Los Cabos Travel Guide: Everything to Know [2023]

· Your complete guide to everything you need to know for your Los Cabos vacation in 2023 ·

Date
Sep, 03, 2021

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.

This guide will give you some quick tips for planning your next trip to Los Cabos, making your trip as relaxing as possible.

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.

man and woman romantically in a hot tub on the beach during sunrise
We stayed in Cabo San Lucas

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.

Finding our resort was one of the hardest parts of our trip to Los Cabos. Lucky for you, we now know how to go about Los Cabos and can share our tips with you!

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.

Take a Hotel Shuttle

The shuttle option is very convenient when it comes to saving time, but a lot of the time it can be really pricey. If you’re looking to save any money, this is probably not your best bet. It’s still worth checking out, though!

Bus from the Los Cabos Airport to Your Hotel

The bus is an easier option, but it takes a while because it stops all along the way. I mentioned that getting from the airport to Cabo San Lucas in a car takes between 45 and 60 minutes – on the bus, you can expect that to rise to 1.5+ hours.

While this is definitely a long time to sit on a bus, it’s a very easy and cost-effective option to consider. The bus from the airport all the way to Cabo San Lucas costs around $150 pesos / $7.50 per person each way. If you want to take the bus, head to the left when you exit the airport and you’ll see a bunch of them lined up. You can simply hop onto any one that says it’s headed to San Lucas.

The only catch is that since it is a local service, you need to press the “stop” button when you want it to stop. I’d recommend having Google Maps or something handy to see where you’re at in relation to your resort.

Uber from the Los Cabos Airport to Your Hotel

Your third option, which is probably the cheapest AND easiest in my opinion, is Uber – but there’s a catch. Uber isn’t actually allowed at the airport, so you need to walk out of the airport property to the highway and then call your ride from there. It sounds a little sketchy, but a lot of people do it.

The walk will take you about 15 minutes – which can be inconvenient if you have luggage – but it winds up costing only $10-15 dollars, and it’s definitely the fastest means of transport.

drone shot view of los cabos mountains and city on the water

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.

woman in white bikini on body of water near cabos rock formation during daytime

If you’re interested in visiting the Arch, here’s my biggest piece of advice: Don’t book the trip at your hotel.

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.

man and woman in their sunday best cuddling under bright pink floral tree
colorful mexican town buildings with colorful flag decorations stringing across street

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.

gorgeous drone shot of La Paz mexican town on the ocean

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.

gray whale tail peaking out of the sea at sunset

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.

I can confidently say yes, Los Cabos is safe to visit in 2023.

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

Never book anything through your hotel

I have two final tips for visiting Los Cabos in 2023. Firstly, never book anything through your hotel. It is one of the biggest wastes of money you’ll come across on your trip. For example, our resort quoted us $100 to get a ride from the resort to the airport. This is absurd, considering the Uber cost us $12. The same goes for excursions to the Arch, snorkeling tours, and whale tours. You’re always better off dealing directly with a vendor rather than with the hotel.

Make sure that your resort beach is swimmable

Secondly, double-check that your hotel has direct access to a swimmable beach, if that matters to you. Some of the beaches in Los Cabos are not swimmable due to either riptides or rocks, and many hotels require you to take a shuttle to a safer beach where swimming is permitted. If you care about being able to walk to the beach at your resort and go for a swim, make sure your resort will let you.

boats in dark blue ocean water by long rock formation

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!

Greg

Hi, I'm Greg. I'm an avid traveler who has traveled to over 50 countries all around the world with my wife and kids. I've lived in Italy, Mexico, China, and the United States, and I dream of moving abroad again in the future. With this blog, I provide my audience with detailed destination guides to my favorite places and pro-tips to make travel as stress-free as possible.

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Meet The Author - Greg

Hi, I'm Greg. I'm an avid traveler who has traveled to over 50 countries all around the world with my wife and kids. I've lived in Italy, Mexico, China, and the United States, and I dream of moving abroad again in the future. With this blog, I provide my audience with detailed destination guides to my favorite places and pro-tips to make travel as stress-free as possible.