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Los Cabos

Los Cabos Travel Guide

Everything you need to know about planning a trip to Los Cabos, Mexico

CABO SAN LUCAS TRAVEL GUIDE CONTENTS

Quick Info | Planning Your Trip | Things To Do | Where To Stay | Restaurants | Nightlife | Budget | Resources

Los Cabos is the top destination for Americans who want to have easy access to Mexico. Although it is still more expensive than many other destinations, tourism has been increasing through the years. Mexico is visited by over 40 million Americans every year and in 2021, approximately 1,069,834 Americans visited Los Cabos.

It is famed for its all-inclusive resorts but Los Cabos has a good gastronomical scene. Many top chefs in the country are here which makes the Los Cabos restaurant culture very rich and interesting.

There are also different activities that are not only water-focused. You can wander the deserts, drive through secluded beaches, and hike mountain peaks. We are currently based in Los Cabos and in this travel guide, we will give you some insider tips that we discovered while we are living here. Don’t forget to get in touch because we can meet you!

💡 Los Cabos Travel Guide: quick info

  • 🇲🇽 State: Baja California Sur
  • ⏰ Timezone: Pacific Daylight Time (GMT-6)
  • 💲 Currency: Mexican pesos (MXN) with $ sign used. Don’t confuse it with US$ or USD.
  • 🔌 Power plug: Mexico uses a type A socket (US, Canada). For more information about power plugs in Mexico, see this link (with photos)
  • 📱 Mexico sim card: The best provider that works in Cabo San Lucas is Telcel. See our complete Mexico sim card guide for more information.
  • 🛃 Visa: Mexico is no longer giving 180 days visa to tourists so make sure that you have proof of accommodation and outbound flight so you’ll get the right visa.
  • 🤟 Language: This area of Baja California Sur has been hollywoodinized so 100% of the people in the service industry are very equipped with the English language.
  • 📡 Wifi: The average Wifi speed in Los Cabos is 20 Mbps with a fiber optic connection of up to 50 Mbps.
  • 🌵 Culture: People always come and go. Visitors stay for the weekend and it is also popular for bachelor/bachelorette parties. This is also the fishing capital of Mexico where the annual Bisbee’s Fishing Tournament is held. Cabo San Lucas is usually loud where bars and nightclubs are blaring until the wee hours of the morning.

🗺️ Cabo San Lucas Map

🏖️ Book your trip to Los Cabos

🚦 Los Cabos Transportation Guide

  • 🚕 Los Cabos Airport transfer: The airport that serves Los Cabos is San Jose del Cabo International Airport (SJD). From the airport, it takes 45 minutes to get to Cabo San Lucas. The airport transfer price starts at $75 USD and you can book with our local drivers!
  • 🚶‍♀️Walking: Cabo San Lucas is a walking town and everything is reachable by foot within 10 minutes. You don’t really need a car when staying in downtown San Lucas. The traffic is terrible and parking is very difficult. Walking is a great way to discover Cabo San Lucas!
  • 🚌 Bus: There are busses that go in between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. This ride costs $7 USD (one-way). The big companies like Aguila also go all the way up to Tijuana.
  • 🚕 Uber/Taxi: Uber works perfectly in Cabo San Lucas but there’s a longer wait time (15 minutes). A one-way ride in Cabo San Lucas starts at $7 USD for Ubers. Most resorts don’t allow Ubers to go in because they have their own taxi services that start from $25 USD.
  • 🚗 Rental cars: The best way to get around Los Cabos is by renting a car at Los Cabos International Airport. The daily rate is about $55 USD for a Sedan (4-seater).

