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Cabo San Lucas fits its best things into one easy morning. Take a boat to the Arch and Lover’s Beach, then swim at Medano Beach. Snorkeling, winter whale watching and sport fishing are the add-ons. Nearly everything leaves from the marina or from Medano Beach, so you can book it the day before. Below is what each one costs, when it runs, and which beach you should stay out of the water at.
Land’s End is the reason to come, so I would see it before anything else. Take the first boat out, before the wind picks up and the cruise crowd reaches the dock. We have done boat days like this with nieces and nephews along. The plan that works is simple: water and shade in the bag, back on land by lunch. For what goes in that bag, see our Mexico packing list.
Things to Do in Cabo San Lucas
Most of what you will pay for is a boat. The table lists the main options. Prices are what each operator shows on its own page on the day checked, with a season where the page gives one.
| Activity | Cost | Time | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arch glass-bottom boat (Cabo Best Tours) | $25 per person | About 45 minutes | Hourly departures, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Arch tour with Chileno Bay snorkeling (Cabo Adventures) | $69 per person listed | 3 hours | Check the operator’s page |
| Whale watching, small boat (Cabo Adventures) | From $76 per person | 2 hours | December to mid-April |
| Whale watching, group tour (Whale Watch Cabo) | $89 adults, $59 children | Check the operator’s page | December 15 to April 15 |
| Sport fishing, 22-foot boat (Lands End Charters) | From $315 per boat, up to 3 anglers | Half day runs 5 hours | Marlin, tuna, dorado year-round (Top Anglers) |
| Art Walk, San José del Cabo | Free gallery entry | 5 to 9 p.m. | Thursdays, November to June |
Cabo San Lucas Arch
The Arch is the rock gateway at Land’s End, where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific. Most people see it from a boat. Water taxis and glass-bottom boats leave from the marina docks and from Medano Beach. At Medano the boat pulls up onto the sand and you wade out.
For a plain sightseeing loop, Cabo Best Tours lists $25 per person on its Arch page. That buys about 45 minutes with a bilingual guide and life jackets, and boats leave the marina every hour from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. It passes the sea lion colony and the rock formations. Cabo Adventures sells a bigger version at $69 per person. It is a three-hour speedboat trip with a snorkel stop at Chileno Bay.
Both prices are for a seat on a shared boat. A private boat costs far more. Haggling at the dock is common, so agree the price and the pick-up time before you step on. I would pick the first departure, when the beaches are emptier.
Cabo San Lucas Beaches
Five beaches matter here, and the most important thing to know is which one you cannot swim at. Two sit at Land’s End, one is in town, and two bays lie along the Tourist Corridor toward San José.
Lovers Beach
Lover’s Beach is a short strip of sand between granite walls, reachable only by water. Boats cannot land on it, so you wade ashore in knee-deep water. There are no bathrooms, no shade and no food. Bring water, a hat and shoes, because the sand gets hot in the afternoon.
The bay side is the swimmable one, with calm water and good snorkeling. Agree on a pick-up time with your captain before you get off. There is no cell service to call a boat back.
Divorce Beach
Divorce Beach is the Pacific side of the same strip, a short walk over the sand from Lover’s Beach. Do not swim there. Operators including Cabo Best Tours tell passengers outright that swimming is not allowed. The reason is plain: strong currents, crashing waves and no lifeguards.
Look at it, take the photo, and go back to the bay side. It is a rule, not a suggestion.
Medano Beach
Medano is the beach in town and the easy one. The Los Cabos tourism board describes it as tucked inside the bay and shielded from the Pacific’s roughest swells. That makes it one of the calmer places to swim in Cabo San Lucas. Vendors along the sand rent kayaks and paddleboards, and the shoreline is lined with beach clubs and restaurants.
It is also the beach with the most boats, jet skis and vendors. Walk away from the busiest stretch and the crowd thins out quickly.
Chileno Bay snorkeling
Chileno Bay and Santa María Bay are the two snorkeling bays on the Tourist Corridor, the road between Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo. Both are sheltered coves with gradual, sandy entries. Cabo Adventures includes a Chileno Bay stop on its Arch tour. The tourism board calls the shallows at Santa María a protected marine sanctuary.
Go early, before the boats arrive. A taxi or rental car reaches either bay, but a boat tour saves you the logistics.
Cabo rip currents
The Pacific-facing beaches have steep drop-offs and rip currents, which is why the Sea of Cortez bays are where people swim. The National Weather Service warns that great beach weather does not mean safe water, because rip currents often form on calm, sunny days.
