El Arco and Land’s End Cruise
Sail to Baja's granite finale — the famous stone Arch where the Pacific meets the Sea of Cortez, sea lions barking on the rocks, Lover's Beach landings, and sunset cruises with the Arch in gold.
Baja California Sur (Mexico)
Los Cabos
Los Cabos is the resort tip of the Baja peninsula, a desert coast where the Pacific meets the Sea of Cortez and a granite arch marks the end of the land.
This guide covers the essentials for a first visit: boats to El Arco and Lover's Beach, the swimmable sands of Medano Beach, the colonial art town of San José del Cabo, the calm snorkeling coves of the Tourist Corridor, winter whale watching, scuba and sportfishing, and desert adventures by ATV, camel, horse and zipline. Day trips reach the gallery town of Todos Santos and the living reef of Cabo Pulmo, and there are food tours, a cooking class, a birding estuary, sunset cruises and surf lessons. Alongside the sights you will find hotels from clifftop luxury in Pedregal to boutique stays in San José and value bases by the marina, plus six guides on how the two Cabos and the Corridor fit together, where to stay, what to eat and when to go.
Don't miss
El Arco and Land’s End Cruise
Sail to Baja's granite finale — the famous stone Arch where the Pacific meets the Sea of Cortez, sea lions barking on the rocks, Lover's Beach landings, and sunset cruises with the Arch in gold.
Cabo Pulmo National Park Snorkel Expedition
A full day to the East Cape and the Sea of Cortez's living coral reef, a protected marine park where fish schools, sea turtles and, in season, large predators have rebounded.
Todos Santos Art and Culture Day Trip
A Pacific-coast pueblo of galleries, adobe lanes, palm groves and surf beaches, about an hour from Cabo San Lucas and a world away from the resort corridor.
Whale Watching in Los Cabos
Winter's great Baja spectacle — humpbacks breaching off Land's End and gray whales filling the lagoons, December through April. Zodiac close-ups, breach-guarantee cruises, and whale song on hydrophones.
Things to do in Los Cabos
Hand-picked: every experience here has strong traveler reviews and a verified booking link.
Whale Watching in Los Cabos
Winter's great Baja spectacle — humpbacks breaching off Land's End and gray whales filling the lagoons, December through April. Zodiac close-ups, breach-guarantee cruises, and whale song on hydrophones.
Médano Beach
Cabo's swimmable mile — the bay-protected sand facing the Arch: beach clubs shoulder to shoulder, water taxis and parasails working the blue, Land's End framing every photo, and the one Cabo beach where the ocean welcomes you in.
Half dayDetails →
San José del Cabo Art District
The quiet half of Los Cabos — the colonial plaza town Cabo San Lucas forgot to become: Thursday night's gallery Art Walk, the mission church and adobe lanes, farm-to-table courtyards, and the estuary's birds at the beach's end.
Half dayDetails →
Sunset Catamaran Cruise in Cabo San Lucas
A two-hour sail out of the Cabo San Lucas marina at golden hour, with the granite Arch lit orange, sea lions on the rocks and a drink in hand as the Pacific turns pink.
Snorkeling Cruise to Santa Maria Bay and the Corridor
A half-day boat trip that pairs Cabo San Lucas bay with the protected coves of the Tourist Corridor, where calm water, rocky reefs and tropical fish make the best snorkeling on the cape.
Cabo Pulmo National Park Snorkel Expedition
A full day to the East Cape and the Sea of Cortez's living coral reef, a protected marine park where fish schools, sea turtles and, in season, large predators have rebounded.
Scuba Diving in the Cabo San Lucas Marine Park
Two-tank dives for certified divers around Land's End, with the famous sand falls, rock walls, sea lions and schools of fish where the Pacific meets the Sea of Cortez.
Todos Santos Art and Culture Day Trip
A Pacific-coast pueblo of galleries, adobe lanes, palm groves and surf beaches, about an hour from Cabo San Lucas and a world away from the resort corridor.
