Fast-growing, though, isn’t a strong enough word. Not only has there been massive growth in the local population in recent years – the population of Cabo San Lucas nearly tripled between 2010 and 2020, and is ten times more than in 1990 – but luxury hotel brands seemingly can’t build new resorts here fast enough. Four Seasons has built two new resorts here since 2019 and in the interim new properties have been opened for big-name hospitality brands like Ritz-Carlton, Waldorf Astoria, and Nobu. Soho House, St. Regis, Park Hyatt, and Aman are expected to open properties here within the next year.

The average hotel room rate has risen to over $500 per night and guests at most hotels and resorts are treated to a level of indulgence far beyond what was typical in the smaller, less polished Los Cabos of 30 years ago. Hard as it may be to believe for first-time visitors, who take the chic accommodations and abundant amenities for granted, it wasn’t always like this. The unique brand of Los Cabos luxury that has now proven so attractive is the result of nearly 70 years of growth and evolution. 

Hotel Palmilla and the birth of Los Cabos hospitality

Before Abelardo “Rod” Rodríguez Jr. opened Hotel Palmilla (originally Las Cruces Palmilla and now One&Only Palmilla) in 1957, the only other lodging in the area was the small Casa Fisher guesthouse in central San José del Cabo. Rodríguez, the son of a former Mexican President, had something more ambitious in mind. His marriage to Hollywood actress Lucille Bremer had helped draw a celebrity clientele to their Rancho Las Cruces resort when it opened near La Paz in 1948. The formula worked for them at Palmilla, too. Soon after its opening, high-profile guests like Ernest Hemingway, Bing Crosby, John Wayne, Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, and U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower were among those inhabiting Palmilla’s 15 rooms across 400 sprawling acres. This was the birth of Los Cabos’ reputation as an A-list getaway destination – even though tourism was still in its infancy. The transpeninsular highway wasn’t completed until 1973, and the Los Cabos International Airport didn’t open until 1977. 

The Hotel Palmilla (whatever name it has been known by) has been the region’s benchmark property and a trendsetter throughout its history. The succeeding owner Don Koll convinced Jack Nicklaus to come to Los Cabos to build the area’s first world-class golf at Palmilla in the 1990s. This set the template that continues in Los Cabos to this day. Not only must the best resorts offer access to a golf course from a renowned designer to their guests, but golf courses have also become the centerpiece of every major residential real estate development in the area.

The man who defined luxury hospitality in Los Cabos

One&Only Palmilla would also change the quality of cuisine in Los Cabos during the management heyday of the legendary managing hotel director Edward Steiner. Steiner was the first to elevate a Los Cabos resort to world-class status. However, that originally happened at Las Ventanas al Paraiso, which he oversaw beginning with its opening in 1997. A Los Angeles Times writer visiting the property a year later wondered, “This is Cabo?” The $475 per night price tag and the resort’s amazing service and amenities – validated by a AAA Five Diamond status – marked a sea change in the existing fishing-friendly, “party hearty” hospitality model. 

Outshone for the first time in its history, the newly rebranded One&Only Palmilla hired away Steiner in 2003 and he remained with the resort until 2012. The expansion of rooms (to 174) took place on his watch, as did the unveiling of a 25,000-square-foot luxury spa to compete with the holistic spa at Las Ventanas al Paraiso, the first of its kind in the area. Spas, naturally, soon became a specialty at every Los Cabos luxury lodging, with an “arms race” to see who could build the biggest, and provide the most pampering treatments. Montage now holds the record for the former, with a 40,000-square-foot wellness center. 

One&Only Palmila likewise upgraded its dining options, bringing in celebrated imported chefs like Charlie Trotter and Larbi Dahrouch; an example since followed, and responsible for the Michelin-star quality chefs now notable in present-day Los Cabos – from Martín Berasategui and Enrique Olvera to Sidney Schutte and Jean-Georges Vongerichten.

Steiner passed away in 2013, but his unique conception of luxury hospitality remains the standard by which all other regional hoteliers are judged. More importantly, by proving that Los Cabos could support a discerning luxury clientele, he laid the foundation for all the high-end hotel brands that would follow. 

Barefoot luxury and the value of location and one-of-a-kind experiences

Ocean views, beachfront access, pampering spas, swimming pools, and exceptional cuisine became the formula for all new hotels and resorts in Los Cabos – with world-class golf access also a must. However, the “only in Cabo” style barefoot luxury pioneered at Las Ventanas al Paraiso and One&only Palmilla wasn’t just about beautiful beaches and pampering service. It was also about special experiences. As Rodrigo Esponda, Managing Director of the Los Cabos Tourism Board, has noted of how the conception of luxury has evolved locally: “Luxury is to wake up and see a whale jumping out from the ocean right in front of you, or sleeping under a sky full of stars with shapes and lights you have never seen before, or savoring a dish of freshly caught fish, offered in the most kind, unique type of hospitality you’ve ever enjoyed before.

Leveraging Los Cabos’ spectacular blend of mountain, desert, and ocean scenery, and its location-specific charms – including marlin fishing, off-road explorations, and bucket list activities like whale watching – has, over time, been integrated into a type of resort experience that is necessarily different than that offered at any other destination. Las Ventanas al Paraiso, not surprisingly, is still a leader in this area, with curated experiences focused on romance and gastronomy. But it has plenty of competition. Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal in Cabo San Lucas has curated experiences, as do One&Only Palmilla, Esperanza, and every other upscale property worth its salt-rimmed, pool butler-delivered margaritas. 

In 2024, it’s no longer a question of whether guests prefer vacation pampering or an unforgettable adventure. They can have both, from spas as decadent as those enjoyed by Roman emperors to curated desert helicopter expeditions and private yacht excursions. Los Cabos’ best resorts have mastered an elevated approach to personalized and location-specific luxury that legendary figures like Rodriguez, Bremer, Koll, and Steiner would undoubtedly have approved. They helped to create the blueprint, after all.

Chris Sands is the Cabo San Lucas local expert for the USA Today travel website 10 Best, writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos travel guidebook, and a contributor to numerous websites and publications, including Tasting Table, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, Forbes Travel Guide, Porthole Cruise, Cabo Living and Mexico News Daily. His specialty is travel-related content and lifestyle features focused on food, wine and golf.

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When is hurricane season in Los Cabos?

Pacific hurricane season begins on May 15 and annually extends through the end of November. That’s almost half the year, but it bears noting that tropical storms are uncommon in all but three months: August, September, and October. Hurricanes – storms with wind speeds over 74 miles per hour – are even rarer. 

According to Mexico’s Servicio Meteorológico Nacional, the Pacific Ocean is projected to see 15 to 18 named storms this year, of which 4 or 5 may reach hurricane strength, with 3 to 4 achieving major hurricane status (Categories 3, 4, and 5; with wind speeds 111 mph and higher). However, that’s for the entire Pacific region. It’s not guaranteed that any of these potential storms will affect Los Cabos, although traditionally, at least one or two will.