📅 Best time to visit Cabo San Lucas

GO TO LOS CABOS BLOG

📍 Cabo San Lucas Attractions

los cabos
Cabo Arch
World-famous arch
los cabos travel guide
Mount Solmar
Hiking trail with a view
cabo mexico
Marina Cabo San Lucas
The bustling center
los cabos travel guide
Santa Maria Beach
Cove in Cabo San Lucas
los cabos travel guide
Quivira
Golf Club
los cabos travel guide
El Suspiro Beach
Quiet local beach
los cabos travel guide
El Medano Beach
Touristic beach
los cabos travel guide
Migriño
ATV area

🏄‍♀️ Things to do in Cabo San Lucas

🛏️  Cabo San Lucas Resorts and Hotels

🌮 Where to eat in Cabo San Lucas

Los Cabos is the gastronomic capital of Mexico. This is where you will find all the best restaurants in the country spearheaded by accomplished Mexican and International chefs. Baja California Sur Culinary Awards is held annually in Los Cabos so expect a great selection of cuisine, dishes, and restaurants in the area.

🍸 Cabo San Lucas Bars and Nightlife

The bars in Los Cabos are located in the Cabo San Lucas downtown area. Should partying be part of your Los Cabos itinerary, make sure to find a hotel near downtown San Lucas.

This area is filled with night clubs, bars, and dance floors with DJs. Whether you are looking for a crazy party, a chill cocktail night, or a beer den, Cabo San Lucas has it all! Here are our favorite local spots.

💵 Money and Costs

Los Cabos travel budget (est)

Accommodations

Many have the impression that Los Cabos is all about all-inclusive but there are many boutique hotels that start from US$60 per night. We hate to be the bearer of bad news but backpackers, there are no hostels in Los Cabos. It’s still not a thing here but who knows what might be popping up in the next few years!

Tours

Tours vary from US$50 – US$300 depending on the activity you want to do. Most of the activities in Los Cabos involve the ocean so expect a water-packed adventure during your visit. The majority of your expenses will honestly go to drinking and eating out. This is a party town so you’ll find everyone having fun all the time and find drinking spots in every corner. We wish you good luck!

💵 US dollars: In Cabo, everything is in US dollars and even locals use it in the busses or supermarkets. I was really amazed and shocked but I still use the Mexican peso in Cabo.

You won’t have to worry about it! However, please know that if you use US dollars in Cabo, the conversion rate is lower. If the current conversion rate is 20 Mexican pesos per USD, they will only exchange 17 pesos per USD if you choose to pay this way.

🏧 ATMs: There are many USD ATMs in town and you can also take out in Mexican peso using your debit card. The usual withdrawal fee is US$5 but it depends on your bank.

The USD ATM machines in Cabo are in every corner and they’re literally just machines. My brother visiting me from Sacramento found it so sketchy to withdraw USD in a freaking machine in the middle of the street but I told him it’s safe and it’s the Mexican way.

💳  Credit/debit cards: Credit and debit cards are accepted everywhere in Cabo. Even the taco restaurants accept them so don’t worry. They will always ask you if you want to be charged in MXN or USD.

I always put the local currency for my US credit card since it has better rates and conversions. In Mexico, they will also ask you if you want to use the “tap” option but I still go old school and use the ‘insert card’ option.

I’ve had very bad experiences with tapping (my card number was stolen and was used without asking for a passcode) so since then, I avoid using tap and asked my bank to deactivate it.

Amex is widely accepted in Los Cabos.

💸 Tipping: f you didn’t like the service, 15% will do but if you liked the service, you can tip up to 25%. Honestly, service in Cabo is top class. You’ll never see anything like it in Mexico.

Is Los Cabos cheap?

By Mexican pricing standards, Los Cabos is not cheap. It is one of the most expensive places to visit in Mexico. Through the years, it is becoming similar to Los Angeles (CA, USA) prices. Honestly, you will always get what you pay for when you do a vacation in Los Cabos. Nothing in Cabo is of low quality and the service is good, too!

What is the cheapest month to go to Cabo?

The cheapest month to go to Cabo is August and September which are low seasons in Mexico. At this time of the year, Baja California Sur experiences rain showers and hurricanes. We do not recommend traveling here in September although the Los Cabos rain is still more pleasant than in mainland Mexico.

How much money should I take to Cabo for a week?

It really depends on your travel style but to give you an estimate, a 7-day accommodation in Los Cabos (in a resort) costs US$250 per night for two people. As for the tours, expect to pay at least US$75 per tour. You can alot a food budget of US$15 per meal in nice restaurants while street food costs less than US$5.

