Where to stay in Los Cabos: the five hotel zones, their beaches and how far each is from the marina
San José, the Corridor, Cabo San Lucas, Pedregal and Diamante: what each zone is like, its beaches and its distance to the yachts.
In this guide
Los Cabos has five hotel zones, and the right one depends on how you want to spend the trip. Cabo San Lucas, around the marina and Médano Beach, is the place to walk to restaurants, the boats and a swimmable beach. The Tourist Corridor has the big resorts and a few calm coves, 14 to 29 minutes from the marina without traffic. San José del Cabo is quieter and 29 to 32 minutes away, while Pedregal and Diamante face the open Pacific.
Every yacht leaves from Marina Cabo San Lucas, so the zone also sets your drive on a boat day. Below, each zone has its character, its beaches, the distance to the marina and a few hotels with their own guides. All 40 are on the hotels page.
The five zones at a glance
| Zone | Character | To the marina, no traffic |
|---|---|---|
| Cabo San Lucas and Médano | Town, marina, swimmable bay beach | Walk to 9 min |
| Pedregal and Pacific side | Hillside and Pacific beaches, sunsets | 3 to 9 min |
| Diamante | Gated community on the Pacific | About 18 min |
| Tourist Corridor | Large resorts, golf, coves | 14 to 29 min |
| San José del Cabo | Old town, hotel zone, near the airport | 29 to 32 min |
Cabo San Lucas and Médano Beach
This is the town at the tip of the peninsula: downtown, the marina and the long beach facing the bay. Médano is Cabo's swimming beach, on the calm side, and several hotels on it describe it as swimmable and Blue Flag certified. From here the Arch is 1.9 km away by water.
Hotels in this zone are steps away from the marina or a few minutes by car. Breathless Cabo San Lucas and Tesoro Los Cabos are steps from the marina. On Médano, Casa Dorada is 0.7 km away in a straight line and Pueblo Bonito Rosé 1.1 km. The three Riu resorts, including the family Riu Santa Fe with its water park, sit 2.1 to 2.5 km east along the same beach.
Land's End belongs here too. Grand Solmar Land's End and Solmar Resort face the Pacific just past the marina, 0.7 to 0.8 km away in a straight line, on a beach meant for walks and sunsets rather than swimming.
Who it suits: first-timers, groups who want nightlife and restaurants on foot, and anyone planning more than one day on the water. Our list of hotels within walking distance of the marina goes hotel by hotel.
Pedregal and the Pacific side
Cross the hills west of downtown and you're on the Pacific. Pedregal is a hillside neighborhood; past it, the Quivira development holds two Pueblo Bonito resorts and a Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course on the cliffs. The coast here faces west, so the sunsets are the draw.
The sea is the trade-off. Pueblo Bonito Pacifica, adults only, and the family resort Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach both say in their own FAQs that guests can't swim in the ocean because of strong currents. Guests use the pools and go to Médano for the sea.
Distances are short. The Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal, reached through the 300-meter Dos Mares tunnel, is 0.6 km from the marina in a straight line and about 3 minutes by car. The Pueblo Bonito resorts are 2.3 and 3.0 km away, about 9 minutes.
Who it suits: couples and golfers who want quiet and a sunset view but still want to be close to town and the boats.
Diamante
Diamante is a 1,500-acre gated community farther up the Pacific coast, the farthest zone from town in the west. Two resorts are on our list. Hard Rock Hotel Los Cabos is a 639-room all-inclusive with a kids club and nearly a kilometer of beach; Nobu Hotel Los Cabos has 200 rooms, all with ocean views.
Both warn guests about the ocean. Hard Rock's official site says it isn't safe to swim because of strong currents, and Nobu's FAQ mentions currents and drop-offs. You swim in the pools and walk the beach.
To the marina: 7.3 and 7.6 km in a straight line, about 18 minutes without traffic. Pickup from Diamante is the priciest of the five zones (see below).
Who it suits: guests who want a self-contained resort with golf and don't mind a drive into town.
The Tourist Corridor
The corridor is the highway and coastline between Cabo San Lucas and San José, with most of the large resorts and golf courses of Los Cabos. Some resorts sit on calm coves. Montage Los Cabos wraps around Santa María Bay, a Blue Flag horseshoe of sand. Hilton Los Cabos faces Playa El Bledito, which Forbes Travel Guide calls swimmable. Next to One&Only Palmilla, Playa Palmilla has Blue Flag status.
Others don't have swimmable water out front. Grand Velas Los Cabos faces a rocky beach, and Garza Blanca sends its guests to Santa María or Chileno for a swim.