What is the history of hurricanes in Los Cabos?

From a historical perspective, almost all of the most powerful storms ever to hit Los Cabos happened during September. La Inundación de 1939 and Hurricane Odile in 2014 occurred on the same day: September 14. Flooding from the former destroyed the few homes then built in Cabo San Lucas, an event memorably described in C.M. Mayo’s travelogue Miraculous Air: Journey of a Thousand Miles Through Baja California, the Other Mexico. The latter was the worst storm ever to hit Los Cabos, a Category 4 hurricane that caused more than a billion dollars in damage. 

Other noteworthy storms like Hurricane Liza in 1976 and Hurricane Paul in 1982 were also in September. In more recent years Hurricane Juliette in 2001 and Tropical Storm Lidia in 2017 took place the same month. Thus, this is the one month when vacationers should expect tropical storms to be a distinct possibility. This is borne out by average rainfall amounts in September (127 millimeters, or 5 inches), which accounts for over 44% of the average annual rainfall in Cabo San Lucas.

Storms in August and October are much less frequent but do happen. Just last year, for example, Hurricane Norma made landfall in Los Cabos on the late date of  October 21, knocking out power for many residents for the better part of a week. But there’s a reason that Cabo San Lucas’ biggest fishing tournaments are held in October. Not only are the conditions right to catch marlin, but the weather is typically hot and sunny. 

How do potential storms affect hotels, beaches, and activities?

In the rare event of a hurricane or strong tropical storm, several wrenches can be thrown into one’s vacation plans. The first is that the beaches can be closed, eliminating one of the most popular vacation activities. Not that you’d want to go anyway in such poor weather. The second is that the Cabo San Lucas Marina can be closed. As this is the locus of most area sailing, snorkeling, and fishing tours, these activities are likewise curtailed. For those taking Mexican Riviera Cruises with port calls in Cabo San Lucas, this could mean cancellation of one’s scheduled visit. Many outdoor restaurants will close, too, and the streets will probably also flood, as they almost always do during heavy rains since Los Cabos lacks adequate drainage. 

Los Cabos International Airport may also close until the weather clears. At the very least, some flights could be canceled. If your flight is one of those nixed, there could be a monetary loss, which is why some visitors buy an international traveler’s insurance policy.

Is travel insurance recommended?

Travel insurance generally covers money lost from missed flights and misplaced luggage. It may be a good investment if you’re visiting during September when storms are most likely.  Signing up for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, meanwhile, is always recommended during hurricane season in Los Cabos. It’s free and lets you share your trip details with the U.S. Embassy. In return, you’ll get updates on safety and potential weather advisories or other emergencies. 

You’ll want to activate international roaming for your cellphone before traveling so that in the event of a hurricane, you can tell friends and family that you’re safe and having a more adventurous vacation than you bargained for. You won’t need the same emergency kit assembled by residents, but a waterproof bag to protect passports and other travel documents is a good idea. Your hotel or resort will take good care of you, with generator service in the event of power outages and Wi-Fi to post social media updates. 

There’s a U.S. Consulate office in Los Cabos, at The Shoppes at Palmilla, an upscale shopping center at Km. 27.5 in the Tourist Corridor. If you have questions during your trip, contact them at (624) 143-3566, or after business hours call 1-800-681-9374. To report an emergency, dial 911, like you would in the U.S.

Is it worth the risk to visit in September?

Although September is the only month when tropical storms are a relatively common occurrence in Los Cabos, there are reasons why this can still be a good time to visit. Hotel rates are typically lower. Thanks to seasonally warm water temperatures and high visibility, September is also peak diving season at sites like Cabo Pulmo. Fishing conditions are also excellent, for billfish like black, blue, and striped marlin and game fish like tuna and dorado (aka mahi-mahi).

How can you monitor potential storms? 

The National Hurricane Center monitors storm activity year-round for the Eastern Pacific region, of which Los Cabos is a part. This is the go-to source for updated information on storm tracking.

Chris Sands is the Cabo San Lucas local expert for the USA Today travel website 10 Best, writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos travel guidebook, and a contributor to numerous websites and publications, including Tasting Table, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, Forbes Travel Guide, Porthole Cruise, Cabo Living and Mexico News Daily. His specialty is travel-related content and lifestyle features focused on food, wine and golf.

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It isn’t the only new hotel to open in Los Cabos this year nor the first local foray for the famed ultra-luxury hospitality brand. Grand Velas Boutique Hotel, an adults-only all-inclusive property, opened its doors in January 2024. Four Seasons, meanwhile, unveiled its first regional resort at Costa Palmas, on Los Cabo’s East Cape, back in 2019. But these are only a few among the flurry of projects in recent years, resulting in hotels and resorts from acclaimed brands like JW Marriott, Nobu, Ritz-Carlton, and Waldorf Astoria. 

Even more are on the way. At least seven more new hotels from big-name hospitality brands are expected to open in Los Cabos by 2027. Several more could open this year. If that last sentence sounds cryptic, it bears mentioning that hotels are many years in the making. Plus, reputation counts in building brand loyalty in such a competitive environment. So new properties don’t open until rooms, services, and amenities are all judged ready.

With that in mind, here are the latest details and projected opening dates for these upcoming hotel projects.

New oceanfront accommodations in Cabo San Lucas 

The St. Regis Los Cabos at Quivira was first announced in 2017, so anticipation has had plenty of time to build. Will it finally open in 2024? That’s the plan, Forbes reports, with its 120 rooms and 60 residences expected to be unveiled later this year. The luxury hotel property sprawls across 33 acres along the Pacific Coast of Cabo San Lucas in the exclusive Quivira development. Infinity pools and a pampering spa are sure to be major attractions, although Quivira is best known for its spectacular Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course, named one of the “world’s 100 best” by Golf Digest. The “Golden Bear” is in the process of building another course at Quivira, too.

Golf also promises to be a preferred activity option at the 300-room Grand Hyatt Los Cabos when it opens at Oleada in late 2026. Four-time major winner Ernie “Big Easy” Els has signed on to design the golf course there, which is expected to be completed in 2026, the same year the hotel opens. A 1,200-acre development, Oleada is nestled between Diamante and Rancho San Lucas, north of Quivira.

Upcoming hotel openings in the Tourist Corridor

The Cabo del Sol community — framed by the evocative whale-shaped Punta Ballena — has long been home to the notable regional resort Sheraton Grand Los Cabos, Hacienda del Mar. But suddenly, potentially within a calendar year, it’s receiving an influx of new luxury properties. The Four Seasons Resort and Residences Cabo San Lucas is already open and will soon be joined by the Park Hyatt Los Cabos at Cabo del Sol and Soho House and Beach Club. 

The members-only Soho House is projected to open by the end of 2024, with the soon-to-be trendy hot spot showcasing 70 rooms, plus an outdoor restaurant, beach club, and a seaside palapa bar. 

