2 days in Cabo San Lucas

Day by day

1. Day 1: El Arco at Land's End and Lover's Beach (Playa del Amor)

   El Arco at Land's End, Lover's Beach (Playa del Amor), Diving and snorkelling at Pelican Rock and Glass-bottom boat to Land's End, then Marina boardwalk in the evening.

   1. Morning

      El Arco at Land's End

      It can only be seen up close from the water, and at very low tides a strip of sand sometimes appears beneath it. The rocks around it shelter a sea lion colony.

   2. Late morning

      Lover's Beach (Playa del Amor)

      The bay side is usually calm for a swim, while a few steps through the rocks lead to Divorce Beach on the Pacific side, where heavy surf and currents make swimming dangerous.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Baja-style fish tacos

      Taco stands and small taquerías in the downtown grid back from the marina, around Calle Morelos and Avenida Leona Vicario, are cheaper and better than the boardwalk.

   4. Afternoon

      Diving and snorkelling at Pelican Rock

      A submarine canyon drops off close to shore here, and divers see sea lions, moray eels and large schools of fish, as well as the underwater sandfalls near Land's End.

   5. Late afternoon

      Glass-bottom boat to Land's End

      Most boats will drop you at Lover's Beach and collect you later at no extra charge.

   6. Evening

      Marina boardwalk

      Come around mid-afternoon to watch the sportfishing boats return and fly their catch flags, then stay on for dinner as the lights come on.

2. Day 2: Whale watching and Sportfishing charter

   Whale watching, Sportfishing charter, Médano Beach and Santa María Bay, then Sunset cruise around Land's End in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Whale watching

      Trips run on everything from small inflatable boats, which get lower to the water, to larger catamarans that suit families.

   2. Late morning

      Sportfishing charter

      Charters range from small pangas for a few hours to fully crewed cruisers for a full day; catch-and-release is the norm for billfish.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Smoked marlin tacos

      Seafood restaurants and taquerías in Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo; it is often on the breakfast menu too.

   4. Afternoon

      Médano Beach

      Beach clubs rent loungers and umbrellas, and paddleboards, kayaks, jet skis and parasailing are all on offer along the shoreline.

   5. Late afternoon

      Santa María Bay

      Its calm water and rocky edges are among the best spots in Los Cabos for snorkelling from shore, with tropical fish, rays and corals along both sides of the bay.

   6. Evening

      Sunset cruise around Land's End

      Ask whether the boat sails past the arch onto the Pacific side; the best sunset view is from beyond Land's End, not from inside the bay.

Before you go

• Whale watching: In February and March, the busiest months, book a day or two ahead, especially for small-boat tours.
• Sportfishing charter: Book a day or more ahead in autumn, when tournament season fills the fleet.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 21–32 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 10.7 hours in December to 13.5 hours in June.

Getting between stops: Walking. The marina boardwalk, downtown bars and Médano Beach are within about 20 minutes' walk of each other; distances elsewhere are too long and hot to walk.

More or fewer days

• One day in Cabo San Lucas
• 3 days in Cabo San Lucas
• 5 days in Cabo San Lucas

Questions travellers ask