Outdoors · Cabo San Lucas · Mexico
8 best outdoor things to do in Cabo San Lucas
Parks, viewpoints and open-air sights for the dry, bright days.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: User:Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Start with Lover's Beach (Playa del Amor), Glass-bottom boat to Land's End and Whale watching. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 20–30 hours across 5 areas; 4 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 4
- Time to see them all
- 20–30 hours
- Areas
- Land's End, Marina and Cabo San Lucas Bay
Outdoors in Cabo San Lucas
Beach · Land's End
1.Lover's Beach (Playa del Amor)
Ask the water-taxi driver for a fixed pickup time before he leaves you, and bring water and shade: there are no facilities on the beach.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Outdoors
- Couples
- Photo spot
Experience · Marina
2.Glass-bottom boat to Land's End
Agree the price and the return pickup before boarding; sellers on the marina boardwalk usually discount when several boats are waiting.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes–1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Views
- Nature
- Iconic
Experience · Cabo San Lucas Bay
3.Whale watching
Choose a small group with a licensed operator; regulations require boats to keep their distance, and a hydrophone on board lets you hear the whales singing.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Nature
- Kids
- Iconic
- Photo spot
Experience · Marina
4.Sportfishing charter
Most restaurants downtown will cook your catch for a small charge if you bring it in cleaned; ask the crew to fillet it at the dock.
- Time needed
- 4–8 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Active
- Iconic
- Outdoors
Beach · Médano Beach
5.Médano Beach
Walk towards the eastern end of the beach for quieter sand and fewer vendors than the stretch in front of the clubs near the marina.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Active
- Free
Beach · Tourist Corridor
6.Santa María Bay
Arrive early to get parking and shade, and bring your own snorkel gear and food; facilities at the beach are basic.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Outdoors
- Nature
- Kids
- Active
- Free
Beach · Tourist Corridor
7.Chileno Bay
Swim to the rocks on the right-hand side as you face the sea for the best snorkelling, and watch for boat traffic near the reef.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Free
- Nature
Beach · Tourist Corridor
8.Playa Palmilla
Pair it with lunch in San José del Cabo, about ten minutes' drive away, rather than eating at the beach.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Free
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Land's End | Lover's Beach (Playa del Amor) | 2–3 hours |
| Marina | Glass-bottom boat to Land's End and Sportfishing charter | 45 minutes–1 hour + 4–8 hours |
| Cabo San Lucas Bay | Whale watching | 2–3 hours |
| Médano Beach | Médano Beach | Half a day |
| Tourist Corridor | Santa María Bay, Chileno Bay and Playa Palmilla | Half a day + Half a day + 2–3 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 4 free, 2 low cost, 1 mid-priced, 1 expensive. Book ahead for Whale watching and Sportfishing charter. The longest visit is Sportfishing charter; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- 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.
How to fit them into 7 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Land's End and Marina): Lover's Beach (Playa del Amor) → Glass-bottom boat to Land's End, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Marina): Sportfishing charter, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Cabo San Lucas Bay): Whale watching, at least 2 hours.
- Half-day 4 (Médano Beach): Médano Beach, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 5 (Tourist Corridor): Santa María Bay, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 6 (Tourist Corridor): Chileno Bay, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 7 (Tourist Corridor): Playa Palmilla, at least 2 hours.
The best months to be outside
- January: highs of 26°C (79°F), about 1 rainy days, busy crowds. Sunny, dry and mild, with cool evenings; whale-watching season is in full swing and the sea feels fresh for swimming.
- March: highs of 28°C (82°F), about 0 rainy days, very busy crowds. Warm and dry; spring break crowds fill Médano Beach and the bar strip, while whales are still around.
- February: highs of 27°C (81°F), about 1 rainy days, busy crowds. Peak whale-watching month with settled weather; one of the busiest and most expensive months for hotels.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Marina and Downtown — Boardwalk restaurants, fishing boats and the main bar strip
- Médano Beach — The town's swimmable beach, lined with resorts and beach clubs
- Tourist Corridor — Resort strip and golf courses between the two towns
More of Cabo San Lucas
All things to do in Cabo San Lucas · Where to stay · When to go.
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Cabo San Lucas?
Lover's Beach (Playa del Amor). A short strip of sand pinched between granite cliffs just inside El Arco, reachable only by boat or by a scramble over the rocks.
+Which of these are free in Cabo San Lucas?
Médano Beach, Santa María Bay, Chileno Bay and Playa Palmilla.