The Park Hyatt, by contrast, isn’t expected to open until early 2025. However, the 163-room upscale resort should be worth waiting for thanks to the gorgeous Gulf of California vantage points and amenities such as a trio of restaurants, a beach club, a spa, and a kid’s club. Pool areas should also be abundant, with two distinct “pool zones” and private plunge pools offered as a feature of some rooms and suites. Golf access, a Los Cabos specialty, is also expected.

Elsewhere in the Tourist Corridor, Kerzner International, which operates One&Only and Atlantis, is planning a neighbor for its acclaimed One&Only Palmilla – although the 120-room and 14-villa SIRO Palmilla resort isn’t expected to open until 2027. If the name sounds unfamiliar, SIRO is a new wellness-inspired brand from Kerzner. The first SIRO property opened in Dubai in 2024 and the Los Cabos property will be among the first six of an estimated 100 SIRO-branded resorts to be built worldwide.

What’s new (sort of) in San José del Cabo

Two so-called new hotels aren’t new at all, but rather iconic properties receiving renovation and rebranding. Upon reopening, the Hotel Perla in La Paz and the Tropicana Inn in San José del Cabo will receive the Tapestry Collection by Hilton imprimatur. The former property is not just iconic, but historic, as it was the first modern hotel in Baja California Sur and helped usher in the tourist age when it premiered in 1940. The 90-room grand dame is getting a $10 million facelift before it’s officially renamed Perla La Paz and opened to the public in winter 2024.

The Tropicana Inn, although not quite as historic as Hotel Perla has been a downtown fixture in San José del Cabo since 1985. The boutique 70-room resort will retain its Mexican art and accents, but receive some upscale touches courtesy of its in-progress makeover. The newly minted Tropicana Los Cabos, Tapestry Collection by Hilton will begin accepting reservations on January 31, 2025, as it celebrates its 40th anniversary.

“Both of these unique properties encapsulate the vibrant personality of La Paz and San José del Cabo respectively and we look forward to offering guests authentic experiences at each property as they explore Baja California,” notes Jenna Hackett, brand leader for Tapestry Collection by Hilton. 

Another luxury resort is coming to the East Cape

The Four Seasons Resort Los Cabos was never intended to be Costa Palmas’s only luxury accommodations option. Originally, Soho House was also expected to be built there before it was relocated to Cabo del Sol. 

However, another long-awaited project, this one by luxury hospitality brand Aman, will be seen through to completion, with the opening of Amanvari at Costa Palmas scheduled for 2025. Guests can look forward to five-star service and plenty of secluded beachfront as soon as next year, not to mention fine dining and pampering treatments at the signature Aman Spa.

Most of the private villas at Amanvari, priced at $13 million and up, have already been sold, and it’s rumored, per The Hollywood Reporter, that a small airport may be built at Costa Palmas to accommodate private jets. So this is another new Los Cabos resort that won’t qualify for the budget-friendly category.

Chris Sands is the Cabo San Lucas local expert for the USA Today travel website 10 Best, writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos travel guidebook, and a contributor to numerous websites and publications, including Tasting Table, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, Forbes Travel Guide, Porthole Cruise, Cabo Living and Mexico News Daily. His specialty is travel-related content and lifestyle features focused on food, wine and golf.

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During an announcement program of its 2024 selection for the country that aired live on YouTube on May 14, 157 restaurants were recommended, given special “Bib Gourmand” attention, or honored with one or two stars. Many of them were in Los Cabos or Baja California, which along with Mexico City, Oaxaca, Nuevo León, and Quintana Roo, were identified as the best culinary regions in Mexico.

Baja California’s new Michelin star eateries

Baja California, for example, is now home to three of the 16 one-star restaurants recognized by Michelin in México. Javier Plascencia, long noted as one of the nation’s top chefs, was awarded a star for Animalón, his restaurant in the renowned winemaking region Valle de Guadalupe. Conchas de Piedra and Damiana, also in Valle de Guadalupe, each received one star for the culinary mastery of chefs Drew Deckman and Esteban Lluis, respectively. Los Cabos, the popular vacation destination in Baja California Sur, received one star for Cocina de Autor, the Sidney Schutte-helmed restaurant at Tourist Corridor-based luxury resort Grand Velas. 

Schutte, like Deckman, is no stranger to Michelin stars. The former helped De Librije in Zwolle, Netherlands ascend from two to three stars, then opened a second location in Amsterdam, and got it two stars. Deckman, meanwhile, earned his first Michelin star while working at Restaurant Vitus in Germany. He also pleased the palates of plenty of Cabeños (Los Cabos residents) during his time operating Deckman’s at Havana in San José del Cabo, before eventually decamping for Baja California wine country in Valle de Guadalupe. The move seems to have worked out quite well.

What are Michelin stars?

What exactly does a Michelin star signify, you ask? According to Michelin, stars are only given to restaurants that use high-quality ingredients and consistently prepare their food to an exceptionally high standard. It’s a generic description for a very rare accomplishment. Gwendal Poullennec, Michelin’s International Director, explained it better by saying it honors restaurants that are not only among the best in their respective areas but also among the best in the world.

The Baja California peninsula, it should be noted, also scored four of the six awarded “green stars,” a category that represents restaurants with sustainable and eco-friendly practices. Acre and Flora’s Field Kitchen, beloved local members of San José del Cabo’s farm-to-table movement, each garnered a green star. So, too, did Conchas de Piedra and Deckman’s En El Mogor in Valle de Guadalupe. 

Many more peninsular restaurants were recognized in the “Bib Gourmand” category, which signifies eateries that provide great value relative to pricing. Of the 42 restaurants nationwide to receive this recognition from Michelin, eight were in Baja California: Carmelita Molino y Cocina in Tijuana; La Concheria, Sabina, and Humo y Sal in Ensenada, Casa Marcelo in Valle de Ojos Negros; Merak and Villa Torél in Villa de Juárez; and La Cocina de Doña Esthela in Valle de Guadalupe. Doña Esthela can add this award to the one it received from FoodieHub in 2015 for serving “the best breakfast in the world.”

High class food for a high class region

Los Cabos, which has the dubious distinction of being the most expensive area in México, also got some “Bib Gourmand” love from Michelin. Metate, a restaurant in Cabo San Lucas, and Flora’s Field Kitchen, the already mentioned food-to-table mecca in Ánimas Bajas, just outside San José del Cabo, were also noted for serving outstanding food at reasonable prices. So also was Cocina de Campo by Agricole in El Pescadero, a small community just south of Todos Santos. 

Michelin’s least prestigious prize, although still a great accomplishment, is simply to extend its imprimatur by “recommending” a restaurant. As in previous categories, many Baja California and Los Cabos-based dining spots qualified for the distinction. Los Tres Gallos, the wonderful traditional Mexican restaurant owned by Michel Zermeño and Fabiola Sánchez, with locations in Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo, was recommended. Green star winner Acre was likewise singled out in this category, as were fellow San José del Cabo restaurants Lumbre, Omakai, and Ruba’s Bakery; Los Cabos Tourist Corridor standouts Arbol, Carbón Cabrón, Comal, Manta, and Nao; and Benno, Dum, Oystera, and Paradero in Todos Santos. 

