Overview
Los Cabos is the municipality at the very bottom of the Baja California peninsula, where the desert runs straight into two very different bodies of water. On the east side is the Sea of Cortez, usually calmer and warmer. On the west side is the open Pacific, which sends heavy swells onto steep beaches. Most of the trouble visitors get into here comes from not knowing which is which.
Two towns anchor the area. Cabo San Lucas, at the tip, is the marina, the arch and the nightlife. San José del Cabo, about 20 miles (32 km) northeast and close to the airport, is the older, quieter town with a plaza, a mission church and galleries. Between them runs the Tourist Corridor, a four-lane highway lined with gated resorts, golf courses and a handful of coves where you can actually swim. North of San José, the East Cape is a long, mostly undeveloped coast of dirt roads, fishing towns and the reef at Cabo Pulmo.
Cabo is easy for Americans: short flights, English everywhere in the tourist zones, prices often posted in dollars. It is also one of the most expensive places to vacation in Mexico. For more Mexican life at lower prices, add Todos Santos and La Paz.
Cabo San Lucas, San José, the Corridor or the East Cape
Distances are bigger than they look and taxis are costly, so pick your base by what you want in the evening and whether you need a swimmable beach outside your door.
Cabo San Lucas
The marina, Médano Beach (one of the few swimmable town beaches), water taxis to El Arco, fishing fleets and clubs. Walkable and loud at night. Pacific-side hotels west of the marina have dramatic views and dangerous water.
San José del Cabo
A real town with a shaded plaza, the Thursday Art Walk and good restaurants. The catch: most beachfront hotels sit on Playa Hotelera, where undertow often closes swimming. Use the pool or drive to Palmilla.
Tourist Corridor
Twenty miles of luxury resorts, private communities and golf. Chileno and Santa María, the best snorkeling coves, have public access from the highway. You need a car, taxis or resort shuttles to go anywhere.
East Cape
Los Barriles for winter kiteboarding and summer fishing, the luxury Costa Palmas development, and Cabo Pulmo National Park. Many roads are dirt and wash out after storms. Come for quiet and nature.
Arriving at SJD: the timeshare gauntlet and getting to your hotel
Los Cabos International Airport (SJD) is about 8 miles (13 km) north of San José and roughly 30 miles (48 km) from Cabo San Lucas. Most flights from the US use Terminal 2, the international terminal. Nonstops come from dozens of US cities, and this winter adds seasonal United service from Washington Dulles; see Flights for routes.
The gauntlet
After customs you walk through a hall of friendly people in polo shirts, some at desks marked "information" or "transportation." Many sell timeshare presentations. They ask where you are staying, offer a "free" ride or cheap excursion, and try to book you into a pitch that can eat half a day. Locals call it the shark tank.
- Book your transfer before you fly and know the company name.
- Say "No, gracias" and keep walking until you are outside the building, where real drivers wait with name signs.
- Do not tell anyone inside your hotel's name, and ignore anyone claiming your shuttle company sent them.
Different from home
In a US airport, a "transportation" desk belongs to the airport or a ride company. At SJD, assume anyone approaching you inside is selling something.
Your options and what they cost
Transfers here are priced in US dollars. Figures below are typical one-way 2026 prices.
| Option | San José | Corridor | Cabo San Lucas | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shared shuttle (per person) | US$20–30 | US$30–40 | US$35–45 | Several hotel stops add time, especially to Cabo San Lucas |
| Private van (per vehicle, up to about 6) | US$35–55 | US$50–75 | US$70–100 | Book ahead; the best value for families, though big operators often charge more |
| Airport taxi (fixed zone fare) | US$30–50 | US$50–75 | US$65–110 | Often no cheaper than a pre-booked van; card fees of 5–8% are common |
| Public bus (Ruta del Desierto) | A few dollars | From Terminal 1, roughly 4:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; fine with a carry-on, awkward with big bags | ||
The bus stop and ticket stand are at Terminal 1; from Terminal 2, walk outside past the car rental counters. The bus runs to San José and on through the Corridor to Cabo San Lucas.
