist at Harry Denton's Starlight Room, Daline Jones, daughter of late beat poet Ted Joans, swapped stardom for early retirement, 360 days a year of sunshine and an oceanfront parcel of land on the outskirts of Cabo San Lucas. (It functions completely off the grid, with solar energy and a natural well.) Lapped by the Pacific Ocean on the west and the Sea of Cortez on the east, Cabo has long been a venue for deep-pocket sport fishers, Hollywood types and 40-year-olds demonstrating you're never too old for spring break. But beyond the flashy tourist hotels and tequila-pounding bars, there's another Cabo -- a slower, quieter town of meandering streets, open-air restaurants and nightclubs where the guitars are unplugged and the tequila is sipped. It's an area best explored on foot. Cabo attracts nearly a million visitors a year, and Jones hosted 20 of them as houseguests during her first year there. We asked her to share her favorite places to take guests and naturally, to catch live music.

Hip Italian hosts

"One place I sing at regularly is Amarone, a modern Italian restaurant owned by three very hip and handsome Italian guys who have been friends since childhood.

Their families own restaurants in Verona, Italy, and they came to Cabo to do their own thing. They have featured live jazz since they opened a few years ago. Diego Ramirez, the best pianist in Cabo, plays there most nights, and I sing with him on Fridays. I love singing at Amarone, because of the setting -- an outside stage overlooking the marina and man-made waterfalls, with soft lighting on the palm trees. It's very tropical and relaxed; it feels like a place to linger."

Expat wine bistro

"Sancho Panza, a wine bistro and restaurant tucked into a little alley breezeway has been a favorite in Cabo for almost 10 years. It was started by Ron Kliest, who used to be in the wine business in Sonoma. He and his wife Janett have made Sancho Panza the place to enjoy fine wines, excellent food, Cuban art and live music every night of the week. I sing there with a young jazz trio from Buenos Aires."

Pricey views

"Driving into the Pedregal neighborhood, up on the big hill in Cabo San Lucas, gives you the chance to see multimillion dollar homes and enjoy spectacular views of Cabo, the bay, the Sea of Cortez, and the Pacific Ocean on the backside. Pedregal is a gated community, but if you act confident and say you're going to see friends, they will probably open the gate with a smile."

Awe-inspiring acoustics

"My favorite iglesia (church) in all of Baja is in Todo Santos, less than an hour's scenic drive along the Pacific coastline. The town, full of artists and surfers, is a great place to spend a day browsing in galleries and shops, and looking at old adobe buildings. The iglesia is nearly 200 years old and has been restored to its simple beauty. The acoustics are amazing -- every time I go there I absolutely must sing (if it's empty) because the resonance is beautiful inside."

Home-cooking

"For a down-home locals eating spot, we like Gardenias. It's family-owned, and the food is super fresh. They are always busy serving up great tortilla soup, delicious fish tacos, killer ceviche and more. You can devour a couple of fish tacos with all the sides and an ice-cold Coke or cervesa for about $5."

Sunset romance

"Sunset da Mona Lisa is a restaurant with a spectacular view, especially at sunset which is very romantic. The lounge bar upstairs (DG's) is a cool spot to watch the sunset, and even more romantic because of the comfy sofas that beg you to recline and relax. My husband, Ron, and I are doing a wedding gig there this month; the couple picked the site because of the high romance factor."

Easy lodging

"Our favorite B&B; to recommend to guests is Casa Contenta, which is absolutely lovely and the owners are wonderful, helpful and fun. It is less than a 5-minute drive from downtown Cabo and has all the amenities to make you feel at home."

The quickest way to get to Cabo San Lucas from California is by plane. Several major SFO airlines serve Los Cabos International Airport (SJD), and Frontier launched a nonstop flight from San Jose in March. Pass through customs, grab a Corona and within 20-30 minutes a cab will zip travelers to the Tourist Corridor -- the 18-mile stretch between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose Del Cabo, where most of the beachfront hotels are situated.

More daring souls may prefer to drive Carretera Peninsular Benito Juárez, or Mexico's Highway 1. The 1,059-mile, two-lane highway runs the length of the peninsula. It's a straight, scenic shot from San Francisco: Get onto our Highway 1 and head south; at the border work your way onto Mexico's version and keep going. Auto insurance from the United States isn't recognized in Mexico, but it's easy, albeit costly, to get Mexican vehicle insurance at most border areas. If you rent a car, a new tourist guide called "Road CD" with lots of driving tips and recommendations of what to see and do was released this spring and is free to everyone who rents a car in Mexico.

Take note of obscure or missing stop signs, and don't ever expect drivers to come to a complete stop. Also be aware of wayward wild horses, donkeys and cattle in the highway after dark. Roads may not always be well paved or predictable.

Charyn Pfeuffer is a Carmel Valley writer. She contributes regularly to Destination Weddings & Honeymoons, Relish and Where.

This article appeared on page CM - 22 of the San Francisco Chronicle