El Arco, the rock arch at Land's End, Cabo San Lucas, at sunset

Cabo San Lucas shore excursions

A tender-only port where El Arco, Lover's Beach and Medano Beach are a short boat ride or walk from the marina, but the clock (ship time vs local time) and the tender queue are the things that trip people up.

Photo: Christopher Kuzman / Unsplash

Typical call

8:00 am→3:30 pm

Docking to all aboard · about 7 h 30 min ashore

Getting ashore

Tender boat

Allow 45 min each way

Money

Mexican peso

US dollars widely accepted

Time zone

UTC-7

Keep your watch on ship's time

Tours that fit your day in Cabo San Lucas

Enter the times from your cruise line's itinerary. We add the tender ride ashore and back, the drive to each tour's start point and back, and your safety margin.

Ship docks8:00 amAll aboard3:30 pm

Safety margin before all aboard

Ship in portGetting ashore (45 min, tender)Safety margin (1 h 30 min)All aboard 3:30 pm

7 h 30 min in port332 fit with time to spare17 cutting it close38 too long

Fits your dayMeets at the pier
Cabo San Lucas Arch and Lovers Beach Kayak Tour plus Snorkeling
2 h 30 min 5.0 (1,068)Free cancellation
Back by 11:45 am · 2 h 15 min sparefrom $90
Fits your day
Cabo Whale Watching: Female Crew, Guaranteed Sightings, Photos
2 h 5.0 (2,144)Free cancellation
Back by 11:15 am · 2 h 45 min sparefrom $94
Fits your dayMeets at the pier
Los Cabos 2 Bays Kayak & Snorkel at Santa Maria & Chileno Bay
2 h 5.0 (678)Free cancellation
Back by 11:05 am · 2 h 55 min sparefrom $100
Fits your dayLikely to sell out
Cabo San Lucas Mexican Cooking Class Experience and Local Markets
4 h 30 min 5.0 (1,000)Free cancellation
Back by 1:45 pm · 15 min sparefrom $136
Fits your dayMeets at the pier
Cabo Desert Off-Road & Beach Horseback Combo and Tequila Tasting
2 h 5.0 (896)Free cancellation
Back by 11:15 am · 2 h 45 min sparefrom $100
Fits your dayMeets at the pier
SJD Airport to Cabo San Lucas - One way service
45 min 5.0 (650)Free cancellation
Back by 10:00 am · 4 h sparefrom $170
Fits your dayMeets at the pier
Los Cabos Surf Lesson at Costa Azul
2 h 5.0 (480)Free cancellation
Back by 11:05 am · 2 h 55 min sparefrom $50
Fits your dayMeets at the pier
Cabo San Lucas Paddle Board & Snorkel Adventure to the Arch
2 h 5.0 (367)Free cancellation
Back by 11:05 am · 2 h 55 min sparefrom $100
Fits your day
Humpback Whale Watching Tour in Cabo San Lucas
2 h 30 min 4.9 (1,065)Free cancellation
Back by 11:45 am · 2 h 15 min sparefrom $99
Fits your day
Small-Group Whale Watch with Marine Biologist in Cabo San Lucas
2 h 30 min 4.9 (1,256)Free cancellation
Back by 11:37 am · 2 h 23 min sparefrom $109
Fits your day
Cabo San Lucas Tequila Tasting Experience
1 h 30 min 4.9 (586)Free cancellation
Back by 10:45 am · 3 h 15 min sparefrom $40
Fits your dayLikely to sell out
Cabo San Lucas Sunset Sailing Shared Cruise
2 h 4.9 (820)Free cancellation
Back by 11:15 am · 2 h 45 min sparefrom $96

Return times are estimates from the tour length, travel from the pier and time to get ashore. Always check your ship's all-aboard time.

