Where to go for a beach day in Cabo?

[PassionFruit]

We are sailing the first week of Nov and would like to do a beach day in Cabo. There are elderly folks traveling with us (can walk, but not too far at a time) and small children (3 yo & 1 yo) -- 7 people total. I'm looking for a place we can do parasailing and maybe some other water activities, and would prefer a place that has cabanas on the beach that we could rent for the day. We probably would not be there more than a few hours at most. Our ship is scheduled to be in port from 11am-6pm. Does such a place exist? If not, other recommendations will be appreciated. Thanks!

[househunter]

We are sailing the first week of Nov and would like to do a beach day in Cabo. There are elderly folks traveling with us (can walk, but not too far at a time) and small children (3 yo & 1 yo) -- 7 people total. I'm looking for a place we can do parasailing and maybe some other water activities, and would prefer a place that has cabanas on the beach that we could rent for the day. We probably would not be there more than a few hours at most. Our ship is scheduled to be in port from 11am-6pm. Does such a place exist? If not, other recommendations will be appreciated. Thanks!

 

There is only one beach in Cabo with facilites- Medano Beach. Since there are some elderly folks with you, take a cab. You have to get in and out of the water taxis in the water. A regular cab should be $10 each way- as soon as you exit the tender dock there will be cab drivers waiting. Medano beach is lined with resorts and beach restaurants/bars. No need to rent a cabana- they will all allow you to use their chairs and umbrellas as you long as you are buying food and drinks. Since the sand is very soft and very sloped you might want to go to the Baja Cantina. This will be the first and only one to the right as you are exiting the taxi. All the rest will be to your left. That way you will not have to walk along the beach very far. It has the best food on the beach and does not have all the rowdy spring breaks games that some of the others do.

 

Have fun!:)

[SDPadreFan]

Just a little additional information, although Sandy (Househunter), gave really good advice. The "cabs" are big Ford passenger vans (at least most are) so you should have no problem getting everyone in one cab. It's possible the driver may try and get a little more money from you since it's 7 passengers. It's up to you if you want to haggle with them over a couple of dollars.

 

It will be somewhat of a challenge for the older people in your group to get up into the van because they are tall. The driver will help. You may just have to push and pull to get them in.

 

Tipping the cab driver - The taxi union in Mexico is very powerful and they pretty much get whatever they want. Accordingly, taxi rates are pretty high. Because of this, it is up to you whether or not you choose to tip. I would suggest that if he tries to charge you extra for the 7 passengers then no tip. If he doesn't, then you could consider a tip if you wish.

 

Cabo is very tourist dependent and has had an extremely difficult time these past few months. First we had the big, drug gang shoot-outs (no where near Cabo) and then the swine flu scare (also, no where near Cabo). Keep this in mind when you are spending your money. A couple of dollars is really not a big deal to many Americans or other foreign travelers but it can mean a lot to the locals who live and work in Cabo.

 

Have a great cruise!

[househunter]

That is correct! I am short and most of the cabs have a little step that they will put out for you!:)

[Sunny AZ Girl]

I am interested in the Baja Cantina you mentioned as we prefer a more quiet beach time. Is the beach nice there? I assume there are chairs and umbrellas available there? Is there a good view from that part of the beach? Also, i gather from your post (house hunter) that there is only one drop off point for the cabs for the whole beach? Thanks!:D

[househunter]

There is just one main drop off for the regular taxis unless you go through one of the resorts. They will drop you off on a street that dead ends at the beach. To your right will be the Cabo Villas resort with the Baja Cantina in front of it. To your left will be the Billygans, the first of a row of many places. The view is basically the same on the whole beach. Baja Cantina is the closest if you don't want to walk too far, the 2 other quiet spots are the Sand Bar and Tabascos which are a ways down the beach. They all have lounge chairs and umbrellas. If you don't like the loud and crazy places, Billygans and the Mango Deck are the 2 to stay away from.

[maxamuus]

Billygans and the Mango Deck are the 2 to stay away from.

