J’s Cabo San Lucas Visitor’s Guide

I’ve been going to Cabo San Lucas with my best friend every year since 2012. While I’m not sure I would consider myself a travel expert, I’ve learned a few things over the years and often friends and family ask me for advice. After tiring of writing and rewriting emails of my various vacation notes I decided I should share this advice with everyone here.

Getting There

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SJD Airport

Arrival and Immigration

SJD airport does not have traditional jetways so instead you will walk down the portable stairway and depending on where your plane parked you will either take a bus for about 1/4 mile to the terminal or simply walk to the terminal. Once inside you will go through immigration where you will be required to turn in your customs declaration and entry registration forms. The flight attendants will give you these forms on the plane but they never provide anything to fill them out with so bring a pen on the plane with you so you can have them filled out before you land. The entry registration (FMM migration form) can be split into two and you must fill out both parts of the form. The immigration agent will keep the top part, and stamp the bottom part, which you must keep and give to the airline when departing from Mexico. I recommend you keep this tucked into your passport.

After immigration you will enter a room with several luggage beltways. Once you have your luggage head towards the only exit to meet your ride.

In the hallway before the exit will be many people trying to sell transportation and activities. Many websites will try and scare you and tell you these salesmen are aggressive, but I don’t recall a single one of them ever approaching me. Just ignore them because you read this guide and therefore have already made arrangements for transportation.

If you happen to get delayed on your way out of Cabo there is a Priority Pass airport lounge in both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 with free drinks and wifi. American Express Platinum and Chase Sapphire Reserve credit cards get you free Priority Pass membership, but you must have signed up for Priority Pass in advance. Depending on your Priority Pass membership you may be charged $27 for additional guests.

Airport Transportation

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Taxi

I’ve never taken a taxi to or from the airport, so I’m no help here. In town taxis are readily available and they seem to have a rate card instead of meters. Within the Cabo San Lucas hotel zone nearly every ride seems to be $9 (they want to make sure they get that $1 tip). If you leave the hotel zone prices seem to get go up quickly. I believe I once paid about $30 to go from the Medano Beach area to Sunset Mona Lisa.

Shared Shuttle

You could book a shared airport shuttle for around $13–25/person (depending on where your hotel is) but at this point you will be excited to get your vacation started and if you are staying down in Cabo San Lucas the shuttle will make several (very annoying) stops to drop off other passengers first. Therefore, if you are not renting a car I suggest you take a private car.

Private Car

A private Suburban from Hostransfer will cost $150.00 round trip (I also tip $20 each way) and will get you a very nice air conditioned private ride from and to the airport for up to six people. The big advantage here is that your driver will stop and wait while you get groceries and supplies.

Another great advantage of a private car over the shared shuttle is that on your way out of town the shared shuttle often wants to pick you up at least 4 hours before your flight since you will have to make all the same extra stops to pick up others on your way to the airport.

Rental Car

Driving in Mexico is not as scary as one might think, especially if you avoid the dense areas of “downtown” Cabo San Lucas, and if you want the ability to get away from the hotel you shouldn’t hesitate to rent a car for your trip. Most hotels do not charge you to park overnight but you may want to ask and you may want to be prepared to tip the valets if they handle the parking at your hotel.

The Yelp reviews of most car rental companies in Cabo are awful and my experience with one of the big US chains matched the awful reviews. The price I ended up paying was double what the reservation I booked online said it would be. Much of the price difference was because I chose to add liability coverage since my US auto insurance provided no coverage in Mexico. (Many higher-end credit cards such as American Express Platinum, Chase Sapphire Reserve, and even the Citi Costco Anywhere Visa include damage coverage, but not liability, when you decline the rental company’s collision loss/damage insurance.)

There are a few toll roads around Cabo, including the main route between the airport and Cabo San Lucas, so be prepared to pay the ~$3 toll. The toll takers will accept pesos or US dollars.

