Richelle Hofer

In 2015 my husband and I went to Cabo for the first time. In the last 8 years we’ve been back 4 more times. We LOVE Cabo. It feels like our home away from home.

We go to Cabo for the beautiful weather, the stunning landscape and the fantastic Mexican hospitality.

If you haven’t been to Cabo yet, I highly recommend that you put it on your bucket list. If you’re planning a trip, here are a few things to consider before you go.

Planning Your First Trip to Cabo

GEOGRAPHY

Los Cabos, Cabo San Lucas, San Jose del Cabo

Los Cabos literally means “The Cabos”. San Jose and San Lucas are the two cities that make up Los Cabos. San Lucas is at the very Southern tip of the Baja Peninsula. San Jose is about 35 minutes northeast of San Lucas (just up the coast).

People who vacation in Cabo typically stay in one of three general geographic areas – San Lucas, San Jose, or the corridor between the two cities. Each one of these places has it’s own “personality” so where you stay will have something to do with the kind of experience you’re looking for.

SAN LUCAS – Cabo San Lucas is perhaps the most popular vacation destination. It is home of the famous “Arch” or “Lands End Rock” (which is a must-see regardless of where you choose to stay). There are a LOT of resorts in San Lucas and cruise ships dock here at the marina regularly. Last week we saw 3 cruise ships docked on the same day… that’s somewhere around 10,000 tourists wondering the streets from cruise ships alone. San Lucas is busy and more of a party/Spring Break-type atmosphere. If you’re staying in San Lucas you’ll have about a 50 minute ride from the airport.

SAN JOSE – Between the two Cabos, San Jose is my favorite. If it wasn’t for Lands End, I probably wouldn’t bother going in to San Lucas any more. San Jose has an AWESOME downtown. It feels a bit more family friendly and definitely more upscale. If you’re staying in San Jose, you’ll have about a 20 minute ride from the airport.

THE CORRIDOR – We stay in The Corridor at the Grand Fiesta Americana. There has been a lot of construction and new resorts in The Corridor over the 8 years that we’ve been visiting Cabo, but it’s still the slowest pace of the three locations. The resorts on The Corridor typically have quite a large “foot print” and GREAT views. They are not packed in one on top of the other like they are in some places in the cities. If you’re staying in the Corridor, expect about a 35 minute drive from the airport.

Know Before You Go

AIRPORT

The Los Cabos International Airport – Typically you will arrive in Cabo via the The Cabos International Airport (SJD). The airport has recently been through a remodel and expansion. It is really modern, well organized and they move people through customs pretty quickly.

There are bathrooms in the airport right by customs so don’t panic and think you need to use the airplane lavatory before you deplane.

The airport is located about 20 minutes north of San Jose. No matter where you’re staying in the Cabos expect a little drive to your hotel. You will definitely want to arrange for transportation ahead of time. We usually use TransCabo.

Transportation from the airport – Once you are off the plane and through customs you’ll think you are home-free. You will exit the customs area into a hallway that leads outside. This is where all of your timeshare salesman will be… DO NOT STOP. Keep your eyes straight ahead and just walk outside. They are so tricky… they act helpful and say things like “We have three exits, which transfer company are you looking for” – but when you answer you will be redirected to their timeshare people. Don’t fall for it. I’m telling you, they are sneaky. JUST KEEP WALKING UNTIL YOU ARE OUTSIDE.

Once you are outside you will see some tiki bars on your left and right (grab a drink, but be prepared to pay $15-$20). Straight ahead you will see a covered area with numbers hanging down. Your transportation company (we usually use TransCabo) will have provided you with the number where they are located.

Warning: it’s crowded and it feels chaotic. Don’t worry. This will be your first experience with Mexican hospitality. As long as you can find the right “dock” number, you will get taken care of. It’s not hard, but it can feel overwhelming. I think there are only like 10 docks so just take a deep breath and find your spot.

Pro Tip: There are no open container laws in Cabo so don’t feel like you need to hurry to drink your drink, you can take it with you (and you might need one if you’re not used to Mexican driving! HA!)