 

We went to Billygans and reminded me of spring break in Florida.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

There is just one main drop off for the regular taxis unless you go through one of the resorts. They will drop you off on a street that dead ends at the beach. To your right will be the Cabo Villas resort with the Baja Cantina in front of it. To your left will be the Billygans, the first of a row of many places. The view is basically the same on the whole beach. Baja Cantina is the closest if you don't want to walk too far, the 2 other quiet spots are the Sand Bar and Tabascos which are a ways down the beach. They all have lounge chairs and umbrellas. If you don't like the loud and crazy places, Billygans and the Mango Deck are the 2 to stay away from.

Thanks! It looks like Baja Cantina would be the best for us. Is the food better there than at The Office? I was thinking of taking a water taxi to the beach after a glass bottom boat tour of the arch, the sea lion colony, etc. I was hoping to have some time to relax at the beach, eat lunch (fish tacos or a seafood salad would be great!) and then take a land taxi back to the shopping area before we have to return to the ship. We are in port from 7:30 - 4:30. Any recommendations to make this day go smoothly? Would the water taxi drop us off near Baja Cantina or should we aim for somewhere else? I am not fond of walking long distances in the sand, especially if it's hot!

[SDPadreFan]

We used to be big fans of The Office but have not been there in several years. We felt the food had gone from excellent to just ok while the prices had gone up and the service had gone down.

 

If you want the best fish tacos in Cabo for lunch, you would have to go to Las Gardenias. It's a large "hole in the wall" type place that has been there for many years. On the link I'm providing, I've tried to center it on the page while still keeping Baja Cantina in sight in the bottom right corner. It's walkable (depending on the heat). You could also do a pedicab from the beach. When your done lunch, walk out to the street, hang a right, walk to the corner, hang a right, and walk into town. If you are hot at that point, duck into the Plaza Puerto Paraiso Mall (it's air conditioned).

 

It's all on the map.

 

http://www.wikimapia.org/#lat=22.8887681&lon=-109.9082673&z=18&l=0&m=a&v=2

[househunter]

Thanks! It looks like Baja Cantina would be the best for us. Is the food better there than at The Office? I was thinking of taking a water taxi to the beach after a glass bottom boat tour of the arch, the sea lion colony, etc. I was hoping to have some time to relax at the beach, eat lunch (fish tacos or a seafood salad would be great!) and then take a land taxi back to the shopping area before we have to return to the ship. We are in port from 7:30 - 4:30. Any recommendations to make this day go smoothly? Would the water taxi drop us off near Baja Cantina or should we aim for somewhere else? I am not fond of walking long distances in the sand, especially if it's hot!

 

I think the food is much better there! Plus the office only has table and chairs- no lounge chairs. And as I posted above, the Baja Cantina will be the very closest to the taxi drop off- turn right and you are there!

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Thanks to both of you! That's a great help. I have a hard time judging real distance on the map. I'm not too good walking a lot in the heat. We will be there in early October, so I expect it will be warm. From the map it looks like it would not be too bad to walk to the Puerto Paraiso Plaza and then continue to walk down Marina Blvd or the Boardwalk and shop a bit as we go. I don't need to do heavy shopping and I prefer handcrafts to jewelry. Would we better off to try and walk from the beach this way or take a cab back to the port area and just shop a bit there and along the Marina area? Thanks!:)

[akcruz]

Are there any of the places on Medano that are better for kids? My son is 14 and doesn't do well just sitting on the beach. Mom, Dad and big sis are fine with that, but not him. Any place that has stuff to keep him busy?

[SDPadreFan]

Thanks to both of you! That's a great help. I have a hard time judging real distance on the map. I'm not too good walking a lot in the heat. We will be there in early October, so I expect it will be warm. From the map it looks like it would not be too bad to walk to the Puerto Paraiso Plaza and then continue to walk down Marina Blvd or the Boardwalk and shop a bit as we go. I don't need to do heavy shopping and I prefer handcrafts to jewelry. Would we better off to try and walk from the beach this way or take a cab back to the port area and just shop a bit there and along the Marina area? Thanks!:)

 

October "can" be brutal sometimes. Just for you - think Phoenix with humidity. It can range from the mid 80's to over 100 but it just depends on your particular day. You could bring a simple umbrella in a bag (for instant shade). You could certainly do the walk from the mall back along the Marina to the tender pier. Straight walking from the mall to the marina area is probably 10 min or more, especially if you stop to shop. From the marina to the tender pier is a good 20 min or more depending upon shopping/gawking time. If you need a shade break on the way back - Soloman's Landing is a good place for a cool drink (or snack). It will be about halfway back along the marina walk. You can see it on the map link I gave you. Just drag the map over to the marina area.

