Cabo San Lucas

Cabo San Lucas sits at the southernmost tip of the Baja Peninsula, where the Sea of Cortez joins the Pacific Ocean. The town revolves around its deep-water marina and the calm waters of Medano Beach. High-end resorts line the coastline, while local taco shops thrive a few blocks inland. You move between desert canyons and open ocean in minutes.

Cabo's culinary anchor is the classic Baja fish taco. Fresh cabrilla or sea bass comes lightly battered, deep fried, and topped with shredded cabbage and chipotle cream. Restaurants along the marina focus on international guests, while authentic street vendors cluster along Avenida Lázaro Cárdenas and Calle Morelos.

• Tacos Guss

  Late-night spot on Lázaro Cárdenas serving pastor and grilled fish tacos until 3:00 AM.

• Catch-and-cook dining

  Marina restaurants like Alexander's cook your fresh sportfish catch for a fixed price per head.

• Chocolata clams

  Local clams prepared raw on ice or baked with garlic and butter cost roughly 90 MXN each.

For centuries, Cabo San Lucas was a remote fishing village at the end of a harsh desert peninsula. Spanish galleons used the natural harbour to take on fresh water and food provisions after crossing the Pacific Ocean on their way to Acapulco. The opening of the Transpeninsular Highway in 1973 transformed this isolated tip into an accessible international resort center.

1. 1927

   Cannery era

   A tuna cannery opened at the harbor, establishing Cabo's first permanent industrial settlement.

2. 1973

   Highway completion

   Federal Highway 1 linked Baja California Sur to the US border, sparking major tourism growth.

Choose your stay based on mobility and ocean access. Staying at Medano Beach puts you on swimmable water near downtown nightlife. Staying along the Tourist Corridor gives you private resort grounds, but requires taxis for every excursion outside your hotel.

Downtown Cabo San Lucas is easy to navigate on foot. Water taxis connect the marina to Land's End beaches. To reach San José del Cabo or corridor beaches, public buses run along the main highway continuously.

• Small panga boats dock along Pier 3. Negotiate the rate before stepping aboard.

• Purple and yellow buses travel the corridor between Cabo and San José for 40 MXN.

• Uber operates in town but driver drop-offs inside hotel gates can be restricted.

• Town cabs do not use meters. Agree on the total fare in pesos or dollars before starting.

Cabo San Lucas is one of Mexico's most expensive destinations. US dollars are accepted almost everywhere, but prices set in pesos yield better rates when paying by credit card or cash.

• Fish taco: 45–70 MXN

  Local street stands charge standard local rates; marina spots charge double.

• Water taxi round-trip: 350 MXN

  Standard fare per person from the marina to Lover's Beach.

• Deep-sea charter: 7000–18000 MXN

  Includes boat, captain, gear, and licenses for a half-day trip.

• Corridor bus fare: 40 MXN

  Flat fare for trips between Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo.

• Beach flags

  Always obey beach warning flags. Red or black flags indicate deadly shore breaks and rip tides.

• Tap water

  Drink bottled or purified water. Resorts use central filtration systems, but bottled water remains safest.

• Currency conversion

  Pay in Mexican Pesos on card terminals to avoid poor off-site US Dollar exchange conversion rates.

• Time zone

  Cabo San Lucas uses Mountain Standard Time (MST) and does not observe daylight saving shifts.

• Timeshare reps

  Airport arrival halls feature aggressive timeshare salespeople posing as official transport information desks.