Cabo Pulmo National Park: how to get there from Cabo San Lucas, the rules and when to go

Cabo Pulmo is a national park on the East Cape of Baja California Sur that protects a coral reef estimated to be 20,000 years old. It's about 62 miles (100 km) from Cabo San Lucas by road, 2 hours to 2 hours 15 minutes each way, and the last 6 miles are dirt. If you dive or love snorkeling it's worth the day. If you mostly want clear water and fish, the coves near Cabo are 4 hours of driving closer.

What is Cabo Pulmo National Park?

The park was created on June 5, 1995. It covers 7,111 hectares (about 27 square miles) of sea and shoreline around a village of the same name.

The story behind it is what makes it famous. By the early 1990s the reef had been fished hard. Local families, many of them fishermen, pushed for protection and then stopped fishing the reef themselves. A study published in 2011 measured what happened next: between 1999 and 2009, total fish biomass in the park rose by 463%, and the biomass of top predators grew elevenfold. The researchers called it the largest recovery they had seen in any marine reserve.

In 2005 UNESCO included the park in the Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California World Heritage Site, and in 2008 it was listed as a Ramsar wetland of international importance.

How do you get to Cabo Pulmo from Cabo San Lucas?

Take Highway 1 past San José del Cabo and the airport, and keep going north past the turnoffs for Miraflores and Santiago. At the fork, go right toward La Ribera. The road stays paved through La Ribera, then turns to washboard dirt for roughly the last 6 miles (10 km).

Plan on 2 hours if nothing slows you down and 2 hours 15 minutes as a realistic number. From San José del Cabo it's shorter, since you skip the corridor.

A few practical points:

• La Ribera is the last place to buy gas, so fill up there if you didn't in town
• The dirt stretch is rough. Take it slowly, and rent something with clearance or four-wheel drive if you can
• Leave early, so you drive home in daylight
• Bring water and snacks. The village is small

Guided day tours from Los Cabos include transport and the park entry, which takes the driving off your hands. It's still a full day, usually sunrise to late afternoon.

Cabo Pulmo snorkeling: what to expect

There are two ways to snorkel here. You can go out by boat with a local guide to several spots on the reef, or you can walk in from the sand at Los Arbolitos, a beach about 3 miles (5 km) south of the village where the reef starts close to shore.

The boat trips are the reason most people come. Guides take you to shallow reef sites, and often to a sea lion colony on a rocky headland about 20 minutes away by boat. Expect dense fish life compared with anywhere near Cabo: that's what 30 years without fishing does.

Conditions vary. Wind and swell change the visibility from one day to the next. Check with whoever you book before you commit to the drive.

Cabo Pulmo diving

Divers get the best of the park. The sight people come for is the school of bigeye jacks, thousands of fish turning in a tight column that divers call a tornado. They gather mostly at a site called Los Morros and peak from September to November.

Bull sharks are the other draw. They show up in the cooler months, roughly December to May, and are easiest to see from December through March, often around El Vencedor, a tuna boat that sank in the 1980s and now sits in 55 to 80 feet of water.

If diving is your main plan for the trip, our guide to scuba diving in Cabo covers the sites closer to town as well.

Cabo Pulmo National Park rules

The rules are enforced, and they're the reason the reef looks the way it does.

• No fishing of any kind inside the park
• Snorkelers wear a life jacket, and so does everyone on kayaks and paddle boards
• Boat trips to the reef go with authorized local guides
• Biodegradable sunscreen only. A rash guard is better and means you need less of it
• Stay off the coral and keep your distance from it, about 8 feet
• Every visitor pays a park entry fee and gets a wristband

Don't touch or feed anything, and take your trash back out with you.

What are the best months for Cabo Pulmo?

Fall is the top pick for visibility. Keep in mind that September to mid-October is also when storms are most likely to disrupt plans across the region, on the road and on the water. Late October and November give you the clear water with steadier weather.

Cabo Pulmo or a private boat to Santa María and Chileno?

Our yachts don't go to Cabo Pulmo. The routes leave Marina Cabo San Lucas and run as far as Chileno Bay, 7.9 miles (13 km) up the coast. Pulmo is around the corner on the East Cape and is reached by road. So for most visitors the choice is between a full day built around a drive and a half day on a boat from downtown.

Pulmo has more fish. It's a no-take reserve with three decades of recovery behind it, and nothing near Cabo San Lucas matches that.

What the boat gives you is the rest of the day. Santa María Bay is a sheltered horseshoe cove 6.7 miles (11 km) from the marina, with reef along both points and clear water. The 4 hour route stops at the Arch and the sea lions first, then goes up to Santa María, with a swim stop on the way back (15.5 miles round trip). The 5 to 8 hour route adds Chileno Bay and lunch at anchor. Our Santa María vs Chileno Bay comparison goes into which cove suits whom.

With only 2 hours, Pelican Rock is the answer. It's 0.8 miles (1.3 km) from the dock, inside the bay, and reef fish swim close to the surface there.

Who should pick which:

• Certified divers, and snorkelers who plan trips around reefs: go to Pulmo
• Families with small kids, mixed groups, anyone who gets carsick: take the boat
• Trips of 5 days or more: do both, on different days

Pairing a snorkel day with a private yacht

For a snorkel charter, 4 hours is the minimum that makes the ride to Santa María worth it. These are the yachts we point people to for it, all with snorkel gear included:

Prices are per boat, not per person, with 16% IVA tax included. The customary 15% crew tip is not included. The Sea Ray 40 is a flybridge yacht with a captain and deckhand, bottled water, ice and towels, and it also books for 8 hours at USD 2,419 (MXN 45,999) if you want both coves without watching the clock.

There's more on the route and the months on our snorkeling experience page, and every spot near town is ranked in best snorkeling in Cabo.

When you have a date, enter it with your group size in the planner. We reply within 2 hours, 8 AM to 8 PM Cabo time, and you pay through a secure Stripe link once the date is confirmed in writing.

Yachts in this guide

Bayliner 33Express cruiser · up to 8 guestsfrom $599 / 2 hSea Ray 36Express cruiser · up to 12 guestsfrom $659 / 2 hSea Ray 40Flybridge yacht · up to 12 guestsfrom $879 / 2 h

Questions people ask

How far is Cabo Pulmo from Cabo San Lucas?

About 62 miles (100 km) by road, which takes 2 hours to 2 hours 15 minutes each way. The last 6 miles (10 km) after La Ribera are a bumpy dirt road.

Is Cabo Pulmo worth the drive?

For certified divers and keen snorkelers, yes: it is a no-fishing reef where fish biomass grew by more than 460% between 1999 and 2009. For a casual swim and snorkel, the coves near Cabo San Lucas give you clear water and reef fish without 4 hours in a car.

What is the best time of year to visit Cabo Pulmo?

September to November has the best visibility, often 60 to 100 feet, and warm water. December to March is cooler and is when divers have the best chance of seeing bull sharks.

What are the rules at Cabo Pulmo National Park?

Fishing is banned. Snorkelers wear a life jacket, boat trips to the reef go with authorized local guides, only biodegradable sunscreen is allowed, and you keep off the coral. Each visitor pays a park entry fee and gets a wristband.

Do private yachts from Cabo San Lucas go to Cabo Pulmo?

Ours don't. Our charters leave Marina Cabo San Lucas and go as far as Chileno Bay, 7.9 miles up the coast. Cabo Pulmo is on the East Cape and is reached by road, with local boats launching from the village.

Plan your day on the water

Pick a yacht, the hours and the food in the planner. A written reply within 2 hours, 8 AM to 8 PM Cabo time.

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