Cabo beach and/or catamaran recommendations for first-timers?

[kas141]

DH and I (newlyweds in our early 30s) are visiting the Riviera on the Mariner in August and are looking for some recommendations for Cabo. We are "Caribbean people" visiting Cabo for the first time and generally enjoy quiet beach time, swimming and snorkeling. I have read extensively about Medano beach - what does this compare to in the Caribbean? Orient Beach in St. Maarten? Reduit Beach in St. Lucia? We HATED Reduit Beach bc we were constantly being approached/harassed by locals and want to avoid this at all costs on this trip.

 

Also, a catamaran excursion is another possibility for this port for us, preferably something without hundreds of crazy drunk people that includes some beach time? Any help is appreciated - I'm at a loss since I've never been here before and I don't want to waste the day!!!! Thanks!

[SDPadreFan]

DH and I (newlyweds in our early 30s) are visiting the Riviera on the Mariner in August and are looking for some recommendations for Cabo. We are "Caribbean people" visiting Cabo for the first time and generally enjoy quiet beach time, swimming and snorkeling. I have read extensively about Medano beach - what does this compare to in the Caribbean? Orient Beach in St. Maarten? Reduit Beach in St. Lucia? We HATED Reduit Beach bc we were constantly being approached/harassed by locals and want to avoid this at all costs on this trip.

 

Also, a catamaran excursion is another possibility for this port for us, preferably something without hundreds of crazy drunk people that includes some beach time? Any help is appreciated - I'm at a loss since I've never been here before and I don't want to waste the day!!!! Thanks!

 

Well, it's going to be difficult to get the "perfect" day. All suggestions will have some negatives. Here goes

 

Medano Beach: You will encounter local's selling here but they are not really pushy in my opinion. Just say "no gracias" and leave it at that. All the beach bars/restaurants will have loungers/umbrellas for use as long as you are eating/drinking. The quieter establishments will be Tobascos, The Sand Bar, or Baja Cantina. Tobasco's is probably the quietest.

 

Catamaran/Snorkeling: Great companies in Cabo. Pez Gato is our favorite. Others with a great reputation include La Princessa, Tropicat, Rissalena, EcoCat (huge cat). All have web sites. They include beverages and lunch (varies by boat). I don't know if they all include actual beach time vs. snorkeling time. Most are @ 3 hours long. All should include a cruise by Lover's Beach, the arch, the sea lion colony, etc. These are great trips. It's going to be pretty darn hot in Cabo in August so a catamaran may be the best bet.

 

Another possibility for snorkeling/sailing is the sailboat Yael (has website). Nothing but glowing reports for this company.

 

Lover's Beach: Reachable by water taxi, it is a beautiful little beach. Fairly quiet. Minimal vendors. Disadvantage - no public facilities, cold drinks may only be available from a portable cooler. Repeat - no public facilities.

 

Solmar Beach: Walkable from the tender pier. It's possible that the resort Finnisterra MAY let you use their facilities (as long as you are eating/drinking). It seems to vary from week to week depending upon how many of the timeshare owners are in residence. There are no guarantees. If they let you in, you would have use of their pools, etc. The beach should be pretty quiet. There is NO SWIMMING IN THE OCEAN on this beach. This is a Pacific Ocean resort and NO OCEAN SWIMMING is allowed at any Pacific Ocean resort in the Cabo area. This is because of extremely dangerous surf and rip currents. The only ocean swimming in Cabo proper is Medano Beach.

 

Hope you have a great cruise.

[bobnsofi]

Medano is not like Orient Beach, but there can be vendor problems. If you find a space controlled by a restaurant, you will have an inexpensive peaceful experience

 

Medano Beach (below)

 

 

 

 

[kas141]

Thank you both so much for the feedback. I think we will do a catamaran and save the "beach day" for Mazatlan (Stone Island). I'm very excited for our first west coast cruise!!

[bobnsofi]

save the "beach day" for Mazatlan (Stone Island)

 

Just a "Heads Up". Stone island is not like a Colorful Caribbean tropical paradise beach. Medano Beach is much more colorful, more expensive with large resorts nearby, and with alot more to see in the active Cabo Bay. You may want to do a bit of medano after a Catamaran ($3/person/1way water taxi).

 

I think most folks that have lots of fun on Stone Island, do a "stone island tour" that includes some activities. Folks love the stone island tour with the tractor pulling trailer and some horseback riding, open bar, and garlic Shrimp. It also has appeal, as it is a short walk from the cruise ships, yet it is isolated, and inexpensive. Below are a few pics of the Stone Island area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[kas141]

Thanks again for the advice. From what I've read on the boards, Medano does not really seem like it's up our alley - we don't care much for the whole super-crowded, lounge-chairs-practically-stacked-on-top-of-each-other style beach. We may check it out after the catamaran, but I definitely don't want to spend the day there....

 

Stone Island on the other hand looks like a blast, and a cheap but fun way to spend the day. Can't wait!!!! :)