23 Best Bars in Los Cabos, Mexico

Background Illustration for Nightlife

Party-minded crowds roam the main strip of Cabo San Lucas every night from happy hour through last call, often staggering home or to hotel rooms just before dawn. It's not hard to see why this is the nightlife capital of southern Baja.

Indeed, Cabo is internationally famous (or infamous, depending on your view) for being a raucous party town, especially during spring break. On the other hand, nightlife in San José del Cabo is much more low-key: it's more about a good drink and conversation as opposed to the table-dancing chaos you'll find in some Cabo hot spots.

Between the two towns, the self-contained resorts along the Corridor have some nightlife, mainly in ever-improving restaurants and bars, which can mix up some fabulous cocktails themselves.

The lines between "bar," "nightclub," and "restaurant" are blurry here. Never forget that enjoying a fine dinner is a time-honored way to spend a Los Cabos evening. Also, don't forget that things shift into lower gear during the lowest of the low season—those slow, sweltering months of August and September when some places curtail their offerings, or may close for a few weeks altogether. Never fear though: you'll find nighttime fun here no matter what season you visit.

Slim's Elbow Room

Centro Fodor's choice

Slim's calls itself "the world's smallest bar," and you'll be lucky to get a seat at this kitschy four-seat space that plays honky-tonk music and serves $3 beers and tequila shots. Signed dollar bills line the walls and ceiling, and a buzzing, standing crowd loiters out the door and onto the Boulevard Marina sidewalk each evening, vibing off its energy.

Wendlandt Cervecería

Centro Fodor's choice

For a casual yet refined bar scene, this chic spot is a favorite of Ensenada's many vintners, chefs, and brewers. Showcasing local beers from the region, as well as wines from nearby Valle del Guadalupe, the friendly owners have literally mastered the craft with their own cervezas that landed them the titles of Mexico's best beer in 2015 and 2019. Beer tastings in their brew pub are available by reservation only. If you're hungry, Wendlandt serves elevated bar food using local ingredients. The nondescript bar is simply marked by their logo and an antique door.

Blvd. Costero 248, Ensenada, 22800, Mexico
646-178–2938
Nightlife Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch, Closed Mon.

Azul

As far as posh hotel bars go, it's hard to top the Hilton Los Cabos' Azul, whose terrace overlooks the Sea of Cortez. There's nothing raucous here, just intimate conversation over margaritas and other agave-based spirit cocktails. Mexican antojitos (small appetizers) and raw snacks provide the perfect complement.

Recommended Fodor's Video

Baja Brewing Co.

The Baja Brewing Co. serves cold, on-site–microbrewed cerveza and international pub fare. You'll find entrées ranging from ahi tuna quesadillas to basil-and-blue-cheese burgers. Our favorite of the eight beers is the Baja Blond Ale; the BBC also brews Oatmeal Stout, Raspberry Lager, homemade root beer, and a dark, smooth Black Scorpion. If you can't make up your mind, order the sampler.

Cabo Wabo

Centro

Depending on when you visit Cabo Wabo, you might just witness a jam session with owner Sammy Hagar and some of his legendary musician friends, who stop by a few times throughout the year. Plan way in advance to attend Hagar's Birthday Bash Week—usually the second week in October—as tickets sell out. The bar's design—high cavernous ceilings, zebra stipes, and psychedelic neon patterns—was re-created for the set of Hagar's Red Voodoo tour.

Make dinner reservations to avoid the long lines to get in the club.

Lunch and dinner are served with extensive menus, and a taco grill cooks up tasty munchies outside if you wish to cool off after dancing. Shops on-site or at the international airport sell Cabo Wabo souvenir clothing.

Cantina29 at Casa Don Rodrigo

Centro

Come here for the ambience and cocktails (the food has mixed reviews) like the blackberry mojito or house margarita. Once the home of the owner’s grandparents, the building dates back to 1927 and its original brick walls are still intact, adorned with historic family photographs. The courtyard, strung with lanterns and fairy lights, is a pleasant place to enjoy the live mariachi.

Blvd. Antonio Mijares 29, San José del Cabo, 23400, Mexico
624-166–9439

El Squid Roe

Anything goes at this four-story party spot, including lots of dancing, Jell-O shots, beer-chugging contests, and dancers undulating in a makeshift penitentiary. During spring break or high season, more than 3,000 revelers come here on any given night—and many stay until sunrise. Feeling out of place? Head for one of the balconies on the third and fourth floors (which can be reached by elevator) where the scene is a bit less lurid. Around the corner stands the bar's souvenir shop with humorous T-shirts. El Squid Roe also has a full menu, serving pastas, steaks, and salads.

Hard Rock Cafe

After an absence for several years, Hard Rock Cafe is back in Cabo San Lucas, barely a stone’s throw from the old location on Av. Lázaro Cárdenas. The new iteration of the global chain is a bit sleeker, and there's now an alfresco dining terrace, but otherwise the focus remains much the same: plenty of comfort food and cocktails, an on-site souvenir store, and walls chock-a-block with rock-and-roll memorabilia, from glitzy stage outfits to custom, rock star–wielded guitars. The Original Legendary Burger with applewood smoked bacon, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, and onion ring is the must-try menu item, while signature cocktails like the Hurricane and Classic Caribbean Mojito come with their own collectible glasses. Check the website calendar for live music and other upcoming events.

