50 Best Sights in Los Cabos and the Baja Peninsula, Mexico

Situated 5 km (3 miles) north of La Paz, half of Caimancito "belongs" to the locals (though anyone is welcome), with sun-shading palapas and some government signage. It's a good beach for families with young children, as the calm, shallow waters feel more like a large natural pool than ocean. The second half houses El Caimancito Restaurant & Beach Club, which is owned by the boutique hotel, Orchid House Baja. There are very cute day beds and wooden swings, plus a DJ and fan to keep cool in the heat. A $500 MXN ($25) consumption minimum is required for nonguests of the hotel. Amenities: food and drink; parking (free). Best for: partiers; swimming.

Cabo's best surfing beach runs 3 km (2 miles) south from San José's hotel zone along Highway 1. The Zipper and La Roca breaks are world famous. Playa Costa Azul connects to neighboring Playa Acapulquito in front of the Cabo Surf Hotel. Surfers gather at both beaches year-round, but most come in summer, when hurricanes and tropical storms create the year's largest waves, and when the ocean is at its warmest. This condo-lined beach is popular with joggers and walkers, but swimming isn't advised. When getting in and out of the water in front of Cabo Surf Hotel (where surf lessons take place), watch out for the sea urchins that cling to the shallow rocks. Beginner surfers should ask locals to point out the mound of hidden rocks near the break closest to the cliffs; this means it's much safer to take "rights" than "lefts" at this break. Although not overly common, jellyfish can also be a problem here. The turnoff to this beach is sudden and only available to drivers coming from Cabo San Lucas (not from San José del Cabo). It's on the beach side of the highway, at Zipper's restaurant, which is on the sand by the surf breaks. If coming from San José del Cabo, you have to exit at Costa Azul Surf Shop and drive under the highway to the parking area. Food and drinks are available at Zipper's restaurant or at 7 Seas restaurant. Surfboards can be rented at Costa Azul Surf Shop or at Cabo Surf Hotel. Amenities: toilets; food and drink; free parking. Best for: surfing; walking; sunset.

On a calm, sunny day, Playa El Tecolote could pass for being in the Caribbean. It's extremely gorgeous, and extremely fun, with the total vibe of a true Mexican beach. Restaurants and bars serve all sorts of seafood, though some will try to charge you a minimum spend ($400 MXN [$20])or flat rate($100 MXN [$5]) to dine on the sand versus inside their open-air establishment. Vendors rent out beach chairs, umbrellas, and kayaks, and will give banana boat rides. To the right of the restaurants is where the locals station up, often setting up tailgates from the backs of their cars and/or under large awnings. Camping is permitted (no hookups), and you'll see vans and RVs parked right on the sand, facing the beautiful surf. To the left is a hidden, quiet beach, accessible only by hiking or by boat, called El Tecolotito. Visit during the summer (May through November) for the best conditions. From January through March, it can be windy and the waves rough. Amenities: food and drink; parking (free); toilets; water sports. Best for: partiers; swimming; walking.

Halfway between Rosarito and Ensenada, this wide strand of sand is a great place to escape the masses. Palapa umbrellas line the sand making it feel more private than other beaches (local families arrive on Sunday), but you’ll still find everything from food and drinks to restrooms and parking. The dark, soft sand is perfect for long walks, but a few rocky sections mean you’ll want to bring water shoes or snorkel gear if you venture into the water. Like Rosarito, you can gallop on the beach here, and horse rides will cost you about half the price you’ll find elsewhere. Take all your personal belongings with you since car break-ins (especially closest to the bridge) are a problem. Amenities: parking; food and drink; toilets. Best for: walking; sunsets

White sand lines this quiet public beach in La Ribera, a sleepy town just north of Cabo Pulmo National Park. The beach feels almost untouched, with calm water that's great for sportfishing, kayaking, paddleboarding, swimming, and snorkeling. Costa Palmas is just down the beach. Amenities: toilets. Best for: solitude; snorkeling; swimming.

Just west of Santa María Bay, this small public beach is often referred to as Twin Dolphin Beach after the Twin Dolphin Hotel, a longtime landmark that was demolished in mid-2007 to make room for Chileno Bay Club. The reef makes it a great place for snorkeling (bring your own gear), but it is open to the ocean and all the inherent dangers that entails, so swimming is not recommended. Low tides reveal great tidal pools filled with anemone, starfish, and other sea creatures (please leave these creatures in the sea). Rock outcroppings create private areas and natural tabletops in the sand for beach picnics. The waters are also popular for kayaking and paddleboarding. Amenities: toilets; showers; free parking. Best for: snorkeling; walking; sunrise.

