Welcome To Cabo San Lucas, Mexico! This beachfront destination on Baja’s southernmost tip is famous for its scenic rock formations, excellent beaches, and exceptionally good weather.
And its popularity has turned it into a hub for tourism, with a hoppin’ party scene, tons of boat tours, abundant marine life, and more.
The desert setting means hot and dry weather year-round, with the cool and refreshing Pacific Ocean at its doorstep to cool off.
So let’s get into our Top 10 Things To Do In Cabo.
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Map Of The Best Things To Do In Cabo Mexico
Use this helpful map to locate the best attractions in and around Cabo.
Medano Beach
The primary beach right in Cabo San Lucas Bay is Medano Beach. Sitting directly across from the outstretched rocky cape, the views here are spectacular.
The beach is lined with hotels, restaurants, and beach clubs. With the refreshing Pacific Ocean just steps away.
The protected bay keeps the waves smaller, so it’s an excellent place to swim, do watersports, or just sip and sunbathe with the views.
If you book a hotel along here, there’s no doubt you will be spending lots of time at Medano Beach. But even if you’re staying elsewhere it’s still fun to come spend some time in all the action. It’s always buzzing with energy from the beach clubs to the bars, tour operators, vendors, and more.
So if you are looking for a quiet and relaxing beach, this is likely not the place.
If you are interested in doing some watersports or boat tours, you will have no problems finding vendors here.
Corazon Beach Club
Located on Medano Beach, you will find Corazon Beach Club. They supply comfy beach beds, umbrellas, and DJs playing chill but loud house music. There’s no cover or minimum spend, but the menu prices reflect that.
You can definitely ball out here if you want, with fancy cocktails, decadent seafood, and more. I’d say the best value item is the bucket of beers, coming with 6 beers that can be chilled in ice for the duration of the day. We didn’t try their food here as we just felt it was overpriced, but I will say some of the items we saw our neighbors get did look pretty tasty!
Even without spending a lot, here we still felt like we got VIP level service.
Lands End Boat Tour
This is probably the most popular Cabo tour to go on, taking a boat tour of the rock formations along the tip. Tour highlights include The Arch, Pelican Rock, Lovers Beach, Divorce Beach, and more.
The Arch is the most iconic Cabo landmark, and tour guides will often take your picture in front of the arch. We also saw some caves, sea lions, and a bunch of fish. Well, really, it looked like tour guides were just feeding the fish to attract them for the amusement of tourists, which is kind of silly.
Group tours are the most affordable, but expect to be packed on a boat with many other people. Unlesssss you get lucky like us and pay for a group tour that nobody else signed up for. But you can also pay more for a private tour if you want a little more of a personalized experience.
And glass boats are another popular option that reveals the underwater world right at your feet.
🚤 Book A Lands End Boat Tours:
- Here’s a tour for $11 per person
Lover’s Beach and Divorce Beach
These two beaches sit at the very tip of Cabo and are connected by a short stretch of sand you can walk between them. And some tours may offer to drop you off at Lover’s Beach to spend some time. You could bring your own stuff for the beach, otherwise there will be vendors selling drinks and snacks, and renting chairs and umbrellas.
Lover’s Beach is a small protected cove that’s a good place to swim, and Divorce Beach faces the Pacific side and has huge waves that are soo fun to watch. It’s not recommended to swim at Divorce Beach, on account of the pounding shore break and dangerous rip currents.
And honestly, even getting dropped off at Lover’s Beach was pretty scary. Boats have to pull right up onto the sand and unload people in between waves, but even for fit and sure-footed people, it was sketchy!
And the beach is quite small to begin with, so it’s a bummer that most of it is basically roped off to allow boats to land. But there’s a small section to the left where you can swim.
And somewhat annoyingly, the guys who help you off the boat will then ask for a tip once they get you onto the beach. So bring some smaller bills to tip them if you can.
Walk Around The Marina
The Marina is the epicenter of the action in Cabo. And a great place to visit some restaurants, do some shopping, or set off on boat tours.