Hussong's Cantina

Centro

Hussong's Cantina has been an Ensenada landmark since 1892, and has changed little since then. Ask anyone here and they'll tell you that this is where the margarita was invented by bartender Don Carlos Orozco in October 1941; however, this is just one of several local establishments that state that claim to fame. Regardless, come by Saturday when you can get two margaritas for the price of one, or two-for-one beers every Tuesday and Thursday. A security guard stands by the front door to handle the often-rowdy crowd. The floor is covered with sawdust, and the noise is usually deafening, pierced by mariachi and ranchera musicians and the whoops and hollers of the pie-eyed.

La Osteria

Zona Hotelera

Live music on Thursdays and Fridays coupled with the refreshing cocktails make this one of the best spots to grab a drink in San José del Cabo. Acoustic guitars add to the quaint atmosphere you’ll find in the lantern-lit, stone courtyard. Tapas make a tasty accompaniment to the house sangrias.

Paseo del Estero, San José del Cabo, 23406, Mexico
624-146–9696
Nightlife Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.

La Santeña

You'll find this upscale rendition of a Mexican cantina (with a restaurant, too) in the Hotel Casa Tota. It's a great place to stop for a quiet drink.

Calle Alvaro Obregón, Todos Santos, 23300, Mexico
612-145–0590
Nightlife Details
Rate Includes: Daily 7 am–11 pm

Las Varitas

Las Varitas, one of Cabo's most popular clubs, is a branch of the La Paz rock club favored by young Mexicans. Local and internationally famous Latin rock bands perform here almost every night, and the establishment even boasts its own label of house tequila.

Paseo de la Marina, Cabo San Lucas, 23452, Mexico
624-143–9999
Nightlife Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.

Latitude 22+ Roadhouse

This noisy, friendly roadhouse always attracts gringos looking to down a shot of tequila, sip cold beer, and mingle with old or new friends. The menu features good, dependable, and mostly American fare. From October to June they host live music, ranging in style from pop to blues to country.

Carretera Transpeninsular, Km. 4.5, The Corridor, 23452, Mexico
624-143–1516
Nightlife Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun., Closed Tues.

Mango Deck

Playa El Médano

Feel like getting a little bit rowdy and dancing in the sand? Mango Deck may reach its peak during spring break, but this beachfront party mecca is always packed.

Nowhere ¿Bar?

Marina San Lucas

Locals sip beers while exuberant tourists have too much fun at the Nowhere ¿Bar? Two-for-one drinks and a lively dance floor are a big draw here. Don't be at all surprised to see people dancing on the tables from early evening on. Sushi and tacos are served from adjacent restaurants.

Papas & Beer

Papas & Beer, one of the most popular bars in Baja Norte, draws a young, energetic spring-break crowd for drinking and dancing on the beach. The $3.50 beers and mechanical bull make for an entertaining combination.

Shooters Sports Bar

For a family-friendly atmosphere where you can order your choice of food and beverage and watch sports on big-screen TVs, head to Shooters, a rooftop bar overlooking the main square. It's open daily from 10 am–10 pm, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Shut Up Frank's

Take your pick from the sporting events shown on seven big-screen TVs at the consummate sports bar in Todos Santos. Enjoy the scrumptious burgers here, too.

Degollado at Rangel, Todos Santos, 23305, Mexico
612-145–0707
Nightlife Details
Rate Includes: Daily 11–10

Sunset Point

This casual wine-and-pizza lounge is a colorful rooftop hot spot that shares the same stunning view of famous Los Cabos Arch as its downstairs counterpart, Sunset de Mona Lisa. With a selection of more than 140 wines and champagnes, complemented by free tapas daily 5–6 pm, this is the place to watch the sun set over light bites and cocktails.

Tanga Tanga

Marina San Lucas

Tanga Tanga, which has both an outdoor and indoor bar, is a hot and popular spot, especially for expats, to listen to live music, and watch sports on big-screen TVs. Local reggae and rock groups play here on Friday and Satuday. Margaritas are plentiful, and the wings are extra spicy!

Blvd. Marina, Cabo San Lucas, 23450, Mexico
624-143–1511

The Lounge Bar

The name sounds rather utilitarian, but the dim lighting and intimate setting here are anything but. Enjoy stunning views of El Arco—you are, after all, on the Cabo San Lucas end of the Corridor—at Esperanza's elegant bar and lounge on lush couches. Linger over quiet drinks or smoke a cigar as you listen to the sounds of the ocean.

The Office

Playa El Médano

The Office began as a place to rent water sports equipment, and expanded into a bar/eatery now famous for its seafood and goblet-size margaritas. Despite the fact that the floor here is the sand, this place is a tad more upscale than the other venues on Médano Beach.

Zipper's

Named for the nearby surf break, beachfront Zipper's attracts a mixed crowd of surfers and nonsurfers alike. A good selection of beer, as well as ribs and burgers, is always on hand, with live music weekdays and Sunday.

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