The Best Sites to Visit in Los Cabos, Mexico

At the southern tip of Mexico’s long, narrow Baja California peninsula is the Los Cabos region, comprising the two cities of Cabo San Lucas, and San Jose del Cabo. Both cities, along with other nearby towns, offer a wide variety of activities for every interest. The Los Cabos region offers great dining, shopping, outdoor adventures, cultural attractions, and beautiful pristine beaches.

I’ve been to Los Cabos four times now, and each time, I find myself returning to see many of the same places, while also checking out new adventures. Los Cabos is known for many things – its warm sunny dry climate, beautiful beaches, warm blue water, the famous sea arch, desert landscape, luxury resorts, restaurants and nightlife, and outdoor adventure activities. The area started out as a scattering of small fishing villages, and was relatively unknown and scarcely populated until the 1970s. At that time, the Mexican government constructed Highway 1 to attract tourism, leading to the development of numerous hotels and timeshares. In 1984, the international airport was constructed making the area even more accessible. Since then, the area’s growth has exploded with hotels and resorts, condominiums, restaurants, shopping centers, service industries, and other development. Below is my list of favorite things to do and see in Los Cabos. Many of these activities can be booked directly through Booking.com or  Viator.

Party it Up in Cabo San Lucas

Cabo San Lucas is the most popular destination in Los Cabos, known for its nightlife, clubs such as Señor Frogs and Cabo Wabo (owned by Sammy Hagar), resorts and timeshares. But the most iconic landmark is El Arco, the famous rock formed arch at the very tip of the peninsula, known as Lands End. Lands End is where the Pacific Ocean becomes the Gulf of California. Cabo San Lucas is also a popular cruise ship port, bringing thousands of tourists to town each day. The focal point in Cabo San Lucas is the attractive marina, lined with a wide pedestrian promenade, perfect for viewing the many luxury yachts. Restaurants, bars, tour companies, dive shops and souvenir shops surround the promenade. You’ll also be greeted by numerous peddlers selling fishing tours, whale watching tours, cigars and more.  

On the northeast corner of the marina is the entrance to Plaza Puerto Paraiso, a high end shopping mall featuring dozens of stores, restaurants, a casino and entertainment venues.

The rock formations at Lands End, including El Arco, are a popular tourist site, as is the adjacent Lovers Beach. The only way to reach Lands End and Lovers Beach is by boat. Boat tours are available from the marina, as well as from beaches including Medano Beach. Other popular beaches in Cabo San Lucas include Cannery Beach (south of the marina inlet, El Farito Beach (north of the inlet), and Medano Beach further north.

Lounge the day away at a Beach Club

If you just want to spend a day at the beach, a great way to do it is by staying at a beach club. A beach club offers the opportunity to rent a lounge chair, order drinks and food, and participate in water activities or tours. There are numerous beach clubs in Los Cabos, mostly along Medano Beach in Cabo San Lucas. I’ve spent the day at The Sand Bar twice. Here, you can rent a lounge chair for $30, or sit at a table for free as long as you order food or drinks. Massages are also available on site. Other beach clubs include Corazon Beach Club, Taboo, and the more lively Mango Deck. The clubs are roped off from the many peddlers who walk the beach selling souvenirs, fruit, massages, clothing and jewelry. A variety of water activities are available along the beach, including glass bottom boat tours to the arch and Lover’s Beach, parasailing and jet ski and banana boat rentals.

Catch the Sunset on a Catamaran Cruise

A fun and relaxing way to spend an afternoon or evening is watching the spectacular scenery and sunset from a catamaran boat. Most boat tours operate from the marina in Cabo San Lucas. I’ve done a couple of different sunset boat tours on my various trips to Los Cabos. My first tour included an open bar, buffet dinner and snorkeling, while my second, operated by Pez Gato, was a wine, appetizers and jazz tour. Both offered beautiful views, including the landmark arch. On both, the excellent crew did an amazing job keeping everyone happy, well fed and liquidated, while also providing their own entertainment. The boat tours are a great way to enjoy an evening while meeting new friends. A variety of different boat tour companies can be found through Viator.

Have an Adventure along the Tourist Corridor

Highway 1, between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, is known as the tourist corridor. This 20 mile drive is lined with some of Los Cobos most beautiful and luxurious hotels and golf resorts, including the Westin, the One and Only Palmilla, the Club at Solaz, Chileno Bay Resort, Grand Velas and many others.

Most of these hotels include bars and restaurants offering spectacular views of the Sea of Cortez, such as the Cabo del Sol Desert Course, designed by famous architect Tom Weiskopf. The most popular beaches along the tourist corridor include Chileno Beach, Santa Maria Beach, Palmilla Beach, and Costa Azul Beach.

For the adventurous, Wild Canyon Adventures is an adventure park off Highway 1 that has multiple adrenaline flowing activities, including zip-lining, bungee jumping, a giant swing, ATV and UTV tours, and horse and camel rides. Afterwards, you can celebrate your experience over a meal at Zippers Bar and Grill, located directly on Costa Azul beach. This low key and relaxing restaurant offers burgers, sandwiches, seafood, salads and Mexican cuisine, all with a fantastic ocean view.

