Cabo Travel Guide (2026): San José del Cabo, Cabo San Lucas & the East Cape
This guide focuses on San José del Cabo, the cultural heart of Los Cabos, while also covering highlights of Cabo San Lucas and the East Cape.
Los Cabos covers three very different experiences within an hour's drive of each other. San José del Cabo is our personal favorite — a genuine Mexican colonial town with cobblestone streets, serious restaurants, and a pace that has nothing to do with the party reputation Cabo carries. Cabo San Lucas is the opposite: loud, touristy, fun in specific doses. The East Cape is what Cabo was before it became Cabo — remote, windswept, and genuinely wild. Here's the guide to all three.
San José del Cabo
San José is the cultural heart of Los Cabos and the part most visitors underestimate. The historic art district, the estuary, the farm-to-table restaurant scene, and the Mission dating back to 1730 make it a legitimate destination rather than just the quieter alternative to Cabo San Lucas.
Things to Do
The Art Walk — Runs Thursday evenings from November through June through the historic art district. Galleries open their doors, wine pours freely, and the cobblestone streets fill up with a genuinely good mix of locals and visitors. Patricia Mendoza and Frank Arnold Gallery are both worth prioritizing. The best free evening in San José.
Plaza Mijares and the Mission — The historic Mission San José del Cabo dates to 1730. The main plaza surrounding it is the social center of the town — live music, street food, families out in the evening. Worth an hour at any time of day.
Estero San José — A freshwater estuary and bird sanctuary at the edge of town. Herons, egrets, and crocodiles in the same frame. Worth a morning walk or kayak tour for anyone who wants a break from the beach.
Beaches and surfing — San José's beaches are not uniformly swimmable — the surf and current make most of them inadvisable for casual swimming. Playa Costa Azul is the top surfing spot with lessons available at Zipper's for beginners. Palmilla Beach, near the One & Only resort, is one of the few genuinely swimmable stretches in the Corridor.
Where to Stay
Infinity Pool at One and Only Palmilla
One & Only Palmilla — Our favorite place to stay in all of Los Cabos. Directly on one of the only swimmable beaches in the Corridor, with exceptional service, a genuine kids' club, and the best family resort infrastructure in Cabo. Read our full review.
Chileno Bay Resort
Chileno Bay Resort — On another swimmable stretch of the Corridor with excellent dining at Comal — one of the best meals we had in Cabo. Read our full review.
Drift Hotel — Downtown San José, not on the beach, and significantly more affordable than the Corridor resorts because of it. Funky atmosphere, great location for walking to galleries and restaurants, and a good mezcal bar downstairs. The right choice if you want to be in town rather than at a resort.
Where to Eat in San Jose
Beautiful setting at Comal in Chileno Bay Resort
Comal at Chileno Bay — Oceanfront modern Mexican cooking with one of the best settings in Cabo. One of the best meals of our entire trip. Book well ahead.
Jazamango — Chef Javier Plascencia's Baja Med cooking with fresh local ingredients and a beautiful outdoor setting. One of the most acclaimed restaurants in Los Cabos and consistently delivers.
Acre Baja — A beautiful farm setting with creative cocktails and dishes that match the atmosphere. Worth going for drinks alone if dinner doesn't work out.
Flora Farms — Another farm-to-table option set on a working farm. The setting is extraordinary — one of the most distinctive dining environments in Cabo.
La Lupita Taco & Mezcal — Gourmet tacos with an extensive mezcal list. Better than the name suggests and one of the better casual dinners in San José.
El Marinero Borracho — Good seafood and Baja-style tacos in a relaxed setting.
Taquería Rossy — Famous for shrimp and fish tacos. The local go-to, no frills, exactly right.
Cocktail Bars
Drift San José — Hip mezcal bar with a laid-back vibe. Worth a stop regardless of whether you're staying at the hotel.
Rooftop at Viceroy — Ocean views and well-made cocktails. The best rooftop bar in the Corridor.
Chartering a boat is one of the best ways to spend the day
Cabo San Lucas
More touristy than San José — significantly more — but worth knowing about for specific activities that the Corridor and East Cape don't offer.
