43 Best Bars in Los Cabos and the Baja Peninsula, Mexico

This casual gastro pub is a colorful rooftop hot spot that shares the same stunning view of the famous Los Cabos Arch as its downstairs counterpart, Sunset Monalisa. With live jazz music every day and a selection of more than 140 wines and champagnes, this is the place to watch the sun set over light bites and cocktails.

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 this elegant bar and lounge that's part of Esperanza's signature restaurant Cocina del Mar. Linger over quiet drinks or smoke a cigar as you listen to the sounds of the ocean and live music from Thursday to Sunday.

For drinks with a view of El Arco, head to The Rooftop bar and lounge at The Cape hotel. The sleek setting boasts a beer garden, handcrafted cocktails, and live music at sunset. If it gets too breezy, move to their Glass Box boutique hotel bar specializing in tequilas and mezcals.

Los Cabos' Baja Brewing Company tends to get all of the love when it comes to the local craft beer scene, but this brewery in Todos Santos has a wider variety with arguably better flavor—all 28 taps are made fresh on-site. Todos Santos Brewing is open seven days a week and regularly organizes fun entertainment like live music, trivia, and karaoke.

Seis Uno Dos (La Paz's area code) is a nice rooftop lounge overlooking the malecón. Come here for sunset cocktails or to dance the night away to an upbeat DJ set.

Don’t be fooled by the name “bad water.” This artisanal brewery pours a mean oatmeal stout and imperial IPA. Nearly a dozen handcrafted beers are served in the container bar where menu items like fish tacos and artisanal pizzas pair well with just about everything on tap.

A chilled-out alternative to Cabo Wabo, you can listen to excellent live music play on an outdoor stage designed to look like a mound of sand. Sports games are also frequently broadcast. For a bite to accompany a beverage, try the sushi.

Easily the most famous bar in Los Cabos (if not Mexico as a whole), Cabo Wabo is worth a visit for the novelty alone. There's live music every afternoon and evening, and if you're lucky, you might just witness a jam session from owner Sammy Hagar and some of his legendary musician friends, who stop by a few times a year. The club's zany design—high cavernous ceilings, zebra stripes, and psychedelic neon patterns—are as fun as ever, even if the venue is now past its prime. (The energetic crowds once featured on MTV are largely a thing of the past, save for Hagar's annual Birthday Bash, which sells out instantly.) There's a steep markup on the menu's prices, but the house Cabo Wabo Tequila still merits a taste. Grabbing a bottle or a T-shirt from the on-site souvenir shop is a must for any Van Halen fan.

This is a townie hangout joint, but then again, that’s everywhere in the East Cape. Cactus is one of your best bets in the entire region for nightlife; it can get a little sloppy as it gets late, but you are guaranteed to befriend a friendly expat or 10 on any given visit. There’s karaoke every Saturday, though a bigger crowd usually congregates on an outdoor patio with a billiards table.

This two-story brewery is a game changer for Ensenada, luring locals and travelers alike for craft beers in a warehouse-like setting. They have live music, jam sessions, open-mike night, and NFL Sunday. Check their Facebook page for upcoming events and specials.

Popular among the trendy, local crowd, this three-story bar around the corner from Médano serves up some of the very best cocktails in town, handcrafted with fresh ingredients. Thirsty patrons spill out into the street on weekend evenings, but will happily clear the way for you to order a drink.

One of the coziest places to relax on Playa El Médano is on an umbrella-covered daybed at Corazón. Attentive waiters are quick to deliver your food and drink orders, and a rope around the perimeters keeps outside vendors from disturbing your peace. It gets crowded, so reserve a space in advance and arrive early to guarantee the best experience.

Open later than any other venue in La Paz, this is the place to wind up if you have one more dance left in you before calling it a night. Tacos are sold for under a buck-fifty, should you need some sobering up, too.

On most days, this restaurant at the boutique solar-powered VIDASOUL Hotel is a quiet place to enjoy a drink or meal overlooking gorgeous beachfront views of the Sea of Cortez. But on Friday and Saturday night in-season (November through May), live bands play, and it becomes the best of the scant nightlife options between Los Barriles and San José del Cabo. Locals and visitors alike party down, East Cape style, and the restaurant closes when the last guest goes to bed.