Get your Art and Culture on in San Jose del Cabo

San Jose del Cabo is located about twenty miles northeast of Cabo San Lucas, along Highway 1. The colonial town began as a supply point for commercial ships, and was the site of the Mission of San Jose del Cabo. Today, the Old Town area is characterized by the mission church and quaint colonial style buildings that house shops, galleries and restaurants. The focal point is the large Plaza Mijares with its gazebo and massive Mexican flag. San Jose del Cabo is more historic, tranquil, and upscale than Cabo San Lucas. Each Thursday night, the popular and lively Art Walk event is held at the plaza, featuring dozens of vendors selling art, crafts, jewelry and more. The event also includes food vendors and live music, and the galleries throughout the Old Town area are open for viewing. Some of my favorite restaurants in San Jose del Cabo include upscale dining at Don Sanchez and Sage, margaritas at Los Tres Gallos, and a variety of authentic tacos at La Lupita Taco and Mezcal.

Take a Snorkel and Dive Expedition in Cabo Pulmo  

About forty miles east of San Jose del Cabo in the eastern cape is the sleepy hamlet of Cabo Pulmo, best known as a diving and snorkeling destination. The nearby protected National Marine Park is recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, and has the only hard coral reef in the Gulf of California. The reef is one of the largest and most diverse coral reefs in North America, and is estimated to be around 20,000 years old. It has over 800 species of marine life, including seven endangered species of sea turtles, and a variety of sharks including bull sharks, tiger sharks, hammerhead sharks, black tip and white tip sharks. Diving and snorkeling enthusiasts enjoy the quiet, undeveloped and eco-friendly nature of Cabo Pulmo. There are numerous dive and snorkel operators here. I recently used Cabo Pumo Resort which offers both. My two hour snorkel tour included three different snorkel spots. While I didn’t see any sea turtles, I saw an amazing variety of colorful tropical fish and coral, as well as sea lions resting on large rock formations.

Getting to Cabo Pulmo is half the fun. I recommend taking a loop route getting to and from Cabo Pulmo. From San Jose del Cabo, drive north along Highway 1 through the scenic hills and desert, and stop at some of the old historic towns such as Miraflores and Santiago. Near the town of El Campamento, turn east along Camino Cabo Este, which eventually becomes a dirt road approximately six miles west of Cabo Pulmo. The drive is approximately one hour and forty minutes. After spending time in Cabo Pulmo, continue west along the Camino Cabo Este, which is a dirt road for 27 miles. Along the way, you will witness spectacular views of the azure blue Sea of Cortez, and likely be greeted by an occasional cow or donkey crossing the road. About half way is the Vidasoul hotel, an eco friendly beachfront resort housed in a contemporary white stucco and glass building. The Crossroads restaurant, where I’ve dined twice, offers delicious Mexican, Italian and seafood dishes.

Visit the Hotel California in Todos Santos

Along Highway 19 in the western cape, where the desert meets the Sierra Laguna mountain range, is the beautiful village of Todos Santos, known for its many artists and galleries. Founded as a mission in 1723, the village later became a center for sugar production. Many of the colonial style buildings and large homes were financed by sugar monies. After Highway 19 was paved in the 1980s, the village began to attract tourists and artists. Today, Todos Santos is a major cultural and artistic center of the Los Cabos region. The area also attracts surfers because of the strong surf along the western cape’s uncrowded beaches. The downtown area is filled with cobblestone streets and attractive colonial buildings housing art galleries, boutiques, restaurants, coffee shops, and hotels. Among these is the legendary Hotel California, a popular tourist attraction due to the similar name of the song by the Eagles. In reality, the Eagles song was not inspired by the Hotel California in Todos Santos, and there is no past or present connection between the hotel and the song.

Todos Santos is filled with a great selection of restaurants for any taste. Caffe Todos Santos (at C. Centenario 33), is great for brunch and coffee. Los Adobes De Todos Santos features upscale Mexican cuisine in a beautiful desert garden setting. One of my favorite dishes, Chiles en Nogada, is a poblano chili stuffed with ground beef, pork and fruit and topped with a creamy walnut sauce and pomegranate seeds. Santoro, located at the corner of Highway 19 and Manuel Marquez de Leon, offers good cocktails and views from its balcony setting.

Get Off the Road

The Los Cabos region offers ample opportunities for the adrenaline rush and thrill of off-roading. There are numerous off-road tour operators that take advantage of the rugged desert landscape, arroyos, sand dunes and beaches in Las Cabos. The operators provide choices of All-Terrain Vehicles (ATV) and Utility Task vehicles (UTV). I’ve used Picacho Adventures and Amigos Activities, both located along the west cape northwest of Cabo San Lucas. There are many other ATV tour operators throughout Los Cabos, and can be arranged through Viator. Guided tours generally last two hours, and most offer free round trip transportation from hotels. Prepare to end up very dusty by the end of your tour, and wearing a bandana is highly recommended.