01 — Explore · Travel
Five towns. One unforgettable coastline.
Best of Cabo covers five destinations across Baja California Sur — Cabo San Lucas for sportfishing and nightlife, San José del Cabo for art and colonial architecture, La Paz for whale sharks and sea lion snorkeling, Todos Santos for surf culture and mezcal, and Cerritos Beach for a Pacific escape unlike anything in the resort zone. Each has its own character, rhythm, and reason to visit.
Where to Go
Explore the five towns
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Plan Your Trip
Flights, packages & rental cars — all in one place
Know Before You Go
What every traveler should know first
The Airport Transport Gauntlet
The single most important travel advisory for arriving at Los Cabos International Airport (SJD) is to never book transport or use an ATM inside the arrivals hall terminal corridor — commonly known as the "Shark Tank." Once you clear customs, you will pass through a chaotic room packed with aggressive, uniformed salespeople posing as official airport information desks or transportation agents. Keep your eyes forward, walk completely outside the building, and handle all logistics using the guide below.
Getting Into Town
Walk-Up Taxi Trap
Hailing a standard airport taxi outside without pre-booking costs $70–$110+ USD for a one-way trip to Cabo San Lucas or San José del Cabo.
"Shark Tank" Shuttle Scams
Salespeople inside the terminal offer "free" or discounted shuttles. These are traps designed to lock you into a mandatory 4-hour timeshare presentation the next morning.
Pre-Booked Shuttles — Safest Route
Reserve online before your flight. Legitimate companies (TransCabo, Cape Travel) charge ~$25–$35/person for a shared round-trip shuttle, or $130–$160 for a private suburban. Your driver will be outside holding a name sign.
Uber Restrictions
Uber is legally restricted from curbside airport pickups. To catch one, you must walk past the main parking lots to the highway area — highly inconvenient with heavy luggage.
ATMs at the Airport
Avoid Standalone Terminal ATMs
Third-party ATMs near baggage claim charge predatory flat fees ($7–$15 USD per transaction) on top of terrible conversion markups, and are more vulnerable to card skimmers.
Use Official Bank ATMs Outside
If you need cash immediately, find the bank-affiliated ATMs (Banorte, Santander) near the building exits or terminal parking. Regulated fees run only 30–90 pesos (~$1.50–$4.50 USD).
Always Decline the Conversion Screen
Every airport ATM will show a final screen asking you to "accept" their exchange rate. Always hit Decline Conversion — this prevents a hidden 10–15% markup and lets your home bank convert at the true daily rate.
Non-Swimmable Beaches
Many visitors assume they can swim directly behind their resort. Due to dangerous undertows and steep drop-offs, massive stretches of the Pacific-facing coastline are entirely non-swimmable — even when the water looks calm. Always check the flag system at your beach before entering the water.
Season by Season
Calm Sea of Cortez · Mild Pacific surf · Medano & Chileno: safe · Pacific coast: use caution
Warming water · Light winds · Most resort beaches safe · Jellyfish possible
High surf · Strong rip currents · Many beaches close · Check flags daily
Surf calming · Whale season begins · Good swimming returns · Sea of Cortez excellent
Before booking: Use Cabo Visitor or the TripAdvisor Los Cabos Forum to verify whether your specific resort beach has safe swimming conditions year-round.
Avoid Standalone ATMs on the Marina
Third-party street kiosks along the marina boardwalk and street corners pose serious risks: card skimming (criminals attach physical readers over the slot and hide cameras above the keypad), predatory fees ($10–$30+ USD hidden charges plus aggressive currency conversion), and cash trapping scams with no branch teller to help you recover funds.
Card Skimming
Physical readers clone your card; pinhole cameras record your PIN.
Predatory Fees
$10–$30+ flat fees plus forced conversion rates strip your money.
Cash Trapping
Machines freeze mid-transaction. No teller = no refund.
Physical Risk
Crowded boardwalk corridors expose you to pickpockets immediately after.
