Travel guide
Los Cabos packs desert, sea and marine life into one trip — from the Arch of Cabo San Lucas to the reef at Cabo Pulmo. Here is how to spend your days, what to book early, and when the whales show up.
Los Cabos, Los Cabos
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Los Cabos sits at the southernmost tip of the Baja California Peninsula, where the Pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Cortez. That position gives you two coasts, desert scenery and some of the richest marine life in Mexico within a short drive of each other.[1],[13]
The destination is built for people who want to be on or under the water by day and eating well by night. Boat tours, snorkeling, diving, sportfishing and whale watching all operate from the same stretch of coast, and the towns of Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo give you two very different places to wander.[1],[3]
Los Cabos also has a calendar of culinary festivals, sporting competitions, cultural celebrations, live music and wellness experiences. If your dates are flexible, it is worth checking what falls during your trip before you lock in flights.[1]
Los Cabos (SJD)
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The Arch of Cabo San Lucas, often called El Arco, is the landmark everyone comes to see. You can get there by boarding a private yacht or a luxurious sailboat, and a dinner cruise around El Arco is another way to see it from the water.[1],[3],[4]
Lovers Beach sits near the Arch, and tours to it are incredibly popular. A daytime jet ski run from Medano Beach also lets you explore El Arco and Lovers Beach in the same outing.[4],[7]
Cabo Pulmo is the other sight worth building a day around. It is described as the Aquarium of the World and holds a 17,571-acre natural reef system — the only hard coral reef in the Gulf of California. More than 800 species of marine life live there, which makes it a serious draw for divers and snorkelers alike.[1],[10]
If you want a guided plan for Cabo Pulmo, a tourist guide to it is available. For Santiago, there is a ready-made itinerary you can follow.[1]
Cabo San Lucas is the water-sports hub. It offers tours and water activities, and Medano Beach is the center of the action — jet skis and wave runners are rented all along the beach by independent outfitters, beach clubs, resorts and even restaurants. If you want a fast, high-energy day, this is where you pick up your ride.[1],[7]
San José del Cabo is quieter and more cultural. It has art galleries and farm-to-table experiences, and its beaches are known as a major surfing destination. Los Cabos more broadly has art districts and galleries to visit, so give yourself an afternoon to browse.[1],[3]
The Tourist Corridor between the two towns is where some of the best snorkeling spots are found, right off the beaches. Chileno Bay and Santa Maria Beach are two Blue Flag beaches there, and their sheltered coves provide calm water that is ideal for snorkeling.[11]
If you want to see how the regions fit together before you book anything, Los Cabos has an interactive map for exploring its regions.[1]
Boat tours are the ideal way to immerse yourself in the aquatic side of Los Cabos. Many outfitters rent charter boats for full-day and half-day excursions, and some companies offer sunset cruise, dinner and show packages. You can hop aboard a stable, comfortable catamaran for a day of activity, or rent a private yacht for an exclusive experience.[3],[4]
Simply sailing across the azure waters of the Sea of Cortez is a popular option in its own right. You can join a crew or be your own captain on the water.[4]
For something faster, jet skiing lets you cruise up to 45 mph across the flat waters of Cabo San Lucas Bay. Flyboarding is another option: you strap jet boots to a hydro board, and water is pushed out through tubes to create enough pressure to send you flying into the air. No experience is necessary, though it requires a little courage and a good deal of balance.[6],[7]
An eFoil is a surfboard with an electric propeller just above the wing of the hydrofoil, powered by a nearly silent electric motor and a rechargeable battery and controlled by a handheld wireless remote. The motor can go up to 30 mph, and on the eFoiling tour in Cabo San Lucas you foil along the bay with a view of the Arch of Cabo San Lucas.[5]
There is also a family-friendly hydrofoil e-bike tour: you bike along the bay of Cabo San Lucas on a Manta5 Hydrofoil Bike with an instructor. The bike is half-bike, half-plane and replicates cycling on water using carbon fiber foils with electric assist modes similar to a regular pedal-assist e-bike, and it suits a wide range of fitness levels.[5]
Parasailing gives you a 360-degree perspective of landscapes and landmarks like El Arco, Lovers Beach and the Baja California Peninsula. Experienced captains guide parasailers to the most scenic places, and they advise passengers on what to wear to be comfortable at 600 feet in the air.[9]
The best time to observe whales off Los Cabos is during their seasonal migration from December through April. During the season, charters run tours to the migratory grounds with a variety of boats, from a wide, comfortable catamaran to a tony yacht. Whale watching trips are incredibly popular, so book early — tours tend to fill up quickly.[2],[4]
