Real Deal Team’s Picks for Top Things to do in Los Cabos & Baja California Sur
Cabo San Lucas is one of the top weekend getaways from the US & Canada courtesy of direct flights to SJO from many of the major airports. There are over 25 cities in the US with direct flights to Cabo, and Westjet and Air Canada also offer direct flights from the hubs in Montreal, Kelowna, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver during the chilly winter months. For us here in Mexico, it is a great escape all year long.
Four-day weekends are very popular in Los Cabos and you can find some great all-inclusive package deals. There are also some great weekend cruises that depart LA or San Diego that visit Cabo for a day and head back. So, with such a short amount of time, it is important to choose the right activities in Cabo to make the most of your trip. With nearly 20 years in the biz, our team has come up with a list of their favorites, and our clients’ favorites over the years. So, we hope this list (in no particular order) helps inspire your next vacation to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
Take A Sunset Cruise for the Best Photo Ops of Cabo’s Famous Arches
When you think of Cabo San Lucas, the image that pops up in your head is most likely the iconic arches at Land’s End. Just about any boat tour can take you past Cabos’ most famous landmark, but there is nothing quite like the sun going down over the Pacific just behind the arches. The colors are spectacular and create amazing photo memories of your vacation in Cabo.
There are a ton of different sunset tours in Cabo San Lucas to choose from, and they are all great. You just need to decide which boat fits your travel style best. One of our top picks is the Jazz & Wine Sunset Catamaran cruise which combines some yummy appetizers with wines and other spirits on a nice wide and stable sailing catamaran.
If you want to stay out a bit longer and include a delicious dinner, the Cabo Escape Sunset Cruise is one of our top selling sunset tours that people come back and book year after year. Or if you prefer a quiet more intimate experience, we highly recommend chartering your own private sailing excursion at sunset.
And if you are between the ages of 18 and 28, or you just want to relive Spring Break, there is nothing that says Cabo more than the Original Jungle Booze Cruise. This all time favorite books out fast, so if you are coming during peak season we highly recommend you book your Cabo booze cruise well in advance.
Sadly, if you are coming on a cruise ship, most itineraries do not allow time for a sunset cruise. However, lucky you will be anchored right in front of the arches all day. So you will have plenty of great photo opportunities right from your ship!
Check Out Baja’s Pueblos Magicos on a Day Trip from Los Cabos
If you really want to explore the best of Baja, we suggest taking a day trip from Cabo San Lucas to Todos Santos & La Paz. Of course Todos Santos is a popular stop due to the famous Hotel California, but this artist community is truly magical in so many other ways. To learn the most about this Pueblo Magico, we recommend the 6 hour day trip from Los Cabos to Todos Santos The other famous Pueblo Magico in the Baja is the beautiful fishing village of La Paz, Baja California. The La Paz Baja Adventure is one of our best-selling sightseeing tours in Cabo and even includes a visit to Todos Santos on the way back.
And if you have time and want to squeeze in one of the best beaches in Baja while you are up that way, this amazing Santa Cruz Bay combo includes a visit to the La Paz boardwalk & shopping, a boat trip to Balandra Bay & lunch on Tecolote Beach. Balandra rock formation is one of the most stunning natural wonders in the Baja. This is provider takes you there by boat from La Paz rather than on the highway which can be crowded. You will also stop in Todos Santos on the way back. And if you have the chance, the margaritas there at the hotel are exceptional.
These day trips are a bit long if you are coming on a cruise ship looking for a shore excursion in Cabo. If you are coming on a cruise ship, we highly recommend the Los Cabos Small Group Experience as a great intro to Cabo San Lucas. Cabo San Lucas may not be a magic town, but it can certainly be magical. Especially if you had enough Tequila of course!
Drive an ATV or UTV in Baja Mil Terrain
As a person that owns an ATV, and has driven ATVs all over the Americas in all kinds of terrain, I can honestly say that the terrain and the scenery for ATV tours is best in the Baja. You will find a nice mix of trails carved out into the dunes and wide-open beach to go as fast as you can. And the photos you can get are just so classic Cabo, it is almost as if riding and ATV is a requisite part of visiting the Baja. Who are we to argue?
Our most popular ATV tour in Cabo is a short sweet ATV or UTV ride on Migriño Beach on the Pacific side of the Baja Peninsula. Two hours may sound like a short ATV tour, but trust us here. If you are not used to the desert sun & wind, then that is a good fair amount of time in the elements. But if you want a bit more of a ride, you can combine Migrino with a visit to a cool little desert town of La Candelaria. As a bonus, if you book the 4pm tour, you will be able to catch the spectacular Pacific sunset from the beach! Or heck, if you want to avoid the sun altogether, you can join the Moon RZRS offroad tour that starts right as the sun sets.
