What a luxury yacht charter in Cabo actually includes, and what it costs

Ready to book? See the five luxury yachts with prices and check dates.

A luxury yacht charter in Cabo San Lucas costs from USD 1,649 / MXN 31,399 for three hours on the 45-foot Azimut 45 Flybridge, up to USD 4,499 / MXN 85,499 for three hours on the 70-foot McKinna 70, which comes with a chef, a multi-course menu and complimentary drinks. In between sit the Sea Ray 65 and the Sea Ray 55. All prices are per boat with the 16% tax included, and the customary 15% crew tip is not included.

Which is the best luxury yacht in Cabo?

It depends on what you're paying for. If you want everything handled, food and drinks included, it's the McKinna 70. If you want the most guests on board, it's the Sea Ray 55. The Sea Ray 65 is the longest of the boat-only yachts, and the Azimut 45 Flybridge gets you an upper deck for the lowest price in this group.

Prices are per boat, tax included, tip not included. The Azimut 45 Flybridge starts at two hours; the other four have a three-hour minimum. The fleet page shows all thirteen yachts side by side if you want to look further down the list.

McKinna 70: the all-inclusive choice

The McKinna 70 is a 70-foot luxury motor yacht for up to 12 guests, and it's one of two yachts in our fleet where food and drinks are part of the price; the other is the Azimut 70. It carries a crew of five, including the captain, deckhands and a chef on board, and the crew is bilingual.

What's included:

• A multi-course menu cooked on board
• Welcome snacks and fresh guacamole
• Complimentary drinks, served by the crew

Every other yacht in this article is BYO for drinks, since alcohol isn't sold or served on board. On the McKinna you don't need to shop, pack a cooler or plan a menu. The chef and crew take care of it.

Prices run USD 4,499 / MXN 85,499 for 3 hours, USD 5,999 / MXN 113,999 for 4 hours, USD 7,299 / MXN 138,699 for 5 hours, USD 8,599 / MXN 163,399 for 6 hours and USD 11,199 / MXN 212,799 for 8 hours. It boards at Marina Cabo San Lucas downtown.

If you want the long version of what all-inclusive covers here, read our all-inclusive yacht charter guide.

Azimut 70: all-inclusive with two cabins and a crew of three

The Azimut 70 is the second all-inclusive yacht in the fleet: a 70-foot flybridge for up to 12 guests with a crew of three, a menu on board (fish ceviche, sashimi, beef or chicken fajitas, guacamole with chips), complimentary beer and cocktails poured by the crew, water, sodas and ice, and snorkel gear, a paddle board and a floating mat. It has two cabins and an air-conditioned salon, boards at the IGY Marina Fuel Dock in Marina Cabo San Lucas with no dock fee, has a 3-hour minimum and costs USD 4,199 (MXN 79,799) for three hours or USD 5,299 (MXN 100,699) for four, tax included. A chef on board is available at extra cost; the McKinna 70 includes one, which is the main difference between the two.

Sea Ray 65: the express yacht that meets you at Fisherman's Landing restaurant, by the Cabo Escape terminal

The Sea Ray 65 is a 65-foot express motor yacht for up to 12 guests. It's the one yacht in our fleet that meets you at Fisherman's Landing restaurant, by the Cabo Escape terminal, and it has to be back by 8 PM because the terminal closes.

It comes with a captain and deckhand, a paddle board, snorkel gear and a lily pad floating mat. The standard route is included: the Arch, Lover's Beach and Medano Bay.

Prices: USD 2,509 / MXN 47,699 for 3 hours, USD 2,999 / MXN 56,999 for 4 hours, up to USD 5,049 / MXN 95,999 for 8 hours. It's boat-only by default, and an all-inclusive option also exists. That one isn't on the standard price list, so ask for a quote in the planner.

Sea Ray 55: room for 15, with A/C and cabins

The Sea Ray 55 is a 55-foot flybridge motor yacht and the only one of the four that takes 15 guests. It has air conditioning, cabins and heads, and comes with a captain and deckhand, bottled water, sodas and ice.

In the warm months, having a cool cabin to step into between swims makes a long charter easier on older guests and small kids. The cabins also give you somewhere to change and keep bags out of the sun.

Prices: USD 2,129 / MXN 40,399 for 3 hours, USD 2,709 / MXN 51,499 for 4 hours, up to USD 3,759 / MXN 71,499 for 6 hours.

Azimut 45 Flybridge: the entry point to luxury

The Azimut 45 Flybridge is a 45-foot yacht for up to 12 guests, with a flybridge (an upper deck above the main one) a good spot to watch the coast on the way to the Arch. It includes a captain and deckhand, a cooler with ice, water and sodas, towels and snorkel gear.

At USD 1,249 / MXN 23,799 for 2 hours or USD 1,649 / MXN 31,399 for 3 hours, it's the least expensive of the four. For a couple or a small group that wants a flybridge yacht without paying for space they won't use, it's the sensible pick.

