Editorial
Los Cabos travel guides
12 practical guides to Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, Mexico, covering when to go, where to stay, water safety, airport transfers, tipping, money, car rental and packing. Each one opens with a direct answer and carries real numbers.
Planning
When is the best time to visit Los Cabos?
November and April are the best months to visit Los Cabos: hurricane season is closed, days run 86°F, the sea is still warm, and rates sit below the December-to-March peak. February is the best month for whales, September is the one month to avoid, and March means spring break in Cabo San Lucas.
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Planning
Where should you stay in Los Cabos?
Stay in Cabo San Lucas if you want nightlife, boats and walkability; San José del Cabo if you want food, galleries and quiet; and the Tourist Corridor if a swimmable beach matters most. The three are within 45 minutes of each other, and the choice changes your trip more than the hotel does.
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Practical
Is Los Cabos safe for tourists?
Los Cabos is one of the safer destinations in Mexico for visitors, and the realistic risks are not violent crime but water, sun, road conditions and timeshare pressure selling. Check your government's current travel advisory before you book, use authorised taxis or pre-booked transfers, and never swim on a Pacific-facing beach.
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Practical
How do you get from Los Cabos airport to your hotel?
A private transfer from Los Cabos International Airport (SJD) costs $35–$60 to San José del Cabo and $75–$120 to Cabo San Lucas, and takes 15 and 45 minutes respectively. Pre-book it. The arrivals hall is full of timeshare sellers dressed as transport staff, and the single best piece of advice is to decline everyone and walk straight outside.
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Practical
How much should you tip in Los Cabos?
Tip 15–20% in restaurants, $2–$5 per bag for porters, 10–15% for taxi drivers, and 15–20% of the tour price for guides and boat crew. Check the bill first: many Los Cabos restaurants add a propina of 10–15% automatically, and paying it twice is the most common tipping mistake visitors make.
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Safety
Which beaches in Los Cabos are safe to swim?
Chileno Bay, Santa María Cove, Palmilla and Medano Beach are the reliably swimmable beaches in Los Cabos, all on the Sea of Cortez side. Pacific-facing beaches — including the Pacific side of Lover's Beach, known as Divorce Beach — have heavy shore break, strong rip currents and no lifeguards, and should not be entered.
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Planning
Is an all-inclusive worth it in Los Cabos?
An all-inclusive in Los Cabos makes financial sense at roughly $180–$220 per person per day of food and drink — which most couples do not reach unless they drink steadily. If you intend to eat in San José del Cabo, take boat trips, or leave the property most days, a boutique or European-plan hotel is almost always cheaper and better.
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Planning
What should you pack for Los Cabos?
Pack reef-safe sunscreen, a long-sleeve sun shirt, closed shoes for ATV or hiking, and a light layer for evenings between November and March, when it drops to 60°F after dark. Between December and April bring or budget for a shorty wetsuit if you plan to snorkel — the sea is 72°F and most people are cold within half an hour.
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Planning
Should you avoid Cabo during spring break?
Spring break affects downtown Cabo San Lucas and Medano Beach for roughly three weeks in March, and barely touches San José del Cabo, the Tourist Corridor, Todos Santos or the East Cape. If you want March weather without March crowds, stay outside Cabo San Lucas — or come in April instead, when the weather is the same and the town is empty again.
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Practical
Should you use pesos or dollars in Los Cabos?
Use pesos. Dollars are accepted almost everywhere in Los Cabos, but at an in-house exchange rate that is consistently worse than the bank rate, so you lose roughly 5–8% on every transaction. Withdraw from a bank ATM, always decline the machine's offer to convert to your home currency, and carry small peso notes for tips and water taxis.
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Practical
Do you need a rental car in Los Cabos?
You need a rental car if you are staying in the Tourist Corridor, Todos Santos or the East Cape, and you do not if you are staying in downtown Cabo San Lucas or San José del Cabo. Budget $45–$70 a day all-in: Mexican third-party liability insurance is legally mandatory, cannot be waived by your credit card, and is almost never in the advertised rate.
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Planning
What do first-time visitors to Los Cabos get wrong?
The five most common first-timer mistakes in Los Cabos are booking a beachfront hotel on a beach you cannot swim at, stopping for the timeshare sellers at the airport, paying in dollars, underestimating how far apart the two towns are, and swimming on the Pacific side. All five are avoidable before you arrive.
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