Is Cabo a tender port? From the tender to your private boat, step by step

Yes, Cabo San Lucas is a tender port. There is no cruise pier, so your ship anchors in the bay and tenders carry you ashore in about 10 to 15 minutes, landing on the south side of Marina Cabo San Lucas. Twelve of our thirteen private yachts board inside that same marina, so from the landing you walk to your boat, and a 2 hour private trip to the Arch starts at USD 519 (MXN 9,799) per boat.

Our cruise port day guide covers the 2 hour route and which yacht fits your group. This one is about the part before the boat: the tender, the landing, the walk, the money and the clock.

Where do cruise ships anchor in Cabo?

Ships anchor in the bay between Land's End and Médano Beach, usually within sight of the Arch. On a busy day up to four ships can be out there at once, each with its own tender run. From the deck you can see the marina entrance and, behind it, the hill with the houses of downtown.

The landing is inside the marina, on its south side. The address cruise sites list for it is Finisterra A1, in the Centro neighborhood. Tour desks, shops, taxis and water taxis start right at the landing, and the downtown streets are behind them.

How does the tender work, step by step?

Every line runs tenders a little differently, but the pattern in Cabo looks like this:

1. The ship anchors. Arrivals in Cabo fall between about 6 AM and 1 PM, depending on the ship. The Carnival Panorama is the early one, at 6:30 AM on many of its calls; the Disney Wonder anchors between 7:30 and 11 AM, Holland America's Koningsdam anywhere from 7 AM to noon depending on the date, and Virgin's Brilliant Lady usually at 1 PM.
2. Passengers with a ship excursion usually go first. Everyone else gets a tender ticket or a group number, handed out on board the morning of arrival. Ask for yours as soon as they start.
3. You board the tender from a platform near the waterline. The tenders are often the ship's own boats, the ones that double as lifeboats.
4. The ride to the marina takes about 10 minutes, sometimes 15 if your ship anchored farther out.
5. You step off at the landing inside the marina. Keep your cruise card: you need it to get back on board.

The return works in reverse. Tenders run continuously until the last tender time printed in your daily program, which is earlier than the sailing time. Go by that one.

How long do the lines take?

The line to get ashore is longest in the first hour after anchoring, when everyone wants off at once. Fifteen to 30 minutes is normal then, and it drops off after that. If your ship arrives at 7 AM and your boat leaves at 10 AM, you have time to spare. If your boat leaves at 8 AM, you are cutting it close.

The line to get back on is the one to respect. On days with two or three ships in the bay, the landing gets crowded in the last hour before everyone's all-aboard. Our rule for guests on a private boat: be back at the dock at least an hour before all-aboard, and in the tender line with time to spare. We time your charter around that when you book.

One more thing about the clock. Cabo is on Mountain Standard Time all year, with no daylight saving. Ship time doesn't always match local time, so check which one your all-aboard is written in.

From the landing to your private boat

Twelve of our thirteen yachts board inside Marina Cabo San Lucas, the same marina where the tender lands. You walk along the docks to the boat, no taxi needed; each yacht has its own dock, and your exact dock and a map link come on your boarding pass. The marina guide shows how the docks are laid out.

The Sea Ray 65 is different. It meets you at Fisherman's Landing restaurant, by the Cabo Escape terminal, a short walk from where you get off the tender. It carries up to 12 guests, includes the standard route (the Arch, Lover's Beach and Médano Bay), a paddle board, snorkel gear and a lily pad floating mat, and it has a boat-only and an all-inclusive option. Because the Cabo Escape terminal closes at 8 PM, it has to be back by then. Three hours on the Sea Ray 65 is USD 2,509 (MXN 47,699) per boat.

Here is the landing, the marina, Médano Beach and the Arch on a map.

Walking to town and to Médano Beach

Downtown starts behind the landing. Walking along the marina boardwalk you reach the main streets in about 10 to 15 minutes, and most of the shops and restaurants cruise passengers visit are within that circle.

Médano Beach, the swimming beach, starts just past the marina, but its beach-club strip is 1.3 to 2 km on foot from the landing, depending on where you are headed: 15 to 35 minutes in the heat, so many people take a water taxi from the marina for around USD 10. If you book a private boat, you see Médano from the water anyway: the 2 hour route comes back along it.

Money, documents and fees

A few things that are confirmed and worth knowing before you leave the ship.

Our charter prices are per boat, with the 16% IVA tax included. The customary crew tip is 15% and is not included, so bring cash for that too, in dollars or pesos.

How to time your boat around the ship

Start from your all-aboard time and work backward. For a 2 hour charter:

On the arrival side, leave a gap between the time the ship anchors and your departure. An hour is comfortable on a one-ship day; on a day with three ships in the bay, give it more. Departures run from 7 AM to 7 PM, so even a 6:30 AM arrival can fit a morning boat.

If your tender runs late, text us the moment you know. We'll look at moving the departure so the charter still ends with time to spare.

What if the port closes that day?

The Port Captain, part of the Mexican Navy, closes the harbor only under a hurricane or storm threat or another extraordinary situation, and most closures fall between September and mid-October. When the harbor is closed, tenders don't run either, so your ship may skip the port. If that happens on your date, you get a new date or a full refund. For a one-day stop, that means a full refund.

Which ships are in Cabo on your date

Arrival and departure times vary by ship, and some stay overnight. The Carnival Radiance is a mid-morning arrival on nearly every call, while the Zaandam anchors anywhere from 7 AM to 1 PM depending on the date. Our cruise ship calendar lists which ships are in port each day and their published hours, so you can see how much time you have before you book. If your ship is one of the ones that stays until the next day, read about a sunset yacht on an overnight stop.

To book, open the planner, pick the cruise ship option and enter your ship and all-aboard time. The cruise port day page has the route and the yachts that suit it. 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

Sea Ray 65Express motor yacht · up to 12 guestsfrom $2,509 / 3 h

Questions people ask

Is Cabo San Lucas a tender port?

Yes. Cabo San Lucas has no cruise pier, so ships anchor in the bay and carry passengers ashore in tenders. The ride takes about 10 to 15 minutes and lands on the south side of Marina Cabo San Lucas.

Where do cruise ships dock in Cabo?

They don't dock. Ships anchor in the bay off Land's End and Médano Beach, and the tender landing is inside the marina, next to downtown. Up to four ships can be anchored on a busy day.

How long does the tender line take in Cabo?

Plan on 15 to 30 minutes in line during the first hour after the ship anchors, and less after that. Going back, be in line at the landing an hour before all-aboard.

Do I need a passport to get off the ship in Cabo?

Mexico's consulate says cruise tourists don't need a visa but do need a valid passport. On closed-loop cruises from the US some lines accept an ID plus birth certificate, but many require the passport, so check with your line.

How far is the tender landing from the private boat docks?

Twelve of our thirteen yachts board inside the same marina, a few minutes on foot from the landing, each at its own dock (it's on your boarding pass). The Sea Ray 65 meets you at Fisherman's Landing restaurant, by the Cabo Escape terminal.

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.

Check availabilitySee the fleet