EXCURSIONS

There are basically three ways to book excursions: online in-advance, in person at the marina (Cabo San Lucas) and with a representative at your resort. In my experience, the best place to book excursions is at your resort.

The representative there will obviously understand the logistics of the area and the tour companies that they represent. They will usually arrange for your transportation and tell you exactly where to meet your driver, etc.

Over the years we have done many excursions with many different tour companies – some have been great, some have been so-so, but in 5 trips to Cabo I have never been completely disappointed with anything that I’ve done.

That said, here are my family’s favorite excursions

1. Cactus Tours ATV Adventure – when you book this excursion it will likely be for traditional ATV’s. When you arrive at the clubhouse they will try to sell you an upgrade: TAKE IT! It will be between $180 and $280 per vehicle but it will be worth it! What separates this tour from other ATV tours we’ve been on is that you won’t only ride in the desert. You can ride on the beach right along the Pacific Ocean. The views are spectacular!!!! You can’t take your phones or cameras with you unless you have a handsfree camera (like a GoPro). There is a photographer that rides along and takes photographs for you and they are available to buy in the gift shop after the tour. Cactus Tours is about 30 minutes Northwest of San Lucas (opposite direction of San Jose) so be prepared for a little drive.
2. PezGato Whale Watching – if you’re visiting Cabo in the months of December-February, taking a whale watching tour is an absolute must. The whales migrate from Alaska during the winter and they are very active. If your resort is right on the beach (most are) then you’ll likely be able to see some right from your resort… just watch the coastline for a spray of water shooting up out of the water, then keep your eyes in that general area – you’re likely to see a whale tale. Out on the boat, if you’re lucky, you may even see a full breach. The photos below are from a whale watching tour we did several years ago. We’ve never gotten quite this lucky again, but even if you don’t see any whales close up, the scenery is awesome. Hear me on this, though: not all whale watching tours are created equal. You can do a whale watching tour in a blow up raft, party boat, small glass bottom boat, etc. We have used PezGato for whale watching and snorkeling and it’s always a good time. We feel safe and entertained. You can take a look at their boat fleet here
3. Caborey Dinner Cruise – If you’re looking for great food, this is not necessarily the cruise for you. The food is just “ok”, but the atmosphere and the entertainment is awesome. You will head out on the ocean (past the Arch) where you have breathtaking sunset views. After supper you have a great mix of Mexican entertainment – dancers, etc.
4. San Jose del Cabo – no matter where you stay, you MUST go to San Jose at some point. Thursdays evenings there is an ArtWalk. It’s REALLY cool, but it’s also VERY popular so it will be crowded. We HIGHLY recommend the restaurant “La Dolce” – it might sound weird, but it’s an Italian Restaurant and it is AWESOME.

My advice is don’t book more than one excursion per day and leave yourself plenty of time to take in the landscape. The waves crashing into the rocks, the fresh ocean air… I’ll never get tired of it.

MONEY: There is no need to worry about getting Mexican pesos… you can use US Dollars pretty much everywhere you go. That’s much easier for me than trying to figure out the dollar to peso ratio. Most everywhere (restaurants, reputable tour companies, etc.) takes credit cards so just let your credit card company know in advance that you’ll be there.

COMING HOME: When you leave Cabo, know this: the airport is usually CRAZY busy. When you arrive at the airport, use a kiosk to check in and print your luggage tag. Mexico does not require you to take off your shoes when going through security.

If you’re planning to eat at the airport expect LONG lines. There are ordering kiosks in the food court that let you order your food and I HIGHLY recommend doing this vs standing in line at the restaurant to order. The kiosks are easy to use and your food is ready in minutes.

If you are departing from a lower level gate (1-10, I believe) they will load you first on to busses that then drive you out to your plane. You will have to climb a roll-up staircase to board the plane. There is really no assistance and no alternative way to board – this is important to know if you’re traveling with someone who is unable to climb steps.

I could talk about Cabo all day and there are so many more adventures I could recommend to you. If you want more information feel free to email me at richelle.hofer@outlook.com ADIÓS!