Sun + Ceviche: 21 of the Best Things to Do in Cabo San Lucas

1. Arch of Cabo San Lucas

You absolutely can’t say you’ve been to Cabo San Lucas if you forget to visit the Arch!

The famous natural rock formation El Arco marks the southernmost tip of the Baja California peninsula. Here, the Three Friars land formation divides the Pacific Ocean on one side and the Sea of Cortez on the other.

The only way to see the Arch is by boat. You can book anything from a water taxi to a sailboat, but we love the glass bottom boats to see underwater marine life! They’re inexpensive and a really unique way to see both above and below the sea! It’s also common for sea lions to swim around the area so keep your cameras at the ready.

2. Sail the Baja Peninsula at Sunset

The Baja Peninsula has some of the most breathtaking sunrises and sunsets that we’ve ever seen. The best way to view them is by sailing around the Baja coast at sunset.

We chartered a private sailboat tour that included an open bar, hors d’oeuvres and great music! It was a good 2 hours or so and we got some incredible photos of the sunset!

Sailing is so relaxing and one of the best ways to unwind after a long day.

3. Swim at Chileno Beach

While Los Cabos has beautiful beaches, the unfortunate fact is that most of them are not swimmable. The strong current can render even experienced swimmers helpless.

But luckily, there are a couple of swimmable beaches that also double as great snorkeling. Chileno Beach has shallow, calm waters. Visiting Chileno Beach is easy if you’re renting a car as there’s plenty of parking.

If you don’t have a car, this half day tour is a great alternative. It includes round trip transportation (Cabo taxis are notoriously expensive) and takes you to two beaches: Santa Maria and Chileno Bay!

The tour also includes not only snorkeling equipment but also pretty glass bottom kayaks so you can experience the beauty of both!

4. Sunbathe on Lover’s Beach

Right by the Land’s End rock formation are two famous beaches. Lover’s Beach (Playa del Amor) is on the calmer Sea of Cortez side. It’s pristine sandy beach is perfect for sunbathing and people watching.

Divorce Beach (Playa del Divorcio) is on the other side by the Pacific Ocean. It’s a great place to watch the sun set but forget about swimming. Strong currents from the Pacific can easily pull you under.

Most boat tours will cruise around the area. If you want to actually get up close, book a snorkeling tour! Our guide led us through a fun snorkeling adventure to see the famous Arch, Lover’s Beach and local sea lion colony! If you don’t know how to swim, clear bottom kayaks are also available.

Note: There isn’t any infrastructure on the beaches and arch. If you book one of the boat tours, typically there’s a bathroom on the boat and most tours include lunch.

5. Go Scuba Diving

Jacques Cousteau once called Los Cabos and the Sea of Cortez as the “aquarium of the world”.

Take a day trip to Cabo Pulmo, a Mexcian National Marine Park, to see its beautiful coral reefs and colorful sea life. There’s so much biodiversity here that with just one dive trip, you can see everything from giant manta rays to flying mobula rays to sea lions and humpback whales. Of course, there’s plenty of colorful reef fish to see too!

If you’re an experienced diver, book a dive package to see it all! Typically it’s a half day trip, starting early in the morning. They’ll include 2 guided dives as well as a 30 minute scuba refresher if you need it (we always do).

The best part is, you can bring a USB stick and the guide will happily take photos of the group while you dive! It’s a nice way to get memories of the experience. Most tours in Cabo have a photographer snapping photos of the group but then they try to upsell you on the photos afterwards. This option is so much better!

6. Ride a Camel through the Baja Desert

The Baja Peninsula has truly beautiful scenery: 30 feet high desert cacti right near crashing ocean waves… and there’s no better way to see it all than atop a camel! It’s unexpected, but makes for great memories!

We took a day trip to learn about these adorable camels, who have been rescued from circuses all over Mexico. After a short camel ride from the desert to the beach, they included a Mexican lunch of chicken mole, fresh quesadillas and we even learned how to make traditional corn tortillas!

We capped off our day with a fun tequila tasting of 4 different local tequilas! Note: this tour includes lots of fun activities, but personal camera aren’t allowed near the camels. If you want photos + drone footage of the camel ride, you’ll have to buy their USB.

7. Go Whale Watching

Did you know the Sea of Cortez and Pacific Baja Coast is one of the best places in the world to see whales?

From late December to early April each year, whales migrate to the warm coastal waters to give birth in the shallow lagoons around the Baja Peninsula.

Grey whales are most common, but you can also spot humpback, sperm, blue whales and my favorite – whale sharks!

Whale watching tours are the perfect way to see these magnificent creatures! If you’re lucky, one might breach right near your boat. The tour takes you as close as possible through zodiac boats. Guides teach you all about the whales and their habits on the cruise tour, and even let you hear the whales communicating underwater with their hydrophone listening technology!

8. Taste Local Mexican Wines 

Before our visit, we had no idea Mexican wines tasted so good!

We opted for a wine tasting experience on the beach at Grand Fiesta Americana. The hotel’s on-site spa, SOMMA WineSPA, is one of the few in Mexico to offer wine spa treatments so this is the perfect place to try out local vintages and get a fantastic massage!