⁉️  Los Cabos Travel FAQs

Many visitors don’t know that there are 2 different areas in Los Cabos. This is very crucial information as it will help you immensely in planning your trip. Cabo San Lucas (CSL) is an upbeat, party area that is popular with young tourists. Here, you will find many bars and nightclubs. Downtown can be pretty loud but there are many accommodations in CSL that are quiet and affordable.

Families traveling with children prefer San Jose del Cabo (SJC) because of its quiet vibe. Most of the resorts are here and it is very close to the airport. If you are looking for an all-inclusive stay, choose SJC although there is not much nightlife and socialization here. Depending on where you’re staying, SJC is about 15-30 minutes taxi ride to CSL.

ABSOLUTELY! Los Cabos is a popular destination with Americans and Canadians. You can fly directly to Los Cabos from every major US airport, which makes it easier to do a Cabo weekend getaway.

Many Mexican nationals come to Los Cabos to work, particularly from nearby towns in Baja California Sur, Sinaloa, and Sonora. Tourism produced many jobs in Los Cabos which is why it is a hotspot for local workers.

As one of the most visited destinations in Mexico, the government will not do anything to interrupt this growth. Imagine if something happens to you as a foreigner in Los Cabos, it will be all over the news and tourism here will be totally ruined.

Cancun is the most visited place in Mexico because of its thriving resort industry. However, when it comes to choosing between Cancun and Los Cabos, you need to remember the purpose of your vacation. Both cater to all types of travelers (especially families). The only thing you need to consider is that Cancun is more crowded than Los Cabos. We also guarantee that Los Cabos is way safer than Cancun these days.

By Mexican pricing standards, Los Cabos is not cheap. It is one of the most expensive places to visit in Mexico. Through the years, it is becoming similar to Los Angeles (CA, USA) prices. Honestly, you will always get what you pay for when you do a vacation in Los Cabos. Nothing in Cabo is of low quality and the service is good, too!

The cheapest month to go to Cabo is August and September which are low seasons in Mexico. At this time of the year, Baja California Sur experiences rain showers and hurricanes. We do not recommend traveling here in September although the Los Cabos rain is still more pleasant than in mainland Mexico.

It really depends on your travel style but to give you an estimate, a 7-day accommodation in Los Cabos (in a resort) costs US$250 per night for two people. As for the tours, expect to pay at least US$75 per tour. You can alot a food budget of US$15 per meal in nice restaurants while street food costs less than US$5.

los cabos
los cabos

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Nicole

Sunday 22nd of January 2023

This post is great, you have included all the answers to things I wanted to know about the visa, money and great to know they speak english here, makes a trip a little easier (though i'll still try to learn the basics). We've only just started looking at Baja for a trip becuase we hope to go whale watching, surfing and kayaking here. It's like a paradise for watersports

Puloma Bhattacharya

Sunday 22nd of January 2023

Cabo San Lucas is a beautiful place to explore in Mexico and it's really great that most of it can be explored by foot. It's beautiful beaches and coves, harbors are worth the visit with the luxurious resorts in the area. And also there are so many activities to indulge in like the whale watching, ATV rides, snorkeling coupled with amazing gastronomical experience.

Subhashish Roy

Friday 20th of January 2023

Wow what a wonderful guide that has every bit of information required on Los Cabos. So easy to book a trip from your website. Bars & nightlife experiences would be of special interest to me. And food seems to be quite reasonably priced. Nice cool place.

Clarice

Thursday 19th of January 2023

This detailed post is really helpful. Happy to know that there is so much to see and do in Los Cabos and it's not just limited to water activities. It's awesome to know that everything is reachable by foot and we'd love to just walk around the place and mingle with the locals. Thank you for sharing this.

Tami Wilcox

Wednesday 18th of January 2023

Great guide to Cabo! I've only been once while on a Mexican Riviera cruise. I loved it, though. You're right -- it's so easy to navigate Cabo on foot. For us, the best thing to do was go on a whale-watching and snorkeling excursion -- that was amazing! Walking through town and trying to shop souvenirs was not as much fun because we had to constantly dodge everyone trying to sell us everything from tours to face creams.

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