Best Things To Do in Los Cabos

Cabo San Lucas, also referred to as Los Cabos, is a tourist hotspot at the southernmost point of the Baja California peninsula, marked by its famous “land’s end” and beautiful beaches. To a large extent, the place is crowded with and made for US-american tourists with lots of international restaurants, a party corner with many bars and clubs similar to Cancun, and is equally popular with spring breakers.

While you should not expect a truly Mexican cultural immersion in Baja California (unlike other areas like Oaxaca or Chiapas), Cabo San Lucas is worth a trip if you are looking to relax in high-class resorts, want to explore beautiful beaches and landscapes, enjoy breathtaking sunsets and witness spectacular whale watching and sea wildlife in the winter months.

Best Things to do in Los Cabos

#1 Go whale watching in Los Cabos

Many whales come down from the northern pacific regions around Alaska to the warmer waters in Mexico in winter time to have their babies. The Baja California peninsula is full of different kinds of whales in the winter and whale watching is one of the best things to do in Los Cabos. Already when we flew into San Jose del Cabo airport, we could see a handful of whales in the water, surrounded by the many boats with tourists trying to get a close look at them. We had a truly amazing experience on our tour when we saw a humpback whale putting on a 10 minute jumping show for us – this was a truly incredible moment and I highly recommend going out for a boat trip.

You will find multiple tour operators at the marina trying to get you on to one of their boats. We did the tour with Cabo Nature and really enjoyed it. If you prefer to book a tour in advance, you can also check TripAdvisor or GetYourGuide for other packages and options.

#2 Explore Land's End in Los Cabos

These dramatic rock formations are the point where the Pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Cortez, marked by the famous El Arco, a natural arch sculpted by the sea. You can take a boat tour (often also combined with whale watching) or kayak adventure to Land’s End, where you can witness the awe-inspiring rock formations up close, spot playful sea lions, and capture the perfect photo with El Arco as your backdrop.

#3 Visit Lovers and Divorce Beaches in Los Cabos

Located close to Land’s End, Lover’s and Divorce beaches are located directly next to each other with just a 5 minute walking distance while facing different sides (Lover’s beach to north and Divorce beach south). I found Divorce beach a bit more scenic and with nicer views on the ocean as the many boats drop and pick up tourists at the smaller Lover’s beach, whose waters however are more swimmable.

#4 Head to Pedregal Beach in Los Cabos

If you are looking for a quieter experience than the main Medano beach with its many beach clubs (and unfortunately no good sunset view), Pedregal beach is a secret tip! Pedregal is an upscale neighborhood of holiday houses and apartments, however you can also enter as a guest by foot or with a rental car. You will pass some curvy roads up the hill and drive down to the entrance of the beach where also parking options are available.

#5 Hike up Mount Solmar for sunset in Los Cabos

Located very close to Land’s end and reachable from the marina, hiking up Mount Solmar is a nice opportunity to get a nice view of the whole bay of Cabo San Lucas, overlooking Medano beach as well as Lovers/Divorce beach and also Pedregal. Go in the late afternoon to enjoy the sunset from up there.

#6 Go scuba diving and snorkeling in Los Cabos

Dive into the underwater wonders of Los Cabos. Explore vibrant coral reefs, swim alongside tropical fish, and discover hidden treasures beneath the surface

Best Time to Visit Los Cabos

While the temperatures can get a bit chilly in the evenings and the water is at its coldest, I would recommend the winter months from November to April to be able to witness the sea wildlife in Baja California.

Best ways to get to and around in Los Cabos

Get to Los Cabos by airplane

Unless you plan to drive the whole Baja California peninsula, your most likely entry point will be the well-connected International Airport of San Jose del Cabo (SJD). You can fly there from many destinations within Mexico with almost all common airlines (Aeromexico, VivaAerobus, Volaris – check Kayak or Skyscanner for best prices) as well as directly from the US and Canada.

From the airport, it is about a 1-hour drive to get to Cabo San Lucas. Taxi fares are definitely adjusted to US-american prices and expect to pay around 80USD from the airport to Cabo San Lucas.

Go around in Los Cabos by rental car

To enjoy the beautiful beaches around the area, I would strongly advise getting a rental car to be more flexible when going around. If you do not have a parking space in your accommodation, you will likely find one close by in one of the streets. We booked a rental car through Europcar directly at the airport and the pickup and return process was very smooth. Check Discover Cars for best rental car offers during your planned visit.

The roads in Baja California Sur are usually well-maintained, however if you plan to drive to many beaches you might face some dirt roads so a full rental car insurance is recommended. If you plan to travel for a longer period to multiple destinations and use rental cars more often, I would recommend a credit card that includes rental car insurance, for example an American Express Platinum Card.

Other recommendations near Los Cabos

La Paz: Best Things To Do in La Paz, Mexico

Todos Santos: Best Things To Do in Todos Santos

Best areas to stay in Los Cabos

Due to its strong tourist orientation, Cabo San Lucas offers an abundance of location options. If you prefer to avoid the noisy party scene of the downtown, my advice would be to look for a place a bit further out (e.g. in Pedregal) and on one of the hills, if you plan to have a rental car to go around. Check airbnb or booking.com for best options that match your preferences.

If you plan to work remotely from Cabo San Lucas, I would strongly prefer to look for an accommodation that allows you to work from there as you will struggle to find cafes in the city that are suitable for working. In other pacific coast beach towns like Puerto Escondido (check my article here) or Sayulita (article) you will find a lot more options for co-working spaces and cafes with good internet.

Best places to eat in Los Cabos

Restaurants that I really liked were Mariscos Las Tres Islas for Sinaloa style fish and seafood as well as Mi Casa, also there I can recommend the fish options like red snapper and tuna. Other places that were recommended to me but which I have not visited myself are Zoco Restaurante and Sakow Sushi.