Many Los Cabos beaches post colored warning flags, commonly green for swimming, yellow for caution and red for danger. If you see red, stay out of the water. Swim where a lifeguard is on duty whenever you can.
Cabo San Lucas Whale Watching
Whale watching season runs from mid-December to mid-April, with January through March the peak, per Cabo Adventures. Humpbacks are the whales you will most likely see. Cabo Adventures lists a two-hour small-boat trip from $76 per person, for ages 5 and up. Its 2.5-hour catamaran trip starts at $97.
Whale Watch Cabo lists $89 for adults and $59 for children on its group tour. It says its whale tours run December 15 to April 15. Its meeting point is at Plaza Bonita, a 20-minute walk from the tender dock, which matters on a cruise day.
Whale boats in Mexican waters are federally regulated under NOM-131-SEMARNAT-2010. A published review of the rule says every tourist vessel must carry a permit and an authorization flag. It allows at most four boats per whale or group, and a 30-minute limit on each observation. So ask any operator whether the boat holds the permit. Never book a trip that offers to put you in the water with a whale.
Cabo San Lucas Fishing Charters
Sport fishing is priced by the boat, not by the person, so the cost per head falls as the group grows. Lands End Charters lists 22-to-26-foot boats for one to four anglers from $315 to $625. Its 27-to-33-foot boats run from $635 to $900, and it calls those the boat most people book. Prices include live bait, tackle, fuel, dock fees and taxes, and half days run five hours.
Top Anglers lists a 26-foot sportfishing boat for three anglers from $500, and a 28-foot boat for four from $725. It names marlin, tuna, dorado, wahoo and roosterfish as year-round targets. Pick a boat that matches your group, not the biggest one on the dock. Then confirm what the price includes before you pay a deposit.
Cabo San Lucas Cruise Port
Cabo San Lucas is a tender port. Ships anchor offshore near the Arch. Small boats carry passengers to a pier on the marina waterfront, per Cruise Critic. There is no cruise terminal with seating, so restaurants and bars a few blocks away serve as the waiting room.
On a ship day I would do one water activity and then stop. The Arch boat plus an hour at Medano fits comfortably. A five-hour fishing charter does not, unless the ship stays late. Check the all-aboard time first. If you are choosing between itineraries, our Cozumel cruise port guide shows how another Mexican stop works.
Cabo San Lucas tourist tax
Baja California Sur charges visitors an Embrace It tax of 488 pesos, about $28, from January 1, 2026, according to Mexico News Daily. It applies to people over 12 who enter by air or land and stay more than 24 hours. You pay it online before arrival.
Sources disagree on whether it covers cruise passengers. One airport-run page says it applies by cruise as well, while the news report does not mention cruise arrivals. Ask your cruise line before you rely on either reading.
San Jose del Cabo Day Trip
San José del Cabo is the quiet contrast to Cabo San Lucas. It is about 32 km away, roughly 40 minutes by car without traffic. The town has a mission church founded in 1730, cobbled streets and a plaza market. You will find fewer boats and more galleries.
The best night to go is Thursday. The Art Walk runs every Thursday from November to June, and the galleries open their doors in the evening. It suits a longer stay, not a ship day. If you are still choosing a Mexican coast, see Cancun vs Playa del Carmen.
Cabo San Lucas Facts
Do cruise ships dock in Cabo San Lucas?
No. Ships anchor offshore near the Arch and passengers ride tenders to a pier at the marina. There is no cruise terminal with seating.
Is there a tourist tax in Cabo San Lucas?
Yes, for most visitors. Baja California Sur charges 488 pesos, about $28, per person, per Mexico News Daily. It applies to those over 12 who enter by air or land and stay more than 24 hours. Ask your cruise line whether it applies to your ship stop.
When is whale watching season in Cabo San Lucas?
It runs from mid-December to mid-April, with January through March the peak, according to Cabo Adventures.
How far is San Jose del Cabo from Cabo San Lucas?
About 32 km, roughly 40 minutes by car when traffic is light.
Can you swim at Lovers Beach Cabo?
Yes, on the bay side only. The Pacific side, Divorce Beach, is off limits for swimming because of strong currents and crashing waves.
Prices are approximate, current as of publication, and change frequently — confirm the latest price with the retailer before buying.
Published October 11, 2026.
Photo credits: (1) featured, The rock arch at Land's End, Cabo San… — Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; (2) Lover's Beach between granite rock… — Thelmadatter, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; (3) The rocky Land's End headland seen from the… — Thelmadatter, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; (4) The mission church in San José del Cabo… — Rruloo8986, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.