Things to do in Cabo San Lucas, starting with the water

The best things to do in Cabo San Lucas happen on the water. The Arch at Land's End is 1.2 miles from the marina, Pelican Rock is a snorkel spot 0.8 miles out, whales show up from November to April, and on the Pacific side the sun drops toward Cabo Falso. On land, the highlights are Médano Beach, the Thursday Art Walk in San José del Cabo and a day trip north to Todos Santos.

We book private boats, so the water comes first on this list. The land section is shorter, and it only includes things we could check.

What are the best things to do in Cabo on the water?

Almost everything people come to Cabo to see sits within a couple of miles of Marina Cabo San Lucas, in downtown. Here are the main ones and how long each takes.

See the Arch from the water

The Arch, El Arco, is a granite arch at the very tip of the Baja peninsula, where the Pacific meets the Sea of Cortez. The best angle is from the water, which is why every boat route passes it.

On the rocks next to it you'll find the sea lion colony. California sea lions haul out there, and captains slow down and idle nearby so you can watch without disturbing them.

Snorkel Pelican Rock

Pelican Rock is a rocky point at the foot of Land's End, inside the bay. The water is calm and clear and reef fish swim close to the surface, so it works for first-timers and kids. It's the first snorkel stop on most charters, a few minutes from the dock.

Snorkel Santa María and Chileno

For the best snorkeling, head up the coast. Santa María Bay is a sheltered horseshoe cove with reef along both points, 6.7 miles from the marina, and one of the favorite snorkel stops in Los Cabos. Chileno Bay is the next cove over, with a sandy bottom and reef on both sides.

Santa María is worth the ride on charters of four hours or more. A 5 to 8 hour day covers both coves with time to snorkel each and lunch at anchor. Our snorkel experience page lists July, October and November as the best months. We go deeper on each spot in the best snorkeling in Cabo.

Lover's Beach and Divorce Beach

Lover's Beach, Playa del Amor, is a strip of sand on the calm bay side of Land's End, and you reach it by boat. Small water taxis, some with glass bottoms, run there from the marina and from Médano Beach. On a private charter your crew can drop you close.

Right behind it, facing the open Pacific, is Divorce Beach. Big surf and a strong undertow make it a place for photos from the boat. Don't swim there.

Whale watching from November to April

Humpback whales come to the waters off Los Cabos in winter to mate and calve, and gray and blue whales sometimes pass through too. The first whales arrive in November, and you can spot them from the boat. Our whale season trips run through April, with January and February as the best months, and a typical trip is 3 hours. Details on timing and what to expect are in our Cabo whale watching season guide.

Sunset cruise

A sunset cruise usually runs 2 hours. One route stays near the Arch for golden hour. The other goes around Land's End to the Pacific side, facing the sun as it drops toward the Cabo Falso lighthouse, the 1905 lighthouse above the dunes at the westernmost point of the cape. That Pacific route is 12 miles round trip.

The best months for a sunset cruise are November through March, plus June. Cabo stays on Mountain Standard Time all year with no daylight saving, so read sunset times in Cabo time, not your home time. Our trip guide has sunset times and weather by month.

Kayak or swim at Médano Beach

Médano Beach is Cabo's swimming beach, the long stretch facing the bay with the beach clubs on it. It's 0.8 miles from the marina, and you can rent kayaks there. Afternoon cruises often come back along it with the town lights coming on behind.

A note on fishing

Cabo is famous for marlin fishing, and sportfishing charters work out of the same marina. Of our yachts, only the McKinna 70 fishes: it runs a private sport-fishing charter to the Golden Gate Bank with the Mexican licenses included. The others are pleasure yachts without fishing permits.

Cabo San Lucas activities for adults

A private yacht carries one group, so you set the plan and the music. These are the most common reasons adults book one:

• A bachelorette party, usually 4 hours
• A birthday or anniversary, usually 3 hours, proposals included
• A trip for just the two of you, sunrise breakfast or sunset
• A corporate or group day, usually 4 hours

We don't sell or serve alcohol on board, but guests 18 and older can bring their own. The exceptions are the Azimut 70, with complimentary drinks and food served by its crew, and the McKinna 70, which adds a chef and a multi-course menu cooked on board. It starts at USD 4,499 (MXN 85,499) per boat for 3 hours.

For bigger groups, the Pontoon 38 takes up to 18 guests and has a water slide from the upper deck.

