The Best Things to Do in Cabo San Lucas

15 best things to do in Cabo San Lucas

Ranked best-first, with an insider tip and how to book each. Prices and hours change - check before you go.

1. 1

   El Arco & Lover's Beach (Land's End)

   On the water

   El Arco is the natural rock arch at Land's End, the very tip of the Baja peninsula where the Pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Cortez. You can only reach it by water, so a panga, glass-bottom boat or water taxi from the marina is the classic first outing - passing the sea-lion colony and the sandstone spires on the way. The same trip drops you at Playa del Amor (Lover's Beach), a boat-access cove tucked beside the arch.

   Insider tip: Water taxis leave from the marina and Medano Beach - agree the price and a pickup time before you get in, and go in the morning when the water is calmest. From Lover's Beach you can walk across the sand to Divorce Beach on the Pacific side, but the currents there are dangerous - don't swim it.

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2. 2

   Medano Beach (Playa El Medano)

   BeachFree

   Medano is the main beach in Cabo San Lucas and the one place in town that's genuinely calm and safe for swimming, curving along the bay with a straight-on view of El Arco. It's lined with beach clubs, restaurants and resorts, and it's the hub for renting jet skis, paddleboards and parasailing. This is where most people spend a relaxed afternoon in the water.

   Insider tip: It's the only truly swimmable main beach in Cabo San Lucas - most nearby Pacific-side beaches have dangerous surf. Vendors work the sand hard; a friendly but firm 'no, gracias' is all you need. The far end toward the marina is the busiest and priciest.

3. 3

   Sport fishing - the 'Marlin Capital'

   Fishing

   Cabo San Lucas calls itself the 'Marlin Capital of the World,' and sport fishing is one of its biggest draws. Charters run from the marina after striped marlin (year-round), blue and black marlin (summer into fall), plus dorado, tuna, wahoo and sailfish. Boats range from shared pangas to full luxury cruisers, most with crew, gear and licenses included.

   Insider tip: Splitting a shared panga charter is the cheapest way to get out on the water. October brings peak marlin and the famous Bisbee's tournaments. Billfish are usually released; many operators will clean your keepers, and some marina restaurants will cook your catch.

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4. 4

   Whale watching

   Wildlife

   Every winter, humpback and gray whales migrate down to the warm waters off Baja to breed and calve, and Cabo is one of the easiest places to see them. Trips leave the marina and often find humpbacks breaching right in the bay; you can sometimes spot spouts from shore or from a sunset cruise. The season is regulated and runs roughly mid-December to mid-April.

   Insider tip: January to March is the peak. Smaller Zodiac-style boats get you lower and closer than the big catamarans, and morning trips usually have the calmest seas. Bring a windbreaker - it's cooler out on the water than on the beach.

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5. 5

   Sunset cruise & catamaran sail

   On the water

   Sailing out past El Arco as the sun drops is the classic Cabo evening. Catamarans and larger boats leave the marina for a couple of hours with open-bar options, music and dinner add-ons, from calm sails to full party boats. In winter these trips double as whale watching.

   Insider tip: Open-bar catamarans are the standard 'booze cruise'; pick a smaller sailboat if you want a quieter, less rowdy trip. Book a sunset slot rather than midday for the light and the arch views. They fill up in high season, so reserve a day or two ahead.

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6. 6

   Snorkeling at Santa Maria & Chileno Bay

   Snorkeling

   The two protected horseshoe coves of Santa Maria and Chileno Bay, in the corridor between the towns, are the best swimmable and snorkel-friendly beaches in Los Cabos. Calm, clear water draws reef fish, rays and sometimes sea turtles close to shore. Chileno has Blue Flag status with parking and facilities; Santa Maria is smaller and wilder.

   Insider tip: Go early - the small parking lots fill by mid-morning and afternoon wind can cloud the water. There's little or no gear rental on-site, so bring your own or come with a snorkel tour. Both sit in a protected area, so don't touch or stand on the reef.

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7. 7

   ATV & UTV desert tour

   Adventure

   Behind the resorts, Baja is raw desert - cactus, dry canyons and Pacific dunes - and riding it by ATV or side-by-side UTV is one of the best land adventures here. Guided tours run through the backcountry near Migrino and out to remote Pacific beaches, with single, double and RZR options. It's dusty, bumpy fun that gets you well away from the strip.

   Insider tip: You will get covered in dust - wear closed shoes, sunglasses and a bandana, and don't bring anything you mind getting dirty. Morning tours beat the afternoon heat. The Pacific beaches you ride to are for the scenery, not swimming.

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8. 8

   Camel safari on the Pacific coast

   Adventure

   A string of camels along the empty Pacific dunes is an unlikely but popular Cabo outing, usually run as a half-day combo. Most trips pair the camel ride with an ATV run, a tequila or mezcal tasting and a Mexican lunch out in the desert. It's an easy, low-effort way to get into the Baja landscape.

