Making the most of Cabo San Lucas
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
Ships anchor offshore beside the famous arches and tender passengers to the marina, which is a pleasant 10-minute waterfront walk to the heart of Cabo San Lucas. If it is hot you might want to take a taxi.
Studies are under way for the possible construction of a cruise ship dock.
Cabo San Lucas is located approximately 29 miles (48km) southeast of the Los Cabos Airport.
At the tip of Mexico's 1,000-mile long Baja California peninsula Cabo San Lucas & San Jose del Cabo is one of the destinations with a perfect combination of great weather, exotic and spectacular scenery.
Cabo San Lucas, with its large marina and beautiful bay where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific Ocean, is famous for its casual atmosphere and exciting nightlife. Long a favorite for anglers out to land the big one, Cabo San Lucas also has great beaches, lots of shopping and restaurants, and a variety of hotels and resorts for any budget. CS Lucas is also known for its famous stone arch, called El Arco, a magnificent natural rock formation at Land's End. Cabo San Lucas' long sandy main beach, El Medano, is the place for swimming and water sports, with lots of fun restaurants in the sand, golf and postcard perfect views. A popular Cruise…
Getting around
A car is certainly not essential in Cabo, but if you want to explore the area (rather than stroll the Marina district and/or take a water taxi to Medano) a car is a good option. Depending how long you will be in port.
You can also take a water taxi to the arches or the short trip from the marina to Medano Beach.
Take a tour boat to a snorkeling beach (there are dozens of them right at the tender drop off area)
The Pez Gato Whale Watch tour is also a popular excursion.
Nearby places
A fun and affordable way to see the underwater world, that's also great for families is on a glass bottom boat ride out to the arch in Cabo San Lucas Bay. You'll marvel at the amazing variety of fish, bird, and marine life and visit the sea lion colony near Pelican Rock. Snorkel tours depart daily from the Cabo San Lucas marina to Santa Maria or Chileno bays in the Tourist Corridor. These popular excursions are suitable for all ages, and snorkeling is easy to master, even for beginners. These three to four-hour tours combine cruising, snorkeling, and lots of fun with gear and instruction, beverages and snacks, and plenty of good times. Boats…
Food and shopping
When you get off the tender, to your left is a flea market, to your right is the boardwalk. You can walk along & there are places to eat.
When you exit the dock, walk to your right toward the big hotel that is at the end of the marina. You will see a wide opening with a structure that resembles a lighthouse. Go through that opening and you will be on the main street with lots of shops.
Money
The currency of Mexico is the peso (MXN). The symbol for pesos is the same as for US dollars, which can be slightly confusing. Prices in dollars (in tourist areas) are labeled "US$" or sport an S with a double stroke. There is about 17 peso to 1US$.
As US dollars are widely accepted in Cabo San Lucas, you don't have to change your dollars into pesos. If you're using dollars alone, make sure to bring smaller denominations to pay for incidentals and taxi rides.
Credit cards are not as widely accepted as in Europe or the USA. Some companies make an extra charge of around 5% on such transactions.
Staying connected
There are a number of cafes which offer free WiFi for customers and Wi-Fi hotspots to be found in Cabo San Lucas.
Opening Hours and
Mon-Sun 1000/1100-2000/2200 (big towns and cities); Mon-Fri 0900-1400/1600 (rest of the country).