Uber at the airport
Uber works for drop-offs at SJD, with tolls added. Pickups are not allowed: in late 2025 the federal transport ministry (SICT) restated that airports are federal zones requiring federally plated vehicles, and drivers caught there face heavy fines. The only compliant workaround is a 10- to 15-minute walk across the highway to the OXXO store, miserable with luggage. Pre-book for arrivals; in town, Uber is usually much cheaper than taxis.
Renting a car
A car makes sense on the Corridor or for Todos Santos, La Paz and the East Cape. Advertised rates of US$25–40 a day rise sharply once mandatory Mexican liability insurance is added; see Driving in Mexico.
Beaches: where to swim and where never to
Read this section twice. The Pacific beaches of Los Cabos are among the most dangerous in Mexico, and some sit right in front of big resorts where they look inviting. Shore break can knock adults down in knee-deep water, and rogue waves have pulled people off the sand. Swim only in protected coves and bays, and check the flag daily.
Flags are run by ZOFEMAT, the federal beach authority: green is safe, yellow means caution, red means hazardous, black means closed, and white warns of marine life such as jellyfish. Los Cabos ended 2025 with 25 Blue Flag certified beaches, which have water testing and usually lifeguards and bathrooms.
Usually safe to swim (in normal conditions)
Médano
The long, gently sloping town beach on the bay, with buoyed swim areas, beach bars and vendors. Calm most of the year; stay inside the buoys, away from jet skis and boats.
Chileno Bay
A crescent cove with parking, bathrooms, palapa shade and good snorkeling off the rocks. Local families fill it on weekends.
Santa María
A horseshoe bay in a protected area, often the clearest water on the cape. Few services; bring shade and water, and come before the tour boats.
Palmilla
Sheltered by its point, with pangas on the sand. The easy swim if you stay in San José, about 10 minutes away.
Lover's Beach (bay side)
The Sea of Cortez side of the sand strip at El Arco is usually calm. No shade or lifeguards; see the next section.
Cabo Pulmo
The only living hard-coral reef in the Gulf of California, protected since 1995. Snorkel and dive with licensed local operators.
Acapulquito, near San José, is also calm when the surf is small. "Usually safe" still means checking: a southern swell or passing hurricane can make even Chileno and Médano dangerous for days.
Do not swim here
| Beach | Where | Why it kills |
|---|---|---|
| Divorce Beach (Playa del Divorcio) | Pacific side of Lover's Beach, at El Arco | Open-ocean shore break, rip currents and rogue waves; swimming is prohibited |
| Playa Solmar | Pacific side of Cabo San Lucas, in front of several large resorts | Surprise sets that knock people down at the waterline; swimming and wading are banned |
| Pedregal Beach | Below the Pedregal neighborhood, Pacific side | Heavy surf, strong currents, no lifeguard infrastructure; swimming forbidden |
| Playa Hotelera | San José hotel zone | A steep drop-off just offshore and undertow that pulls swimmers out fast |
| Playa del Estero | North end of the San José hotel row, at the estuary mouth | River outflow plus surf creates a serious undertow |
Watch out
A "beachfront" resort in San José or on the Pacific side of Cabo San Lucas may have a beach nobody should swim at. Ask the hotel directly whether guests swim there. Never wander the waterline on Divorce, Solmar or Pedregal for photos; many accidents start that way. Caught in a current, swim parallel to shore until it lets go. More in Beaches.
El Arco and Lover's Beach by water taxi
The rock arch at Land's End is Cabo's symbol, and the classic way to see it is a glass-bottom water taxi from Médano Beach or the marina. The 45- to 60-minute loop passes the sea lions, Pelican Rock and the arch, and can drop you at Lover's Beach for a later pickup.
- Expect about US$10–20 per person round trip, quoted and usually paid in dollars. Bring small bills.
- Before paying, ask whether landing on Lover's Beach is allowed today. The Port Authority stops drop-offs in big swell, and in August 2026 suspended them for a time when a rare sandbar formed under the arch and crowds rushed it.
- Agree on a pickup time and photograph the boat's name and number.
- Ask whether the federal protected-area fee is included; boats collect it per passenger and hand out a wristband to keep on.
- Bring water, sunscreen and a hat. Walk across to look at Divorce Beach, but stay out of the water on that side.