Port guide

Cabo San Lucas cruise port guide

Cabo San Lucas has no cruise pier. Ships anchor in Cabo San Lucas Bay, near El Arco, and tender passengers to a landing pier inside the marina on the edge of downtown. The ride takes about 10-15 minutes, but getting a place on a tender can take much longer: ship-tour guests go first, and independent passengers usually need a tender ticket. From the landing you can walk the marina boardwalk to the Puerto Paraíso mall, restaurants and the flea market, and downtown is about 10-15 minutes on foot. Most visits fit into three plans. The first is a water taxi or glass-bottom boat to El Arco and Lover's Beach, about 10 minutes away, for roughly US$20 per person round trip. The second is a beach day on Medano Beach, which starts at the marina entrance. The third is a taxi or tour to the snorkelling coves at Santa Maria and Chileno, about 15-20 minutes up the Tourist Corridor. San José del Cabo is about 30 minutes away. Todos Santos, about an hour each way, is only realistic on a long call, and Cabo Pulmo, about 100 km away, is too far. Calls in October 2026 ran from 06:00-13:00 arrivals to 13:00-20:00 departures, and several ships stayed overnight. Check the clock before you go ashore. Baja California Sur is on UTC-7 all year, so a ship that keeps California time is one hour behind local time from November to mid-March. Swell can also close tendering: Cabo was dropped in August 2025 (Tropical Storm Ivo) and October 2026 (Hurricane Rachel swell).

What Cabo San Lucas is good for

Sightseeing (84 tours)
Glass-bottom boat or water taxi loops past El Arco, the sea lion colony and Pelican Rock, about 10 minutes from the marina; sunset and pirate-themed cruises also run.
Snorkeling (51 tours)
Boat trips to Pelican Rock, Santa Maria and Chileno (3-4 hours) leave from the marina; Santa Maria and Chileno are also good shore snorkels by taxi.
Beaches
Medano Beach is walkable and has beach clubs. Lover's Beach is boat-only and calm on the Sea of Cortez side. Santa Maria and Chileno are Blue Flag coves with lifeguards.
Wildlife & nature (144 tours)
Whale watching from mid-December to April (humpback and grey whales) and year-round sea lions at Land's End.
Culture & history (40 tours)
San José del Cabo's mission and gallery district (about 30 minutes away); Todos Santos and its 1723 mission on a long call.

On your own

Things to do in Cabo San Lucas

Taxi times are from Cabo San Lucas Marina tender pier unless noted. Hover a place to find it on the map; open Details for costs, tips and your time budget.

Numbers match the list; colours show the type of place. Anchor = where ships tender in.

El Arco (Land's End) by boat
Attraction 10 min from the pier 1-1.5 hours
The granite arch at the tip of the Baja peninsula, where the Pacific meets the Sea of Cortez, is Cabo's signature sight. California sea lions haul out on the rocks all year, most from November to April. Boats usually pass Pelican Rock, a sheltered reef at the harbour entrance popular for snorkelling.
Fits your day
Lover's Beach and Divorce Beach (Playa del Amor)
Beach 10 min from the pier 2-3 hours including the boat
A strip of sand beside El Arco reachable only by boat. Lover's Beach faces the calm Sea of Cortez and is good for swimming and snorkelling. A short walk across the sand, Divorce Beach faces the Pacific.
Fits your day
Medano Beach (Playa El Médano)
Beach Walkable 2-4 hours
Cabo's long town beach on the sheltered bay facing El Arco, considered the safest for swimming. It has beach clubs (Mango Deck, The Office, Billygan's and others), jet skis, parasailing and roaming food vendors.
Cabo San Lucas Marina and boardwalk
Town Walkable 1-2 hours
The waterfront walk around the yacht and sport-fishing marina connects the tender dock with the flea market, the Puerto Paraíso mall, bars and restaurants. Through the archway at the far end are the main downtown shopping streets.
Fits your day
Chileno Bay
Snorkel & dive 20 min from the pier 3-4 hours including the drive
A protected Blue Flag cove on the Tourist Corridor (Highway 1, Km 14). Shore snorkelling over a rocky reef in up to about 6 m of water, with about 50 fish species reported, including angelfish, butterflyfish and occasional turtles. There are lifeguards, restrooms, showers and an accessible boardwalk.
Fits your day
Santa Maria Bay
Snorkel & dive 15 min from the pier 3-4 hours including the drive
A small horseshoe bay in a protected marine sanctuary with some of the best shore snorkelling near Cabo: dense schools of fish along the rock walls. It holds a Blue Flag and has basic restrooms and outdoor showers. Many boat snorkel tours from the marina stop here.
Fits your day
Whale watching (mid-December to April)
Nature 2-3 hours
Humpback and grey whales winter off Los Cabos. In the 2025-26 season, whale watching was authorised from 15 December 2025 to 30 April 2026 in the Cabo San Lucas protection area, with January-March the peak.
San José del Cabo historic centre and Art District
Town 30 min from the pier 3-4 hours including travel
The quieter, older town of Los Cabos, with an 18th-century mission (founded 1730) and a gallery district along Calle Álvaro Obregón.
Fits your day
Flora Farms
Food & drink 40 min from the pier 3-4 hours including travel
A 25-acre organic farm in the foothills beyond San José del Cabo, with Flora's Field Kitchen restaurant, a bar, shops, an ice-cream cart and free garden tours. It is a popular farm-to-table lunch.
Fits your day
Todos Santos (day trip)
Town 45–60 min from the pier 5-6 hours round trip
An artsy Pacific-side town north of Cabo with the 1723 mission of Nuestra Señora del Pilar, galleries on Calle Benito Juárez, and the much-photographed Hotel California. The hotel denies any link to the Eagles song, and a 2017 trademark suit was settled in 2018.
Cutting it close
Cabo Pulmo National Park (too far for most calls)
Snorkel & dive Full day
A marine park on the Sea of Cortez coast with the oldest of three coral reefs on the west coast of North America. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and fish numbers have recovered dramatically under a no-fishing policy.