This is also the perfect ATV shore excursion in Cabo since it can operate every couple of hours so it works great with any cruise ship itinerary. And if you are traveling with your family, the UTV RZR tour to Migrino Beach is the perfect family day in the Baja.
Heading up the other side of the Baja, you can explore a bit more on a 3 hour ATV tour or UTV Tour in the East Cape. You still have a lot of amazing beach riding, but the beach is on the Sea of Cortez rather than the Pacific Ocean. Here you can visit another small village called El Encanto. And for something extraordinarily different, the Los Cabos Canyon Bridge UTV tour at the Wild Canyon Adventure park takes you across one of the largest and highest suspension bridges in the Americas!
Best of all, the ATV operators in Cabo know you are looking for speed. Many have the option to upgrade to a more powerful ATV or book a private tour so you can really fly through the dunes without following the regular group tours!
Spend a Day on Medano Beach
Medano Beach is the public beach in Cabo San Lucas adjacent to the Marina, across from the arches, and home to the favorite beach restaurants with live entertainment and just an all around good fun vibe. If you are coming in on a cruise ship to Cabo San Lucas, Medano is the beach right in front of you. You can actually walk there from where you tender in about 15 minutes. But be aware, there is not much shade so it can be HOT!! I would consider taking a water taxi to the beach or to the other side of the marina at least.
Of course, if you are staying at one of the beautiful resort hotels in Cabo, you are probably already on a beautiful beach. But it is most likely not as fun and full of things to do like Medano Beach. And for many places on the coast, the currents are a bit strong. So, going for a swim can be a mildly challenging and not so much recommended after a margarita or two. Medano Beach has roped off safe areas to swim and cool off from the desert sun while just bobbing in the small waves.
If you want to spend a few hours eating and drinking on the beach, Mango Deck is a popular fun place for constant participant entertainment. This is what peeps come to Cabo for in the first place based on our experience anyhow. Another plus, if are on a work trip and not staying in an all-inclusive, you can visit “The Office” on Medano Beach. What a great way to appease your team back in the actual office and assure them that working on a laptop on the beach is equally as productive? I mean, we are not condoning white lies, we are just saying it is an easier way to tell the truth…ish.
Of course, the battle of the infinity pools in Cabo is real, so we get if you never want to leave your resort either. But most resorts do not offer the best watersports activities right in front of the arches. Medano offers Jet Ski rentals so you can play around in the waves and boat wakes.
Or for those a bit more adventurous, there is Parasailing Medano Beach where you can get the best views of the famous arches, the marina, and the Los Cabos Landscape from the vantage point of 330’ up. And parasailing is safe for everyone. My grandmother did it sometime over 70 and loved it (a very lovely and polite woman from Oklahoma who I am pretty sure was kidnapped by her nephew to do so). Sadly, I do not have photos of it as my grandmother has passed away. I only remember her recounting the story at the family gatherings and having tears in my eyes laughing over her recount of screaming and hooting and having the time of her life while hollering “oh Lordy” over and over again. My grandmother parasailed before I did. I was in my 20’s at that time, should I be ashamed?
Deep Sea Fishing – The Real Reason Your Husband Chose Cabo San Lucas For Vacation
You can find world-class fishing in Mexico in just about any port town on the Pacific. But the sport fishing in Cabo San Lucas is ranked among the best in the world. Just visit Cabo San Lucas in October during the famous Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore or the Black & Blue tournaments. You will see sports fishers from all over the world gathered to spend a week trying to take the big prize. The energy is absolutely amazing and can get just about anyone excited about fishing.
One of the reasons the fishing in Cabo is so incredible is that you can reach deep sea just a short distance off-shore . That means you do not have to spend hours trolling to get to the best location for the big game such as Marlin like you have to in both Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta. Los Cabos is also perfect for fly-fishing for heavy fighters such as rooster fish and wahoo. Juan La Mosca is the OG of Fly Fishing Los Cabos. So, a day out with him is guaranteed to be an amazing experience.
One of our fan favorite fishing boats is actually a Super Panga. The captain is a very experienced fisherman with great luck, and is also fun to just hang out with. Customers come back year after year to go fishing on this boat. We also work with a fleet of economical sport fishing charters that are affordable for most families. But if you are coming to Cabo and want to fish with the best, we recommend one of the luxury sport fishing yachts. And as Cabo is also one of the top destinations for both sport fishing AND bachelor parties, this beautiful 72’ Bluewater is our top pick for both.
Snorkeling Los Cabos Top Snorkeling Spots
You cannot visit Los Cabos and not go snorkeling. There is no shortage of amazing snorkeling spots within just minutes of the marina right there in the Sea of Cortez. Even those that are maybe afraid to get in the water can still enjoy the abundance of colorful marine life from the comfort of a glass bottom boat. But if you head up the corridor a bit, you can find some of the most popular snorkeling destinations of Santa Maria Cove and Chileno Bay. Several of the daytime boat tours can take you to one of both of those snorkeling destinations. But if you are serious about just getting the most snorkeling time in, we recommend the Corridor Snorkeling trip with a local dive shop.