Snorkeling is possible on the bay side when it is calm. Kayaks and paddleboards from Médano can reach the arch too, but boat traffic is heavy; only for confident paddlers on calm mornings.
Whale watching
Humpback whales arrive off Los Cabos in winter to breed and calve, and gray whales pass through as well. For 2025–2026, Mexico's environment ministry set the official season from December 15 to April 30 in the Cabo San Lucas protected area and in the Cabo Pulmo area. A new notice is published each fall, and the dates have been similar year to year. January through March is the most reliable stretch.
The rules boats must follow
- At most four boats per whale or group, for up to 30 minutes, under 5 knots.
- At least 60 m (about 200 ft) away for small boats and 80 m (260 ft) for larger ones; waiting boats stay 240 m back.
- No swimming, jet skis or kayaks near whales, and no whale watching within 2 km of El Arco, off Punta Ballenas, or in a coastal band at Cabo Pulmo.
Small pangas and inflatables put you closer to the water and usually cost less; catamarans are steadier for children and the seasick. Prices are quoted in dollars. Choose operators who show their federal permit, and report any captain who chases or crowds whales.
Insider tip
For gray whales up close, go north to Magdalena Bay, roughly 3 to 3.5 hours' drive from La Paz, where the season opens January 1 and mothers sometimes bring calves right up to the pangas. See Outdoors for San Ignacio and Guerrero Negro.
Sport fishing and golf
Fishing
Cabo built its name on billfish. Striped marlin are around much of the year; blue and black marlin, dorado and yellowfin tuna peak in summer and fall; the East Cape is known for roosterfish in warm months. Charters leave the Cabo San Lucas marina and Puerto Los Cabos; on the East Cape, pangas launch from the beach.
- A panga (small open boat) costs far less than a cruiser and fishes fine for two.
- Ask what the price includes: license, bait, tackle, drinks, cleaning. Tip the crew on top.
- Everyone fishing needs a Mexican sport-fishing license from CONAPESCA; most charters sell or include it.
- Billfish are usually released. Local processors vacuum-pack and freeze fish you keep; declare it to US customs (see Shopping and bringing things home).
October is tournament month: in 2026 the Los Cabos Offshore ran October 12–17 and Bisbee's Black & Blue, one of the richest billfish tournaments anywhere, October 19–24. Charters and hotels book out on those dates.
Golf
Los Cabos has 18 courses open, by Jack Nicklaus, Tom Fazio, Greg Norman, Robert Trent Jones Jr. and Tiger Woods, among others. Names to know: Palmilla, Cabo del Sol, Cabo Real, Quivira on the Pacific cliffs, Puerto Los Cabos, and Diamante, whose Woods-designed El Cardonal hosts the PGA Tour's World Wide Technology Championship on November 2–8, 2026. Querencia and Chileno Bay are private. Green fees are quoted in dollars and reach several hundred dollars at marquee courses in high season; twilight and summer rates are lower.
Nightlife and the Art Walk
Cabo San Lucas is the party town. Around the marina are the long-running names: Cabo Wabo Cantina for live rock, El Squid Roe for dancing on tables, and Médano beach bars such as Mango Deck by day. Sunset booze cruises leave every evening, and things peak during spring break in March.
San José is the opposite. On Thursday evenings from November through June, galleries in the historic center's Art District open for the Art Walk, with wine, music and families filling the plaza. It is the best free evening on the cape.
Watch out
The drinking age is 18. Watch your drink and check bills for added "service" charges before tipping on top. Never drive after drinking: after a crash in Mexico you can be held until fault and damages are settled.
Todos Santos
Todos Santos is a small, artsy Pueblo Mágico on the Pacific, about an hour north of Cabo San Lucas on Highway 19, almost exactly on the Tropic of Cancer. It feels far from the marina: adobe buildings, galleries, farm-to-table restaurants, a mission church and palm groves fed by a spring.
Many visitors stop at the Hotel California, which has no real link to the Eagles song; the band sued over its marketing in 2017. Better are the slow pleasures: the galleries, the fishing pangas landing at Punta Lobos in the afternoon, sunset on the beach.
