The day guide
The LOS CABOS Little Black Book
Beach bars and one more taco? A reef full of fish? A town you can wander until dinner? Start there. The best Cabo days have a little direction—and enough room for something good to happen.
Take it with you.
Save your favourites, put your days together and keep the guides on your phone.
Open my Black BookTwo Cabos. A whole lot of coastline.
Los Cabos brings together Cabo San Lucas, San José del Cabo and the roughly 33 km Tourist Corridor between them. Explore each town on foot, then allow around 40–60 minutes for the drive between the two. Farther afield, Todos Santos, La Paz and the East Cape open up another set of Baja adventures.
Travel times are approximate and usually start from Cabo San Lucas.
Mix these day ideas around the places and experiences you love.
01 · Cabo San Lucas
Cabo San Lucas — beach day, tacos and a night out.
Getting there: Local day if you stay in Cabo San Lucas. From San José, allow 40–60 minutes each way.
Start with breakfast
Choose a café for rich Mexican coffee, a colourful, flavourful plate of chilaquiles or hearty huevos rancheros. Add a fresh juice, horchata, agua de jamaica or another seasonal agua fresca. Then hit the beach for a sun-filled morning.
Beach, boat, then tacos
Settle in around Médano, take a scenic boat ride around the Arch, or choose a snorkelling trip to Playa Santa María. Pick one main outing and work up an appetite: Baja-style fish tacos or tacos al pastor are a fine way to start the afternoon.
Keep the afternoon open
Explore town, eat more tacos, try a tequila tasting or just chill on the beach or poolside. Whatever you choose, leave time for a quick rest or siesta before heading back out. Cabo’s evening deserves a little energy.
Make a night of it
Book a fine-dining table with an ocean view, or keep dinner casual and save room for sweet churros. Then head to the downtown strip for dancing and bar-hopping, and see how late the night takes you.
Put this food stop on your list.
Tacos Gardenias makes a casual lunch stop for fish and shrimp tacos after a morning out.
The detail worth knowing
A Santa María snorkelling cruise takes you along the Corridor; an Arch outing explores Land’s End. Choose the boat day you fancy.
Swap the beach morning for a fishing charter, then head to Captain Tony’s or Fisherman’s Landing for a cook-your-catch meal.
Find the area on a mapSources, reviews & current details
02 · The Tourist Corridor
Make the beach the whole point.
Getting there: Between the two towns.
Morning
Choose Chileno or Santa María for a shore visit, or join a guided snorkelling cruise for equipment, a guide and the coastal boat ride.
Lunch & afternoon
Unpack the picnic and settle into your chosen bay. Enjoy the beach, open a book or head out for another snorkel.
Getting back
Head back when you are ready for a shower and dinner. A car, arranged ride or tour transfer makes the beach day easy.
Put this food stop on your list.
Pack a picnic, a cold drink and your beach kit before leaving town. A simple lunch tastes good with this view.
The detail worth knowing
Chileno and Santa María have public restrooms and parking. Plan your transport around the beach you choose, with room for the picnic and snorkel kit.
The Corridor links both Cabos over roughly 33 km of coastline, with resorts, golf and beaches along the way.
Find the area on a mapSources, reviews & current details
03 · San José del Cabo
Old town, open galleries, another round of tacos.
Getting there: Allow 40–60 minutes each way from Cabo San Lucas, plus traffic and parking.
Late morning
Head for the historic centre, mission and Plaza Mijares. Start with coffee and a wander, or join a walking tour for the stories behind the buildings.
Afternoon
Browse galleries and shops, then settle into a long lunch. You can also pair a daytime horseback outing with an evening in town.
Evening
A seasonal Thursday Art Walk brings extra life to the galleries. Other evenings work beautifully for a stroll and dinner too.
Put this food stop on your list.
La Lupita Taco & Mezcal in the Gallery District is a tasty finish to an evening wander. Put the cheese-crust pastor taco on your list.
The detail worth knowing
The streets behind the church are part of the fun: step into galleries, browse local shops and follow whatever catches your eye.
Cabo San Lucas and San José have different personalities. Spend an evening in each and find your favourites.
Find the area on a mapSources, reviews & current details
04 · Migriño
Trade the beach chair for a dusty grin.
Getting there: A Pacific-side outing from Cabo. Use the operator’s exact meeting point and pickup allowance.
Morning
Choose an ATV, side-by-side, horseback ride or camel outing and get out into the Baja scenery.
Lunch & afternoon
A ride-and-lunch package makes an easy half-day adventure. A shorter outing leaves room for beach or pool time afterwards.