   Insider tip: These run on the Pacific side, where the surf is rough - it's for the ride and the views, not a swim. Book the morning slot for cooler temperatures, and check whether the ATV, tasting and lunch are included before you pay.

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9. 9

   The Marina & downtown nightlife

   NightlifeFree

   The Cabo San Lucas Marina is the heart of town - a horseshoe boardwalk ringed by restaurants, bars, shops and yachts, and the departure point for nearly every boat tour. A few blocks inland is Cabo's well-known nightlife, a loud cluster of bars and clubs that runs late. Walking the marina at sunset, watching the fishing boats come in, costs nothing.

   Insider tip: The boardwalk is free to stroll and where all the boat tours leave from, so you'll pass through it often. Expect timeshare and tour touts along the way - a polite 'no' keeps them moving. The clubs get going late and stay open into the early hours.

10. 10

    San Jose del Cabo & the Art District

    Day trip

    The corridor's other town, about 30 minutes east, is the quieter, older counterpart to Cabo San Lucas. Its historic center is built around a shaded plaza and a historic mission church, and the surrounding Gallery District is packed with galleries, boutiques and farm-to-table restaurants. It feels calmer and more traditionally Mexican than the marina strip.

    Insider tip: Come on a Thursday evening from November to June for the Art Walk, when the galleries open late and the streets fill with music and food. The historic center is small and walkable. Pair it with lunch at a nearby farm-to-table spot.

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11. 11

    Todos Santos (Pueblo Magico)

    Day trip

    About an hour north on the Pacific side, Todos Santos is a designated Pueblo Magico ('Magic Town') known for its art galleries, colonial streets and oasis setting. The much-photographed Hotel California is here, though its supposed link to the Eagles song has never been confirmed. It's an easy, artsy contrast to resort Cabo.

    Insider tip: On the drive, stop at Playa Los Cerritos - one of the few Pacific beaches here considered safe for swimming and surfing. Galleries and shops are the main draw, so give yourself a few hours to wander. Many visitors combine it with a Baja food or wine tour.

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12. 12

    Golf along the corridor

    Golf

    Los Cabos is one of the world's top golf destinations, with a run of championship courses designed by the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Greg Norman. They line the corridor and the Pacific coast, many with holes right on the ocean and desert-mountain backdrops. The dry, sunny climate makes for year-round play.

    Insider tip: Book tee times well ahead in the November-to-April high season, when both demand and green fees peak. Twilight rates are much cheaper if you can play late in the day. Bring sun protection - there's little shade on the desert courses.

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13. 13

    Flora Farms & farm-to-table dining

    Food & drink

    In the foothills above San Jose del Cabo, Flora Farms is a working organic farm with a well-known farm-to-table restaurant, and it helped make the area a serious food destination. You eat under the trees with much of the menu grown on-site. Acre and Los Tamarindos are similar farm restaurants nearby.

    Insider tip: Reservations are essential, especially for weekend brunch and dinner - book well ahead. It's a 20-to-30-minute drive up from San Jose on a rough road, so a taxi or driver is easiest. Go hungry and leave time to walk the farm.

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14. 14

    Swim with dolphins & glass-bottom boats

    Wildlife & family

    Right on the marina, the dolphin center runs structured swim-and-encounter programs that are a reliable hit with kids. Nearby, glass-bottom boats offer the cheapest, driest way to see El Arco and the reef fish below without booking a full tour. Both are short, gentle and family-friendly.

    Insider tip: The dolphin swims happen in a marina facility, not the open sea - book them for the kid-friendly experience rather than a wild encounter, and choose whale watching or snorkeling if you'd rather see animals in the wild. Glass-bottom trips are quick and cheap; go in the morning for the calmest water.

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15. 15

    The Tourist Corridor viewpoints

    ViewpointFree

    The 20-mile Tourist Corridor linking the two towns is a scenic drive in its own right, with cliffside pull-offs where the Baja desert drops straight into the sea. Signed miradores (viewpoints) and public overlooks give free vantage points over the coastline and the crashing Pacific surf. It's the simplest way to take in the desert-meets-sea landscape without booking anything.

    Insider tip: You'll want a rental car, or a stop worked into a transfer, since the viewpoints are spread along the highway. Pull off only at the marked miradores and beach accesses - the shoulder is narrow and fast. Morning light is best for photos looking back toward Land's End.

Where to stay in Cabo San Lucas

The best areas to base yourself, and who each suits.

• Cabo San Lucas Marina & downtown

  Nightlife and first-timers - walkable to bars, restaurants and the boat docks, in the middle of the action.

• Medano Beach

  Beachgoers - the main swimmable beach, beach clubs and big resorts, a short walk from the marina.

• The Tourist Corridor

  Couples and golfers - luxury resorts, championship courses and quiet coves along the 20-mile road between the towns.

• San Jose del Cabo

  Quieter stays - boutique hotels, the historic Art District and a calmer, more traditional town feel.