Recommended eateries

In Baja California, Michelin recommended Misión 19, Oryx, and Tacos El Franc in Tijuana; Restaurant Amores in Tecate; Bruma Wine Garden, El Paisa, Madre, Malva, Manzanilla, Ophelia, Restaurante Punta Morro, Tacos Marco Antonio, Tacos Mi Ranchito El Fenix, and Taquería La Principal in Ensenada; Corazón D’Petra, Deckman’s en El Mogor, Envero en El Valle, Kous Kous, Latitud 32, Lunario, Olivea Farm To Table, and Primitivo in Valle de Guadalupe. Restaurante Amores was also acclaimed for its service and given Michelin’s Servicio Award for this often underappreciated aspect of the dining experience. 

Alas, no restaurants on the Baja California peninsula were awarded two stars. That honor was given to only two restaurants in the country – Pujol and Quintonil – each in Mexico City. That three Michelin stars were not awarded to any Mexican restaurant is perhaps defensible, given that there are only 138 such restaurants of this quality that have been identified worldwide. However, the fact that Mexico as a country received only 18 stars in total, while cities New York and Tokyo have a combined 274, is less defensible. Michelin’s Mexican selections were all well-judged by its anonymous inspectors. But it probably needed to make many more to signify Mexico’s status as a premier international food destination … which those who live here know to be the case. UNESCO, which declared Mexico’s culinary tradition an intangible cultural heritage, did a far better job of making this point.

On the plus side, there are fewer restaurants than there should be in which it will now be almost impossible to get reservations. So thanks for that, Michelin!

Chris Sands is the Cabo San Lucas local expert for the USA Today travel website 10 Best, writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos travel guidebook, and a contributor to numerous websites and publications, including Tasting Table, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, Forbes Travel Guide, Porthole Cruise, Cabo Living and Mexico News Daily. His specialty is travel-related content and lifestyle features focused on food, wine and golf.

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The green flag symbolizing the start of these iconic competitions typically drops in Ensenada, hence the city’s nickname: the Desert Racing Capital of the World. Forty-nine of the previous Baja 500 races began in Ensenada. So will the 2024 version, which kicks off on June 1 and will feature an estimated 280 racers in 45 classes. Competitors have 20 hours to log an official finish in the 483.06-mile course. Misleadingly, it’s not always 500 miles exactly, as the course can vary from year to year.

What to know about this year’s race

The BFGoodrich Tires 56th SCORE Baja 500 officially happens from May 29 to June 2. The first day, however, is dedicated to technical inspections of participating vehicles and pre-race celebrations on Boulevard Costero in Ensenada. An estimated 50,000 people turn out to see the cars, trucks, motorcycles, quad bikes, UTVs, and other off-road racers. Local vendors and sponsors are also represented on the “Manufacturer’s Midway,” which is free to the public.

The next day, Saturday, June 1, the race begins on Boulevard Costero, with vehicles departing every 30 or 60 seconds, depending on the competition class. Although 20 hours are allotted to finish, the winners in each class will need only about half that time. The course is routed as a loop race, with the finish line also in Ensenada. After the clockwise-running race through a large swath of Baja California, an awards ceremony will be held at 12:30 p.m. on June 2 in the Cathedral Hall at the Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center. It’s located on Boulevard Costero near the starting line.

The Baja 500 is the second of four races that comprise the SCORE (Southern California Off Road Enthusiasts) World Desert Championship series. The 37th San Felipe 250 was run in March and the 5th Baja 400 is scheduled for September, followed by the 57th running of the Baja 1000 in November. All are set on the Baja California peninsula.

The history of off-road racing in Baja California

The Baja 500 and Baja 1000 races weren’t originally organized by SCORE but run under the auspices of the National Off-Road Racing Association (NORRA). Founded in 1966 by Ed Pearlman, Don Francisco and other enthusiasts of the sport, NORRA’s first Baja 1000 was held in 1967, running from Tijuana to La Paz. Francisco, the mapper of the original course, was a veteran of the Carrera Panamericana, the notoriously dangerous highway race that spanned Mexico from north to south before being canceled in 1955. It has since been revived, safely. Francisco’s more rugged off-road Baja 1000 routing and the first Baja 500 in 1969 helped to set the template for Baja-style desert racing while connecting it to a national tradition. 

NORRA, however, was removed as the sponsoring body for these races by the Mexican government in 1972. The Baja Sports Committee organized the Baja 500 in 1973 before SCORE’s long-time owner Sal Fish and promoter and former world land speed record holder Mickey Thompson took over in 1974. The first race on July 26 of that year was won by a Hollywood stuntman named Bobby Ferro, who drove a VW Sandmaster open-wheel race car. But for legal reasons, the race wasn’t referred to as the Baja 500 again until 1991. In the public mind, though, it was never anything else. 

The Baja 500 and Baja 1000 races have long fascinated Hollywood movie stars and famous race car drivers. Steve McQueen, James Garner and Paul Newman each tackled the Baja 1000, the latter setting the record for oldest-ever competitor when he was 80. The Baja 500 hasn’t drawn as many actors as the Baja 1000, but it has always been considered a serious test by the pros on the IndyCar and NASCAR circuits. Indianapolis 500 winners Parnelli Jones, Rick Mears and Danny Sullivan also tested themselves in the Baja 500, with the former winning the overall title twice. So, too, did noted Nascar drivers like Jimmie Johnson and Robby Gordon. Gordon was the most successful to do so, winning the Baja 1000 three times and the Baja 500 on four occasions, most recently in 2013. That doubled the record set by father, Bob Gordon, who won the Baja 500 in 1980 and 1987.

The defending champion returns

The headliner for this year’s race is Bryce “Golden Boy” Menzies from Las Vegas. The 36-year-old is the defending SCORE series Trophy Truck title holder — he has 10 career victories in the Trophy Truck division — and the defending 2023 Baja 500 overall champion. He and his Menzies Motorsports Ford Raptor all-wheel drive truck are sure to be favorites again, although the estimated list of 260 entrants also includes racers from around the world, including countries as far-flung as Australia, Indonesia and Japan. Mexico will also be represented, of course, with Tijuana native and Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame member Eric Solorzano among those seeking to dethrone Menzies in 2024. 

The course map for this year’s race has been released. So Baja California locals and U.S. visitors who make the 80-mile journey from the border to Ensenada now know where the finish line will be: on Boulevard Costero, in the same place as the starting line. 

For those who’d like to monitor the upcoming race online, SCORE International tracks results on its website. Live coverage is also featured on SCORE’s YouTube and Facebook social media platforms, with a recap forthcoming in the monthly SCORE Journal Digital Magazine.

