The 10 Best Outdoor Activities in Los Cabos

Land’s End (El Arco) is where the tan hues of the Baja desert sands bleed into the blues of the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez. A geological marvel perched at the tip of Cabo San Lucas, these jagged sculptures were carved into existence by the tempestuous winds and waves of the Baja Peninsula. Sea legs are required to make the pilgrimage to this edge-of-the-world spot as it can’t be reached on foot, and sunset is the very best time for the journey.

Don’t miss a boat trip to admire this rocky marvel—where sea lions can often be seen preening and posing—as well as Lover’s Beach (Playa del Amor) and the more tumultuously titled Divorce Beach (Playa del Divorcio), two sandy stretches named to echo the drama of relationships. To secure your chariot to Land’s End, hail a water taxi from the marina in Cabo San Lucas, book a guided tour, or arrange a boat with your hotel. Alternatively, Caborey is one of Los Cabo’s top sunset dinner cruises with live entertainment and unlimited cocktails on a triple-deck catamaran.

In downtown San José del Cabo, you’ll find a burgeoning scene that’s shaping up to be the cultural heartbeat of Los Cabos: the Gallery District. It brims with high-end art from local and international talents, with 14 major galleries banding together to foster a creative community vibe. Every Thursday during the October to June tourist high season, everyone from casual visitors to art connoisseurs is invited to meet and mingle with the artists over wine and the dulcet tones of live music during the weekly Art Walk from 5 to 9 pm. Anyone seeking a breezy, leisurely evening stroll in the pedestrian-friendly town center will find the Art Walk delightful. In the vicinity are celebrated local eateries like La Lupita Taco & Mezcal and Agave Kitchen for a post-gallery meal.

Wild Canyon is an adrenaline junkie’s wonderland with a smorgasbord of spine-tingling pursuits like bungee jumping, swinging on a giant gondola 300 feet above the ground, and zip-lining on some of the longest ziplines Baja California has to offer. For the more sedate adventurer, a gentler-paced camel ride or a non-guided tour of the on-site animal sanctuary may appeal.

This adventure park can be found close to Playa El Tule in the Tourist Corridor, a 20-mile highway stretch that stitches the cape cities of Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo together. Get the Wild Canyon Ultimate Pass to enjoy unlimited ziplining, horse and camel rides, rock climbing, UTV or ATV rides, and other exhilarating activities on wheels.

Year-round, the waters around Cabo are filled with formidable opponents for anglers who seek acrobatic sailfish, elusive tuna, and prized marlins in their varying hues. The pinnacle of fishing contests, Bisbee’s Black & Blue, descends upon Cabo each October, offering sport fishers a chance at glory—and cold hard cash—in what is dubbed the “Super Bowl of Sport Fishing.” Checks for more than $1 million have been handed out to those managing to reel in trophy fish during the contest.

If you have more humble aspirations and simply wish to spend glorious days out on the water rod in hand, make inquiries with  Blue Sky Cabo, Boats Baja Sportfishing Charters, Cabo San Lucas Charters, Cabo Magic Sportfishing, or Baja Awesome Sportfishing for all your angling needs.

Playa Médano has it all: epic eats, a lively atmosphere, and heart-snatching views of El Arco. It’s the most popular of all of Cabo’s beaches and the go-to destination for toes-in-the-sand merrymaking with live music often thrown in for good measure.  Mango Deck is a legendary beachfront cantina where one may leave their flip-flops and inhibitions behind. It’s known to magnetize thirsty spring breakers with its bucket deals, competitions, and Mexican grub. The Office on the Beach is a Cabo institution where you probably won’t get much work done. This bright and buzzy sandy establishment serves up good times along with delectable surf and turf meals seven days a week. Other noteworthy shoreline hangouts on Playa Médano are The Sand Bar, Tabasco Beach, Cascadas Beach Grill, and The Hungry Shark.

From humpbacks to gray whales, a variety of whale species navigate to The Capes region annually, making whale spotting a highly sought-after, mildly obligatory activity. The optimal period for observing these gentle giants is from December to April, with the first three months of the year being especially favorable for sightings of newborns. Organized tours are readily available, and they take place throughout the day and typically last two and a half hours. Early mornings are more tranquil, with fewer boats plying the waters, while the afternoon tours have the highest likelihood of spotting these enormous cetaceans.

Enhance your whale-watching experience by opting for companies like  Whale Watch Cabo or CaboTrek, which integrate the knowledge and commentary of marine biologists and also drop hydrophones into the water for you to eavesdrop on the enchanting melodies of the whales’ underwater communications.

Once on the verge of ecological collapse due to rampant overfishing, Cabo Pulmo is a remarkable example of marine conservation success. Concerted local and governmental preservation efforts in the mid-1990s helped transform it into a bonafide biodiversity hotspot that now has crystal clear water and the densest marine life in the Sea of Cortez. Recognizing its ecological importance, UNESCO designated it as a World Heritage Site in 2005. Divers and snorkelers can explore this successfully revived ocean habitat to meet dolphins, sea turtles, rays, eels, groupers, and even whale sharks. Book undersea tours and rent gear from Freediving Cabo Pulmo, Dive Cabo Pulmo, or Cardon Diving Cabo Pulmo, and don’t forget to bring biodegradable sunscreen.

It may come as a surprise to some that fewer than 50 percent of the beaches in Los Cabos are swimmable. This is due to rip currents, powerful waves, and steep drop-offs. Additionally, many beaches aren’t lifeguarded, leaving beachgoers to rely on a flag warning system—green means go, yellow suggests caution is needed, while red indicates imminent danger. Black means the entire beach is unsafe.

In Cabo San Lucas, you can wade without worry at Playa Médano or Playa Empacadora (Cannery Beach), and in San José del Cabo, you are welcome to jump into the water at Playa Acapulquito (AKA Old Man’s Beach) and Costa Azul. Along the Tourist Corridor, safe swimming spots are Chileno Beach, Palmilla, El Tule, Cabo Bello, Cabo del Sol, Cabo Real, El Bledito, Las Viudas, Tequila Cove, and Santa Maria Bay, a protected marine sanctuary that’s been awarded a Blue Flag eco-certification.

G-Force Adventures in Cabo San Lucas bills itself as a one-stop shop for thrill-seekers, chill-seekers, and cultural enthusiasts alike, with an eclectic array of tours from canyon ziplines and art walks to snorkeling trips, jazz-filled wine cruises, and Mexican dinner experiences. ATV and UTV tours can be combined with camel safaris or horse rides, and racing cables and Tarzan swings are available when ziplining. All experiences last between two and five hours, and tickets include round-trip transportation from hotels in Cabo San Lucas, San José del Cabo, and the Tourist Corridor.

When embarking on UTV and ATV tours, opt for comfort and utility with attire that is suitable for the inevitable dust and splatter when riding through the stark and stunning terrain of the Baja Peninsula.

Los Cabos boasts a collection of golf courses that stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the best in the world, having swung their way onto Golf Digest’s prestigious list of the World’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses. This includes Querencia, Quivira, and Diamante where names like Tiger Woods and Davis Love III helped shape the terrain just as they shaped the sport.

Some courses are exclusive members-only sanctuaries, while others open their tees to those staying at select resorts. Green fees can be exorbitant in this neck of the woods, but the courses are masterpieces of natural contrast with plenty of visual rewards: cinematic seaside cliffs and desert landscapes, lush tropical greenery, and, perchance, catching sight of whales breaching just beyond the shore as you line up your putt.