Activities in Baja

Tom Fazio, Jack Nicklaus, Davis Love III, Tiger Woods and other top names have all designed courses along the Los Cabos oceanfront. Four of the 18 courses have been ranked among the world’s 100 best.

Enjoy the golfing experience with a variety of challenging terrains and stunning views of the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean. Some courses feature on-course comfort stations with full bars and food menus. Top-notch restaurants situated at the end of the course are sure to enhance the experience and are becoming increasingly popular.

Courses in the area consist of public, private, and playable with restrictions, meaning you need to be a guest at an associated resort or development in order to play there.

Recognized by many as the best place to snorkel in BCS, this national park is about two hours from Cabo San Lucas and can be accessed via the main road or along the East Cape dirt road. While the main road route is further distance wise, the travel time is about the same since driving through the East Cape is primarily on a dirt beach road.

We booked our tour directly through the Park’s website which included the boat ride, snorkel gear (snorkel, mask, and fins), and lunch for $75 USD/person. On the tour we stopped at three different reef areas to see tons of fish, a giant school of Jack Crevalle, sharks and turtles. We watched a rare Golden Grouper have lunch and thousands of Jack Crevalle swim by in a massive school. The tour took a few hours and after we finished we got lunch right by the tour building. The included lunch consisted of a drink and your choice of tacos, fajitas, or grilled fish. Food was decent but really hit the spot after all of the swimming we’d done on the tour.

Whale season in Cabo is from December to April, but late January tends to be the best time to go whale watching. We used East Cape Explorers out of the Puerto Los Cabos Marina. Our experience was incredible. We were lucky enough to meet a playful whale who showed off and played around the boat. We got lots of amazing photos and videos before it splashed us goodbye. The crew helped make it an unforgettable experience. I highly recommend getting out on the water to experience these majestic animals.

Each company offers slightly different tours for around the same price. Some tours include snacks, drinks, etc. and some do not. Make sure you check what time to arrive to allow for check-in and any briefings. Whale watching in San Jose tends to be less crowded than San Lucas. Not all boats have shade, so bring hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen. The boats have some under-seat storage, but nothing is guaranteed to stay dry.

This unique glass bottom boat experience allows you to watch fish and marine life in the clear water as you cruise to the famous arch. Photographers on the tour take a bunch of photographs you can look through later and purchase.

The ride is about an hour and a half total and takes you from the marina out to the arch where you’ll bob around for a bit and then back.

You get great arch views and views of Lovers and Divorce beach.

Every Thursday night in the main plaza in downtown San Jose, local artists gather to display their work. The art is accompanied by live music, dance performances, and food stands. The art galleries in the area stay open late to accommodate visitors after they’ve enjoyed one of the many great restaurants in the area. This is San Jose’s busiest night of the week and one everyone looks forward to. You’re bound to find something to enjoy as you walk around this magical city. For more details, check out my blog about the Art Walk here.

This hotel in the Los Cabos Marina in San Jose has a funky, artsy vibe, great views of the ocean, great food, and better service. You can buy a day pass for $80 USD (the total is put towards your food/drink bill) which gives you access to the rooftop with huge day beds under cabanas, a giant infinity pool, swim-up bar, hot tub, dining area, and unobstructed ocean views. The food and drinks are great and you get service anywhere on the rooftop.

Last time I was there we had the ceviche which is the best I’ve had in Cabo. If you go on the weekend they usually have a live DJ. The day beds and cabanas fill up so if you want to increase your chances of securing some prime relaxation real estate, head over a little earlier in the day.

Just over an hour from San Jose, this ecological reserve has a short hike through trees and cactus, down the side of the canyon and into an oasis fed by a northern lagoon. The hike takes about 15-20 minutes and ranges from level terrain to descending steep rock steps with ropes. You’ll get amazing views of the canyon and water below as you descend. Once at water level, you can enjoy the waterfall and large swimming pool, sunbathing on the rocks, cliff jumping, or exploring along the stream. Keep in mind you lose direct sun well before sunset due to the depth of the canyon.

The waters off the coast of Cabo are ideal for fishing due to a quick drop-off and the mixing of water from the Sea of Cortez. There are a variety of charters and boat sizes to choose from out of the Marina. You will need a fishing license which you can purchase online or at the marina on the morning of your trip.