Chris Sands is the Cabo San Lucas local expert for the USA Today travel website 10 Best, writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos travel guidebook, and a contributor to numerous websites and publications, including Tasting Table, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, Forbes Travel Guide, Porthole Cruise, Cabo Living and Mexico News Daily. His specialty is travel-related content and lifestyle features focused on food, wine and golf.

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The Riviera Maya, of course, is a major cruise ship destination in its own right. Of the 9.3 million people expected to take cruises to Mexico this year, nearly 35 percent are expected to visit Cozumel, making it the country’s top cruise port. But the Mexican Riviera, made famous by the participation of Princess Cruises in the iconic television series “The Love Boat” during the 1970s and 80s, retains its enduring allure, with three of its premier destinations – Ensenada, Cabo San Lucas, and Puerto Vallarta – projected to be among the top five most visited ports in México this year.

How Many Cruise Ships Visit Cabo San Lucas and the Mexican Riviera?

The number of cruise ships that visit Cabo San Lucas varies from month to month and year to year. In 2022, for example, 276 vessels visited the Land’s End city, bringing more than 540,000 passengers. For the math-challenged, that’s an average of 1,956 tourists per ship. Of course, it bears noting that each cruise ship has a different capacity. Oceania Cruises’ Insignia, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ luxurious Seven Seas Grandeur and Seven Seas Mariner all carry less than 750 passengers. For Carnival Cruise Lines’ Carnival Panorama and Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas, by contrast, it’s around 4,000 each.

Each of these ships, by the way, visited Cabo San Lucas in January 2023, the busiest month ever recorded for the destination, with over 103,000 shipboard tourists. As did ships representing Princess Cruises, Holland America, Norwegian, and Viking Ocean Cruises. 

It was an atypical month in terms of volume, but instructive in that there are typically plenty of options, allowing prospective cruisers to choose the ship that best suits their budget, the number of days they want to spend aboard (five and seven-night cruises from California ports like Los Angeles and Long Beach are lengthy enough to include Cabo San Lucas), and the amount of port time they desire. Navigator of the Seas, for instance, is one of the few ships to offer cruises with overnight stays in the city.

What’s the Best Time to Visit the Mexican Riviera?

There’s only one season when cruise ships aren’t plentiful: summer. In 2023, seven port calls were recorded each month for June, July, and August, and only two cruise ships – Carnival Panorama and Navigator of the Seas – were regular visitors during this slow season. October through April, meanwhile, are the peak months, mirroring the traditional high season for Cabo San Lucas. These seven months saw 217 of the 254 cruise ship arrivals last year.

That’s not to say summer isn’t a good time to visit, as fares are often lower. But the options are limited. These months also fall within hurricane season (May to November), so there is a small possibility – particularly during September – that port visits can be canceled because of inclement weather. 

How Much Time Do Passengers Have Ashore?

Cabo San Lucas is a tender port, meaning cruise ships have to anchor in the bay and have guests ferried to a Marina dock where they can disembark. That’s because the Cabo San Lucas Marina can only accommodate boats up to 375 feet long and the average cruise ship is about 1,000. 

The time permitted ashore varies from ship to ship. A survey of cruise vessels arriving in April 2024 shows an average of about six hours for passengers to explore the destination. To get the most out of your port call, get in line early for tender transport. It takes only about 15 minutes to get from the cruise ship to dry land, but that doesn’t account for the time that can be spent waiting in line.

Best Shopping, Dining, and Activities Options

Most cruise ships have a list of approved shore excursions for which guests can sign up in advance. These range from snorkeling at Land’s End and fishing for marlin and other game and billfish to spending the day at a local luxury resort. The benefit of approved excursions is that there are no worries regarding overstaying one’s allotted time. The list of potential activities is lengthy, too. Cabo Adventures, which works with cruise ships, notes that all of its activities save those requiring trips to Cabo Pulmo or La Paz are available for cruise ship passengers. 

For those who want to explore at their own pace, the biggest and most popular local beach – Playa El Médano – is a favored destination. It’s accessible by following the marina boardwalk around from the cruise dock. This takes about 30 minutes, however, so water taxis are a convenient shortcut. You won’t need to solicit them either. Drivers’ voices will be among the many that vie for your attention on this popular waterfront promenade. 

Restaurants and souvenir shops abound on the marina boardwalk and nearby downtown area. Considering Cabo San Lucas’ reputation for great fishing, it should be no surprise that locally caught seafood is a specialty. Solomon’s Landing and Baja Cantina, long-time marina fixtures, are good places to experience this delicious ocean bounty. Mango Deck and The Office on the Beach also offer seafood and Mexican cuisine and are among the top drinking and dining destinations on Médano Beach.

Cabo Wabo Cantina, founded by Sammy Hagar and his then Van Halen bandmates in the early 1990s, is a popular downtown stop for waburritos, margaritas, and souvenir t-shirts. Cobalto Pottery and Zen-Mar Folk Art, located nearby, will appeal to shoppers of a more discerning bent. 

Yes, it is possible to visit San José del Cabo, the other cape city in Los Cabos. Buses, rental cars, taxis, and Uber will get you there. Rental cars allow more freedom and will prove cheaper than Uber and taxis, with the latter notable for their exorbitant rates. A U.S. driver’s license permits you to drive legally locally. The Gallery District is a preferred place to browse for those who make the trip. 

Pesos Vs. Dollars

Everyone takes dollars in Cabo San Lucas, so it isn’t necessary to exchange money before your cruise (not every ship provides exchange services onboard) or once you’ve come ashore. However, it’s certainly preferred for those who are budget-minded. Businesses in Los Cabos establish their own favorable exchange rates, so if you pay in dollars you’re likely to lose a few of them on every transaction. This transaction loss adds up. It may only cost you $20 or so during your day in port, but if your cruise features multiple Mexican port visits, pesos are a recommended investment. Visit your bank before getting underway for the best rate.

If you’re using credit cards, foreign transaction fees of 1% to 5% may be applied to each purchase. However, not all local businesses accept these types of payments.

Chris Sands is the Cabo San Lucas local expert for the USA Today travel website 10 Best, writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos travel guidebook, and a contributor to numerous websites and publications, including Tasting Table, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, Forbes Travel Guide, Porthole Cruise, Cabo Living and Mexico News Daily. His specialty is travel-related content and lifestyle features focused on food, wine and golf.

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The price of the average hotel room has indeed been steadily rising. By the end of 2016, it was still just $206. But that figure has increased by over 150% in the eight years since. After 2022 it had more than doubled to $417. That trend has only continued through the start of 2024. The average daily rate has now climbed to a whopping $517, indicating an uptick of 23% in the last year alone. 

Of course, it bears noting that these numbers are skewed by the swankiest of the high-end luxury resorts, where room rates are upwards of $1000 a night. However, only 3,000 of the 18,000 rooms currently in inventory for the municipality are categorized as luxury level—the rest range from intermediate levels of pampering comfort to refreshingly affordable, if not downright cheap. For our purposes, we’ll define the latter category as under $100 a night. 

Fortunately, rooms are still available in this low price range, although less than there used to be.