On your own or a cruise-line tour?

Cabo is easy to do alone. The marina, downtown and Medano Beach are walkable from the tender dock. Water taxis to El Arco and Lover's Beach leave from the marina for about US$20 per person and are back in 1-3 hours. Santa Maria and Chileno are 15-20 minutes by taxi or Uber for shore snorkelling, and San José del Cabo is a cheap bus ride. The bigger risks at Cabo are queues and the clock, not distance. Ship-tour guests get the first tenders. Independent passengers may wait an hour or more for a tender ticket number, and the return queue can be long. A ship tour is worth it for Todos Santos or anything far up the corridor, when swell is forecast, or when your ship keeps Pacific time in winter and you are unsure which clock your operator uses. If you book privately, set a meeting time at least 60-90 minutes after the first tender, and plan to be in the return queue 45-60 minutes before all aboard.

How people miss the ship here

Tender queues: ship-excursion guests board first and independent passengers wait for ticket numbers. One 2026 report had number 18 called 75 minutes after tendering started. Join the return queue 45-60 minutes before all aboard; the last tender leaves before that time.
Time-zone confusion: Cabo is UTC-7 all year. From early November to mid-March it is one hour ahead of California. A ship that keeps Pacific time is then an hour behind the town, and your phone may show local time. Confirm which clock the ship and your tour use.
Boat-tour returns: water taxis and snorkel boats run on their own schedule, and wind builds after midday. Agree a pickup time well before the last tender, and do not rely on being collected late from Lover's Beach.
Todos Santos and the far corridor: Todos Santos is 45-60 minutes each way and Cabo Pulmo about 100 km away. A traffic delay or slow lunch can wipe out the margin.
Sea conditions: storm swell can stop tendering mid-day or cancel the call outright (Tropical Storm Ivo in August 2025; Hurricane Rachel swell in October 2026). Independent bookings may not be refunded.
Late-October and early-November clock change: Mexico no longer changes clocks but the US does, so itinerary times, phone clocks and ship time can disagree for a week. Use the ship's daily programme.