The Pacific here is rough. Los Cerritos, about 15 minutes south near El Pescadero, is where most people swim and learn to surf, and only when waves are small. In winter, local groups release sea turtle hatchlings at sunset on some beaches; ask in town and leave a donation.
Insider tip
The town is best after the tour vans leave in late afternoon, so spend a night.
La Paz: Espíritu Santo, whale sharks and Balandra
La Paz, the state capital, is about 2 to 2.5 hours north of Cabo San Lucas: a working city of roughly 250,000 on a calm bay, with a long Malecón, families out at sunset and much lower prices. Most Americans fly into SJD and drive; La Paz's airport (LAP) is mostly domestic. Ferries leave its port at Pichilingue for Mazatlán and Topolobampo (see Pacific coast).
Espíritu Santo
The islands across the bay are a national park within a UNESCO World Heritage site. Full-day boat trips usually include snorkeling with the sea lion colony at Los Islotes, a beach lunch and red-rock coves. Use operators with park permits; the per-person park fee is often collected through the tour. Multi-day kayak and camping trips run in the cooler months.
Swimming with whale sharks
Juvenile whale sharks gather in the Bay of La Paz roughly from October to April, with the most sightings December through February. They are harmless filter feeders, and the young ones here are commonly 13 to 30 feet (4 to 9 m) long.
- Go only with an authorized operator. In 2025–26, all 62 sold tours from one official sales point, the Punto Único de Venta on Callejón Ignacio Bañuelos Cabezud, and carried a city badge with a QR code.
- Permitted boats fly a flag with their permit number and may make only one whale shark trip a day.
- In the water: wear the life vest, stay with your guide, keep your distance, never touch or block a shark, no flash.
- Swimming is suspended when monitoring finds five or fewer sharks in the refuge zone, as happened in the 2024 and 2025 seasons. The 2025–26 season opened in November 2025. Book with a refundable deposit.
Balandra
Balandra, about 30 minutes from downtown, is a shallow turquoise bay in a protected area, often ranked among Mexico's best beaches. Access is controlled:
- MX$120 (about $6.50) per person; free for children under 12, and half price for students and teachers with ID.
- Two shifts, 8 a.m.–noon and 1–5 p.m., each capped at 450 people.
- Buy the electronic wristband online through CONANP, the federal protected-areas agency, before weekends and holidays.
- No shops, food or pets. Bring water and shade, carry out trash, and do not climb the mushroom-shaped rock.
If it is full, nearby El Tecolote and Pichilingue have no caps and calm water.
Costs, dollars and fees
Los Cabos prices feel closer to Hawaii than to the rest of Mexico. The average hotel room across the destination cost US$470 a night in April 2026, the usual peak, and US$414 in May; Corridor resorts run far higher. Tours and transfers are priced in dollars, and a resort dinner costs what it would in a US city. You can still eat well and cheaply at taco stands and local restaurants in downtown Cabo San Lucas and San José.
One upside: US arrivals fell more than 7% in 2026 and forward bookings were down 13% in late summer, so watch for promotions.
Save money
Where prices are in pesos, pay in pesos, by card or cash; paying dollars at a business's own exchange rate almost always costs more. Use ATMs inside banks or malls rather than at the airport, and carry 50 and 100 peso notes for taxis, tips and stands. Details in Money.
Fees you will actually meet
- Hotel taxes. Rates are often quoted before 16% VAT and the state lodging tax, and some resorts add daily resort fees. Ask for the total.
- Protected-area fees. Collected per person for boat trips in the Cabo San Lucas protected area (the wristband at El Arco), Espíritu Santo and Cabo Pulmo, plus Balandra's MX$120 entry. Most tours include or collect them.
- The state visitor fee. Since July 1, 2025, Baja California Sur has charged foreign visitors over 12 who stay at least one night a fee officially called the Aprovechamiento al Turista Extranjero, marketed as "Embrace It." For 2026 it is MX$488 (about $27) per person, up from MX$470 in 2025. You pay online before or on arrival and get a QR receipt. State officials have said receipts may eventually be checked when you enter or leave by air or land, so pay it and keep the QR code on your phone.
Watch out
Pay the visitor fee only on the state's official site, embrace.bcs.gob.mx. Unofficial sites and airport "helpers" can add their own charges, a trick long familiar from Quintana Roo's Visitax; see Entry.