Unique things to do in Cabo

A few ideas beyond the standard Arch trip:

1. Stay out after dark. Yachts sail until 8 PM, and those leaving from the marina can stay anchored in the bay until 10 PM. Watch the sun go down at the Arch, then eat dinner at anchor with the town lit up across the water.
2. Book a sunrise breakfast for two. Departures start at 7 AM, and the planner menu has chilaquiles, huevos rancheros or banana pancakes (MXN 325 each, cash price).
3. Spend the full day on the corridor. The Santa María and Chileno route is 18.5 miles round trip, with both coves and lunch at anchor.
4. Drive to Cabo Pulmo. It's about two hours by car to Cabo Pulmo National Park, a protected coral reef on the Sea of Cortez that became part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.

What are the best things to do in Cabo at night?

A 2 hour sunset cruise from the marina can stretch into dinner at anchor until 10 PM. The Sea Ray 65 is the exception: it meets you at Fisherman's Landing restaurant, by the Cabo Escape terminal, which closes at 8 PM, so it has to be back by then.

Back on land, the restaurants and bars cluster around the marina and downtown, a short walk from the docks.

If you're in town on a Thursday between November and June, San José del Cabo holds its Art Walk from 5 to 9 PM. Galleries in the historic center open their doors, and the street fills with people. San José is about 20 miles from Cabo San Lucas along the tourist corridor, roughly a 30 minute drive.

Things to do in Cabo on land

We keep this part short because we work on the water, but these are worth your time:

• Walk Marina Cabo San Lucas. The marina is in downtown, with water taxis to Lover's Beach waiting along the docks.
• Spend a day in Todos Santos. It's a Pueblo Mágico about 48 miles north, roughly an hour's drive up Highway 19 along the Pacific, with galleries and cobblestone streets.
• See San José del Cabo. The town at the other end of the corridor has its own historic center and hosts the Thursday Art Walk.

Things to do in Cabo with kids or on a cruise stop

Families do well on a short, calm route. Our family day page covers yachts with shade and room to move, on a typical 3 hour trip. Tell us the kids' ages when you book so the crew brings the right life jackets.

If you're only in port for the day, the cruise port day is built around your all-aboard time, and 2 hours covers the Arch, the sea lions and Lover's Beach.

Here are the places from this guide on a map.

When is the best time for these activities?

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 from September to mid-October. If your date is affected, you get a new date or a full refund.

For a day-by-day plan that fits all of this together, see our Cabo itinerary for 3, 4 or 5 days.

How much does a boat day cost?

Prices are per boat, not per person, with the 16% IVA tax included. The customary 15% crew tip is not included.

All twelve yachts are side by side on the fleet comparison, with guest limits, hours and what's included.

Picking your boat day

Start with what you want to see. The experiences page groups trips by occasion, and the places page shows every stop with its distance from the marina. When you know the day and the group size, the planner lets you choose a yacht, the hours and food from the menu, and we reply within 2 hours, 8 AM to 8 PM Cabo time.

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 hPontoon 38Double-deck party pontoon · up to 18 guestsfrom $869 / 2 hSea Ray 65Express motor yacht · up to 12 guestsfrom $2,509 / 3 h

Questions people ask

What is the number one thing to do in Cabo San Lucas?

Seeing the Arch at Land's End from the water. It sits 1.2 miles (1.9 km) from Marina Cabo San Lucas, and a 2 hour boat route also passes Pelican Rock, the sea lions and Lover's Beach.

When can you see whales in Cabo San Lucas?

Whales start arriving in November and stay through April, and January and February are the best months for a whale watching trip. Humpback whales are the ones you see most often.

What is there to do in Cabo at night?

Yachts leaving from the marina can stay anchored in the bay until 10 PM, so a sunset cruise can turn into dinner on the water. On land, downtown around the marina is where the restaurants and bars are, and San José del Cabo holds an Art Walk on Thursday evenings from November to June.

Can you swim at every beach in Cabo San Lucas?

No. Médano Beach and Lover's Beach face the calm bay and are the swimming beaches, while Divorce Beach faces the open Pacific with big surf and a strong undertow.

How much does a private boat cost in Cabo San Lucas?

Private charters start at USD 519 (MXN 9,799) per boat for 2 hours on the Chaparral 28, for up to 10 guests. Prices are per boat with 16% tax included; the 15% crew tip is not included.

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