Best Day Trips and Excursions from Cabo San Lucas Port

The fun-loving beach town of Cabo San Lucas is found at the southern point of the Baja Peninsula. This is a land of golden sands and cardón cacti, where the Pacific Ocean and Sea of Cortez meet. If you're here for only one day and are in search of a thrill (or the best place to chill), these are the best Cabo day trips.

Key Takeaways: Cabo Day Trips

● You can see nature, have an adventure or experience unbeatable local food and drink on day trips from Cabo San Lucas.

● Top options include boat excursions, ATV trips into the desert and jaunts to explore local towns and cities.

● From charming missions, shops and restaurants in town to majestic rock formations and arid deserts, there's lots to take in near Cabo.

● All these fun day trip destinations are easily accessible when you take a Royal Caribbean cruise to Cabo San Lucas.

1. See Land's End On Boat Trips In Cabo San Lucas

Land's End on Boat Trips in Cabo San Lucas

Jutting from Cabo San Lucas into the sea, you'll find a string of striking rock formations appropriately called Land's End. Under full sunlight, the pinnacles look stark white with dramatic shadows cast on the crags. Come sunrise or sunset, they glow like embers over a shimmering ocean. One of these formations, El Arco de San Lucas, is an impressive geological feat, whittled by wind and sea over thousands of years.

If you're looking for day trip ideas, venture out on a glass-bottom boat tour to admire the surrounding seascape, or sail on board a luxury catamaran to Land's End Cabo with a glass of wine in hand. Many of these Cabo day trips offer a stop at Lover's Beach Cabo, an intimate cove with soft sand begging for a picnic. On the other side, you'll find another beach, cheekily dubbed Divorce Beach, where the waters are notoriously turbulent.

As you head back to the marina, keep an eye out for Cabo's most famous thief. Pancho, a sea lion, has a penchant for stealing the catch of the day. You'll often see him hopping onto the back of fishing boats as they motor in from a day out at sea.

The length of your trip depends on your vessel of choice. A catamaran tour, for instance, is two and a half hours in total, with 45 minutes at sea and time to dine at a beloved restaurant afterward. The clear boat tour to El Arco takes 90 minutes and boards from its own dock, about half a mile (800 meters) from the cruise ship pier.

2. Search For Gentle Giants On A Whale Watching Tour

One of the best things to do in Cabo San Lucas that is sought out by nearly every vacation traveler to the area is to take a local whale watching tour, scanning the waters in search of a flash of gray or a cloud of white sea spray.

A trip out to sea on a whale-watching boat takes two and a half hours and is a chance to take photos of some of nature's most majestic creatures while also enjoying the coastal scenery, including Playa del Amor, Neptune's Finger and El Arco de San Lucas.

This region is a haven for humpback whales, gray whales and occasionally orcas. They migrate from the frigid waters near the Arctic to the warm waters found in the Baja Peninsula to mate and give birth. Spot a pod of bull whales competing among themselves or a mother and her playful calf practicing their fin slaps. Dolphins, rays and sea turtles also frequently make appearances on these Cabo whale-watching tours, making just one day a fulfilling trip.

3. Beach Hop Along Baja's Southern Point

Yes, there's adventure to be had in Cabo San Lucas — but there's plenty of space to relax under the shade of a beach umbrella, too. Medano Beach, the most famous of Cabo beaches, offers its sand and sunshine with a bit of debauchery. You'll find beach vendors selling drinks, food and souvenirs while musicians serenade passersby along the shore.

For a swimmable beach that's a little quieter, head to the nearby Chileno Beach. The bluff-shaded coves of Balconcito and Coral Negro offer a retreat ideal for reading. You can also find similar things to do in Baja California — plus a beach with a snorkel spot just a few fin kicks away!

Both beaches are easily accessible from your ship — just 10 minutes away by car for Medano Beach and just over 20 minutes for Chileno Beach. You can stop by the latter for snorkeling as part of a multi-stop shore tour or simply set aside some unstructured time to relax.