The Best Budget-Friendly Hotels in 2024

An example of this dwindling inventory would be the Hotel Mar de Cortez, for nearly 50 years the cynosure of budget-friendly accommodations in Cabo San Lucas. Sadly, this downtown landmark closed in 2021 amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

The Land’s End city remains the best place to find affordable hotel rooms, however, with most conveniently located near the Marina – amid downtown shopping and dining – but within walking distance of Playa El Médano, the most popular beach in the area. Boutique hotel Siesta Suites, for example, is only a stone’s throw from the Marina, on the one-block-long street Calle Zapata, and its most affordable rooms start at US $75 per night. Suites with kitchenettes are US $85 and its penthouse, with wraparound city views from its enormous terrace, is only US $105. 

That’s not the cheapest hotel in Los Cabos by any means. That title likely belongs to Cabo Cush, where rates start at 800 pesos (US $48 at the current exchange rate) for a standard room with a king-sized bed and twin, as well as basic amenities like air-conditioning, cable television, and even free phone calls to the U.S. and Canada. Yes, weekly rates are available, too, and as a bonus, beloved comfort food favorite El Pollo de Oro is only two blocks away. 

But there are several other good US $100 or less options, including Cabo Inn Hotel, and the boutique gem Los Milagros. Affordable accommodations of this type are much rarer in San José del Cabo. and along the Los Cabos municipality’s scenic East Cape. Baja California Sur’s capital city of La Paz, a two-hour drive from Los Cabos, has more – the most notable being Hotel Pekin, a lodging above a Chinese restaurant that overlooks the malecón.

What Amenities Can You Reasonably Expect?

Luxury hotels in Los Cabos typically provide onsite restaurants, wellness spas, fitness facilities, and often private roped-off beach areas. Many mid-range properties, meanwhile, may also offer all-inclusive plans that roll many food and beverage costs into the room rate. None of these options, notably, are common with budget-friendly hotels. 

What guests can expect, however, is clean rooms and baths – usually with Mexican-themed decor. There is usually also a central location, air-conditioning, and Wi-Fi service. Swimming pools may be a feature of some properties but they’re not standard. Nor are beachfront vantages and ocean views. Some have attached restaurants and bars, although charges for eating or drinking at these establishments won’t be included in room rates. Siesta Suites, for example, hosts a terrace bar (called The Terrace Bar) and a popular Italian restaurant, Salvatore G’s, in its courtyard area.

What to Know Before Booking

If you want the best rates, book directly through the hotel. Yes, it’s fun to shop for the cheapest available rooms on third-party booking websites but these sites tack on commission charges so that they too can profit. And they often don’t show all relevant taxes and fees. As a local hotel owner noted, the real price invariably isn’t lower than the one the hotels themselves can and do provide. 

All of the lodgings mentioned in this article have websites to facilitate reservations. All, too, have a cadre of loyal guests that return regularly. These aren’t corporate operations. They’re privately owned – by couples and families mostly – and it’s in their best interest to ensure guest expectations regarding price and the quality of accommodations are met. That’s what keeps people coming back. 

Dealing directly with the hotel also makes it easier to get answers to any questions about dates, rooms, potential discounts, or additional fees (if taxes aren’t already included in the posted room rates).

Why Cheap Hotels Are Better Than Cheap Vacation Rentals

Airbnb rentals have expanded the inventory of affordable properties for those who are attracted to Los Cabos and want to visit but are constrained by budgetary factors. However, there is a dark side. In Los Cabos, as in many popular vacation destinations, what has been termed the “Airbnb effect” has resulted in artificially inflated rent prices for locals, and dwindling inventory due to the decision of landlords to prioritize these rooms for tourist traffic. That means many hospitality workers and colorful characters who make vacations so memorable for visitors are being squeezed out and forced to move. 

There may eventually be stricter regulations like the ones recently passed in Mexico City that require property owners to report occupation numbers and pay the resulting taxes, perhaps ameliorating issues for locals. But in the meantime, enjoying comparably low-priced accommodations at Los Cabos hotels is the most sustainable tourism option, with much better service and amenities than are common to all but the most luxurious vacation rentals. And just to be clear: those aren’t cheap.

Chris Sands is the Cabo San Lucas local expert for the USA Today travel website 10 Best, writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos travel guidebook, and a contributor to numerous websites and publications, including Tasting Table, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, Forbes Travel Guide, Porthole Cruise, Cabo Living and Mexico News Daily. His specialty is travel-related content and lifestyle features focused on food, wine and golf.

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In the early 1990s, the effects of overfishing caused the residents of Cabo Pulmo, a small fishing village in the municipality of Los Cabos, to take an unprecedented step: they asked the government for help. In 1995, they received it, and Cabo Palmo became a marine Protected Natural Area (ANP), and fishing within the borders of its 7,111 hectares was prohibited. 

What happened next is one of modern history’s most remarkable conservation stories. In a single decade, Cabo Pulmo’s depleted fish diversity and lack of large predators were restored. Beyond restored. Between 1999 and 2009, marine life grew by a staggering 463%, the largest such increase ever measured. Today, Cabo Pulmo boasts the greatest abundance of any area in the Sea of Cortés, with over 800 species of marine life present. 

By 2000, this recovery had been recognized, and Cabo Pulmo was elevated to the status of a national park in Mexico. Five years later, UNESCO named it a World Heritage site, and in 2008, it was declared a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention. 

Of course, it isn’t just the incredible density and diversity of fish that has made Cabo Pulmo one of the world’s most acclaimed dive sites. Did we mention the living coral reef? At 20,000 years old, Cabo Pulmo’s remarkable offshore reef system is the oldest of the three found along the Pacific coast of North America.

Cabo Pulmo: Where is it and how do you dive there?

Cabo Pulmo is on the East Cape of Los Cabos, a belly-shaped coastal arc that extends over 70 miles from San José del Cabo north to Los Barriles using the old Camino Cabo Este. Cabo Pulmo is about 45 miles from San José del Cabo via this rugged scenic route, or 60 miles if you take Highway 1 to La Ribera, then south. The latter route may be longer, but it’s faster because the roads are better. 

The entrance to Cabo Pulmo requires graded dirt road driving from either direction, but less of it is necessary via La Ribera. That’s why dive operators from Cabo San Lucas go this way when bringing divers for day-long adventures. Cabo Pulmo remains a small village, with only about 120 residents. Yes, it is possible to stay here, as solar-powered vacation rentals and Airbnb properties are available for laid-back beachfront sojourns. Snorkel and dive equipment and guides, meanwhile, are provided by respected local companies such as Cabo Pulmo Divers.

Getting there from Cabo San Lucas 

By far the most popular option, however, are day trips from Cabo San Lucas, San Jose del Cabo and the Tourist Corridor which connects them. This is where the highest concentration of hotels and resorts are found and premier local activities companies like Cabo Adventures and Adventures in Baja will pick up guests from their accommodations option of choice, transport them up to 80 miles to Cabo Pulmo for snorkeling or diving expeditions and then return them to the lobby of their hotel. 