ATV and UTV Desert and Beach Tour at Migrino
Guided off-road rides through cactus country and along the Pacific shoreline near Cabo San Lucas, with dunes, dirt tracks, beach stops and often a tequila tasting at the end.
Beach Camel Ride and Tequila Tasting
A slow, funny and surprisingly photogenic ride on camelback along a Baja beach, usually finished with a Mexican snack and a tequila or mezcal tasting.
Horseback Riding on the Beach and Desert
A two-hour guided ride through cactus-lined trails and onto an open Pacific beach, with horses matched to your experience and sunsets that make the extra effort worthwhile.
Where to stay
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal
Pedregal, Cabo San Lucas
Cabo's grand reveal — enter through a private mountain tunnel to clifftop casitas with plunge pools, surf thundering below, and Mexico's most-awarded resort service minutes from the marina.
Check rates →One&Only Palmilla
Palmilla, San Jose del Cabo
Los Cabos royalty — the 1956 original on Palmilla point: one of the cape's rare swimmable hotel beaches, butler-serviced casitas in old-Mexico gardens, and the service legend the peninsula measures itself against.
Check rates →Las Ventanas al Paraiso
Los Cabos Corridor
The windows to paradise — Rosewood's desert-meets-sea fantasia on the corridor: suites with telescopes and tequila trolleys, raised-hand flags for beach service, a dream-butler desk, and service theater at its most delighted.
Check rates →Hilton Los Cabos Beach and Golf Resort
Tourist Corridor, Cabo Real
A big, polished resort on the Tourist Corridor with multiple pools, restaurants and a spa, handy for golfers and families who want everything on site.
Check rates →Montage Los Cabos
Santa Maria Bay, Tourist Corridor
A luxury resort on Santa Maria Bay, one of the few swimmable coves on the Corridor, with casitas, a large spa and a long beach.
Check rates →Marquis Los Cabos
Tourist Corridor, near San José del Cabo
An adults-only, all-inclusive resort on the Corridor, aimed at couples who want dining, pools and a spa without children around.
Check rates →Hotel El Ganzo
Marina area, San José del Cabo
A design-led, art-and-music hotel in San José del Cabo's marina area, with a rooftop pool and a creative atmosphere unlike the big resorts.
Check rates →Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach Golf and Spa Resort
Pacific side, Cabo San Lucas
A large all-inclusive suite resort on the Pacific side of Cabo San Lucas, with big suites, pools, a spa and a golf connection, close to town.
Check rates →Tesoro Los Cabos
Marina, Cabo San Lucas
A value-minded hotel by the Cabo San Lucas marina, close to restaurants, boat departures and nightlife, with pool and rooms suited to an active stay.
Check rates →Los Cabos guides
Los Cabos: Desert, Two Seas and the Two Cabos, a Complete Guide
How Los Cabos actually works: San Lucas energy versus San José calm versus Corridor resorts, which beaches are safe to swim, El Arco boats, whale season and Todos Santos day trips.
Los Cabos in Three Days: A Practical Itinerary
A three-day plan for a first visit that covers the Arch, Medano Beach, a snorkel morning, San José del Cabo and a sunset sail without wasted drives.
Where to Stay in Los Cabos: Cabo San Lucas, the Corridor or San José
Choose your base: marina energy in Cabo San Lucas, resort coves on the Tourist Corridor or the quiet art town of San José del Cabo, with notes on beaches and transport.
Eating and Drinking in Los Cabos: Tacos, Seafood and Farm Dinners
What to eat in Los Cabos: Baja fish tacos, fresh seafood, farm-to-table dinners in San José, tequila and mezcal, and how to eat well without resort prices.
Best Time to Visit Los Cabos: Seasons, Whales and Weather
When to go to Los Cabos: whale season, peak winter weather, hot summers, hurricane risk, fishing seasons and the quiet shoulder months.
Day Trips and Adventures from Los Cabos: Todos Santos, Cabo Pulmo and More
The best excursions from Los Cabos: Todos Santos, Cabo Pulmo, desert ATV and camel rides, ziplines, surfing and bird walks, with tips on choosing and timing.