Entry rules (passport book for flying, the digital FMM) are on the Entry page.
Where to stay
Hotel tiers below are per night for two: $ under MX$1,500, $$ MX$1,500–3,500, $$$ MX$3,500–8,000, $$$$ over MX$8,000.
Médano Beach
First-timers: a swimmable beach, walkable restaurants, water taxis at the door. Noisy near the clubs.
Downtown Cabo San Lucas
Small hotels and hostels near the marina; the budget base for fishing and nightlife.
The Corridor
Luxury resorts for honeymoons, golf and families who will stay on property.
San José center
Boutique hotels near the plaza and close to the airport.
East Cape
Casitas, fishing lodges and eco-cabins, plus Costa Palmas resorts. Bring a car.
Todos Santos and La Paz
Boutique inns in Todos Santos; La Paz is the best value on the peninsula.
Timeshare is big business here: free breakfasts, cheap tours and resort credits usually come with a long sales presentation. See Where to stay for how to decline and what to do if you signed.
Safety, water and hurricanes
The State Department's Mexico advisory, issued May 29, 2026, rates Baja California Sur at Level 2, Exercise increased caution, citing terrorism and crime, the same level as Mexico overall, with no specific restrictions on US government employees anywhere in the state. Homicides in Los Cabos mostly involve criminal groups in neighborhoods visitors rarely see. In Mexico's national urban security survey for the third quarter of 2026, 37.8% of Los Cabos residents and 33.4% of La Paz residents said they felt unsafe, versus 58.1% nationally.
What actually hurts visitors is the ocean, the road and the bar: Pacific drownings, ATV and drunk-driving crashes, overcharging and fake rental listings. Keep valuables out of sight in cars, use official taxis or apps at night, and read the general Safety page.
Water
Do not drink tap water; hotels and restaurants serve purified water. Los Cabos is a desert with a real shortage: in October 2026, residents protested rationing that leaves some neighborhoods without tap water for weeks. Big resorts desalinate their own, so guests are unaffected, but short showers are a fair courtesy. See Health.
Hurricanes
The eastern Pacific season runs May 15 to November 30, riskiest from August to October. Hurricane Odile made landfall near Cabo San Lucas in 2014 and shut the airport for days. The 2026 season has been unusually active, with Tropical Storm Vance forming on October 21, and even offshore storms send dangerous surf. For late-summer and fall trips, buy travel insurance, book refundable rates, and follow Protección Civil. More in When to go.
Insider tip
Save two numbers: 911 for emergencies, and the Los Cabos Tourist Assistance Center (CATAC), +52 624 105 0551. US citizens can also reach the US Consular Agency in Los Cabos, which reports to the consulate in Tijuana, and should enroll in STEP before traveling.
Itineraries
Four days, first trip
- Day 1
Arrive
Pre-booked transfer, sunset on Médano, early tacos.
- Day 2
El Arco
Morning water taxi to the arch and Lover's Beach while it is calm; afternoon at Médano.
- Day 3
Corridor coves
Snorkel Santa María early, swim at Chileno; in season, whale watching in the afternoon.
- Day 4
San José
The plaza, mission and galleries, then the airport.
Seven days, cape to La Paz
- Day 1
San José
Rental car at SJD, evening in the historic center.
- Day 2
Corridor and the arch
Snorkel a Corridor cove, then the water taxi to El Arco.
- Day 3
East Cape
Cabo Pulmo with a licensed operator; allow time for the dirt road.
- Day 4
Todos Santos
Galleries, the pangas at Punta Lobos, a night in town.
- Day 5
La Paz
Surf lesson at Cerritos, then sunset on the La Paz Malecón.
- Day 6
Espíritu Santo
Sea lions at Los Islotes, or whale sharks in season.
- Day 7
Balandra and back
Morning shift at Balandra, then about 2.5 hours back to SJD.
In January through March, add a night at Magdalena Bay for gray whales after La Paz for one of the great wildlife weeks in North America. Build your own with the trip builder or our planning service.
Add it to a route in the trip builder, or ask us to plan the hotels, trains and guides for you.