 

There is also a large Mercado (shopping) right by the tender pier. It will have most of what Cabo has to offer in terms of trinket/jewelry/souvenir shopping. Prices may be slightly higher, but it is close by the tender pier. This is good if you just decide to catch a cab back. You'll just have to decide on your heat/humidity tolerance for the day that you are there.

[SDPadreFan]

Are there any of the places on Medano that are better for kids? My son is 14 and doesn't do well just sitting on the beach. Mom, Dad and big sis are fine with that, but not him. Any place that has stuff to keep him busy?

 

It's possible that some of the timeshare resorts on the beach will let you use their facilities. Normally they say no to protect their timeshare guests (rightfully so). However, this has been a pretty tough spring/early summer for Cabo without the cruise ships, so depending upon resort occupancy and number of cruise ships in port, they may allow a limited number into the resort. Ask nicely, tell them you want to buy lunch & drinks there and maybe you'll get lucky. The best to try (in my opinion) would be; Pueblo Bonito Blanco (white building with blue domes), Pueblo Bonito Rose (pink building next door), or the "ME" by Melia. The "ME" may charge a use fee (credit) that you can use for food & drinks. Again, it will depend upon the situation the day you are there. If they say yes, then your kid can use the pool.

 

Another option for you would be a catamaran snorkeling excursion. I think they run about $40 per person. They are 3 to 4 hours long. Most include lunch, drinks, snacks, etc. Each is different. Some even include an open bar. Depends upon the size of the cat and it's capabilities. The really big ones have everything. The smaller ones are more basic. Figure 1 hour sailing time to get to Chileno Bay (or Santa Maria) for snorkeling, 1 hour on site, & 1 hour getting back. The cats will have seating as well as a lounging net (son & daughter may like this). All catamarans will include the obligatory stop to see the arch, the sea lion colony, Scooby Doo Rock, etc. It's not a bad day considering lunch & beverage is included. 14 year old may however require supplemental snacks thoughtfully provided by mom. Heavy duty sunscreen is a good idea for Cabo, you will be almost 1000 miles closer to the equator from Southern California.

[househunter]

Thanks to both of you! That's a great help. I have a hard time judging real distance on the map. I'm not too good walking a lot in the heat. We will be there in early October, so I expect it will be warm. From the map it looks like it would not be too bad to walk to the Puerto Paraiso Plaza and then continue to walk down Marina Blvd or the Boardwalk and shop a bit as we go. I don't need to do heavy shopping and I prefer handcrafts to jewelry. Would we better off to try and walk from the beach this way or take a cab back to the port area and just shop a bit there and along the Marina area? Thanks!:)

 

I would guess it would be about a 45 minute walk from the tender pier,around the marina, to Medano beach. You would have to walk quite a ways on the beach which is very soft and sloped to reach the Baja Cantina which is the first of the beach bars. The humidity in early October is brutal so if it were me, I would take a cab both ways and then just shop in town closer to the tender pier or at the Mercado that Darrell mentioned.

[househunter]

Are there any of the places on Medano that are better for kids? My son is 14 and doesn't do well just sitting on the beach. Mom, Dad and big sis are fine with that, but not him. Any place that has stuff to keep him busy?

 

All of Medano beach from will have water activites like jet skis, parasailing and banana boats if he is interested in any of that.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

October "can" be brutal sometimes. Just for you - think Phoenix with humidity. It can range from the mid 80's to over 100 but it just depends on your particular day.