The boardwalk around the marina is a scenic place to walk, see the boats, and more. Admittedly, the prices are kind of higher here, and in some ways it can feel like a bit of a tourist trap, especially with a constant barrage of vendors and tour guides. But nonetheless, it’s still a scenic and lively place to visit.
One restaurant we stopped into is the Herradero Restaurant. We enjoyed some margaritas and guacamole made fresh at the table.
And if you are into shopping, there is a mall on the northeast corner. And pro-tip, it’s also a good place to pop into if you need a bathroom break.
And the marina is also a good place to hop on a boat tour. From the classic Lands End trip to snorkeling tours, whale watching, sunset sailing cruises, deep-sea fishing, and more. To find our boat tour, we honestly just went down to the marina and Jake haggled for a good price. But if you don’t want to bother with that, we’ll include some links to top-rated Lands End Tours in the description.
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Go Snorkeling
The waters around Cabo offer some excellent snorkeling opportunities. Not typically the most colorful reefs, but plenty of incredible marine life to amaze anyone. You can see colorful fish, rays, sea turtles, sea lions, and much more.
A few great snorkeling spots near Cabo are Chileno Beach, Santa Maria Bay, Lover’s Beach, and Pelican Rock.
You can bring or rent some snorkels and just get transportation to a good snorkel spot. Or you can hop on various tours to provide the gear and whisk you away to the best snorkel spots.
Emily and I brought our own snorkels, so we just got an Uber to Chileno Beach to snorkel and enjoy a nice beach day. The rocky edges of the beach are a great place to see some colorful marine life. And we’ve snorkeled a lot, and these were definitely the biggest fish we have ever snorkeled with. And watching cormorants dive for fish around us was super cool.
You can also rent snorkels and beach stuff there.
Beach Gear Rentals At Chileno Bay:
Snorkel: 300 pesos
Umbrella: 300 pesos
Chair: 200 pesos
We will link to some recommended tours in the description. From the best ‘close to Cabo’ snorkel spots, to some farther away places, like to see the colorful reef at Cabo Pulmo National Park, or swim with whale sharks in La Paz.
Gotta be careful with the waves around the rocks.
Eat Some Tacos
You weren’t going to come to Mexico without eating some delicious tacos, right? You can find tacos on the menu just about anywhere.
But one spot in town you gotta visit is Los De Abajos. This place just does everything right. We love the Al pastor and Arrachera, both so tender, and huge portions of meat, we basically couldn’t finish it all. Which is not something you usually say when talking about tacos. And the Jalepeno Margarita was probably the best margarita I’ve ever had.
If you are looking for the most affordable and authentic local spot, it’s gotta be Tacos Marissa. Don’t expect much for ambiance, or for the staff to speak much English. But the tacos were super affordable, and served up quick.
🌮 Book A Cabo Food Tour:
Baja Brewing Company
This rooftop brewery and restaurant has some of the best views in all of Cabo. From the 7th floor of Corazon Resort & Spa, you have incredible views overlooking Medano Beach and Cabo Bay. You can come to just to enjoy a couple of beers, explore their menu of pub and international fare, and it’s not a bad sports bar with several large TVs at the bar.
The serve a variety of different beer styles, and personally, we didn’t find one that we loved. But we’re kind of picky, and just didn’t happen to like their IPA. And the views more than made up it.
I will admit finding this brewery is a little tricky. We came from the beach side and honestly got lucky that some nice woman showed us the way to the right elevator to take. So I would just ask the staff at the hotel how to get up to it.
The Hike
This hike has to be one of the most scenic adventures in all of Cabo. And even after completing it, I’m still not quite sure I fully understand what is going on.
Basically, I think it’s on private property, and the guy who runs it, Enrique, is this smiley and passionate retired military guy. Every day at 8 am, he takes anyone who wants to go on this beautiful hike to the top of Mt Solmar.