Paying For Things

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I have not run in to any places in Mexico that do not accept US dollars so there is no need to convert any money to pesos. That said, any time you pay in US dollars you need to be aware of what the exchange rate at that place of business is. Many will have it posted and it is usually 20–25% worse than the official exchange rate. For example on a 2016 trip the exchange rate was about 21:1 but many businesses had posted that their rate was 17:1.

To combat this I suggest you get a credit card with no foreign exchange fees as the credit card companies always give you really good rates close to the official excghange rate. When paying with credit card most vendors will ask you if you want to pay in dollars or pesos. Always use your no-foreign-exchange-fee credit card and pay in pesos.

You will not need much cash except for taxis, water taxis, street vendors, and tips, but you should have plenty as some places such as EcoCat snorkeling tour offer steep discounts for cash.

Groceries and Supplies

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If your hotel allows you to bring food/drink (ME Cabo only allows it if you are a timeshare guest, but not for hotel guests) you will want to stop at La Comer (formerly Mega) in either San José del Cabo or Cabo San Lucas, Costco, or Walmart. All three stores sell alchohol and beer as well as food and other items. La Comer is very much like a Walmart, whereas the Costco is just like Costco in the US—meaning large portions and less selection. Your US Costco membership is valid in Mexico.

Where to Stay

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I prefer to be in the Medano Beach area because I like to be walking distance to all the bars, restaurants and shops in town as well as the marina area. I have never stayed in San José del Cabo.

The Medano Beach area is the most popular area in which to stay.

Cell Coverage

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In all of my visits to date I have not had an International cell phone plan. If this is the case you should put your phone in airplane mode and then re-enable wifi or follow one of the many guides to avoiding international romaing charges.

As of 2017 Verizon offered a “Beyond Unlimited” plan that included talk, text, and data in Mexico and Canada so I plan to utilize that on my next trip.

Activities

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With all of these activities it is best to try and plan at least a day in advance because for some they may sell out. If you are unable to book online (or not booking online in order to get a cash discount) I suggest calling because although every place will answer your email it is my experience that many of them only check email once a day. All the major resorts will have a concierge who will be happy to help you book. They won’t charge you any extra fee, but they will expect a small tip.

The residents and workers in Cabo San Lucas seem to be very big on tipping—even the grocery bagger will expect a tip (although I never give him/her one). I’ve listed my suggested tips with these activities based on what I’ve given in the past and the reaction it got and the “per person” means per person in your group, not per worker involved in your experience. These are based on my having had a great experience so feel free to adjust based on your experience and budget.

Snorkleling

I’ve snorkled in both Santa Maria Bay in Cabo San Lucas and Cabo Pulmo. The snorkeling in Cabo Pulmo is worth the extra effort but you won’t be disappointed in Santa Maria Bay.

What to Bring to Cabo

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Clothing

I find that I mostly wear swim trunks, shorts, short sleeved button-up shirts, and both short and long sleeved T-shirts. The long sleeved T-shirts are great for days where you will be in the sun a lot especially if you go snorkeling or on an ATV tour. It doesn’t hurt to bring a pair of jeans or pants, but you will most likely find that you end up not needing them.

Shoes

• Flip Flops
• Another pair you don’t mind walking in (It’s about a 1 mile walk from Medano Beach hotels to town)
• Old tennis shoes if you are going to take an ATV tour

Sunscreen

In my experience one spray can is good for two people for two days. If you do not bring enough sunscreen with you expect to pay about $10 per can at Walmart for spray on or double that at the resorts.

If you are planning to go snorkeling be sure to bring some biodegradable sunscreen as some places such as Cabo Pulmo require it.

Other Items I Have Found Useful

• Lemon/lime juicer You are going to make your own maragaritas, aren’t you?
• UV tubular headwear (sometimes called a buff or neck gaiter)
• Dramamine
• Bourbon or scotch (the choices down there range from slim to none)
• Snorkel gear as recommended by The Wirecutter
• Waterproof/Dustproof phone case
• Backpack

Where To Eat

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Restaurants I Haven’t Been To… Yet

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