I guess we'll just play it by ear. I'm smart enough to stay out of the noon day sun in Phoenix, so hopefully I will have that same common sense in Cabo.;)

 

I have printed out some maps, plus your wikipedia map has really given me a good sense of the area. I have a couple of 'routes' laid out according to how much I think we can do on that particular day. One option I was thinking of was to have a cab driver drop us off at Hotel Tesoro, then walk up Marina Blvd to Plaza Nautica or Plaza Bonita, then cut over to the Marina boardwalk and back to the tender pier and the craft market. Also I had considered getting off the main drag and going from Hotel Tesoro up Hidalgo Street to Zapata and making our way back to Marina Blvd. Are there some out of the way shops back in there? Just some options I figured out on a day I should have been cleaning house!

[akcruz]

Thanks for the info SDPadreFan & Househunter. Have been reading your replies on this board for a bit and you both seem to have a lot of very good knowledge of the area. Thanks for sharing with us all.

 

I had looked at the snorkeling but we've done that in so many places already were thinking of a water taxi out to the arch, etc then hang at the beach for a while. Will look into the resorts and also what's on Medano. Have a bit before we will be there.

 

As far as sunscreen even though I live in NJ I wear it all the time. Have that skin that burns! Will be bringing the extra extra strong stuff.

[househunter]

I guess we'll just play it by ear. I'm smart enough to stay out of the noon day sun in Phoenix, so hopefully I will have that same common sense in Cabo.;)

 

I have printed out some maps, plus your wikipedia map has really given me a good sense of the area. I have a couple of 'routes' laid out according to how much I think we can do on that particular day. One option I was thinking of was to have a cab driver drop us off at Hotel Tesoro, then walk up Marina Blvd to Plaza Nautica or Plaza Bonita, then cut over to the Marina boardwalk and back to the tender pier and the craft market. Also I had considered getting off the main drag and going from Hotel Tesoro up Hidalgo Street to Zapata and making our way back to Marina Blvd. Are there some out of the way shops back in there? Just some options I figured out on a day I should have been cleaning house!

 

No need to take a cab to the Tesoro, it is only a 5 minute walk or less along the docks from the tender pier. It will be right in front of you as you get off the tenders, the huge resort with the Lighthouse in front. There are tons of shops in the blocks behind Marina Blvd and Hidalgo. That is where all of the best restaurants are in Cabo as well. It is known as "restaurant row".

[Sunny AZ Girl]

No need to take a cab to the Tesoro, it is only a 5 minute walk or less along the docks from the tender pier. It will be right in front of you as you get off the tenders, the huge resort with the Lighthouse in front. There are tons of shops in the blocks behind Marina Blvd and Hidalgo. That is where all of the best restaurants are in Cabo as well. It is known as "restaurant row".

Thank you. I was actually thinking of having the cab drop us off at the Tesoro from Medano Beach. I'm sorry I did not make that clear. Is there better shopping in the area behind Marina & Hidalgo or along the Marina? I am not intersested in DI or other jewelry shops. I am more interested in hand crafts.

[househunter]

Along the marina the prices will be much, much higher than if you venture off the main roads. There are about 6 blocks behind and up from Hidalgo that have tons of shops with much better prices.

[MomtoCCC]

This info has been very helpful. Where would the water taxis drop us off at Medano beach? Whereever we want? How hard is it to catch one when we are ready to go back to the tender pier?

 

Thanks again.

[househunter]

There are several drop off places in between the roped off swimming areas. They will be lined up in the water when you are ready to leave!:)

[Craving A Cruise]

Along the marina the prices will be much, much higher than if you venture off the main roads. There are about 6 blocks behind and up from Hidalgo that have tons of shops with much better prices.

 

 

Househunter~~Can you recommend any shops where I could find some locally made pottery? (not the stuff imported from China.)... I would love to purchase some serving platters and dishes, etc..... I also like to buy artwork from local artists whenever I travel. Would this area have anything like this available?

 

Thank you for all the wonderful tips and suggestions. I really appreciate it! :)

 

Craving A Cruise

[MomtoCCC]

There are several drop off places in between the roped off swimming areas. They will be lined up in the water when you are ready to leave!:)

 

Should have asked this question also... how much to catch a water taxi from tender pier, ride over to see the arch and then be dropped off at Medano beach? How much for ride from beach to pier? Thanks again.