Cabo Adventures, for example, typically picks up guests at about 7 a.m. and returns them by 5:30 p.m. About half of this eight-plus-hour adventure is spent getting there and back, with a box lunch served on the way. 

Premier dive sites in Cabo Pulmo

Cabo Pulmo’s reef system is extensive, with numerous offshore dive sites at varying depths. Highlights include El Vencedor, which features the remains of a tuna boat sunk 85 years ago that has since become a haven for a rich variety of marine life; El Bajo, a long reef bar home to 12 of 14 of the world’s coral species as well as sea turtles, mobula rays and other denizens; Los Cantiles, a favorite for shark sightings whose name references its cliff-shaped rock formations; and El Islote, famed for its incredibly colorful sea fans and white gorgonian, as well as colorful tropical fish like angelfish and Moorish idols. The so-called “tornado of bigeye jacks,” where these fish breed, is also notable for its sheer density.

What more can divers expect to see in the way of marine life? Bigeye jacks and tropical fish; five of seven extant species of sea turtles; bull and blacktip and whitetip reef sharks; eels; and mobula, cownose and eagle rays are all commonly seen, but the animals you spot can vary according to the season. Bull sharks, for example, are currently less visible due to the presence of transiting orcas, confirms Karen Bradfield, guide and owner of Adventures in Baja.

What sustainable tourism looks like in Cabo Pulmo

Cabo Pulmo is now a top international dive destination, and steps have been taken to ensure it remains a sustainable one. According to Armando Martínez Perea, scuba diving manager for Cabo Adventures, visiting divers can visit Cabo Pulmo without a guide, and only about 20 dive shop operators in the region are credentialed to provide them. Only small groups no larger than six divers are permitted, with the total number of allowable divers per day and month constantly being evaluated by park officials. Individual dive sites are also evaluated to ensure the most popular locations aren’t oversaturated. Guides are informed on a daily basis of which of the myriad underwater sites they may visit. 

Yes, you must be a certified diver to dive Cabo Pulmo, but nearly every regional dive operator offers credentialing programs. Snorkeling is an alternative option, although it’s not nearly as magical.

How much does it cost?

Adventures in Baja charges US $295 per person for two tank dives, with transportation and lunch included, although a minimum of two divers is required. Cabo Adventures offers a similar rate, at least normally. A 35% discount is currently being offered to Mexico News Daily readers who use the code MEXICONEWS35 when booking via the agency’s website at least three days in advance of their dive trips.

Lower rates still are available in Cabo Pulmo, of course, since the cost of transportation doesn’t have to be accounted for. There is a national park fee, too, though it’s less than US $4. However, you have to figure out a way to get there first, which will likely include renting a car with four-wheel drive to handle the dirt roads into Cabo Pulmo. There is no bus service or other public transportation that will take you there.

But no matter how you get there, rest assured: it’s definitely worth the trip.  

Chris Sands is the Cabo San Lucas local expert for the USA Today travel website 10 Best, writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos travel guidebook, and a contributor to numerous websites and publications, including Tasting Table, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, Forbes Travel Guide, Porthole Cruise, Cabo Living and Mexico News Daily. His specialty is travel-related content and lifestyle features focused on food, wine and golf.

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That these things happened so close together was not an accident. The same man was responsible for both: legendary golfer and now golf course architect and restaurateur Tiger Woods. It was Tiger and his design team who crafted the course, El Cardonal, that the pros played during the World Wide Technology Championship, and it was Tiger who was responsible for the opening of The Woods Cabo, the restaurant that within days of its opening was already among the best in Los Cabos. 

It’s a testament to the increasing presence Tiger has in Los Cabos and the legacy he is building here. In addition to El Cardonal and The Woods Cabo, he has also designed a 12-hole Oasis Short Course and is expected to premier a new course, The Legacy Club, next year at Diamante, the resort community associated with all his local projects. The difference between the golf courses and the restaurant, however, is that only the latter is open to the public. The golf courses are all private. 

But according to Tiger, that’s all part of the plan. “TGR Design has been a part of Diamante since we broke ground on El Cardonal in 2013, so opening up The Woods Cabo at Diamante seemed like a natural extension of our partnership and the perfect backdrop for an elevated sports bar experience,” he told Mexico News Daily. “I look forward to enjoying The Woods Cabo as much as I hope the public will.”

What to know about The Woods Cabo

The Woods Cabo, like The Woods Jupiter in Florida, is billed as a sports bar, for obvious reasons – Tiger is one of the most famous sports figures of the past 30 years. But despite the televisions mounted around the bar and dining area, and despite a bar menu featuring lollipop chicken wings, this is as much a steakhouse or a fine dining restaurant as it is a sports bar. Hence, Tiger’s qualifier: “elevated.”

Poshly appointed, with a setting overlooking the 18th hole at El Cardonal (the terrace surveys a nearby driving range), The Woods Cabo is an oasis of wagyu steaks, sushi, fine wines, and other gustatory pleasures, and offers a dining experience completely unlike any other in Los Cabos. If that seems incongruous, it should be noted that Tiger isn’t the only legendary figure associated with the project.

The chef is a Los Cabos legend

When Chef Larbi Dahrouch came to Los Cabos in 2003 to helm what eventually became Agua by Larbi for benchmark local luxury resort, One&Only Palmilla, he was already famous in the culinary world. That was due in part to his long working relationship with Jean-Louis Palladin, who earned two Michelin stars in his native France and subsequently opened an acclaimed restaurant at the Watergate Hotel in Washington D.C. that hosted everyone from President Ronald Reagan (for his 70th birthday party) to iconic ballet star Mikhail Baryshnikov. 

Dahrouch eventually ran that restaurant himself, as well as several others – including the Country Inn in Princeton, Massachusetts – and even helped launch Euro Disney before coming to Los Cabos. At each stop, his cuisine was premised on, as the chef himself puts it, “the freshest possible ingredients, but with a twist.” In Los Cabos, that twist has often been what Dahrouch refers to as “Mexiterranean”, meaning a blend of Mexican ingredients with Mediterranean influences. Palladin may be the “father of the farm-to-table movement in America,” per the Michelin Guide, but his former executive sous chef deserves plaudits aplenty, too, for enhancing the focus on great ingredients first, locally sourced if possible.

It’s perhaps no coincidence that the farm-to-table movement in Los Cabos, which has produced great restaurants like Flora’s Field Kitchen and Acre, where Dahrouch also served a stint as chef, began to flower soon after he arrived. 

The menu is unlike any other in Los Cabos

Dahrouch doesn’t take credit for the bar menu at The Woods Cabo, but the dinner menu is all his and features many of his trademark specialties, like a focus on fresh local ingredients. The restaurant sources many ingredients from its nearby garden, for example, and much of the seafood is regionally caught.  