You meet at this spot. A line will start forming about 30 minutes before 8am. Really there is no need to get in a line, so just choose a shady spot to wait until Enrique opens the gate to let you onto his property. He will then gather everyone around and give a short safety briefing.
And it’s completely free, but donations are encouraged. He also runs a sort of dog shelter. So the friendly dogs get to come along on the hike, too.
It’s a steep hike with no shade, so prepare accordingly. And I know it’s tempting to look around, but you need to watch your footing and watch out for cacti and dog poops as well.
But when you reach the top, you are rewarded with the most incredible views. Just mesmerizing golden hues glowing in the early morning sun, set against the blue water.
Normally, I would hate hiking in a group with like 50 people. But with these views, Enrique’s energy, the dogs, it’s just amazing.
The whole hike takes about 2 hours. And even if you are a faster hiker like us, just prepare to go the same speed as the group.
Whale Watching Tour
This one is somewhat seasonal, based on whale migration patterns. But in the right season, the whale watching around Cabo is top notch. And luckily, it falls between mid-December and mid-April, a popular time for Cabo vacations. Sadly, it was a little past whale season when we went.
The most common whales to see are Humpback whales, with their surface activity and acrobatics. But there’s always a chance of seeing other whale species, dolphins, and more.
If you want to get as close as possible to the whales, you gotta check out this tour that uses small and nimble Zodiacs to get right up close to the action.
But if you want a little more comfort and refreshments, this catamaran cruise provides a little more luxury, with snacks and alcoholic beverages included.
🐋 Book A Whale Watching Tours:
Free Tasting at The Tequila Lighthouse
If you like tequila, you gotta pop into the Tequila Lighthouse down at the marina for a free tequila and mezcal tasting. This cool shop offers free samples of all kinds of classic and unique tequila varieties. From pure and clean blanco tequilas to rich and flavorful Anejos and Resposados.
Plus some other unique flavored tequilas, like Espresso and more.
So if you are looking for a bottle of tequila to take home with you, it’s nice to try many flavors before choosing your favorite.
Or if you want something a little more organized and want a more in-depth learning experience about tequila and mezcal, consider this Tequila & Mezcal Tasting.
Where To Stay In Cabo
If you want to be right in the action with a good beach, then staying on Medano Beach is the spot. We suggest Corazon Beach Resort & Spa.
If you couldn’t care less about swimming at the beach, then the Pacific Side has lots of big resorts with excellent views. The most iconic and luxurious place is Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal, but expect to pay a pretty penny to stay here. For two other more affordable options on the Pacific Ocean side, check out the Grand Solmar Land’s End Resort & Spa or Playa Grande Resort.
If you are looking for a great budget option, we stayed at the Cabo Vista Hotel and thought it was perfect for us. It is like a 15-20 minute walk or a cheap Uber ride to the beach. But there’s a small pool on site, and excellent views from the balconies. Plus breakfast included at their on-site restaurant was soooooo good. And with little kitchenettes in each room, we saved a ton of money by not eating out as much.
But if you want to stay a little farther away from the crowds in Cabo, there’s tons of resorts along Tourist Row between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose Del Cabo. Of course there are tons of options along this stretch of beaches. Some of the higher-rated luxury resorts are Chileno Bay Resort & Residences and Montage Los Cabos. A good mid-tier option is Hyatt Vacation Club at Sirena del Mar. And for a great budget option, consider Casita Costa Azul.
Or use this helpful map below to explore different areas of Cabo to find your perfect stay.
Transportation Tips From The Airport
The Los Cabos airport is about 40 minutes from Cabo, and Uber is not allowed to pick up passengers at the airport or they can be heavily fined if they do so. So booking your transportation in advance or getting an Official airport taxi is recommended.
Basically, these businesses pay a fee for the exclusive right to operate on the airport grounds, so while you could probably walk out of the airport grounds to get an uber, I’m not sure it’s worth the risk.
You can book your Shared Shuttle Round-trip transfer here with Viator.
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