Medano Beach (Playa Médano)
The basics
Located on Cabo San Lucas Bay, Medano Beach is the starting point for many guided tours and water sport rentals such as jet skis, kayaks, and paddleboards. From here, you can also board a glass-bottom boat and explore the surrounding waters without getting wet. Persistent beach vendors stroll the sands selling everything from sombreros to jewelry, and when the sun goes down the beach turns into a nightlife hub thanks to the plethora of restaurants and bars along its borders.
Things to know before you go
- Travelers recommend only venturing out into the water up to your waist, staying within 8 feet (2.5 meters) of the water's edge, because of the drop-off.
- Note that many beaches around Cabos San Lucas aren’t safe for swimming because of the undertows and waves.
- From the beach, you can catch picturesque views of Land’s End and El Arco framing the horizon.
How to get there
The cape’s downtown beach, Medano Beach, runs east from the harbor of Cabo San Lucas, along the Cabo San Lucas Bay, for 2 miles (3 kilometers) to the Villa del Palmar resort. Cabo San Lucas is about a 40-minute drive from Los Cabos International Airport, where shuttle services and taxis are available.
Trip ideas
When to get there
This beach is known to get very crowded, especially on the weekends, when both locals and tourists visit. So plan to arrive in the early morning hours to secure a chair and enjoy some quiet. Travelers also recommend catching the sunrise from here, if possible. There are also few to no vendors peddling their wares at that time.
Chileno Beach
Another popular beach spot, the waters at Chileno Beach are calm, warm, and clear, but since there are very few nearby accommodations, visitors usually head here on a guided tour or via rental car. Tours typically include snorkeling around the offshore reefs, where you’re likely to see plenty of sea life.
- Bay of Cabo San Lucas
- Cabo San Lucas
- Cabo San Lucas Cruise Port
- Sand Falls
- Pedregal de Cabo San Lucas
- Land's End
- Lover's Beach (Playa del Amor)
- Pelican Rock
- Arch of Cabo San Lucas (El Arco)
- Chileno Beach (Playa Chileno)
- Santa Maria Beach (Playa Santa María)
- Cuadra San Francisco
- Palmilla Golf Club
- Palmilla Beach (Playa Palmilla)
- San Jose del Cabo