Distance varies a lot. Esperanza, at Punta Ballena, is 6.1 km from the marina in a straight line and about 14 minutes by car. Palmilla, at the San José end, is 24.2 km and about 29 minutes. Most corridor resorts fall in between, around 21 to 24 minutes.
Who it suits: families and couples who want a full resort, golf, spa and space, and are happy to drive for dinners in town.
San José del Cabo
San José is the older, quieter town, with a historic center and a hotel zone on the beach. Hotels here include Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos, Viceroy Los Cabos and the family all-inclusive Royal Solaris Los Cabos. It is also the zone closest to the airport.
The beaches here are open sea. Royal Solaris tells guests its beach isn't swimmable because of strong currents, and in April 2026 Zofemat raised red flags and banned swimming at San José beaches such as Costa Azul and Las Palmas. Check the flag before you go in.
Across the estuary to the east is Puerto Los Cabos, home of JW Marriott Los Cabos. It is the farthest hotel from the marina on our list: 33 km in a straight line, about 41 minutes without traffic. The San José hotel zone itself is 27.6 to 28.7 km and 29 to 32 minutes.
Who it suits: travelers who want a calmer town, art galleries and a short airport ride. Our Cabo San Lucas vs San José del Cabo guide compares the two towns in more depth.
What a yacht day looks like from each zone
All charters leave from Marina Cabo San Lucas between 7 AM and 7 PM. The farther your zone, the more a longer charter pays off, since the drive is the same for 2 hours on the water or 4.
We can send a driver to your hotel and back. The driver charges per vehicle by zone, separately from the yacht, and you pay on the day: the cash price, or 5% more by card on the driver's terminal:
| Zone | SUV, up to 4, one way | SUV, round trip |
|---|---|---|
| 1: San José del Cabo | USD 75 cash · 79 card | USD 160 cash · 168 card |
| 2: Palmilla to Fiesta Americana | USD 85 cash · 90 card | USD 160 cash · 168 card |
| 3: Cabo San Lucas, Hacienda Encantada, Puerto Los Cabos | USD 95 cash · 100 card | USD 160 cash · 168 card |
| 4: Pedregal and Pacific side | USD 100 cash · 105 card | USD 160 cash · 168 card |
| Diamante | USD 120 cash · 126 card | USD 170 cash · 179 card |
Vans, an Escalade and a Sprinter for bigger groups are on the transportation page.
Two charters that work from anywhere: a 2-hour run to the Arch on the Sea Ray 36 for up to 12 guests, USD 659 (MXN 12,599), or 4 hours with a snorkel stop on the Sea Ray 40, USD 1,499 (MXN 28,499). Prices are per boat with 16% IVA tax included; a 15% crew tip is suggested and not included.
Choosing your zone, then your boat
If the boats are a big part of the trip, Cabo San Lucas or Pedregal keeps the drive under 10 minutes. If you want the resort life, the corridor gives you calm coves at some hotels and a 14 to 29 minute ride to the marina. Look up your hotel's exact numbers in our distance table, then pick a yacht and date in the planner.
Yachts in this guide
Questions people ask
What is the best area to stay in Cabo?
For walking to restaurants, the marina and a swimmable beach, Cabo San Lucas around the marina and Médano Beach. For a quieter resort stay between the two towns, the Tourist Corridor, which is 14 to 29 minutes from the marina without traffic.
Is it better to stay in Cabo San Lucas or San José del Cabo?
Cabo San Lucas puts you next to the marina, Médano Beach and the boats. San José del Cabo is calmer and closer to the airport, but its hotel zone is 29 to 32 minutes from the marina without traffic.
Which Los Cabos zone has swimmable beaches?
Médano Beach in Cabo San Lucas, and a few corridor coves such as Santa María and Palmilla, which carry Blue Flag status. Hotels on the Pacific side and in Diamante tell guests not to swim in the ocean because of strong currents.
How far is Diamante from Cabo San Lucas marina?
Hard Rock Hotel Los Cabos and Nobu Hotel Los Cabos are 7.3 and 7.6 km from the marina in a straight line, about 18 minutes by car 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.
Keep reading
Plan your tripHow Far Is My Hotel From Cabo Marina? 40 ResortsStraight-line distance and drive time without traffic from 40 Los Cabos hotels to the marina where the yachts board.8 min read
Plan your tripCabo San Lucas vs San José del Cabo: Where to StayLos Cabos is two towns joined by a corridor of resorts. How they differ, and how where you stay changes the trip to the boat.7 min read
Beaches and snorkelingCabo Resorts With a Swimmable Beach: Hotel by HotelWhich Los Cabos hotels have a beach you can swim at, according to the hotels themselves, and where to swim when yours is too rough.7 min read