Day trips

Trips worth making

Some of the best days in Los Cabos happen outside Los Cabos. Here’s what’s within reach, ranked by value.

Todos Santos — about 1 hour, car or Aguila bus

The standout. A mellow Pacific-side town of galleries, cafés and 19th-century missions, an hour north up Highway 19. You spend the day wandering the old center, eating well, and browsing art — the calm antidote to the resort corridor. Surfers detour to the beaches nearby, and swimmers should note the Pacific here is powerful and mostly not for casual swimming. Verdict: worth it, prioritize this one. Full picture on the Todos Santos page.

The East Cape and Cabo Pulmo — about 1.5 to 2 hours, car or tour

Northeast of San José lies Cabo Pulmo National Park, home to the only hard coral reef in the Sea of Cortez and some of the best snorkeling and diving in Baja — clear, calm, fish-thick water. The last stretch is rough dirt, so a higher-clearance vehicle or an organized tour makes the day. Verdict: worth it if you care about the underwater world; skip if a washboard road and a dive boat aren’t your thing. It’s the diving and snorkeling day the corridor can’t match.

La Paz — about 2 to 2.5 hours, car or ABC bus

The state capital, and a real Mexican city rather than a resort strip, with a walkable malecón and calm swimmable beaches nearby. From here you can boat to swim with sea lions at Los Islotes off Espíritu Santo, or, in season, with whale sharks in the bay. Verdict: worth it, but as an overnight more than a day trip — the drive is long enough that a same-day round trip wastes the good part. See La Paz and the Espíritu Santo island page.

Balandra — about 2.5 hours (via La Paz), car

The shallow, calm, protected bay outside La Paz that people put on postcards — genuinely swimmable, unlike most of what’s near Cabo. Too far as its own day trip from Los Cabos, but the obvious add-on if you’re already overnighting in La Paz. Verdict: worth it only bundled with a La Paz stay. Details on the Balandra page.

San José’s estuary and Puerto Los Cabos — under 30 minutes, car or taxi

Not far enough to call a day trip, but the bird-filled estuary and the working marina at Puerto Los Cabos make an easy half-day away from the crowds, best at dawn or dusk. Verdict: worth a morning if you want quiet without leaving town.

Travel times are approximate and depend on traffic and road conditions. More of the peninsula is on the Baja California Sur hub.