Kids and Families
Los Cabos and Baja don't necessarily leap to mind when planning a vacation with the kids. (This isn't Orlando, after all.) It's not that the region is unfriendly to children, but enjoying time with the kids here does take some advance preparation and research.
Places to Stay
Except those that exclude children entirely, many of Los Cabos' beach hotels and all-inclusive resorts cater to families and have children's programs. A few offer little more than kid's pools, but several of the big hotels and their wealth of activities go way beyond that and make fine options for families with kids. A few of the standouts:
Dreams Los Cabos has an active Explorers Club for children ages 3–12. (The search for a beach treasure is always a crowd-pleaser.) Older kids will appreciate tennis, badminton, volleyball, and soccer.
Hilton’s Cabo Kids’ Club is geared toward kids 4–12, with cookie decorating, arts and crafts, board games, Spanish classes, cinema under the stars, and even spa treatments for kids at Spa Oasis.
Vacation Rentals: Apartments, condos, and villas are an excellent option for families. You can cook your own food (a big money saver), spread out, and set up a home away from home, which can make everyone feel more comfortable. If you decide to go the apartment- or condo-rental route, be sure to ask about the number and size of the swimming pools and whether outdoor spaces and barbecue areas are available.
Beaches
Ah, here's the rub: if you have visions of you and your kids frolicking in the surf, revise them a bit. Many Los Cabos–area beaches are notoriously unsafe for swimming, making a day at the beach literally a day on the beach, rather than in the water.
Even those strands of sand that are regarded as all right for swimming have some "But don't forget" cautions: Playa Palmilla, near San José del Cabo, offers tranquil water most days, with emphasis on "most." Playa Buenos Aires in the Corridor is safest between Hilton and Melia Cabo Real, where a man-made cove serves as a wave breaker. Playa Médano, just outside Cabo San Lucas, is good for swimming, but has some very quick drop-offs. Playa del Amor, at Land's End near Cabo San Lucas, is regarded as OK for swimming on the Sea of Cortez side, but not the Pacific side. (All Pacific beaches here are no-go for swimming.)
After Dark
Nightlife here is mostly geared toward grown-ups, but a few kid-friendly dining spots do exist. Even the restaurants at Cabo Wabo and the Hard Rock Cafe have familiar food that will satisfy the most finicky of eaters, and the U.S. chains are all here, too.
All restaurants in Mexico are nonsmoking (lighting up is permitted only in outdoor-seating areas). Both San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas have modern theaters that show Hollywood movies a few weeks after they premiere back home; note, though, that animated films or those rated "G" are often dubbed in Spanish.
Baja Top Five for Kids
Zoológico de Santiago, Santiago: Lions and tigers and bears, oh, my! Yes, they do exist here at this small zoo, an unexpected delight in such a remote locale. The sign shows a picture of an elephant, but don't get your hopes up on that one.
Bucaneer Queen, Cabo San Lucas: Avast ye mateys! Kids of all ages can dress up like pirates and go swashbuckling and hunting for treasure on this, one of several pirate cruises that operate out of Los Cabos. Just practice saying, "Aaaaarrrrrrrr!"
La Bufadora, near Ensenada: Literally "the buffalo snort," this natural tidal-wave phenomenon near Ensenada resembles a whale's blowhole. It sprays water 75 feet into the air, and everyone, no matter how curmudgeonly, delights in getting wet.
Swim with the Dolphins, San Jose del Cabo: Kids can swim and interact with friendly dolphins at the Marina in Puerto Los Cabos near San Jose. A second dolphin center is located at the Marina in Cabo San Lucas.
Whale-Watching, Los Cabos, Ensenada, Guerrero Negro, Loreto, Magdalena Bay: You'll find whale-watching venues up and down the peninsula. The vehicles make Baja whale-watching so special: outfitters here take you out to sea in pangas, small boats that let you get an up-close view of the magnificent beasts. We'd argue that, no matter what your age, Baja has no greater thrill.
Some Legalities
All children over the age of two require a Mexican Tourist Card (FMT card) to venture beyond the U.S. border region. Kids 15 and under require only a birth certificate to return to the United States by land from Mexico. If you fly home, everyone, regardless of age, must hold a passport to get back into the United States.
Don't forget Mexico's well-known and stringent laws regarding the entry and exit of children under 18. All minors must be accompanied by both parents. In the absence of that, the parent not present—or parents, plural, in the case of kids traveling with an organized group—must provide a notarized statement granting permission for the child to travel. Divorce, separation, or remarriage complicate these matters, but do not negate the requirement.
Even if you are traveling as a full family, we recommend erring on the side of caution if anything in your situation varies from that stereotypical 1950s Leave It to Beaver image of what a family looks like.
Mexican immigration officials really do know about remarriages, adoptions, blended families, multiethnic families, same-sex parents, and different last names, but copies of relevant documentation never hurt, just in case there are questions.
