Marina Cabo San Lucas: where your charter boards and how to get there
Where private charters board in Marina Cabo San Lucas, where the cruise tenders land, and how to get there on time.
In this guide
- Where is the Cabo marina?
- Cabo marina map: what's how far from the dock?
- Cabo cruise port location
- Which yachts board where?
- How do you get to the marina from your hotel?
- What happens once you reach the slip?
- What time do charters leave and come back?
- What's around the marina?
- What if the harbor is closed?
- What to bring to the dock
- Booking a charter from the marina
Marina Cabo San Lucas is the harbor in downtown Cabo, and it's where twelve of our thirteen private yachts board. The twelfth, the Sea Ray 65, meets you at Fisherman's Landing restaurant, by the Cabo Escape terminal. Each marina yacht boards at its own dock; the Azimut 70 and the McKinna 70 board at the IGY Marina Fuel Dock. Arrive 15 minutes early; your exact dock and a map link come on your boarding pass.
Where is the Cabo marina?
The marina sits in the middle of downtown Cabo San Lucas, along Boulevard Paseo de la Marina, with the bay and Land's End on the other side of its entrance. It's a walk from the Médano Beach hotels and a taxi ride from the resorts along the tourist corridor.
It's a big harbor. The marina has 380 slips, 33 of them for megayachts, and takes boats up to 375 feet long. Sportfishing boats, water taxis and private yachts all work out of it, so your confirmation gives you a specific slip.
Our page on Marina Cabo San Lucas has the photos and the full route map.
Cabo marina map: what's how far from the dock?
Every route we run starts and ends at the marina. These are the main stops and their distance from the dock, so you can picture the map before you go.
| Place | What it is | From the marina |
|---|---|---|
| Médano Beach | Cabo's swimming beach, on the bay | 0.8 mi / 1.3 km |
| Pelican Rock | First snorkel stop, inside the bay | 0.8 mi / 1.3 km |
| Lover's Beach | Calm bay side of Land's End | 1 mi / 1.7 km |
| The Arch | Granite arch at the tip of Baja | 1.2 mi / 1.9 km |
| Sea lion colony | Rocks next to the Arch | 1.3 mi / 2 km |
| Cabo Falso lighthouse | 1905 lighthouse, Pacific side | 3.6 mi / 5.7 km |
| Santa María Bay | Horseshoe snorkel cove | 6.7 mi / 11 km |
| Chileno Bay | The next cove over | 7.9 mi / 13 km |
Most of what people come to see sits within a mile and a half of the dock. That's why a 2 hour charter can cover Pelican Rock, the sea lions, the Arch, Lover's Beach and Divorce Beach and still come back the long way along Médano Beach.
Cabo cruise port location
Cabo San Lucas has no pier for cruise ships. They anchor in the bay and tender passengers to the marina, about a 10 minute ride. The tender landing is on the south side of the marina, and downtown starts right behind it.
That makes the marina the cruise port too. In 2025, the Los Cabos municipality counted 285 cruise calls and 1,057,758 passengers in Cabo San Lucas. On ship days the waterfront gets busier, so leave a little extra time to walk to your slip. The busiest regulars are the Discovery Princess on Mondays and the Norwegian Encore on Tuesdays; the cruise ship calendar shows every call by date.
The Sea Ray 65 meets you at Fisherman's Landing restaurant, by the Cabo Escape terminal, not inside the marina. Because the Cabo Escape terminal closes at 8 PM, the Sea Ray 65 has to be back by then, so it can't stay out at anchor after dark the way the marina yachts can. If you're coming off a ship, our cruise port guide explains how to time a charter around all-aboard.
Which yachts board where?
| Boarding point | Yachts | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Inside Marina Cabo San Lucas (each at its own dock) | Chaparral 28, Bayliner 30, Bayliner 33, Sea Ray 36, Pontoon 38, Sea Ray 40, Maxum 45, Regal 45, Azimut 45, Sea Ray 55, McKinna 70 | No dock fee; can anchor in the bay until 10 PM |
| Fisherman's Landing restaurant, by the Cabo Escape terminal | Sea Ray 65 | Back by 8 PM |
Your boarding pass names your yacht's dock, with a map link, so you don't need to find the boat by its name on the docks.
The marina yachts run from 28 to 70 feet. The smallest, the Chaparral 28, takes up to 10 guests, and the largest group fits on the Pontoon 38, with up to 18. The McKinna 70 is the one that comes with a chef and complimentary drinks. The fleet comparison puts all thirteen side by side with guest limits and what's included.
How do you get to the marina from your hotel?
It depends on where you're staying.
- Médano Beach hotels: walk. Médano Beach is about 0.8 miles from the marina along the bay, and the hotels there are a short walk from the docks.
- Downtown Cabo San Lucas: walk. The marina is in the middle of downtown.
- Resorts along the tourist corridor: take a taxi. The corridor runs about 20 miles between Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo.
- San José del Cabo: about 30 minutes by car.