This cocktail bar is the main "late night" option in Todos Santos, staying open until a whopping 11 pm. Visited primarily by the local expat community, owner and bartender James Katona is happy to chat up new faces as he slings his signature margaritas. Decorated with quirky artifacts that are mostly gifts from regulars, The Dirty Rose is located within the unmarked building with the thatched roof (speakeasy meets tiki bar, anyone?) across from Shut Up Frank's.

Liter-size bottles of beer (called caguamas throughout Mexico, but in Baja specifically, you can also say ballena, which means "whale") line the shelf behind this classic bar, part of which has been converted into an epic stage for live music. Every night of the week from 10 pm until 1 am a band performs either rock n' roll or banda, traditional Mexican music with brass instruments.

Like mezcal? Come here. Don't like mezcal? Come here anyway and your mind will be changed. El Refugio serves a constantly changing list of artisanal mezcals sourced directly from small, family producers from across five different states in Mexico. Try them in a cocktail, or better yet, order a flight—but don't forget to read the written descriptions of what each mezcal tastes like; crafted by co-owner Rachel Glueck, they are among the most unhinged segments of creative writing you'll find outside of a hipster poetry slam, and only become more amusing with each pour you consume. It's cash-only and not cheap, so make sure your wallet is packed with pesos.

The epitome of Cabo San Lucas nightlife, this original and iconic three-story dance club has changed very little since its opening three decades ago, but remains as popular as ever. Revelers of all ages can be found lined outside for admission on any given night, despite a hefty cover charge and the neighboring clubs remaining empty. It's known to get wild, and that's the main draw for most---either to participate in the madness, or to people watch with amusement. At virtually every breakfast buffet in town, you'll hear someone remarking about "what happened last night at El Squid Roe."

Owner Os Navarro is always coming up with original recipes and inventive twists on classic cocktails from behind "the good" bar. There's limited seating here, so try to come early (or prepare to hover) to claim a spot.

A unique sports bar concept—unique for Cabo San Lucas, anyway—this Red Sox--themed bar features live sporting events (from every sport) on close to a dozen TVs. Owner Ignacio “Nacho” Padilla Rivas grew up in Aguascalientes, Mexico, but is a die-hard fan of the Boston team and has furnished this funky little hole-in-the-wall with a replica Green Monster scoreboard and memorabilia galore.

Cheap drinks are the name of the game at Happy Ending, whether you're looking for an early evening pregame or a last call nightcap. They're known for housing an impressive number of beer pong tables as well as an all-hours deal of two beers and two shots for just $5. (The house tequila is unspeakably foul, however, so maybe opt for just the beer.)

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.

If you belong to the 50 and over crowd who likes to rock out, you'll have a riot of a time at Jungle Bar. This outdoor spot is always packed, thanks to its low prices and live music. It can take forever to get your drinks, though, so take advantage of their two-for-one deals and order several at once.

As far as posh hotel bars go, it's hard to top the Hilton Los Cabos La Biblioteca (meaning "The Library"), a fancy little bar completely dedicated to the celebration of tequila and mezcal. There's nothing raucous here, just intimate conversation over a Margarita or other agave-based cocktails. Mexican antojitos (small appetizers) and raw snacks provide the perfect complement or you can choose to pair your cocktails with an intimate five-course dinner. 

This trendy spot serves natural wine primarily from Mexican women-owned labels, plus coffee and dessert from Taller 17.

This noisy, friendly roadhouse always attracts those 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.

Mango Deck is "spring break" personified, from the costumed employees pouring shots directly into partygoers' mouths to the "booty shaking" competitions held on a stage in the sand (and livestreamed to their website). It's unquestionably Cabo's most popular beachfront venue, whose music you can hear blasting from every direction. As it's also a restaurant, children are inexplicably allowed and occasionally present, but we strongly recommend limiting your party to consenting adults only.

"Mezcal for everything bad ... and also for everything good" is one of La Miserable's punchy catch phrases. You can order 1 oz. or 2 oz. pours of nearly every varietal under the sun, all from artisan distilleries from different states of Mexico. The house cocktails mix an espadín with fresh fruit juices, and both domestic and craft beers are available, too. Open until 2 am six nights a week, this is one of the most reliable late-night haunts in La Paz.

This marina-facing hole-in-the-wall turns into a powerhouse party destination, filled to the brim with tourists and locals alike. Expect a loud but well-curated playlist of music and a hopping dance floor.

The massive Papas & Beer attracts a rowdy college crowd. There are daily specials on shots and cocktails, as well as regular drinking contests. Live music takes place on weekends.