There are so many wonderful beaches in Cabo San Lucas on both the Pacific and Sea of Cortez. We have listed a few of our favorites:
Playa Santa Maria
Bahía Santa María is a beautiful protected cove with a horseshoe shaped beach that has lovely pink sand located just east of Km. 12 on the highway. There are no facilities available other than a dirt parking lot and a few beach vendors so bring what you need with you. This is a popular spot for the organized snorkeling tours because of the prolific tropical fish that thrive in this marine preserve. You are likely to see large shoals of many different species. Mornings are usually best for optimal visibility if you wish to go snorkeling. You will need to take your own gear but bear in mind that there is a walk from the parking lot to the beach so don’t take any unnecessary gear that will weigh you down. This is a great beach for families with children.
Playa Chileno/Chileno Beach
At Km. 14 on the corridor, Playa Chileno is great for families, snorkelers and divers and one of the few beaches with restrooms and other facilities. Facilities include shade palms & palapas, restrooms, equipment rentals, and the diveshop also sells cold soft drinks and bottled water. It is a wide, fairly flat beach and has fairly safe swimming. Snorkeling is best in the morning and there is a reef. To find Chileno, look for the dive flag at the edge of the highway that marks the parking entrance.
Playa El Médano/Medano Beach
Medano Beach is by far the most well know beach in Cabo with many of the large resorts located along the 2 mile strip of flat beach. Médano Beach is on the A lot of hotels are located along this 2 mile beach. Expect to find beach restaurants and bars, lots of activities and plenty of vendors trying to sell you their wares. If you are looking to party, be active and have a good time, Medano Beach is your place. Medano is on the Sea of Cortez and is a safe swimming beach as well as offering a number of water activities jet skiing, kayaking, waterskiing, banana boating and parasailing. The one downside of the popularity of Medano and it’s proximity to town is that it is a favorite location of the vendors selling everything from silver jewelry and beach wraps to chicklets, blankets, sombreros, temporary tattoos and hair braiding. Médano is party central with many of the bars offering all-day happy hours. The typical spots to grab a Corona and people watch are The Office, Mango Deck, Billygan’s Island, and Las Palmas.
Playa del Amor/Lover’s Beach
Located on the Sea of Cortez side at Land’s End, this beach can only be reached by water taxi. There’s great snorkeling and it’s one of those Cabo must-dos. The easiest way to get to Lover’s Beach is to hire a water taxi at the marina. A typical water taxi captain will take you on a tour of the the areas around the arch (El Arco) and to the tip where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific Ocean. There are no restrooms or other amenities so be sure to bring your own beverages and food. There is good snorkeling but you will need to have your own snorkeling equipment. There are beautiful rock formations and you can walk across to the Pacific side to Divorce Beach. Do not swim off Divorce Beach – here are big crashing waves, strong currents and riptides. Enjoy the scenery, do some sunbathing and then head back to Lover’s Beach to swim.
Playa Palmilla
East of the One and Only Palmilla, this beach has very calm swimming water in a tranquil bay. Perfect for swimming, paddling and snorkeling. There is a dive shop where you can rent snorkeling and diving equipment. Follow the signs to Hotel Palmilla at Km. 27. The entrance to the beach is just before Pepe’s Restaurant.
