Los Cabos is one of the most popular tourist destinations in all of Mexico, and after visiting, we completely see why. The beaches are beautiful, the town of Cabo San Lucas is adorable, and the resorts are world class.
See the beauty of Los Cabos and also get some money saving tips from us in our YouTube video!
Where to Stay in Los Cabos
Los Cabos is not just one place; it’s actually a bunch of places all next to each other. Generally speaking, you can break the area up into three main places: San Jose del Cabo, Cabo del Sol, and Cabo San Lucas. When planning a trip to Los Cabos, it’s really important to make sure you pick the right area to stay in. Each place is unique in it’s own way, but we personally recommend staying as close to Cabo San Lucas as possible if you plan on doing things other than hanging out on the beach.
Going into town and visiting the Arch, for example, is a somewhat far commute from San Jose del Cabo, and nobody wants to waste time in an Uber on vacation! Most of the cool things to do are near Cabo San Lucas, mostly because it’s the main town in the area.
How to Get to Your Hotel in Los Cabos
Figuring out how to get to your hotel is one of the hardest parts of planning a trip to Los Cabos. When you fly into Los Cabos, you’ll be landing at San Jose del Cabo International Airport (SJD). If your resort is in Cabo San Lucas, get ready for a long trip – the airport is pretty far away. It’s located right on the north side of San Jose del Cabo, making the trip much simpler if you’re heading there rather than Cabo San Lucas.
Basically, the way that the Cabos are laid out is San Jose del Cabo on the Eastern end, Cabo del Sol a bit further southwest, and Cabo San Lucas at the southern point of the peninsula. If you’re headed to San Jose del Cabo, private transportation will take about 25 minutes, while getting to Cabo San Lucas will take closer to 45 minutes or an hour.
Now, how do you get to your hotel, either in San Jose del Cabo or all the way to Cabo San Lucas?
How to Get to Your Hotel from the Los Cabos Airport
You have three options. Firstly, you could check with your hotel or resort if you’re staying at one because they might run a shuttle service. Your second option is to take the bus. Your third option, which is probably the cheapest AND easiest in my opinion, is Uber – but there’s a catch.
Best Things to Do in Los Cabos
1. Visit the Arch of Cabo San Lucas
The Arch of Cabo San Lucas is the most iconic thing in all of Los Cabos. It’s distinctly recognizable and is easily one of the best things to do in Los Cabos. The Arch is located right off the coast of Cabo San Lucas, and there is an infinite supply of tour guides offering a trip out to the Arch. There are two ways to visit the Arch – in a kayak, and on a boat. Both of these are really cool options, but honestly, kayaking to the Arch is such a cool experience.
To get the best price, show up at the port and ask around about tours to the Arch. It will be significantly cheaper than whatever the hotel offers you, and you can absolutely haggle on the price.
2. Explore the Town of Cabo San Lucas
As I mentioned earlier, Cabo San Lucas is definitely the best town in the area. It’s filled with great restaurants, cafes, bars, and other things to do. I’d recommend just walking around the town and seeing what you find! There are so many beautiful little spots throughout the town, and you can find food of any type.
If you are thinking about nightlife, this is where you want to go. While there are restaurants all along the road that links Los Cabos, the best place for nightlife is absolutely downtown Cabo San Lucas. This is largely because it’s one of the only parts of the region that is fully walkable. If you’re going to be drinking, you definitely shouldn’t be driving; this way you can have your fun safely in Cabo San Lucas and take an Uber back to your hotel or resort at the end of the night.
3. Take a Day Trip to La Paz
If you’re looking to see a little bit more of Mexico during your trip, think about taking a day trip to La Paz. La Paz is a big, beautiful city about two hours north of Los Cabos. Many people go here to get away from the touristy resort town for a day and experience a bit of traditional Mexico. While it is still a touristy place, it is certainly not as touristy as Los Cabos and is a great way to get out for a day.
If you decide to visit La Paz, some of the best things to do are visit the Cathedral, wander through the streets looking at the beautiful architecture, and catch the sunset at a restaurant along the Malecon, or boardwalk in English.