Logistics

Where ships dock and getting around

Cabo San Lucas Marina tender pier

Tender landing Walkable to town

A long tender dock inside the marina with a small sheltered waiting area where excursions gather, souvenir, snack and drink vendors, an ATM and an information booth with free maps. A guarded free restroom is on the path to the right, beside a row of tour-booking shops, and ship ID is checked on the way back. The marina boardwalk leads to the Puerto Paraíso mall, restaurants and bars, and water taxis and glass-bottom boats to El Arco and Lover's Beach leave from the marina. Expect timeshare touts dressed as 'tourist information' near the Puerto Paraíso entrance. Tender ride: about 10-15 minutes. Tender tickets: ship-tour guests go first. On Carnival, guests could get tender tickets in the app the day before (2026). On Princess, guests without priority queued for tickets from about two hours before arrival, and number 18 was called about 75 minutes after tendering began (2026). There is no cruise pier or terminal, so ships never dock; when swell makes tendering unsafe, the call is cancelled.

Getting to town: Walk. From the dock the flea market is to the left and the marina boardwalk with restaurants to the right; downtown is about a 10-15 minute walk along the waterfront. Taxis wait just outside the port exit.

Usually used by: Every cruise line tenders here; ships anchor in Cabo San Lucas Bay and no ship docks. In October 2026 the port was used by Carnival, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Disney, Holland America, Virgin Voyages, MSC and Cunard. Carnival used local port tenders only, while Princess used both port and ship tenders (2026 report).

Walking

From the tender dock, the marina boardwalk, Puerto Paraíso mall, flea market and downtown restaurants are all walkable (downtown about 10-15 minutes). Medano Beach starts at the outer end of the marina; the central beach-club stretch is a longer walk, or take a water taxi. Guides suggest a taxi if it is hot.

Water taxi / glass-bottom boat to El Arco and Lover's Beach

Small boats (pangas, often with glass panels) leave from the marina and Medano Beach. The ride to Land's End takes about 10 minutes each way. Most loop past El Arco, the sea lions and Pelican Rock, then drop you at Lover's Beach and collect you later. Agree on the price, any dock fee and the pickup time before you board. Ask whether landing is allowed that day: in August 2026 the Port Authority temporarily suspended Lover's Beach drop-offs after a sandbar formed, and big swell can close it without notice. Boats run mainly in the morning, before the wind picks up.

Water taxi, marina or Medano to Lover's Beach / El Arco, round trip per person · 2026	about 20
Boat access to Lover's Beach, range in a 2026 cost guide · 2026	$20-60
Short shared glass-bottom arch tour with Lover's Beach stop, about 1.5 hours (undated report)	$10

Taxi

Taxis are unmetered and use union-set zone rates. Fares are among the highest in Mexico, so agree the price before you get in. They wait just outside the port exit. Prices below are 2025-2026 guide figures.

Short ride within Cabo San Lucas · 2026	$10-25
Marina to a nearby beach (negotiated) · 2025	$250-300 pesos (about 14-17)
Downtown Cabo San Lucas to Santa Maria Beach, one way · 2025	about 40
Cabo San Lucas to San José del Cabo, one way · 2025	$40-60

Uber

Uber works in Cabo San Lucas, San José del Cabo and the Tourist Corridor. It is often much cheaper than a taxi, but it is in a legal grey area and not every driver holds a state permit. Pickups are banned at Los Cabos airport, and many resorts keep Uber off their grounds. No source confirms the rules at the cruise tender pier. A guide says rideshares operate around the port; local advice is to set your pickup a block away from taxi stands.

Short ride within Cabo · 2026	$6-14
Cabo San Lucas to San José del Cabo, one way · 2025	$20-30

Public bus (Ruta del Desierto) to San José del Cabo

Air-conditioned public buses run along the highway between downtown Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo, about 32 km, every 8-10 minutes from about 04:30 to 23:00. You pay the driver in cash pesos, exact change preferred. Stops can add 15-20 minutes, so allow extra time for the return.

Cabo San Lucas to San José del Cabo, one way · 2025

about 2-3 (37-40 pesos)

Rental car

Optional for the marina and beaches, but useful for Todos Santos, about 45-60 minutes north on the four-lane Highway 19 toll road. Side roads there are unpaved. Do not cut your return close: the last tender leaves before all aboard.