Not all of it, though. The sublime trout, served with a green lentil stew that reflects the chef’s Moroccan heritage and an achiote sauce, is sourced from Tasmania; and the superb wagyu steaks are from eponymous cattle in Margaret River, Australia. The chef has also scoured the globe to find outstanding selections for the restaurant’s wine list, with fine offerings from France, Italy, the U.S., and elsewhere. México, whose burgeoning wine scene has now expanded well beyond Valle de Guadalupe in Baja California, is also well represented. 

Some of these food and wine selections are quite expensive. If you want to try a 35-ounce wagyu tomahawk steak for two and order a bottle of Cheval Blanc to accompany it, the former will cost 5,520 pesos, the latter 48,530. But more reasonably priced fare is available (the trout entrée is 940 pesos), including discounts during Happy Hour from 3 to 5 p.m.

How to experience The Woods Cabo

Diamante is a very private resort community where many famous people have homes. Tiger himself has a home there. So given the very public status of his restaurant, it’s built on a corner of the 1,500-acre property on the Pacific Coast north of Cabo San Lucas (Diamante Blvd., to be exact), so diners who don’t live there don’t have to deal with Diamante’s notoriously unobliging gate guards. There’s a public entrance, although that too is manned by a security guard, albeit a much more friendly one.

Actually, there are two entrances to the restaurant. One for Diamante residents, and one for locals or visitors who want to sample one of the best dining experiences in Los Cabos. Reservations are strongly recommended in either case (call 624-144-2960), however, and if you’re interested in Los Cabos real estate, a new development will accompany The Legacy Club course from TGR Design. The restaurant, meanwhile, is open daily from 2 to 10 p.m. This includes its bar area and also the onsite butcher’s shop, where fine cuts are available from around the world. The former is a good place to watch the Masters Tournament, which Tiger has won five times. The latter is a grill master’s dream.

Chris Sands is the Cabo San Lucas local expert for the USA Today travel website 10 Best, writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos travel guidebook, and a contributor to numerous websites and publications, including Tasting Table, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, Forbes Travel Guide, Porthole Cruise, Cabo Living and Mexico News Daily. His specialty is travel-related content and lifestyle features focused on food, wine and golf.

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This remarkable growth has been made possible by enhanced airline connectivity, with more flights bringing more tourists from destinations throughout North America, and increasingly from Europe too. Last year alone, 14 new air routes were established in North America, so that by March of this year, over 600 flights a week were arriving, bringing passengers directly from 30 cities in the U.S., 11 in Canada and 16 in Mexico. 

More flights are coming from Europe

The big news recently is that Los Cabos will soon see expanded service from Europe, too, courtesy of flights from leisure airline Condor, which will deliver passengers from Frankfurt, Germany. Service on Airbus A330neo jets begins in November 2024 and is expected to run seasonally from November to April. Condor will offer twice weekly non-stop flights, bringing an estimated 16,000 yearly visitors with a benefit of US $1 billion annually for the local economy. 

This added connectivity brings the number of countries delivering tourists to Los Cabos from outside México to four: the U.S., Canada, Spain, and Germany.  Before the recent announcement of service from Frankfurt, Los Cabos received flights from only one European city: Madrid, Spain. 

Spanish airliner Iberojet will continue that service, which has been running during the summer season since 2022. Visitors have increased every year from Madrid, from 8,000 the first year to 10,000 in 2023, with an estimated 15,000 expected in 2024. 

More direct flights are being added in the U.S.

The biggest market for Los Cabos continues to be the U.S. Over 55% of airline passengers to Los Cabos in 2023 originated from México’s neighbor to the north, compared to a little more than 34% from México itself, and only 6% from Canada. Los Cabos’ increased connectivity to the U.S. somewhat masks the fact, however, that almost half of all American tourists in 2023 flew from only two states: California (representing 29% of total U.S. visitors) and Texas (17%).

But flights have recently been added in other new and established markets. Seasonal service from Las Vegas to Los Cabos, for example, began in December 2023, with Alaska Airlines offering flights four days a week through April of this year. 

Frontier Airlines, which canceled regularly scheduled Denver to Los Cabos flights in February even though it was among the airport’s most popular routes, quickly made amends. Frontier will begin twice-weekly service from Phoenix to Los Cabos beginning on May 16. 

Beginning this month, Southwest Airlines also launched weekly Saturday flights from St. Louis to Los Cabos. Southwest is a major carrier to the destination, bringing passengers from Austin, Baltimore, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Kansas City, Oakland, Orange County, Phoenix, Sacramento, and San Diego in addition to St. Louis.

These airlines are joined by American, Delta, United, JetBlue, and Sun Country Airlines in providing service to Los Cabos from a total of 30 cities or metro areas across the U.S. The Eastern portion of the country is less connected than the West Coast, it should be noted, but flights are regularly scheduled from New York City, Newark, Charlotte, and Atlanta.

New flights from Canada 

Canada brings far fewer passengers to Los Cabos than the U.S., but the nation’s airlines have likewise increased connectivity during the past year. Air Canada, for example, added a weekly flight from Montreal to Los Cabos during the recent winter season (that service ends this month, by the way). The carrier also offers seasonal flights to the destination from Toronto and Vancouver, which will continue through April 

Vancouver is the Canadian destination most connected to Los Cabos, with weekly flights from airlines Air Canada, Flair, Sunwing, and WestJet. However, flights can also be booked from Abbotsford, Calgary, Edmonton, Kelowna, and Victoria.

Semi-private jets are now an option

There are plenty of budget-friendly ways to get to Los Cabos but for those seeking more luxurious transportation options – meaning no waiting and no lines – semi-private jet service Aero now offers service from Van Nuys Airport in Los Angeles to airports in Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo. These flights offer a host of upscale amenities, along with the exclusivity provided by limited seating (the company’s ERJ135 jets, for example, accommodate only 16 passengers).

Aero has partnered with the acclaimed Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal resort, for instance, to deliver guests for special events, and has been providing service to Los Cabos since 2022, with tickets originally priced at $1,600 each way. Prices now vary, often with significantly better rates, depending on when you book and what time of year you choose to travel.

Domestic flights available from Los Cabos For Vacation Jaunts

Not only is it easier than ever to get to Los Cabos, but it’s also easier than ever to use it as a jumping-off point to other popular destinations on Mexico’s Pacific Coast. That’s because of a new domestic airline, Señor Air, which recently began operating out of Los Cabos International Airport in San José del Cabo. Twice-weekly flights to Hermosillo and Puerto Vallarta are scheduled through April. Flights to Los Mochis and Mazatlán, meanwhile, were offered during the winter months.

Domestic service, of course, is also offered throughout México by airlines such as AeroMéxico, VivaAerobus and Volaris.

Chris Sands is the Cabo San Lucas local expert for the USA Today travel website 10 Best, writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos travel guidebook, and a contributor to numerous websites and publications, including Tasting Table, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, Forbes Travel Guide, Porthole Cruise, Cabo Living and Mexico News Daily. His specialty is travel-related content and lifestyle features focused on food, wine and golf.

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