Medano Beach hotels: what sets each one apart and how far it is from the marina

Eight large hotels sit on or right next to Médano Beach, the swimming beach of Cabo San Lucas: Breathless, Corazón Cabo, Casa Dorada, ME Cabo, Pueblo Bonito Rosé, Riu Palace Baja California, Riu Santa Fe and Riu Palace Cabo San Lucas. They are the closest resorts to the marina. Breathless is steps from the docks, and the farthest one, Riu Palace Cabo San Lucas, is about 2.5 km away in a straight line, around 7 minutes by car without traffic.

Below is what sets each one apart, with figures taken from each hotel's own page or from the press releases it published. We are an independent yacht charter agency with no ties to any of these hotels.

Medano Beach hotels at a glance

Distances are to the nearest boarding dock in Marina Cabo San Lucas, in a straight line, with the drive time without traffic. At rush hour every drive takes longer.

For the beach itself (where to swim, the flags, what to bring), read our Médano Beach guide. For every hotel in Los Cabos, with its zone and distance, see the hotels hub.

Breathless Cabo San Lucas: the one at the marina

Breathless is the hotel you can walk from to your yacht. It sits on Paseo de la Marina, at the marina end of Médano, next to the boarding docks. It opened at the end of 2015 as the first Breathless resort in Mexico, with an opening ceremony on November 19, 2015, and the brand now belongs to Hyatt's Inclusive Collection.

It has 169 suites, and every one has a private terrace looking at either the sea or the marina. At opening the program listed four à la carte restaurants plus a buffet, a café and a grill, and DJ music day and night. It is adults only and all-inclusive.

Corazón Cabo: the old Cabo Villas, rebuilt

Corazón Cabo was known as Cabo Villas Beach Resort & Spa until 2022. Noble House Hotels & Resorts presented it under the new name on February 1, 2022, its first hotel in Mexico, after a renovation valued at 100 million dollars.

The centerpiece is a nine-story tower designed by Mexican architect Arnoldo Rábago, with Rooftop 360 on top, which the hotel bills as the highest rooftop bar in Cabo San Lucas. Baja Brewing Co. runs a microbrewery inside the property. It is about 0.6 km from the marina in a straight line, around 2 minutes by car.

Casa Dorada: suites, a salt water spa and dogs welcome

Casa Dorada Los Cabos opened in early 2008 on Avenida del Pescador and lists 181 suites. When it opened it had 13 penthouse suites facing Land's End, the largest at 4,500 square feet. Its spa was planned around salt water and still goes by SaltwaterSpa.

Two details matter to families: the hotel has a playground, and it is pet friendly, so you can bring your dog to Médano. Casa Dorada describes its stretch of beach as swimmable and Blue Flag, with the Arch across the bay. Downtown is about a five-minute walk, and the marina about 0.7 km in a straight line.

ME Cabo: the design hotel facing the Arch

ME Cabo was the Meliá Cabo San Lucas until February 2007, when it was relaunched as the third hotel of the ME by Meliá line. It reopened in 2016 after a 16 million dollar renovation and again in October 2021 after a 10 million dollar one, when all 170 rooms were remodeled and Confessions Skybar opened on the roof.

Paintings and sculptures by Mexican artist Yuri Zatarain have been part of the hotel since 2007. Meliá lists it on its adults only hotels in Los Cabos page. It is about 0.8 km from the marina in a straight line.

Pueblo Bonito Rosé: the pink one

Pueblo Bonito Rosé opened in 1997 next to Pueblo Bonito's first Los Cabos hotel, which picked up the nickname "Blanco" for its white walls once the rose-colored one went up. The Rosé leans into a Greco-Roman look, with marble busts and a large statue of Neptune.

It has 260 suites. Junior suites are over 540 square feet and luxury suites over 715 square feet with a separate bedroom. The single large pool with a swim-up bar faces the rocks of Land's End. Pueblo Bonito calls Médano one of the best swimmable beaches in Los Cabos. The marina is about 1.1 km away in a straight line, around 4 minutes by car.

The three RIU hotels at the east end

RIU owns the eastern stretch of the beach along the Camino Viejo a San José. The three hotels share a section of sand and some facilities, but each targets a different guest.

Riu Palace Cabo San Lucas

Riu Palace Cabo San Lucas was the first RIU hotel in the city, opened in 2004. A 23 million dollar renovation in 2016 added 44 junior suites with private pools and brought the total to 692 rooms. It runs as a 24-hour all-inclusive and is marketed to families. Its guests can use the Splash Water World water park at the Riu Santa Fe next door. It is about 2.5 km from the marina in a straight line, around 7 minutes by car.