Climate

Cabo San Lucas weather by month

The eastern Pacific hurricane season runs 15 May to 30 November; NOAA puts peak activity in July-September, and Cabo's rain peaks in August-September (85-110 mm). Odile made landfall at Cabo San Lucas on 14 September 2014 (local time) and closed the Los Cabos ports; the first cruise ship returned on 3 October. In October 2023, ahead of Hurricane Norma, a marina boat operator was quoted as saying the port had closed. Swell matters even without a direct hit, because ships must tender. Royal Caribbean cancelled Ovation of the Seas' 8-9 August 2025 overnight when Tropical Storm Ivo closed the port. Virgin Voyages' Brilliant Lady dropped its 5 October 2026 call because of residual Hurricane Rachel swell.

Average sea temperature runs from about 21.5°C (February-April) to 29.5°C (September); it is about 22°C in January and 24°C in December. Winter snorkellers may want a thin wetsuit top. (Wikipedia, Cabo San Lucas; climate normals 1991-2020 from Mexico's Servicio Meteorológico Nacional.)

Before you go

Practical information

Currency: Mexican peso (MXN). Prices in tourist areas are often marked US$ (one undated guide gives about 17 pesos to US$1).
US dollars: US dollars are widely accepted around the marina, but change usually comes back in pesos. Bring small bills for water taxis, taxis and tips. Cards are less widely accepted, some vendors add about 5%, and the public bus takes cash pesos only. The Mexican non-resident cruise fee rose to US$10 per itinerary on 1 August 2026, but it is collected in the cruise fare's taxes and fees, not ashore.
Language: Spanish; English is widely used in the marina tourist zone
Time zone: UTC-7 (Mountain Standard Time / Mexico 'Zona Pacífico') all year. Mexico abolished daylight saving time on 30 October 2022, and Baja California Sur is not one of the border areas that still change clocks. (Neighbouring Baja California state, which includes Ensenada, still follows the US schedule.)
Ship time: This is the main Cabo gotcha. Cabo is on UTC-7 all year. California is UTC-7 (PDT) from mid-March to early November and UTC-8 (PST) the rest of the year. So from mid-March to early November, local time and California time are the same. From early November to mid-March, Cabo is one hour ahead of California, and a ship that stays on Pacific time is one hour behind the town: a 16:00 all aboard on the ship is 17:00 on shore. Practice varies by line. Princess usually moves its clocks forward to match Cabo, and NCL sometimes changes ship time to local. A 2012 Carnival report from February said Cabo was an hour ahead of ship time with the last tender quoted in ship time. Before Mexico dropped daylight saving in 2022, the mismatch fell in summer instead, so older forum advice may have it backwards. Expect a short mismatch in late October and early November when only the US changes clocks. Phones may switch to local time automatically. Always follow ship time for all aboard, and tell independent tour operators which clock you are using. Ship time vs local time, port by port
Safety: The US State Department advisory for Mexico (29 May 2026) rates Baja California Sur Level 2, Exercise increased caution, due to terrorism and crime, with no specific travel restrictions for US government employees in the state. During February 2026 unrest after a cartel leader was killed, some ships skipped Puerto Vallarta, but CruiseMapper reported Cabo was not disrupted. Day to day, the common problems are pushy sales and petty theft. Timeshare reps in polos with 'Tourist Information' or 'Port Authority' lanyards near the Puerto Paraíso entrance offer 'free' cruises that require a 90-minute presentation. Boardwalk freelancers take cash deposits for yacht charters that never appear. Some marina restaurants add an automatic 15-18% service charge, so check the bill before you tip. Do not swim at Divorce Beach (Pacific side) because of rip currents and heavy surf. Mid-year highs are 32-35°C.

Questions

Cabo San Lucas cruise port FAQ

Is Cabo San Lucas a tender port?

Yes. There is no cruise pier or terminal, so ships anchor in the bay and tender passengers to a pier inside the marina. The ride takes about 10-15 minutes, but the queue to board can be much longer. Ship-tour guests go first, and independent passengers usually need a tender ticket (in the Carnival app the day before, or from a line on board on Princess in 2026).

Is ship time the same as Cabo time?

