Where to stay in Los Cabos

When Los Cabos was separated from the current municipality of La Paz in 1981, it took its name from the word shared by its two main tourist destinations: Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo. These two cities continue to make up the majority of the population in Los Cabos and are obvious places to find a hotel or resort for your vacation. By 2024, Cabo San Lucas alone has more than one 8,600 hotel rooms40 percent total regional supply.

However, it is worth noting that San Lucas and San José are not the only communities in a municipality that covers an area of ​​approximately 1,500 square miles. There are more than a dozen towns, including Eastern Cape towns such as Buenavista, La Ribera and Cabo Pulmo. The Eastern Cape has always been a favorite with long-term visitors because its sparse population and uncrowded beaches are more reminiscent of “old Cabo.” But it’s also becoming increasingly popular among younger travelers, thanks to excellent conditions for outdoor activities such as diving, fishing, surfing and wind sports, as well as a growing inventory of excellent accommodation options.

The “Tourist Corridor” — the 20-mile stretch of coastline connecting the Cape Cities — should also be of interest, as it is home to more world-class luxury resorts than any other area of ​​Los Cabos.

Why is the location of your holiday destination important?

just as Time of year you choose to travel to Los Cabos Just as it affects the cost of accommodation, it also affects where one’s accommodation is located. According to the Los Cabos Tourism Board (Fiturca), average daily room price This June, when the slow season begins, it was $214 for a hotel or resort in Cabo San Lucas. In San José del Cabo it was $286. Meanwhile, in the Tourist Corridor, the figure was $633; which was more than twice the size of a room in Cape City.

These differences also apply during high season, although accommodation costs are higher across the municipality. From where? Because each of these areas generally specializes in certain types of accommodation. The Tourist Corridor, as mentioned earlier, is the center of luxury resorts on the coast. Cabo San Lucas, on the contrary, offers much more budget-friendly alternatives There are all-inclusive resorts downtown, fronting miles of Médano Beach shoreline. All-inclusive resorts are also common at Playa Hotelera in San José del Cabo, and more boutique hotels are available in the historic city center.

Therefore, location affects cost. This also affects the quality of your holiday. This is because all these areas, although similar in some respects (for example, they all have magnificent beaches), also have unique charms and offer certain different attractions that add value to the holiday.

Reasons to choose a resort in Cabo San Lucas

Not only does Cabo San Lucas have the cheapest accommodation in Los Cabos, on average, but it’s also home to the largest and most popular beach – the three-kilometer-long Playa El Médano – and a series of picturesque beaches and evocative rock formations at Land’s End doing. These are the gateway to great snorkeling and diving. Cabo San Lucas is also famous for its fishing. Its marina is the largest in the region; so there are plenty of charter boats and sunset sails to choose from.

But the one thing about Cabo San Lucas that you won’t find anywhere else in Los Cabos is great nightlife. Of course, it’s not as loud as it used to be. But there are still two legendary nightclubs, Cabo Wabo Cantina and El Squid Roe, and colorful bars and lounges are springing up throughout the city of Land’s End.

Tourist Corridor and luxury resorts

Not every resort in the Tourist Corridor is luxurious. But this golden area is home to many of the best resorts in Los Cabos, including One&Only Palmilla, Las Ventanas al Paraíso, Esperanza and Chileno Bay (both Auberge Resorts), Montage Los Cabos and Grand Velas Los Cabos. The latter is a luxury all-inclusive service, and what most resorts in the Tourist Corridor have in common is that you don’t have to leave the resort to have an incredible holiday. Great dining, drinking, swimming pools and beaches are available on site.

However, it’s worth noting that great shopping and dining options along the Tourist Corridor are also available off-site: particularly at the Shoppes at Palmilla and El Merkado. As for beaches, there are several Blue Flag beaches in the Tourist Corridor, including traditional favorites like Playa Chileno, Playa Santa María, and Playa Palmilla.

Benefits of staying in San José del Cabo

San José del Cabo is the seat of local government and the cultural capital of Los Cabos. The city is famous for its Gallery District in the historic city centre. It also has the best dining scene in the area. farm to table restaurants Found just outside the city, in Ánimas Bajas. The marina in Puerto Los Cabos offers many outdoor activity options, and Puerto Los Cabos is also home to world-class golf courses such as Club Campestre.

Why is the Eastern Cape of Los Cabos an underrated resort?

Average room price data for Eastern Cape accommodation is not available, probably because there are far fewer hotels here than in Cabo San Lucas, San José del Cabo or their connecting corridors. But this is likely to change as continued growth pushes development further up the coast. Costa Palmas, one of the major recent developments in the Eastern Cape, is home to a luxury Four Seasons property, with another from Amanvari scheduled to open in 2025.

Aside from this luxury development, East Cape hotels are generally smaller and more affordable than elsewhere in Los Cabos. Because communities in the East Cape are also more sparsely populated and see fewer tourists, visitors can get away from the more populated areas of Los Cabos and experience one of the world’s greatest destinations for outdoor recreation.

Thanks to its living reef and protected status Cabo Pulmo It is an amazing scuba diving destination. Los Barriles is a haven for wind sports such as kiteboarding from November to March. During the summer months, beaches such as Shipwrecks and Nine Palms in the Eastern Cape offer excellent surfing. And then there’s this first class fishing The company that originally brought tourists to Buenavista and Los Barriles in the 1950s and still continues to bring tourists, especially for Bisbee’s lucrative East Cape Offshore tournament.

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