Evening
Head into Cabo for a great dinner, a tasting or a night out with stories from the trail.
Put this food stop on your list.
Enjoy lunch as part of your excursion, or return to Cabo for tacos at Gardenias and a poolside afternoon.
The detail worth knowing
Choose an ATV or UTV that suits your group and compare the total including any required entry and vehicle charges.
Migriño’s Pacific-side desert brings a different landscape to a holiday spent around the Sea of Cortez beaches.
Find the area on a mapSources, reviews & current details
05 · Todos Santos + Cerritos
Surf first. Pueblo wandering afterwards.
Getting there: Allow about 1–1¼ hours to Todos Santos from Cabo San Lucas; budget another 20 minutes between town and Cerritos.
Morning
Book a Cerritos surf lesson and let the instructor choose the right time for conditions. If you’re just spectating, make it a beach morning while the surfers earn lunch.
Lunch & afternoon
Head into Todos Santos for the old centre, galleries and something to eat. Make Hotel California a photo stop if you like the building, then keep exploring beyond that one doorway.
Return or stay
Choose an early meal if you’re driving back in daylight. If the plan is a sunset beach drink followed by dinner, an overnight stay or a hired driver gives the day more room.
Put this food stop on your list.
La Casita Tapas & Wine Bar is an option for a leisurely meal in Todos Santos.
The detail worth knowing
Pair a Cerritos surf lesson with galleries and lunch in town. An overnight stay gives you time for a Pacific evening too.
Todos Santos is a Pueblo Mágico: take time for the studios, historic streets and local shops as well as the familiar Hotel California sign.
Find the area on a mapSources, reviews & current details
06 · Los Barriles · East Cape
Follow the wind—or go fishing.
Getting there: Allow roughly 1¾–2 hours each way from Cabo San Lucas.
Morning
Head out fishing with a local captain or get started on a kiteboarding lesson with a local school.
Lunch & afternoon
Enjoy lunch in town, watch the kites and give your chosen activity room in the afternoon.
Return or stay
Return to Cabo or stay overnight for an easy evening and another day on the water.
Put this food stop on your list.
Taquería El Viejo is a casual food-stop option to add to your Los Barriles day.
The detail worth knowing
Winter is the main wind-sports season, commonly November–March. A local school can help plan lessons around your experience and the day’s wind.
Los Barriles is its own East Cape base for fishing, wind sports and a few slower days by the sea.
Find the area on a mapSources, reviews & current details
07 · Cabo Pulmo · East Cape
Give the reef your best day.
Getting there: Allow roughly 2–3 hours each way from Cabo San Lucas.
Before you leave
Choose a guided snorkelling or diving trip and arrange your departure around it. Staying nearby the night before gives you a relaxed start.
On the water
Explore the reef with your guide, who will choose sites to suit the park arrangements, conditions and your group.
Lunch & return
Enjoy lunch in the village and a leisurely return. Stay nearby if another day on the reef is calling.
Put this food stop on your list.
El Caballero is a village lunch option after the boat trip. Bring water and a snack for the coastal drive.
The detail worth knowing
Use your operator’s route and meeting instructions for the journey, including the final unpaved stretch.
Cabo Pulmo National Park forms part of UNESCO’s Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California World Heritage property.
Find the area on a mapSources, reviews & current details
08 · La Paz + Balandra
Leave early. This blue deserves the day.
Getting there: Allow 2–2½ hours to La Paz from Cabo San Lucas, then roughly 30–40 minutes onward to Balandra.
Early morning
Plan Balandra around its current entry arrangements, or choose a guided outing that handles the visit.
Midday
Add nearby El Tecolote for another coastal view and a lunch stop.
Afternoon & evening
Return to La Paz for a stroll on the malecón and a cold drink. Stay overnight if you would like to add sunset and dinner to the day.
Put this food stop on your list.
Nim offers a sit-down meal with an international menu in La Paz. An overnight stay leaves room for dinner and the waterfront after dark.
The detail worth knowing
Balandra and El Tecolote lie beyond the city, so give the beach outing its own time. For another La Paz idea, explore Hoyo 19 by Vrentino and arrange the venue’s transport when reserving.
La Paz is the capital of Baja California Sur, and its malecón is an outing in its own right: sculptures, sea views and places to stop for a drink.
Find the area on a mapTurn your favourites into a week.
- Three days: Cabo, one Corridor beach day, then San José into the evening.
- Five days: add Migriño and one road trip that matches your interests.
- A week or more: consider an overnight in La Paz or near your East Cape activity. Keep a spare day for weather, a second beach visit or doing very little.