It depends on the month and the line. Cabo is UTC-7 all year since Mexico dropped daylight saving in 2022. From mid-March to early November that matches California time. From early November to mid-March, Cabo is one hour ahead, so a ship that stays on Pacific time is an hour behind the town. Princess usually changes clocks to match Cabo. Always use ship time for all aboard.

How do I get to El Arco and Lover's Beach?

Take a water taxi or glass-bottom boat from the marina or Medano Beach, about 10 minutes each way and about US$20 per person round trip (2026). Agree the price and pickup time first, and ask whether landing at Lover's Beach is allowed that day. It was temporarily suspended in August 2026 and can close for swell. Boats cannot pass through the arch.

Can I swim at Lover's Beach and Divorce Beach?

Swim only at Lover's Beach, on the calm Sea of Cortez side. Divorce Beach faces the Pacific and has heavy surf, undertow and rip currents that make swimming dangerous even for strong swimmers. There are no lifeguards, restrooms or shade.

Can I walk to Medano Beach from the tender pier?

Yes. The beach starts at the marina entrance and runs along the bay toward the resorts. Downtown is about 10-15 minutes on foot from the dock. For the central beach clubs it is a longer walk, or take a water taxi.

Is Uber available at the Cabo cruise port?

Uber operates in Cabo San Lucas and the Tourist Corridor and is often far cheaper than a taxi. Airport pickups are banned and many resorts keep Uber out. No source confirms the rules at the tender pier; local advice is to request a pickup a block away from taxi stands. Taxis are unmetered, so agree the fare first.

Is Cabo San Lucas safe for cruise passengers?

The US State Department rates Baja California Sur Level 2, Exercise increased caution (advisory dated 29 May 2026), with no specific restrictions for US government employees there. The common problems are timeshare touts posing as tourist information near Puerto Paraíso, boardwalk charter scams, petty theft and dangerous surf on the Pacific side.

What currency should I bring?

US dollars are widely accepted around the marina, but change is usually given in pesos. Bring small bills for water taxis, taxis and tips, and pesos for the public bus. Some vendors add about 5% for cards.

Cabo San Lucas cruise port guide

Cabo San Lucas shore excursions

Tours that fit your day in Cabo San Lucas

Cabo San Lucas cruise port guide

Things to do in Cabo San Lucas

El Arco (Land's End) by boat

Lover's Beach and Divorce Beach (Playa del Amor)

Medano Beach (Playa El Médano)

Cabo San Lucas Marina and boardwalk

Chileno Bay

Santa Maria Bay

Whale watching (mid-December to April)

San José del Cabo historic centre and Art District

Flora Farms

Todos Santos (day trip)

Cabo Pulmo National Park (too far for most calls)

On your own or a cruise-line tour?

How people miss the ship here

Where ships dock and getting around

Cabo San Lucas Marina tender pier

Walking

Water taxi / glass-bottom boat to El Arco and Lover's Beach

Taxi

Uber

Public bus (Ruta del Desierto) to San José del Cabo

Rental car

Cabo San Lucas weather by month

Practical information

Cabo San Lucas cruise port FAQ

Cabo San Lucas shore excursions

Tours that fit your day in Cabo San Lucas

Cabo San Lucas cruise port guide

Things to do in Cabo San Lucas

El Arco (Land's End) by boat

Lover's Beach and Divorce Beach (Playa del Amor)

Medano Beach (Playa El Médano)

Cabo San Lucas Marina and boardwalk

Chileno Bay

Santa Maria Bay

Whale watching (mid-December to April)

San José del Cabo historic centre and Art District

Flora Farms

Todos Santos (day trip)

Cabo Pulmo National Park (too far for most calls)

On your own or a cruise-line tour?

How people miss the ship here

Where ships dock and getting around

Cabo San Lucas Marina tender pier

Walking

Water taxi / glass-bottom boat to El Arco and Lover's Beach

Taxi

Uber

Public bus (Ruta del Desierto) to San José del Cabo

Rental car

Cabo San Lucas weather by month

Practical information

Cabo San Lucas cruise port FAQ