On our trip we trolled for about 2 hours without any bites until we were many miles from land. Once out further, we hooked up to two beautiful Blue Marlin. The power and grace of these fish is truly remarkable.

If you are prone to motion sickness, I highly recommend taking dramamine. I had a lot of fun but fighting the nausea was brutal in the choppy waves of the ocean.

This estuary at the end of the hotel zone is home to tons of birds and marine life. There is a walking trail from the La Cola de la Ballena painting under the bridge from downtown to the east cape, along the estuary down towards the beach. Some of the trail is paved and some is dirt and sand. Due to flooding, you’ll have to use the sidewalk and go around the closed resort if you want to make it all the way to the beach. At the beach you can get a cool view of the ocean and estuary with just a small strip of beach in between. This is a great spot to see Osprey fishing and huge brown pelicans hanging out.

Todos Santos is about an hour from Cabo San Lucas and has some great food options like Oystera (beautiful oyster bar with outside garden, see the “Food” section of the handbook for more on this place) and Carnitas Tadeo (my favorite carnitas in Baja, also in the “Food” section) among others.

For drinks I recommend Santo Remedio bar where they make great fresh drinks around a tree inspired bar. Another favorite is Barracuda Cantina which is tucked in the back of a plaza. They have a beautiful and secluded seating area with memorable handcrafted cocktails.

There’s also a bunch of cool shops, art galleries, and fun areas to walk around and explore. If you go on a Sunday they have an art walk in the center plaza.

La Paz is the capital of Baja California Sur and about two hours from San Lucas. It’s a bigger city and has a ton of food and places to explore. We love walking along the boardwalk on Pasea Alvaro Obregon with views into the bay. La Paz is a good stepping stone for Isla Espiritu and Balandra Beach (Beaches section of my handbook).

Isla Espiritu Santo Snorkeling - this uninhabited island is North of La Paz and has some great snorkeling and exploring opportunities. Most tours leave from the marina and head up to the island which takes about an hour and a half. Often they provide snorkel gear, water, light lunch, and some beverages. Our tour showed us around the south side of the island by boat and then landed us in a beautiful, calm bay to snorkel and hang out on the white sand beach. They set up shade for us and served fresh ceviche made that morning by the captain himself. We snorkeled for about an hour and a half and saw a variety of fish and coral. The water was warm and clear in July. On the way back they stopped and let us snorkel another reef off the island’s coast.

Balandra Beach - This scenic beach is also north of La Paz and attracts a large crowd as it's deemed one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. You’ll have to show up early to get in the car line since they let in a limited number of people for the 8am-12 session and the 1pm-5 session. In line merchants come by with drinks, food, hats and a bunch of other items. We got ceviche which was wonderful to enjoy sitting under a palapa at the water’s edge. The beach has turquoise water from ankle depth in some places to chest depth all the way to the opening of the bay.

Each year towns and cities in Baja Sur alternate throwing fiestas for a long weekend. We went to the festival in San Jose which was similar to a large fair in the US. They have live bands, tons of vendors selling food, clothes, toys, you name it, rides, petting zoos and more. They attract a lot of people and are a really fun time.

This little gem is a unique spot with some food and amazing drinks. It’s part art gallery, part nature walk. You can grab a drink in the palapa and then walk along the elevated trail past large art pieces and sculptures. The owners are friendly and encourage a special experience. You’ll see the palapa and sign from the main road on your way to Todos Santos.

I know the owner plays keyboard on stage with a little light show some nights, although I have not yet been lucky enough to experience this myself.

Cabo has numerous surfing beaches and surf breaks with beautiful warm water that make it a great spot for the sport.

I’m not a big surfer and haven’t gotten out on the waves yet. However, I have friends who surf every morning and are always raving about the conditions here. If you’re interested in learning more, stop into a local surf shop and ask about the breaks.

You haven’t done Baja until you’ve experienced the start of an off-road race. There are many racing events throughout the year that you can learn about on Facebook. The Cabo 250 pictured above started just 1/4 mile up the arroyo by Costco. A crowd of mostly locals gather to cheer on the racers as they launch into the desert competing for the best lap times.