LOS CABOS, MEXICO
Cabo san Lucas and Cabo san Juan have so much to do and are VERY different than the Caribbean - BUT IN A GOOD WAY!
We traveled with an 11-month-old baby, so the experience was a little different than normal, yet so fun! Cabo is a great place to go alone or with your family. I highly recommend staying at an all-inclusive resort and then venturing out for a few dinners and adventures.
WHERE TO VISIT
Here is a map that I put together of all of the places that Google and other bloggers said were enjoyable. Since everyones' taste is different, I wanted to give you options.
Please let me know if I should add any other locations!
THINGS TO DO around cabo
swim with whale sharks
I will have an entire post dedicated just to swimming with these beasts, but until then, just know you have to travel to La Paz and “swim like hell”, like the Captain says.
GO WHALE WATCHING
We booked with Whale Watch Cabo, which wasn’t the cheapest option, but the guides are scientists who genuinely care about whales and making sure you see many! You are guaranteed to see a whale on their tour as well. We went out farther than any other boat around, which allowed us to get super close to two humpbacks. It was well worth the money.
WATCH THE SUNSET
Since you’re on the west coast, of course, you’ll get beautiful sunsets over the ocean anywhere, but go to the restaurant Sunset Monalisa for an extra special view behind the arch. Parking is free even! If you can’t get a table or don’t want to pay for the expensive food, try Jazz on the Rocks (which is on top of the restaurant) for pizza, appetizers, and drinks. You’ll get the same view - plus jazz in the evenings.
take an ARCH TOUR BY BOAT
You can take a regular boat or a glass-bottom boat. We opted for the regular boat because you could still see many fish, and it was only $15/person (baby is free). You’ll have to barter for the price. You’ll get a tour of the arch by water, then they drop you off at the beach for an hour. Bring water and snacks, and walk across the sand to the Pacific Ocean.
RELEASE BABY SEA TURTLES
There is an organization in Todos Santos that releases baby sea turtles EVERY night! Check out their website for more information here. With covid, we weren’t allowed to touch them, but normally you can help guide the little guys to the ocean. Follow the organization’s instructions on their website for getting there. You’ll be driving down a sandy path, so park next to the houses and walk over the sand dune, and you’ll see them.
WALK THE MARINA
The best parking for the marina is at the Plaza Bonita Centro Comercial. Enjoy some delicious seafood and enjoy the view of all of the boats from around the world. I loved watching the artists paint local paintings of the area. The marina is on my map above if you can’t find it.
IF I HAD MORE TIME OR DIDN’T HAVE A BABY, I WOULD HAVE ALSO DONE THE FOLLOWING:
Deep-sea fishing - especially for a marlin
2. Scuba diving near the Arch to see the huge schools of fish
3. Scuba diving with sharks near Cabo Pulmo
4. Take an ATV on any of the sand routes
5. Horseback riding on the beach or nearby
6. Ride camels and taken fun photos
7. Walked through the tide pools near Sunset Monalisa
8. Snorkeled in Cabo Pulmo
TOP PLACES TO VISIT
All of these small and large towns are within 2 hours of Cabo San Lucas. I would highly recommend getting a rental car for your trip and exploring outside of the resorts. More details on the rental car below.
CABO SAN LUCAS
This is where most of the All-Inclusive resorts are located. If you want to be close to downtown and the night-life, then stay close to the marina, but if you want a more relaxed and secluded feel, stay on either side of the Arch. Both sides offer daily whale sightings and similar ocean conditions.
CABO SAN JUAN
I’d make a day trip out of Cabo San Juan - especially on a Thursday night so you can enjoy the free Art Walk. Also, take the free tour at Flora Farms. It’s a beautiful farm-to-table restaurant and garden where you can see the local food grown. The restaurant is expensive but pretty delicious. There are dozens of things to do in this town, especially shopping for trinkets, so look at my map if you’ll be in this city for a while.
TODOS SANTOS
Todos Santos is a cute little sleepy town with adorable shops and a really cool sign. Hotel California (like from the song) is here in town, which you can tour. It’s also where you can release sea turtles as stated above. Take a walk through the town and enjoy some free tequila tastings. FYI, the jewelry is pretty much all fake, but it’s really pretty. Also, watch the sunset here.
LA PAZ
I wish we would have had more time to explore La Paz, but this is where the whale sharks live. It’s a 2-hour drive from San Lucas and totally worth it. Enjoy the little cafes along the water and the great playgrounds for kids.
SANTIAGO
The town of Santiago was nothing special to me, but it’s always fun to see how people live in other cultures. The Rancho Ecologico Sol De Mayo and Hot Springs are both near this town. The hot springs may be closed (they were for us), but the drive there was still worth it. Be prepared to drive slow through the sand so you don’t get stuck. The paths are all sand with wild cows everywhere. The waterfall is around $14/person but well worth it.
cabo pulmo
I read that this is the best place for snorkeling and diving (other than by the arch). If we didn’t have Orion with us, we probably would have gone scuba diving with sharks here or at least snorkeled off the beach. We’ll have to go back and go :)
WHAT NOT TO FORGET
Soft shell coat - It got COLD at night, and I wish I would have packed a warmer layer to sit out on the beach with at sunset.
Pesos - Almost every restaurant and shop takes $USD, but they definitely give you a better deal in pesos. Don’t convert your money at the airport, do it downtown or somewhere that will convert it back at the same rate.
Hiking sandals - For the waterfall and hot springs, I’m so thankful that I had hiking sandals that stayed on my feet but also let me wade through the water.
Socks - yes, socks! The sand is so coarse it’ll cut your feet if you go for a run or play beach volleyball.
Sun hat - The nights are chilly in the winter, but the days are HOT! Enjoy the sun safely.
WEATHER
We traveled in early January to see the whales. The days were very comfortable and even a little hot at 85 degrees, but the nights dropped down to 55-60 degrees, and we did not pack for that. So pack some maxi dresses and sweaters if you go in the winter months.
things i didn’t know
swimming in the ocean waves isn’t really an option
The waves aren’t that big in some places, but the undertow is so powerful, that they don’t want you swimming in the ocean. I wouldn’t leisurely go swimming out there, and I’m a pretty good swimmer. Enjoy playing in the sand instead.
pools are often not heated
Our pools were not heated, which wasn’t too bad during the heat of the day, but they were freezing at night! If you go in the winter months, be prepared not to use the pools in the evening, or make sure you have an outdoor hot tub at your resort.
you’ll have to pay a special insurance for a rental car
I booked our rental car online before we arrived. Once we arrived to the airport, I was told that my insurance wasn’t adequate for driving around the area. I was never notified that I needed more insurance while booking the rental, so just make sure you check the laws and get teh correct insurance. Our $150 rental car turned into $500 for the week (which still was worth it).
book excursions when you get there
Overall, I found that excursions were cheaper when booked in person with cash (makes sense) versus purchasing online. You can also book multiple excursions with one company to get the best deal. Be prepared to barter! You’ll get the best deal this way. Never take their initial price.