Playa Los Barriles runs the entire length of town, curving gently toward Bahía de las Palmas. Amazingly, it is almost completely free of people, except from November to March, when wind-sports companies offer rentals during the gusty season and it becomes a jumping-off point for activities including kiteboarding, kitesurfing, windsurfing, and foilboarding. Those seeking sun and sea views recline on chaise lounges at beachfront resorts, and those seeking a congenial atmosphere hang out at restaurants or beach bars set just off the main shoreline. You can drive your ATV or truck onto the beach, and many locals do. Beware of jellyfish in the water. Amenities: none. Best for: walking; swimming; fishing; wind sports.

This long, expansive beach on the Pacific Ocean, about 64 km (40 miles) north of Cabo San Lucas and on the way to the town of Todos Santos, is famous among surfers for its wonderful breaking waves in winter. Great for beginners, the waves here are consistent, accessible, and not overly powerful. Boards and lessons are available via multiple surf shops right on shore. This beach works best on northwest swells. Even if you don't ride the waves, you can watch them crash along the shore. The sandy beach is wide, flat, and ideal for wading and swimming close to shore. Swimming farther out is not recommended because of the strong currents.

There are a small but lively number of beach bars and restaurants, including Barracuda Cantina, which was featured on Netflix's Taco Chronicles, plus a couple of modest beachfront hotels. Several condo and hotel developments are in progress, with locals predicting that Cerritos will be the "next Médano" (the mega-popular beach in Cabo San Lucas) in a decade or so. You can still camp or stay in RVs near the beach, although there are no organized campsites or RV parks in the area. The beach is quite dog-friendly, and you'll no doubt cross paths with a few four-legged friends (and their owners) on any given day. It's also a nice place to get an affordable massage, with a number of massage beds set up right in the sand.

Access to the beach is marked on Highway 19 (which connects Cabo San Lucas and Todos Santos) by a sign for Playa Los Cerritos at Km 64 (13 km [8 miles] south of Todos Santos). The graded dirt road to the beach is 2½ km (1½ miles) from Highway 19. Amenities: food and drink; parking (free); showers (for restaurant patrons); toilets. Best for: surfing; swimming; walking.

A left-hand point break put this small beach on the map and made it a favorite of expert surfers who love dealing with the challenges it presents. However, Playa Monumentos isn't only for surfers, as snorkeling and kayaking are also practiced on its waters. The location of this beach is one of its main assets, as it's quite close to Cabo San Lucas, and even the famous El Arco can be seen from its shores. Actually, one could say that The Corridor area starts with this beach, as it's the first one to the East after the famous Medano Beach in Cabo San Lucas. Turn right on the Misiones del Cabo entrance, as if you were going to the Sunset Monalisa and park wherever you find a spot between this restaurant and The Cape hotel. Amenities: food and drink; free parking; water sports. Best for: surfing; snorkeling; kayaking; sunset. 

Check out the impressive multimillion-dollar villas on the road to Playa Palmilla, the best swimming beach near San José. Turn off the highway as if you're going to the One&Only Palmilla and then cross over the highway on an overpass. Continue about half a mile. The entrance is from the side road through the ritzy Palmilla development; take a left before you reach the guardhouse of the One&Only hotel. There are signs, but they're not exactly large. The beach is protected by a rocky point and the water is almost always calm; Punta Palmilla, farther out, is popular with surfers during huge swells (20 feet or more). A few thatched-roof palapas on the sand provide shade; there are trash cans but no restrooms. Guards patrol the exclusive section known as Pelican Beach fronting the hotel, discouraging nonguests from entering—although the public legally has access to cross the beach in front of the resort property. Guests of One&Only have access to beachfront cabañas, surf instruction, beach equipment, toilets, and a restaurant. Amenities: toilets; showers; lifeguards; free parking. Best for: walking; swimming; snorkeling.

Playa Pichilingue is a good back-up beach for when El Tecolote and Balandra are too crowded. The water is pretty, and a local BYOB beach club, A Plein Soleil, will rent you cushioned chaise loungers for $150 MXN ($8) for the day. Points could be docked for the nearby ferry terminal, number of fishing boats, and sound of traffic, but those are rather surface-level complaints. The clear, shallow ocean water is great to sit—or even lay down—in and watch tiny fish swim by. There are a couple of restaurants to patron for lunch and drinks. Amenities: food and drink; parking (free); toilets. Best for: swimming.