When we arrived around 6pm, a semi-circle of chaise chairs had been set facing the ocean, with a giant bonfire lit in the middle. Trained masseuses led us into a grape stomping experience – so fun! We had never done something like that before.

After the grapes had fully detoxed our feet, the masseuse staff gave us incredible foot, calf and head massages that left us utterly relaxed. We toasted to the experience with 3 incredible wine tastings, 2 reds and a white!

9. Sip Mezcal & Tequila

There are tons of Tequila brands in the US but the best, finest tequila isn’t the fancy name brand bottles.

Local Mexican families have been perfecting tequila here for ages so there’s no better place than Mexico to sip authentic, traditional mezcal!

Pancho’s is a popular tequila tasting spot in Cabo San Lucas, but the high end resorts will also offer it as well. We did a phenomenal tasting at Garza Blanca Resort.

Their in-house tequila expert created a tasting of smooth sipping tequilas and also prepared fresh smoothie cocktails as shooters. The fresh fruit and veggie shooters complimented the tequilas and also cleansed our palate between each tasting.

In addition, they explained the manufacturing process and plant origin of each tequila while guiding us through the subtle but complex flavors!

10. Fill Up on Street Tacos

Cabo San Lucas has some great taco spots. After all, it’s the original birthplace of the Baja fish taco!

You can’t skip out on trying these: fresh tortillas, locally caught fish, lots of crunchy cabbage and cilantro plus a healthy dousing of mayo, chipotle sauce and fresh squeezed lime.

The best taco spots are right on the street, from local vendors. Locals recommend Mariscos Torito and Mariscos Las Tres Islas.

Alternatively, you can sit cliff side at El Farallon, the fancy restaurant inside the Resort at Pedregal, for beautiful views. And well… if you really need it, there’s a Taco Bell in downtown too :)

12. Pamper Yourself at the Spa

With so many 5 star resorts, Los Cabos has plenty of 5 star spas to offer every type of imaginable treatment.

With lots of competition, the spa treatments themselves are phenomenal.

You can literally try it all in Los Cabos! Here are just some of the spa experiences offered:

• wine treatment
• hydrotherapy
• private treatment villas with outdoor showers
• treatments using local ingredients
• massages with semiprecious stones
• spiritual spas

14. Day Trip to Todos Santos

If you have about a week to spend in Cabo and want a change of scenery, check out the sleepy colonial town of Todos Santos.

This artsy, new age town is one of Mexico’s best kept secrets and practically the polar opposite of Cabo. Whether you want to take a selfie outside Hotel California, chill at one of the excellent cafes in town, or try some surfing, it’s a great place to recuperate!

For visitors without a car, this all day tour includes an English guide, round trip transportation, a guided city tour and free time to visit local blanket weaving factories and coffee bean roasteries.

15. Visit Charming San Jose del Cabo

San Jose del Cabo is where many of the local Mexicans choose to live.

They prefer this town for its cultural authenticity (which tends to be lacking from Cabo San Lucas’ high end resort strip) and it’s well known for its art scene!

Take a day trip to browse some local art galleries – Galeria Corsica and La Sacristia Art & History are two of the more famous ones. In the winter, Art Walks are held each night and you can pop into little galleries all evening until 9pm!

17. ATV Ride

For our most recent week long visit, some of us tried ATV riding in the desert! It’s a half day tour on giant, semi-automatic ATVs and UTVs.

This adrenaline pumping day trip has you go deep into Baja California’s various terrains so that you can zoom through every type of off road experience: canyon, rocky, hill, beach, stream! You also get to ride through the Los Cabos Canyon Bridge, the largest hanging wood bridge in the world.

The experience includes round trip transportation, a full face helmet and goggles, as well as a training introduction and test circuit ride. Everyone in our group loved the activity ha!

18. Go Golfing

Cabo San Lucas features 7 of the best golf courses in all of Mexico. With multiple layouts, different types of terrain and breathtaking scenery, it’s hard to narrow down just one choice!

There’s Palmilla Golf Club with three courses designed by Jack Nicklaus, Club Campestre San Jose as well as Cabo Real… just to name a few. There are tons of options whether you’re a professional or just a passionate golf enthusiast!

19. Try Flyboarding Into the Air

Looking for a unique watersport?

Cabo San Lucas has some of the most thrilling adventure sports, including flyboarding! Essentially, water jets propel you into the air so you can ‘fly’ above the water.

We haven’t tried this yet but saw some travelers doing it in the marina and it looked SO fun! Tour packages include 30 minutes of lessons and then 30 minutes of fun on the flyboard.

20. Horseback Ride on the Beach

There’s no better way to enjoy beautiful Cabo San Lucas than on a horse! Lots of hotels will have local vendors offering horseback riding along the beach strip.

Or, you can book a tour to horseback ride through Baja’s outback to explore both the desert and the Pacific coast landscapes. From towering cacti, through barren desert and then along crashing waves, a horseback ride is a pretty picturesque way to experience Cabo.

Horses are available for all different ability levels too!

21. Surfing

Surfing is great all year round in Cabo! From November to May, serious waves hit the Pacific coast while from May to November, the Sea of Cortez is peak surf season.

There are 3 main surfing areas in Cabo:

• East Cape
• Corridor
• Todos Santos

We’ve heard Todos Santos has challenging waves so serious surfers should love that area!