4. Dine And Drink In The Heart Of Cabo

Let your taste buds lead the way! Come hungry to experience the best food in Cabo San Lucasto to sample while on vacation in Baja Mexico, like piping hot tamales stuffed with spiced chicken, called fajadas. The region is also famed for its seafood, with herbed chocolate clams, smoked marlin, fish stew cooked with beans and rice and other tantalizing dishes on the menus of Cabo's best restaurants. For vegan and vegetarian diners, try plant-based twists on classic Mexican dishes at La Rana Vegana.

While the sun's still out, there's always a perfectly chilled drink to enjoy along the waterfront of Medano Beach, Cabo. And if your day trip extends past sunset, the streets of Cabo San Lucas thump with live music hailing from the nightclubs and bars along the main road from the marina.

You can see Cabo as part of a four-hour tour that launches from close to the cruise pier and also includes a guided tour of San Jose del Cabo, one hour along the coast. After the structured part of the tour, you can see Cabo San Lucas on your own schedule and walk the 10 minutes back to the pier.

5. Take A Drive Up To Todos Santos

With only one day in Cabo, it's worth it to make the drive about an hour to the small seaside town of Todos Santos, an icon of Baja's art and surf culture. For decades, surfers have been using the Todos Santos beach as a home base.

Spend a few hours wandering the town, ducking into art galleries and boutiques filled with colorful ceramics, paintings, wooden sculptures and woven goods on display. This is a prime place to pick up a souvenir. The central beach is perfect for throwing down a towel, but if you want to surf, it's best to head to Cerritos. This cookie-crumb beach offers board rentals and surf lessons for newbies.

When you opt for the tour of Todos Santos, the whole experience takes about five hours, drive time included. You get a guided, up-close look at the Jesuit missionaries and lunch at the Hotel California, possibly the place that inspired the Eagles song of the same name. The trip itself is part of the attraction, because the landscapes on your drive from Cabo to Todos Santos are strikingly beautiful.

6. Roam Through The Desert On An Atv Adventure

Cabo San Lucas day trips are magical because of the variety this region has to offer. Start your day on one of Cabo's picturesque beaches and end it in an entirely different kind of landscape as you venture inland to the desert. Feel the rush of wind whipping through your hair, dust settling on your skin and the sun warming your shoulders as you roar along dirt desert trails from an ATV.

This is one of the best Cabo day trips to immerse yourself in the wild, arid scenery. Trails are lined with agaves, palms, wild figs and cardón cacti, the largest cacti in the world. There are tens of other species of cacti in the region as well that bloom with vibrant flowers for a gorgeous springtime sight.

The starting and ending points of the trip are on a ranch near Cabo, and the package includes a tequila tasting if you're 21 years of age or older. The excursion takes three and a half hours and allows you to see parts of the region that would be inaccessible without a rugged vehicle.

7. Explore The Underwater World

While Cabo San Lucas's landscape might seem desolate, its seascape is far from. Get under the water for an experience only tangible on day trips in Mexico. Scuba dive along the reef, exploring oddities like underwater sandfalls, with ribbons of sand that cascade down the crags. Snorkelers won't be bored either — rays, reef sharks, sea turtles, moray eels, crabs, urchins and starfish put on a show from the shallows.

There are multiple ways to get under the water around Cabo. This could mean snorkeling from a catamaran or taking a speedboat out to the clear waters off the Baja Peninsula. These adventures range in duration from three to four hours in total, carrying you out to sea and back.

Other Adventures in and Around Cabo

These seven day-trip experiences are just the beginning when it comes to fun in the Cabo sun. You can also parake in:

● Dolphin Swims and Encounters: There are multiple ways to interact with these intelligent and playful creatures near Cabo, depending on how bold you're feeling. Do you want to pat a dolphin from the shore, or jump right in with them?

● Camel and Horse Rides: If you really want to get into the desert, you can spend your day riding a horse or donkey. Many of these trips include extra attractions like a stop at the beach or a tequila and taco tasting.

● Camel and Horse Rides: If you really want to get into the desert, you can spend your day riding a horse or donkey. Many of these trips include extra attractions like a stop at the beach or a tequila and taco tasting.

● Los Veleros Beach Breaks: If you'd rather spend your day with a cocktail in hand instead of trekking into the desert or out to sea, there's a great option for you: relaxing at a beach club in San Jose Del Cabo, with a two-hour break at an open bar on Los Veleros Beach.

Ready To Sail Away to Cabo?

RELATED ARTICLES