8 Things to Do in Baja California Sur

Go Sailing in Cabo San Lucas

Sailing is hands down the best way to experience Cabo San Lucas. If you are interested in exploring Cabo on the water, there are options for most every budget. For our sailing trip, we went with Cabo Sailing Ocean Adventures. They have both private and group trips. We chose a group trip, which was a great value because there was only one other group on the boat! It felt like a private trip because my group had the entire front of the boat and the other group decided to stay on the back. The tour also included unlimited beverages (including margaritas and cervezas), snorkeling at Pelican Rock, and a tasty lunch. Pretty much all tours will take you to see the famous arch and Lovers Beach.

If you are visiting during mid-December to mid-April be sure to book a whale watching sailing trip! During our sail, we saw humpbacks and gray whales. For a more whale-centered excursion, think about booking a tour around Magdalena Bay (about 5 hours north of Cabo or 3 hours from La Paz) where gray whales give birth and feed safely away from orcas. Gray whales are friendly creatures and have been know to approach the boats of visitors. There are day trips offered from Puerto San Carlos and Puerto Adolfo Lopez Mateos or two day excursions from Cabo San Lucas.

Visit Playa Balandra

This is probably the prettiest beach I have ever seen in Mexico, even considering I’ve visited the beaches in Tulum and Playa del Carmen. Be sure to arrive early at Playa Balandra because the beach tends to fill up. To the right of the parking lot is a rocky trail that leads to a gorgeous view overlooking the beach. Be sure to check out the view and then head to the water to cool off.

The bay is very shallow and the water is extremely clear. It’s fun to walk out and see how far you can go. I found that it takes a long time before the water surpasses your knees. Make sure you walk around to the right side of the bay. There is another section of beach on that side that could easily be overlooked if you are just staying on the section in front of the parking lot.

Another great way to explore Playa Balandra is by renting a stand up paddle board or a kayak. Like I said before, the water is very clear and it’s easy to see fish, sea stars, or other little creatures hanging out near your feet.

Rent an ATV

One of the best modes of transportation in Baja (for short distances) is on ATV. Want to ride up the beach? Up a dry river bed? This is the way to do it.

In Los Barriles, you can rent an ATV or UTV starting at about $150 for a day. I recommend riding north up the beach from Los Barriles and then turn left once you get to the arroyo (dried river). Follow this up until you come to the waterfall on the left hand side. The waterfall is small but forms an unexpected oasis in the dry arroyo. You can take a dip here or just have a look before continuing on your ride.

Ride back down towards the beach and then turn left on Los Barriles-Santa Teresa road (nearly before the beach) and follow that (keeping right on Agua de la Costa) all the way up the coast to Las Terrazas for lunch. The road is beautiful but super narrow and bumpy. You would only want to drive on this road with a quad. You’ll pass a few good snorkeling areas on the drive up. Stop for a swim if the water is calm (and warm enough).

Hike Mt. Solmar

In Cabo San Lucas, there is a small mountain called Mt. Solmar that has a beautiful view overlooking Lands End and all of the beaches in that area. The start of the hike briefly crosses over the property of a local man named Enrique. Since you’ll be crossing his property, Enrique likes to guide all the hikes (asking only for a tip of your choice).

Start the hike by heading to Enrique’s dog shelter located across from the Cabo Naval Station. Your options for hiking are either 9:30am or 4:30pm. Enrique likes to guide people up the mountain in groups because he’s had to go out searching for missing tourists in the past who went up on their own. Nevertheless, you’ll be able to walk up at your own pace and have peace of mind knowing that Enrique and his dogs are there to look out for you (and keep any snakes away).

When I visited Cabo, the timing didn’t work out for us to hike Mt. Solmar with Enrique. Instead, we tried searching for another way up, but were stopped by a parking lot security guard (not that we were getting anywhere in finding an alternative route). I was able to use my mediocre Spanish to ask about another way up the mountain and it sounded possible, but we never got there in the end. Instead, we followed instructions and made it as far as Divorce Beach (head to my freebie library for on-foot directions to Divorce Beach). There should be a trail connecting Mt. Solmar and Divorce beach but you’re going to need to do a little more research to figure out where it is. If you only make it to Divorce Beach, the view is still incredible (we even saw whales)!