Another favorite way to get in some snorkeling while having a bit more fun is paddling your way to the top snorkeling destination on a kayak. There are 2 great options that are top sellers. Paddle to the arches and snorkel the local spots right there off the Marina on a glass bottom kayak. Or paddle your way to both Santa Maria & Chileno Bay on a Two Bay Kayak Tour. The first one is popular with cruise ship passengers because it departs right there where the cruise ship tenders. The second one is more popular with hotel guests. But both get great reviews from our clients.
However, the very best snorkeling in Los Cabos is in Cabo Pulmo up the East Cape. It takes 2.5 hours to get to Cabo Pulmo National Park from Cabo San Lucas, but the snorkeling is well worth the drive. It is like snorkeling in a natural aquarium basically, and one of only 3 coral reefs in North America. It is a protected marine park, but as of 2005 it is a UNESCO World Heritage site too. See….we told you it was pretty darn special. Of course, this is one of the top dive sites in Cabo too. Snorkeling or diving Cabo Pulmo should top your bucket list of things to do in Cabo.
Unique Cabo Snorkeling Experiences with Marine Life in their Natural Habitat in La Paz
For the ultimate Baja snorkeling experience, you will need to venture up to La Paz where you can find sea lions on a day trip to Espiritu Santo, and even snorkel with Whale Sharks if you are lucky enough to visit between October and December. Seriously, if you have the chance, please escape Cabo for a day and experience the heart of the Baja by heading North. Here you will discover why people fall in love with the Baja and never leave.
Espiritu Santo has been a longtime staple of the most amazing day trips from Los Cabos. It is a full day, but worth every moment. The secluded beaches, amazing rock formations, crystal clear water, and abundance of marine life is the big draw of course. But for me, the sea lions were the highlight. And if you have never swum with sea lions before, they are pretty darn big, curious, and maybe a bit menacing. Snorkeling and swimming in their territory is a bit of a rush in general. But they are kind and majestic in the end…or at least that is what I keep telling myself.
The other more graceful and majestic marine life you can find in the Baja California Sur are the whale sharks migrating between October and May. Not to worry, whale sharks eat plankton, not people. They are fascinating giants that are not afraid of us and are actually curious enough to get close too. You can book a day trip to snorkel with whale sharks from Cabo or drive there and meet in La Paz. Swimming and snorkeling with whale sharks is an adventure of a lifetime. To learn more about these amazing creatures, take a look at our previous blog about whale sharks in Mexico.
Whale Watching in Cabo San Lucas – A High Season Highlight
How freaking amazing is it to share the same space with marine mammals that are as humongous as the humpback whales that grace the coast of Cabo San Lucas!
We get the good fortune of them coming back year after year right off our coast. If you are lucky enough to visit Cabo San Lucas between December and March, you really should join a whale watching excursion. We promise it will be the highlight of your Cabo vacation.
Naturally, whale watching is also on our list of top things to do in Cabo San Lucas. Because the whales can be found literally just off the coast of Los Cabos, from pangas to pirate ships, just about any boat can take you out to spot the whales. Our 2 most popular whale watching excursions in Cabo are on very different vessels. For the adventurers just wanting to get out and see whales, the whale watching express on the Apex boats are perfect. But the real crowd favorite year after year is the Cabo Escape Whale Watching tour done on their double decker catamaran. I mean, it’s hard to beat bloody Mary’s & mimosas breakfast with whales breaching in the background.
Spend a Day at Wild Canyon Adventure Park
Last, but most definitely not least on our list of top things to do in Cabo San Lucas is to spend a day at the Wild Canyon Adventure Park. If you are short on time, they offer single activity options such as ziplines, ATV or UTV tours over a giant suspension bridge over the canyon, horseback riding or even riding camels!
But the best deal in town is the full day adventure park pass that gives you access to the regular tours, and time to spend the day at the water park, explore the wildlife rescue, mountain bike, and access to participate in all the extra activities they offer there.
You do not have to be exceptionally adventurous to enjoy a day at the park either. You can mix and match activities however you like. So, the whole family can spend the day having fun on the adventures (or not so adventure) of their choice. And the day pass is less than 50% off booking all the activities separate. This is by far one of the best deals in Cabo! So be sure to save one day of vacation to explore Wild Canyon Adventure Park.
Believe it or not, this is our short list of all the top things to do in Los Cabos. There are so many other things to do and see in the Baja, but we did not want this highlights list to turn into a novel. So we will leave it here for now. If you have anything that you think we missed, please add it in the comments to share with others.
Of course, if you need help choosing, let us know and we will be happy to help.
Enjoy Exploring the Beautiful Baja!!