If you plan to catch the sunset at dinner, make sure to make a reservation, because it tends to fill up quickly!
4. Taste Some Local Wine
The Baja Peninsula is Mexico’s top wine region. While most of the best vineyards are in Valle de Guadalupe closer to Tijuana, there are still plenty of great ones within reach of Los Cabos. Mexico has an increasingly famous wine scene, and if you visit vineyards in the area you’re bound to find varietals of wine that you don’t tend to find easily in the United States, like Nebbiolo and Tempranillo. I won’t get into detail here, but I wrote a whole post on wine in Mexico.
If you are a big wine drinker and have the time, I’d also consider tacking on a visit to Valle de Guadalupe for your trip. While it requires a flight to Tijuana, it’s totally worth the trip. It’s actually what we did on our trip to Baja California. If you’re interested, check out both my Tijuana travel guide and my Valle de Guadalupe travel guide. They’ll fill you in on all you need to know, and can help you decide whether or not it’s worth it to you to make your way north!
5. Go Whale Watching
I wrote about this in my Puerto Vallarta travel guide, and I’ll mention it here too. If you’re interested in whales – either watching them or swimming with them – the Pacific Coast of Mexico is one of the best places in the world to do it.
Humpback whales migrate up and down the Pacific Coast throughout winter and the early part of spring to mate, and we’ve heard that seeing the whales up close and personal is incredible. If you decide to go on a whale-watching tour, you’ll see several humpback whales jumping and swimming right around your boat.
Humpback whales are absolutely massive, and you can see them coming up for air all the way from the beach. If you’re looking for a unique excursion during your trip and the timing is right, you need to see the whales!
How to Get Around Los Cabos
UBER | RENTAL CAR
I touched on this a little bit earlier, but there are two recommendable ways to get around in Los Cabos. Firstly, you can Uber everywhere. Uber is my favorite way to get around in Mexico because it is extremely cheap compared to using it in other countries. As I mentioned earlier, an Uber from the airport to Cabo San Lucas – a 45-minute drive – usually costs under $15. This is what we chose to do, and it’s what I would recommend you do as well. If you are weary about using Uber during your trip, my post on using Uber internationally should help your nerves.
Your second option would be renting a car.
We tend to steer clear of driving in Mexico because of a few bad experiences that we’ve had, but for some people, it is the preferred option. If you’d prefer to rent a car rather than Uber everywhere, you can do it at the airport. Remember to consider that parking at hotels and resorts isn’t always free!
Also, driving in Mexico sometimes presents a couple of challenges that you see less in the United States – like horrible roads and corrupt cops. While this is generally not the case in Los Cabos, it wouldn’t hurt you to check out these posts on dealing with corrupt cops in Mexico and tips for driving in Mexico.
Safety in Los Cabos
Many people find themselves wondering, “is Los Cabos safe to visit?” While I tend to think that people over-exaggerate the issues with safety in Mexico, Los Cabos is one place where the question makes a ton of sense to ask. Los Cabos has seen its share of violence over the years as a result of conflicting cartels, and at times it was certainly not a safe place to be.
However, in response to the looming question, I can confidently say yes, Los Cabos is safe to visit in 2023. There are currently no real issues or risks associated with visiting Los Cabos, and you’re perfectly fine planning a trip to Los Cabos for this year. In fact, this destination is more popular than ever this year as the pandemic subsides.
While there are no real external safety risks in Los Cabos right now, that doesn’t mean you can just do whatever you want. Just like anywhere, you should take general precautions. Don’t do illegal things. In the case of Los Cabos, definitely don’t look to do any illegal drugs, including Marijuana and Cocaine.
Many people think of Mexico as a place to party and go crazy, but both of these drugs are highly illegal and extremely dangerous in Mexico. Cartels don’t care about or mess with tourists, but they pay a lot more attention to people looking to get involved in their products.
Our Final Tips for Visiting Los Cabos
That’s all we have for you about Los Cabos! Hopefully, this guide helps you to plan your trip To Baja California Sur
If you have any questions, drop a comment below!