Riu Santa Fe

Riu Santa Fe opened in 2007 and is the largest of the three, with 1,288 rooms laid out like a Mexican village around a central plaza. The 2018 expansion added 288 rooms and the Splash Water World water park. It is about 2.4 km from the marina, around 8 minutes by car.

Riu Palace Baja California

Riu Palace Baja California opened in December 2018 as RIU's 20th hotel in Mexico and its first adults-only hotel in Los Cabos. RIU raised the restaurants and daytime bars to seafront level so guests see the ocean while they eat. It has 602 rooms and sits about 2.1 km from the marina in a straight line, around 9 minutes by car.

A note on swimming at this end: RIU's own pages for Riu Santa Fe and Riu Palace Baja California say the designated swimming areas are about 2 km from the hotels. The calmer, busier swimming stretch is toward the marina.

Water taxi or private yacht: how to get to the Arch from Médano

Every Médano hotel looks across the bay at Land's End, and almost every guest wants to get out there. You have two ways to do it by boat.

Water taxis leave from the beach and cross the bay to Lover's Beach. They suit a couple who wants a drop on the sand and a ride back later.

On a private yacht the boat is only for your group, the captain sets the pace, and you decide the stops and how long you stay at each one. Our usual 2 hour route covers Pelican Rock for snorkeling, the sea lions on the rocks, the Arch, Lover's Beach and Divorce Beach, then comes back along Médano with the hotels in front of you. See our guide to the Arch for what you see on the way.

Prices are per boat, not per person, with 16% IVA included. A 15% crew tip is suggested and not included. The CONANP conservation fee for the Arch area is already in the price, and no yacht charges a dock fee.

Getting from your Médano hotel to the boat

The yacht does not come to the hotel beach. Each yacht boards at its own dock in Marina Cabo San Lucas; your exact dock and a map link come on your boarding pass. From Breathless you walk. From Corazón, Casa Dorada and ME Cabo it is a short walk or a 2 minute ride. From the RIU hotels most people take a car.

If you would rather not deal with taxis, we can book a private transfer from your hotel to the marina and back. All the Médano hotels are in Zone 3 of our transportation rates:

The driver collects the fare, separate from the yacht payment: the cash price, or 5% more by card on the driver's terminal.

Which outing fits each hotel

Guests at the adults-only hotels (Breathless, ME Cabo, Riu Palace Baja California) tend to book the sunset cruise: 2 hours at golden hour by the Arch, back in time for dinner. Families at the RIU hotels, Casa Dorada and Pueblo Bonito Rosé usually choose a 3 hour family day with a swim stop and snorkeling at Pelican Rock. Bigger groups often take the Pontoon 38, which carries up to 18 people and has a water slide from the upper deck.

Departures run from 7 AM to 7 PM. Pick the date, the yacht and any extras in the planner, and we reply within 2 hours between 8 AM and 8 PM Cabo time.

Yachts in this guide

Chaparral 28Sport boat · up to 10 guestsfrom $519 / 2 hBayliner 30Cabin cruiser · up to 6 guestsfrom $549 / 2 hSea Ray 40Flybridge yacht · up to 12 guestsfrom $879 / 2 hPontoon 38Double-deck party pontoon · up to 18 guestsfrom $869 / 2 h

Questions people ask

Which Medano Beach hotel is closest to the marina?

Breathless Cabo San Lucas is steps from the marina, next to the boarding docks. Corazón Cabo is about 0.6 km away in a straight line and Casa Dorada about 0.7 km, both around 2 minutes by car without traffic.

Can you swim at Medano Beach?

Yes, Médano is the swimming beach of Cabo San Lucas, on the calm bay side. RIU says the designated swimming areas are about 2 km from its hotels on the east end, so swim near the marina end and inside marked areas.

Are any Medano Beach hotels adults only?

Yes. Breathless Cabo San Lucas, Riu Palace Baja California and ME Cabo are adults only. Riu Palace Cabo San Lucas, Riu Santa Fe, Corazón, Casa Dorada and Pueblo Bonito Rosé take families.

Can a yacht pick me up on Medano Beach?

No. Every charter boards at its own dock in Marina Cabo San Lucas; your exact dock and a map link come on your boarding pass. From most Médano hotels the drive is 2 to 9 minutes without traffic.

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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