What does luxury actually buy you on a Cabo charter?

Every yacht in our fleet goes to the same places. The two-hour route covers Pelican Rock, the sea lions, the Arch, Lover's Beach and Divorce Beach, and the longer routes add Santa María and Chileno Bay. The view of the Arch is the same from a 28-foot boat and a 70-foot yacht. What changes as you move up:

• Crew. The McKinna 70 has a crew of five, chef included. The others in this article have a captain and deckhand.
• Space. A bigger yacht lets 12 people spread out between the bow, the deck and the flybridge without sitting on top of each other.
• A place out of the sun. The Sea Ray 55 has air-conditioned cabins and heads.
• Food and service. The Azimut 70 and the McKinna 70 include complimentary drinks; only the McKinna adds a chef. On the others, food is something you add.
• Comfort on longer routes. For the four-hour run up the coast to Santa María Bay (15.5 miles round trip), a larger yacht gives you more room to relax between stops.

If your group is two to six people and you mostly want the Arch and a swim, a 45-foot yacht covers it. If you're celebrating, hosting clients, or simply don't want to organize food and drinks, the McKinna is the better fit, because the chef and crew take the hosting off your hands.

Is there a mega yacht for charter in Cabo?

"Mega yacht" gets used loosely. The largest yacht we book is the 70-foot McKinna 70, for up to 12 guests. If you need more people on one boat, size isn't the answer: the Sea Ray 55 takes 15 and the double-deck Pontoon 38 takes 18. For groups bigger than that, two boats on the same route is the usual solution.

What it costs per person

Because you pay per boat, the per-person number on a full yacht is lower than it looks. Here's the math at full capacity for three hours.

Set your group size and hours to see what each yacht costs per person.

What it costs per person

Guests:

10

Hours2 h3 h4 h6 h

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Per boat, 16% tax included, tip not included. Pick a yacht to see its page.

The 15% crew tip is a suggestion, paid in cash on board, and isn't included in these prices.

The McKinna number already covers food and complimentary drinks, so it isn't a like-for-like comparison.

Adding food to the boat-only yachts

On the Sea Ray 65, Sea Ray 55 and Azimut 45, food is optional and ordered in the planner. Menu prices are cash prices in pesos, and paying by card adds 16%. For a group of 12 to 15, the Mexican feast for 14 to 16 people is MXN 4,550 (about USD 239), and a large board is MXN 2,520 (about USD 133). Drinks are BYO for guests 18 and over.

If dinner on the water is the whole point of the trip, our private dinner cruise guide covers timing and menus.

When to go out

Departures run from 7 AM to 7 PM, and yachts sail until 8 PM. Yachts that leave from the marina, including the McKinna 70, Sea Ray 55 and Azimut 45, can stay anchored in the bay until 10 PM, which is how a sunset charter turns into dinner under the town lights. The Sea Ray 65 can't do that, since it has to be back at the Cabo Escape terminal by 8 PM.

The harbor is controlled by the Port Captain (Capitanía de Puerto, part of the Mexican Navy). It closes only under a hurricane or storm threat or another extraordinary situation, and most closures fall between September and mid-October. If that happens on your date, you choose a new date or get a full refund.

Booking a luxury yacht

Open the planner, choose the yacht and the hours, and it shows the total in USD and MXN. We reply within two hours, 8 AM to 8 PM Cabo time, and once the date is confirmed in writing we send a secure Stripe link (card, Apple Pay or Google Pay).

A quick way to decide: the McKinna 70 if you want the chef and complimentary drinks, the Sea Ray 55 for 13 to 15 guests, the Sea Ray 65 if you'd like to ask about its all-inclusive option, and the Azimut 45 Flybridge for the lowest price with a flybridge. Still weighing them against the smaller boats? Our guide to choosing a yacht in Cabo goes through it by group size.

Yachts in this guide

McKinna 70Luxury motor yacht · up to 12 guestsfrom $4,499 / 3 hAzimut 70Flybridge motor yacht · up to 12 guestsfrom $4,199 / 3 hSea Ray 65Express motor yacht · up to 12 guestsfrom $2,509 / 3 hSea Ray 55Flybridge motor yacht · up to 15 guestsfrom $2,129 / 3 h

Questions people ask

Can I rent a mega yacht in Cabo?

The largest yacht we book is the 70-foot McKinna 70, for up to 12 guests. If you need room for 15, the Sea Ray 55 is the bigger-capacity option, with air conditioning and cabins.

Which Cabo luxury yacht takes the most guests?

The Sea Ray 55 takes up to 15 guests. The McKinna 70, Sea Ray 65 and Azimut 45 Flybridge each take up to 12.

Do luxury yachts in Cabo include food and drinks?

The Azimut 70 and the McKinna 70 include food and complimentary drinks; only the McKinna 70 has a chef. On the other yachts you can order food from our menu in the planner and bring your own drinks if you're 18 or older.

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