Use These Instead
Inside the secure mall along the marina
Blvd. Lázaro Cárdenas near central plazas
Built directly inside secure supermarket lobbies
Pro tip: When the ATM screen asks to "lock in" a conversion rate, always click Decline Conversion. This lets your home bank handle the exchange instead — saving you an automatic 5–15% markup.
Street Solicitations — Marina & Downtown
Along the Marina Boardwalk and Blvd. Lázaro Cárdenas, street promoters, timeshare hustlers, and vendors aggressively target tourists with offers of illegal narcotics, unregulated massage parlors, and adult entertainment. Solicitors use friendly casual banter to lower your guard before pivoting to illegal offers.
The Police Extortion Trap
Street dealers frequently work with corrupt lookouts. The moment a transaction occurs, "officers" may corner you demanding thousands of dollars in cash on the spot to avoid jail.
Counterfeit & Lethal Substances
Street drugs in Mexico are unregulated. Fake Xanax, Percocet, and cocaine from street vendors are increasingly laced with lethal doses of fentanyl. What's pitched as safe can cause immediate overdose or death.
Massage Parlor Bait-and-Switch
Street promoters lure tourists into unmarked venues or back alleys. Once inside, travelers report aggressive shakedowns for hidden fees, pickpocketing while changing, or being forced to pay under physical threat.
Public Intoxication Vulnerability
Solicitations intensify after dark. Predators target individuals leaving bars who appear visibly intoxicated — easy marks for robbery, express ATM kidnappings, or inflated taxi fares.
What To Do
Don't smile, hesitate, or engage. Maintain a neutral expression, say a firm "No, gracias," and keep walking directly to your destination.
Never stop to listen out of curiosity. If followed, step directly into the lobby of a major resort, chain restaurant, or Puerto Paraíso Mall.
Never rely on street promoters. Book massage, excursions, or entertainment through your resort concierge or verified Tripadvisor-reviewed businesses.
Remember: Cabo is a world-class destination and the vast majority of interactions are friendly and safe. Staying aware of these specific scenarios lets you enjoy everything the city has to offer with confidence.
Unlicensed Boat & Fishing Charters at the Marina
Along the Cabo San Lucas Marina boardwalk, aggressive independent brokers — known locally as "coyotes" — pitch bargain-rate boat rides and fishing charters. Booking from these unauthorized street sellers frequently results in financial scams, unsafe maritime conditions, and bait-and-switch operations.
Common Scams
The Lovers Beach Trap
Vendors sell round-trip tickets to Playa del Amor, collect cash upfront, then claim high tide or rough surf makes landing impossible. Your money pays for a rushed 15-minute loop around the Arch — no refund.
The Impossibly Cheap Charter
Promoters advertise full-day deep-sea fishing for $50–$100 USD. On board you find an overcrowded, poorly maintained vessel with no safety gear or marine radio — well below legal requirements.
Hidden Fee Shakedowns
The street quote never covers the extras. Before the boat leaves the slip you're aggressively pressured for inflated cash payments: fishing licenses, bait, ice, fuel surcharges, and mandatory crew tips.
The Vanishing Deposit
Vendors demand a steep cash deposit to "lock in your boat for tomorrow." When you arrive the next morning, the broker is gone and the boat doesn't exist.
How to Book Safely
Verify ocean conditions before booking any water transit. If high-surf or high-tide warnings are posted, decline any verbal promise of a beach drop-off.
Never buy from a sidewalk broker. Use licensed charter fleets with physical marina offices (e.g., Pisces Sportfishing, Silverados Sportfishing). For water taxis, pay only at official government-regulated ticket booths with fixed prices.
For water taxis, pay half the fare going out — pay the second half only when the captain returns to pick you up. This creates a real financial incentive for the boat to come back.
Licensed maritime agencies accept major credit cards and provide written receipts itemizing everything included. Any operator insisting on cash-only is evading accountability — walk away.
The marina is spectacular — a world-class setting for fishing, sailing, and whale watching. Book through a verified operator and it's an unforgettable experience. The coyotes are easy to spot and easier to walk past.
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Get the full Best of Cabo travel guide — itineraries, insider picks, and the towns you shouldn't skip.