- Straight from Los Cabos International Airport (SJD): plan on 40 to 50 minutes by road, and don't book a charter the same afternoon you land.
Whichever way you come, build in time for traffic and aim to be at the slip 15 minutes before departure.
If your group is coming from different hotels, send everyone the dock from your boarding pass (each yacht has its own) and meet at the boat instead of somewhere in town. With 380 slips, "meet at the marina" can leave people wandering the docks.
What happens once you reach the slip?
Your captain meets you at the slip about 15 minutes before departure and runs through a short safety briefing. Then you cast off, motor out of the marina and into the bay, past any ships at anchor.
On the standard 2 hour route, Pelican Rock comes up about 10 minutes after you leave the dock, and you're at the Arch with the sea lions beside it around the 25 minute mark. Lover's Beach and the view of Divorce Beach come next, and the trip back runs along Médano Beach. Your captain adapts the order to the sea that day.
Longer charters keep going up the coast. The 4 hour Santa María route is 15.5 miles round trip, and the full day to Santa María and Chileno is 18.5 miles.
What time do charters leave and come back?
Departures run from 7 AM to 7 PM, with a 2 hour minimum on most yachts (3 hours on the Sea Ray 55, the Sea Ray 65, the Azimut 70 and the McKinna 70). Yachts sail until 8 PM. The ones that board inside the marina can then stay anchored in the bay until 10 PM, which is how a sunset cruise turns into dinner on the water. The Sea Ray 65 is back by 8 PM.
Cabo is on Mountain Standard Time all year, with no daylight saving. If your phone is still on home time, double-check your departure.
What's around the marina?
The waterfront around the marina is lined with shops and restaurants (our guide to Cabo marina restaurants lists the ones you can walk to from each dock), and water taxis wait along the docks to run people to Lover's Beach and the Arch. Sportfishing boats leave from here too, and Cabo hosts Bisbee's Black & Blue marlin tournament. Of our yachts, only the McKinna 70 fishes, on its sport-fishing charter; the others are pleasure yachts without fishing permits.
After a morning charter you can walk to Médano Beach for a swim. It's Cabo's swimming beach, and afternoon cruises often come back along it with the town lights coming on behind. Our Médano Beach guide covers it in more detail.
What if the harbor is closed?
The Port Captain (Capitanía de Puerto, part of the Mexican Navy) decides whether boats can leave the marina. The harbor closes only under a hurricane or storm threat or another extraordinary situation, and most closures fall between September and mid-October. If it's closed on your date, you choose a new date or a full refund.
What to bring to the dock
Food from the menu is ordered ahead in the planner and is on board when you arrive.
Booking a charter from the marina
Prices are per boat, not per person, with the 16% tax included. Two hours starts at USD 519 (MXN 9,799) on the Chaparral 28 for up to 10 guests; our yacht rental cost guide has every boat and length. When you're ready, the planner lets you pick the yacht, the hours and any food, and we reply within 2 hours, 8 AM to 8 PM Cabo time.
Yachts in this guide
Questions people ask
Where do yacht charters leave from in Cabo San Lucas?
Twelve of our thirteen yachts leave from Marina Cabo San Lucas in downtown Cabo, each at its own dock: the Azimut 70 and the McKinna 70 at the IGY Marina Fuel Dock, for example. The Sea Ray 65 leaves from Fisherman's Landing restaurant, by the Cabo Escape terminal. Your exact dock and a map link come on your boarding pass.
Where is the cruise port in Cabo San Lucas?
There is no cruise pier. Ships anchor in the bay and tender passengers about 10 minutes to a landing on the south side of Marina Cabo San Lucas, next to downtown.
How early should I get to the marina for a charter?
Arrive 15 minutes before departure. Your captain meets you at the slip listed in your confirmation and gives a short safety briefing before you leave.
Is there a fee to board at the Cabo marina?
No. There is no dock fee on any of our yachts; the price you see is per boat with tax included. The Sea Ray 65 meets you at Fisherman's Landing restaurant, by the Cabo Escape terminal, and the other twelve yachts board inside the marina.
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.
Keep reading
Plan your tripCabo Cruise Port Excursions: Private Boat to the ArchHow to fit a private boat to the Arch, the sea lions and Lover's Beach into a Cabo cruise stop and still make all-aboard.8 min readBeaches and snorkelingMedano Beach Cabo: Swimming, Beach Clubs, Getting ThereCabo's calm swimming beach on the bay: when to swim, how to walk there from the marina or cruise tender, and the beach-club strip.6 min read
Yacht chartersCabo Yacht Rental Prices 2026-27: All 13 Yachts by HourEvery private yacht in our Cabo fleet with its 2026-27 price by the hour, what's included, the tip, and what it works out to per person.10 min read
Plan your tripCabo Hotel to Marina Transportation: Prices by ZonePrivate rides from your hotel to the yacht and back, priced per vehicle by zone: from USD 75 one way in cash, or 5% more by card, paid to the driver on the day.9 min read