Before setting out on this hike, make sure you bring proper closed-toed shoes, plenty of water, and sun protection. Mt Solmar is very steep in areas and completely exposed. Although the hike takes about 30 mins to get to the top, it can be brutal if you are unprepared.

Swim With Whale Sharks

Ever wanted to swim with these gentle, giant beauties? Baja CA Sur is the place to do it! Tours frequently run from the town of La Paz, the state’s capital. You’ll take a boat out into the Sea of Cortez, which is sometimes referred to as “the world’s aquarium.” The best time to see whale sharks is between October and March each year.

Whale sharks are the largest species of fish and average about 32 feet in length. They are gentle creatures and pose no risk to human swimmers. Still, always follow instructions from your guide and give the animals enough room to swim freely.

There are a few different whale shark tour companies based in La Paz such as Cabo Expeditions, Baja Charters, Baja Adventure Co, etc.

Eat All of the Good Food in Los Barriles

First up is La Casita. This is the perfect place for fresh fish and sushi! I know sushi isn’t the first thing you’d think of when you visit Mexico but with so many options for fresh fish in Los Barriles, you can’t pass this up!

Campestre Triny is another nice dinner spot to try. There are many classic Mexican dishes to try plus seafood options. If you bring in your own catch, they’ll cook it up for you!

My favorite restaurant that I tried in Los Barriles was La Pirata. This place is very small and looks like a hole-in-the-wall joint but the food was presented like a michelin star restaurant and tasted fantastic! My favorite dish was the coconut fish (the sauce was amazing). The owner of this restaurant was very sweet and kept our drinks full throughout the night! This is definitely a seafood place and the menu doesn’t have many descriptions of the dishes but it seemed like everything could be customized to your liking.

While the three restaurants I’ve listed here might be considered “higher-end” dinner locations, there are plenty of other options in Los Barriles (and Baja) for more casual dining. Be sure to have tacos a few times (or everyday if you’d like) during your trip and don’t forget to order a classic Baja fish taco! I’d also like to mention Smokey’s Restaurant in the “Dad’s Choice” category because the food and drinks were great and the restaurant had a cantina/sports bar vibe going for it.

Finally, I must mention the amazing tortilleria in Los Barriles. I’m not sure of the name but it’s located across from Tio Pablo’s restaurant. If you’re in Los Barriles, you must visit this tortilla shop and watch the mesmerizing process of tortillas being made. The tortillas are so fresh and tasty! We visited the tortilleria every night to pick some up for breakfast the next day. Also, on the same street is a churro cart that is worth a nightly visit as well!

Let me know of any favorite restaurants you find in Baja!

Relax on Lovers of Divorce Beach

In Cabo San Lucas at Land’s End, the very tip of the Baja California Peninsula, where the Sea of Cortez meets up with the Pacific Ocean are the very scenic Lovers and Divorce beaches. I’ve heard the beaches are named “Lovers” for its calm shores on the Sea of Cortez side and “Divorce” for the harsh waves of the Pacific. Both beaches are quite nice and worth a visit.

The most common method of transportation to get to these beaches is by water taxi and once you’ve made it to one beach, you can easily walk across to the other. A water taxi costs about $10 each way. If you’d like to read about how to get to Divorce Beach on foot, I have a guide in my resource library that describes it (just know that this method is best for able-bodied individuals as there is a bit of rock scrambling).

While Lover’s Beach is a great place to swim and even snorkel, Divorce Beach has rip-tides and the water is not safe to swim in. One of the resorts on the Pacific Ocean side even hired a man to warn people about the dangerous current.

Watch the Sunrise Over the Sea of Cortez

Everyone loves a beach sunset but have you seen a beach sunrise? If you are on the Sea of Cortez side of the peninsula (aka the East side), you can watch the sunrise right over the ocean! The wind is typically calm in the morning and I think there is nothing much more peaceful than a sunrise.