Top Activities
El Arco and Land's End — The famous rock arch at the tip of the Baja Peninsula, where the Pacific meets the Sea of Cortez. Take a boat tour — Lover's Beach is accessible only by water and worth the trip. The arch itself is more impressive from the water than from shore.
Medano Beach — The best swimmable beach in Cabo San Lucas, with beach clubs running the length of it. Mango Deck and The Office are the most established options. Good for a full beach day if you're based in Cabo San Lucas rather than the Corridor.
Sport fishing — World-class marlin, tuna, and dorado fishing. Charter boats depart from the marina daily. One of the legitimate reasons to choose Cabo San Lucas over other Mexico destinations.
Whale watching (December–April) — Humpback and gray whales migrate through the waters off Cabo in winter. Multiple operators run tours from the marina. Worth timing a trip around if you can.
Sunset sailing — Catamaran tours depart at sunset with drinks included. One of the more reliably enjoyable touristy activities in Cabo San Lucas.
Where to Eat in Cabo San Lucas
Edith's — The most established fine dining option near Medano Beach. Traditional Mexican cooking done at a high level. Worth a reservation for a special dinner.
The Office — Beachfront breakfast and lunch directly on Medano Beach. Feet in the sand, good food, the quintessential Cabo San Lucas daytime experience.
The East Cape
The most underwritten part of Los Cabos and the part we love most after San José. An hour north of San José on increasingly rough roads, the East Cape is what the whole peninsula looked like before development arrived — rugged, wind-battered, completely beautiful.
Surfing the East Cape
Top Activities
Surf at Nine Palms and Shipwrecks — Remote surf spots with world-class waves and almost nobody on them. The drive is part of the experience.
Cabo Pulmo National Park — A UNESCO-listed marine reserve with some of the most biodiverse coral reef in the Pacific. Whale sharks, sea turtles, and reef fish in abundance. One of the best snorkeling and diving experiences in Mexico.
Where to Stay
There are no large resorts on the East Cape itself. Farther north at Costa Palmas there is a Four Seasons worth knowing about if you want resort infrastructure with East Cape proximity. For the East Cape experience proper, renting a house is the right move — the Villa by James Perse through The Villas Collection is our recommendation.
Lateral La Fortuna Taco stand in the East Cape
Where to Eat
Zai Sushi Surf Bar — Excellent sushi in a beautiful open-air setting overlooking a surf break. Genuinely good food in a location you'd go to even if the food were mediocre.
Lateral La Fortuna — A taco stand directly on the beach. The kind of place you find by accident and remember for years.
Chapel at One and Only Palmilla
Practical Notes
Getting around: Renting a car is essential for the East Cape and useful throughout Los Cabos. Taxis are expensive for longer trips. Uber is available and significantly cheaper — worth knowing that while it's possible to get an Uber from the airport, it's technically illegal and drivers can be stopped. Most visitors use the official taxi queue from the airport and Uber everywhere else.
Currency: Pesos preferred everywhere. USD widely accepted at resorts and tourist-facing businesses.
Swimmable beaches: This matters more in Cabo than anywhere else in Mexico. The Pacific side is largely not swimmable due to surf and current. Palmilla Beach and Chileno Bay on the Corridor are the most reliably calm options. Medano Beach in Cabo San Lucas is the most accessible swimmable option.
When to Visit
November through May is the best window — mild, dry, and the most reliably good weather. December through April also brings whale watching season. June through October is hotter and more humid with hurricane risk, though actual storms are relatively rare. The Corridor resorts operate year-round; some East Cape operations are seasonal.
FAQs About Los Cabos
Is San José del Cabo or Cabo San Lucas better? For most travelers — and for us — San José. Better food, more authentic character, quieter pace. Cabo San Lucas wins on nightlife, sport fishing, and El Arco. They're 30 minutes apart so most visitors see both.
What is the best resort in Cabo for families? One & Only Palmilla — swimmable beach, exceptional kids' club, best service in the Corridor. Read our full review.
Are the beaches in Cabo swimmable? Not all of them. Palmilla Beach and Chileno Bay are the best swimmable options in the Corridor. Medano Beach in Cabo San Lucas is the most accessible. Most Pacific-facing beaches have surf and current that makes swimming inadvisable.
Do I need a car in Cabo? For the Corridor and San José, taxis and Uber cover most needs. For the East Cape, a car is essential.