Itinerary
What can you do in Cabo San Lucas in one day off a cruise ship?
Cruise ships anchor off Cabo San Lucas and tender passengers to the marina, which puts you in the middle of town rather than at a distant port. In roughly six hours ashore you can do one boat trip, eat well and see the Arch. Do not attempt Todos Santos or Cabo Pulmo — you will miss the ship.
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Key facts
- Arrival
- Tender to Cabo San Lucas marina — ships anchor offshore
- Typical time ashore
- 5–8 hours
- Walk from tender to town
- Under 5 minutes
- Do not attempt
- Todos Santos (2.5 hrs round trip), Cabo Pulmo (4 hrs)
- Budget
- $60–$220 per person
This suits you if
- You are ashore for 5–8 hours
- You want one good thing, not four rushed ones
Best months: November to April
The realistic plan
With five to eight hours ashore, pick one substantial activity and let the rest be walking. The marina is the town centre, so nothing needs a taxi.
Independent tours are cheaper than the ship's, sometimes by half. The ship's excursions carry a guarantee that the ship waits for you. That is the whole trade, and for a two-hour water taxi trip the risk is negligible.
Day 1: Six hours ashore
One boat, one meal, one beach, no vehicle.
· Cabo San Lucas marina
Tender in
Ships anchor in the bay and tender to the marina. You step off in the centre of town.
Included
· Land's End
Water taxi to the Arch and Lover's Beach
Ten minutes each way, one to two hours total. Agree the price and pickup time before boarding. Swim on the Sea of Cortez side only.
$15–$25 per person
· Cabo San Lucas
Lunch off the boulevard
Walk two blocks inland from the marina for better food at half the price.
$15–$35 per person
· Medano Beach
Medano Beach
Fifteen minutes on foot from the marina, and the only swimmable town beach. Loud, and full of vendors.
Free, loungers $15–$25
· Marina
Back to the tender
Give yourself ninety minutes. Tender queues at the end of a port day are long.
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Frequently asked questions
Do cruise ships dock in Cabo San Lucas?
No. Ships anchor offshore and tender passengers into the Cabo San Lucas marina, which is in the centre of town. The walk from the tender dock to the boulevard is under five minutes.
Can you visit Todos Santos on a cruise day in Cabo?
Not sensibly. Todos Santos is 60 to 75 minutes each way, so a visit consumes at least two and a half hours of a five to eight hour port call before you have looked at anything. Stay in town.
Read next
The Cabo brief
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