Huge waves crash onto the sand on the Pacific side of Cabo San Lucas. This wide, beautiful beach stretches from Land's End north to the cliffs of El Pedregal, where mansions perch on steep cliffs. Swimming is impossible here because of the dangerous surf and undertow; stick to sunbathing and strolling. From December to March, you can spot gray and humpback whales spouting just offshore; dolphins leap above the waves year-round. The beach is at the end of Avenida Solmar off Boulevard Marina—an easy walk from downtown Cabo San Lucas. Five resorts—Solmar, Grand Solmar, Terrasol, Playa Grande, and Sandos Finisterra—are all on this beach, making it easy to stop for a meal if you get hungry. Crowds are minimal, as guests tend to stick to the hotel pools. Amenities: none. Best for: walking; solitude.

Cabo San Lucas' centrally located town square is a picturesque place to take a breather during an afternoon of exploration. The public space is home to colorful gardens, a gazebo, and an event every Friday evening called "Viva la Plaza" from 5 pm to 9 pm, which features local makers selling artwork and snacks. It's named for Amelia Wilkes Ceseña, a schoolteacher for 43 years, a tireless advocate for the town, and the first woman ever appointed to political office in Baja California Sur. At the edge is the Natural History Museum of Cabo San Lucas; it's modest and in serious need of a refurbishment, but admission is only $2 and it hosts a neat collection of fossils and rocks, along with placards in English.

In 1956 local Susana Diaz Plascencia first created the fried lobster recipe that put Puerto Nuevo on the map. Today more than a dozen restaurants are packed into this little five-block village that's 19 km (12 miles) south of Rosarito. Nearly all of the restaurants offer the same menu, but the quality varies drastically; some establishments cook up live lobsters, while others swap in frozen critters. Though the fried version is the Puerto Nuevo classic, some restaurants also offer steamed or grilled lobsters. 

The town itself is dated, with waitstaff standing curbside to pressure tourists in passing cars to stop in for the day’s catch. Watch your step along steep and uneven sidewalks where gaping holes can easily ruin a vacation. Still it’s the best spot along the coast to try fresh lobster at a fair price. Expect a table-side serenade of mariachi music. If you want to explore a bit, souvenir stands throughout the village sell serapes, ponchos, sour tamarind candy, and other similar items.

The closest beach to downtown Todos Santos, Punta Lobos is where fishermen launch their boats in the early morning. It's fascinating to watch them go out, as well as return in the afternoon, boats barreling onto the sand at high speed. You may see the occasional swimmer, but it generally isn't advised due to strong currents. Strolling along the sand and enjoying the scenery, however, is highly recommended. Punta Lobos, named after the sea lions native to the area, is also the starting point of some of the town's most beloved hikes. Amenities: parking (free). Best for: sunrise; walking.

Better that you encounter all the creatures that slip and slither here in the safety of Mexico’s largest serpentarium than out in the wilds of Baja. More than 100 species are on display in indoor and outdoor exhibits, including turtles, pythons, rattlesnakes, and a rather large iguana. A majority are rescued from precarious situations in the wild (like being abandoned at birth or seriously injured) and are either rehabilitated and released, or if not possible, continuously cared for. Labeling is entirely in Spanish, but the staff offers guided tours in English with advance notice. A gift shop sells reptile-theme souvenirs.

The mouthful of a name denotes Todos Santos's 1944 movie theater, which was quite a grand movie palace back in the day for remote, small-town Mexico. A few cultural events take place here, including the annual Todos Santos Film Festival each March.

A globe-shape monument marks the spot where the Tropic of Cancer line (the northernmost circle of latitude at which the sun can be seen directly overhead on the summer solstice) crosses Baja California Sur. The line separates Earth’s temperate zone and the tropics. Of course, Baja is Baja, and you won’t detect any difference in climate no matter which side of the line you are on. The geographical milepost is easily seen from the highway, but it's worth getting out of the car to pop into the shops surrounding it, which offer arts and crafts from local communities. There are restrooms available (but bring your own toilet paper) and a nice ice-cream shop next door. Also, here is a beautiful shrine to the Virgin of Guadalupe, where Catholics will visit to light candles and pray. It is a stop on a local pilgrimage that takes place each year on the Dia de la Virgen (December 12) and ends in nearby Miraflores.

For a better understanding of the wine-making process, the Museo de la Vid y el Vino in the heart of Valle de Guadalupe has exhibits on wine history, viticulture, and wine-inspired art. The museum showcases a vast collection of agricultural tools and more than 100 wines from the region. Don’t miss the spectacular panoramic view of the valley and the outdoor amphitheater surrounded by vineyards.