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

A calm enclave—with golf courses, residences, and Chileno Bay Resort—is roughly midway between San José and Cabo San Lucas. Consistently ranked one of the cleanest beaches in Mexico, Chileno has been awarded “Blue Flag” certification, meaning 32 criteria for safety, services, water quality, and other standards have been met. The beach skirts a small, crescent-shape cove with aquamarine waters and an outside reef that are perfect for snorkeling and swimming (there are even restrooms, showers, and handicap access). To the east are tide pools great for exploring with the kids. Getting here is easy, thanks to the well-marked access ramps on both sides of the road. Along the western edge of Bahía Chileno, some 200 yards away, are some good-size boulders that you can scramble up. In winter this part of the Sea of Cortez gets chilly—refreshing for a dip, but most snorkelers don't spend too much time in the water. On weekends get to the bay early if you want to claim shade under a palapa. Amenities: toilets; showers; parking lot. Best for: swimming; snorkeling; sunset.

This wide, sloping, horseshoe-shape beach is surrounded by cactus-covered rocky cliffs; the placid waters here are a protected fish sanctuary. The bay is part of an underwater reserve and is a great place to snorkel: brightly colored fish swarm through chunks of white coral and golden sea fans. Unfortunately, this little slice of paradise has limited palapas for shade, so arrive early or bring a beach umbrella. In high season, from November to May, there's usually someone renting snorkeling gear or selling sarongs, straw hats, and soft drinks. It's best to bring your own supplies, though, including lots of drinking water, snacks, and sunscreen. Snorkel and booze-cruise boats from Cabo San Lucas visit the bay in midmorning through about 1 pm. Arrive midafternoon if you want to get that total Robinson Crusoe feel. The parking lot is a quarter mile or so off the highway and is sometimes guarded; be sure to tip the guard. The bay is roughly 19 km (12 miles) west of San José and 13 km (8 miles) east of Cabo San Lucas. Heading east, look for the sign saying "playa santa maría." Amenities: toilets; free parking; showers; lifeguards. Best for: snorkeling; swimming; surfing; walking.

For many, a visit to Baja Norte must include an afternoon drive to the cheese caves of Marcelo in Ojos Negros, just 45 minutes outside Ensenada. With Swiss-Italian roots, owner Marcelo Castro Chacon is now the fourth generation to carry on the queso tradition since it first began in 1911. A visit to the farm includes a tour of the milking facilities and a tasting of seven cheeses and their signature Ramonetti red wine. Milder selections seasoned with basil, black pepper, and rosemary are more popular with locals than their sharper cheeses, aged up to 2½ years, loved by out-of-towners. As Mexico’s only cheese cave (and the first in Latin America), this beloved factory produces 450 pounds of cheese per day. Milking takes place at 5 pm daily and the small on-site shop sells the remarkable marmalade and wine that accompany your cheese tasting. Those with time and an appetite can dine under the shade of a peppertree for a lunch menu integrating Marcelo’s cheeses and organic fruits and vegetables from his farm (expect flies in summer). The cactus salad and portobello mushrooms with melted cheese make the ideal starters to the regional trout served with roasted garlic. The fig mousse alone is worth a visit. Be aware that cell service is limited and the road here is winding.

Commonly referred to by English speakers as The Whale Museum, this popular malecón-adjacent attraction actually celebrates myriad forms of marine life, from dolphins and sharks to sea lions and endangered sea turtles. The enormous whale skeletons, built from bones sourced from specimens that washed up on nearby shores, are undoubtedly the most spectacular items on display, however. Sperm, humpback, and other whale re-creations hang suspended from the high ceilings, with brains and other organs preserved in accompanying exhibits. Guided tours provide a wonderful introduction to the region’s aquatic abundance, and are available in several languages, including English. The gift shop next door, meanwhile, offers souvenir T-shirts and other cetacean-theme memorabilia.

La Paz's culture and heritage are well represented at the Museo de Antropología, which has re-creations of indigenous Comondu and Las Palmas villages, photos of cave paintings found in Baja, and copies of Cortéz's writings on first sighting La Paz. All exhibit descriptions are labeled in both English and Spanish. If you're a true Baja aficionado and want to delve into the region's history, this museum is a must; otherwise, a quick visit is all you need.

Foamy plumes of water shoot from wave runners and dozens of water taxis buzz through the calm waters off Médano Beach, a 3-km (2-mile) span of grainy tan sand that's more beautiful than you might expect from such a central, touristy zone. It's always crowded, but always fun. A variety of water-sports activities and rentals are available, with swimming areas roped off to prevent accidents. The water is usually calm enough for small children, but be aware of quick shoreline drop-offs: life preservers are a good idea for the little paddlers in your group. Bars and restaurants line the Médano, their waiters delivering ice buckets filled with beer to sunbathers in lounge chairs. The busiest and buzziest spot on the beach is around Mango Deck and The Office, where beachgoers can enjoy midday revelry, but there are plenty of more relaxed oceanfront venues, too. Feel free to spread out on the sand with your own towel, drinks, and snacks, whether to save money or simply do your own thing. There's a constant stream of passing vendors offering everything from silver jewelry to T-shirts ... and under their breath, smokeable substances. (The current craze is a collection of crass bandanas, the phrasing on some foul enough to make a sailor blush.) If you're not interested, just politely decline and they will respectfully continue on. Amenities: food concession. Best for: partying; beach clubs; swimming.

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.

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.