Whale sharks, the largest fish in the sea, migrate to local waters between December and April. La Paz, along the East Cape, is one of the best places in the world to swim with them. Tours generally depart from Cabo San Lucas with a scenic two-hour drive to the Sea of Cortez, where the whale sharks can be found — or you can stay in La Paz to start your excursion with minimal travel.[2],[14]
Sportfishing here is a year-round activity, with specific seasons highlighting the wealth of species. Anglers from around the world come to chase pelagic species such as blue marlin, striped marlin, dorado and roosterfish. Deep-sea fishing charters equipped with all the tackle you need are available, and many resorts will include packages to set up your fishing outing.[13]
The best season for each species can be checked through a fishing calendar or local report. Hardcore fishermen gravitate toward the many tournaments held in Los Cabos, including the Bisbee's Black and Blue in October.[13]
San José del Cabo is the place to eat well and wander. It has farm-to-table experiences and art galleries, and Los Cabos has art districts and galleries to visit across the destination.[1]
If you want a rejuvenating escape, Los Cabos has that option too — a useful thing to know when you are balancing active days on the water with rest.[1]
For a change of scenery, the surrounding areas to explore include Todos Santos, El Triunfo, Santiago, East Cape, La Paz and Miraflores. Los Cabos Stories can be read online if you want a feel for the place before you go.[1]
Los Cabos events include culinary festivals, sporting competitions, cultural celebrations, live music and wellness experiences. A few named events are worth planning around if your dates line up.[1]
Beyond the events calendar, Los Cabos has a Baja marine wildlife calendar showing what is swimming there and when. It is worth a look if a specific animal is the reason for your trip.[1]
Los Cabos has an airport guide for getting here, which is the place to start when you are sorting flights and arrival logistics.[1]
Once you are on the ground, the two main towns and the Tourist Corridor between them are where most of your days will happen. Medano Beach is the hub of waterborne entertainment, and the beaches along the Tourist Corridor are where you will find the calmest snorkeling coves.[7],[11]
If you are heading to La Paz for whale sharks, you can either join a tour that departs from Cabo San Lucas with a two-hour drive, or stay in La Paz to cut the travel down.[14]
Los Cabos has resorts and hotels with swimmable beaches, which is worth checking when you choose where to stay — not every stretch of coast is the same.[1]
Experiences in Los Cabos are described as crafted with the highest standards of care and safety for every traveler's peace of mind. If you are trying something new like flyboarding or snuba, that is a useful starting point when you compare operators.[3]
The best time to observe whales off Los Cabos is during their seasonal migration from December through April. Charters run tours to the migratory grounds with a variety of boats, and trips fill up quickly, so book early.[2]
Yes. Whale sharks migrate to local waters between December and April, and La Paz along the East Cape is one of the best places in the world to swim with them. Tours generally depart from Cabo San Lucas with a scenic two-hour drive to the Sea of Cortez, or you can stay in La Paz to start with minimal travel.[2],[14]
No. You do not have to be a certified scuba diver to experience the underwater wonders of Los Cabos — snuba is an alternative to both scuba diving and snorkeling. On a snuba excursion you wear a fully enclosed air-filled helmet connected to a hose running to an air tank on the surface.[12]
The best season to dive in Los Cabos is during the warm summer months. Dive trips usually run a half-day to a full day depending on how far the sites are, and Cabo Pulmo's 17,571-acre reef system is the standout.[10]
Cabo San Lucas offers tours and water activities, and you can take an eFoiling tour along the bay with a view of the Arch of Cabo San Lucas. You can also board a private yacht or luxurious sailboat to see El Arco, or take a dinner cruise around it.[1],[3],[4],[5]
San José del Cabo has art galleries and farm-to-table experiences, and Los Cabos more broadly has art districts and galleries to visit. Its beaches are also known as a major surfing destination.[1],[3]
In November you can catch Moon Zipping Fire: Sunset UTVs + Night-time Ziplines, a four-course Thanksgiving dinner at Pitahayas Restaurant, and a Mexican night celebration at Hacienda del Mar Los Cabos. In December, the 18th edition of Sabor a Cabo, Verbena Sibarita, takes place.[1]
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Start planningThe facts above come from these pages, which we read on November 12, 2026. Opening hours, prices and event dates change, so check with the venue or organizer before you go.
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