Los Cabos, Mexico is the perfect location for stunning beaches, rich culture, amazing food, and memorable adventures. Whether you’re keen on the relaxing, upscale charm of San Jose or the luxe nightlife of San Lucas, there’s something for everyone at this lively tip of the Baja Peninsula. Look no further for your next enticing yet blissfully relaxing one week trip.
From landing to take off, we’ve got your itinerary all mapped out. You’ll find an array of culinary delights, enticing exploration, and dreamy relaxation on this peninsula paradise. The perfect backdrop to your next vacation beckons!
DAY ONE
With any luck, your flight will arrive with some daylight left to burn. There are a few options to get to your hotel from the airport. You can take a taxi, an uber, or a private driver. The latter came recommended, so that was the option we opted for.
It’s about a 45 minute drive from the Los Cabos Airport to Cabo San Lucas. We landed at our Airbnb, which we highly recommend! The location was amazing– downtown is close (but far enough away the party scene won’t keep you up at night), plus you can see The Arch from the balcony and a most amazing view of the sunset. After checking in, head to the downtown area to wander around the various shops and restaurants. We popped into the Cabo Coffee Company, which became a staple coffee fix throughout the trip.
On our way back to the Airbnb, we stopped by a grocery store as our rental had a full kitchen, which makes meals rather convenient. Upon our arrival we unloaded our grocery finds and went to lay by the pool for a bit. Opting for a simple dinner, we ate on the balcony and watched the sunset. It was the perfect end to our first day.
note: the two photographs of our San Juan Airbnb were sampled from their listing
DAY TWO
The main event on the schedule for today: a sailing excursion! The five hours we spent on the catamaran flew by in a breeze of breathtaking beauty. We sailed off the shores of Cabo San Lucas, where the Pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Cortez. Our excursion led us to the distinctive rock formations, colloquially dubbed Land’s End– the most illustrious being ‘El Arco’, which translates to ‘The Arch’.
We were granted glimpses of the migrating whales as well as a plethora of sea lions. For anyone on the boat feeling adventurous, paddle-boards and snorkel sets were available for aquatic exploration. If you’re less thrill-seeking and more keen on relaxation, the unlimited open bar and bevvy of hor’s d’ oeuvres (shrimp, chips & guac, ceviche, salad, pasta salad, etc) will guarantee you enjoy your time. We truly could not recommend Cabo Adventures more highly!
A massage is always a good idea, but a massage on vacation is somehow extra relaxing. The Airbnb host had a wealth of local knowledge and recommended a fantastic masseuse for in-home treatments. Feeling deliciously relaxed, our day ended with another delicious homemade dinner, shared together on the balcony as the sun set on another wonderful day in paradise.
DAY THREE
Nothing kicks the day off quite like catching a glimpse of some migrating humpback whales, from our balcony. Seeing these gentle giants had us ready to pack our bags and head to the coast. The primary agenda for day three? Big chillin’ on at Chileno Beach! This public access beach About 15 minutes outside Cabo San Lucas, and is impressive for a few reasons. First and foremost, there are bathrooms and showers available to beachgoers that aren’t grungy. Another plus? This beach is also known to be a good spot for snorkeling! It’s always fun to see the beautiful landscape under the sea in vibrant color!
While Chileno Beach isn’t in the heart of Cabo San Lucas, this itself can actually be a perk. You won’t find nearly as many vendors at this beach as you would at say Medano Beach. This isn’t always a make or break factor (and it’s hard to begrudge individuals trying to make a living), but in busier seasons the beach can be far less relaxing when you’re turning down sales pitches left and right with a kind “no gracias”.
We closed out the day with dinner at Pietro’s Restaurant and Pizza. This tasty Italian spot is not only a nice change of pace from some of the Mexican cuisine– it’s really quite delicious, with a fun ambiance.
DAY FOUR
After a day on the beach it’s time to tear it up in the desert! We went ATVing with Real Baja Tours and had the most exhilarating time!! Not having ridden ATVs much in the past, it was thrilling to fly across the desert.
Afterwards, we grabbed food at Outpost (honest opinion: not bad, but kinda underwhelmed) before heading back to our airbnb. After our late lunch, we hung out by the pool until sunset. There’s no bad sunsets in Cabo!
DAY FIVE
Our last day in San Lucas started at The Cabo Coffee Company for some top notch bean juice to get the day going. From there we bid our airbnb adieu and headed up to the Cabo Azul Resort in San Jose.
Upon arriving, we grabbed lunch at the restaurant by the pool, and let me just say… the views from a high rise are lovely, but hearing the waves crash as you enjoy lunch brings relaxation to a whole new level. After lunch, we went on a long walk down the beach, and felt so at peace taking in the gorgeous coastline.
For dinner, we tried to hunt down a slightly more authentic restaurant for dinner at El Toro Guero. There were far too many gringas for it to be considered a ‘local’ restaurant, but the food was excellent! Would recommend!
DAY SIX
The last full day in paradise means taking in as many ocean views as possible. The resort had various cabanas available to guests, and we managed to snag one on the beach. Oftentimes these more private reclining options have an additional cost associated with their use, but we were pleased to discover all cabanas— both beachside and poolside— were complimentary to guests. We spent the morning sunning along the shore, attempting to imprint the coastline in our memories.
Downtown Cabo San Juan was only a mile and a half walk from Cabo Azul, so after a morning of divine ocean views, we put on our sandals and made our way towards the plaza. The quaint area was certainly worth the walk with so many shops and restaurants to wander into. The aura of old-town charm is alluring any day of the week, but it’s especially worth exploring on a Thursday to take in all there is to see along the Art Walk. Perhaps a little touristy, but worth visiting nonetheless.
For dinner we popped across the street as there’s a wide array of restaurants to choose from. We found ourselves at Latino 8, and were beyond delighted. Everything was amazing… food, service, ambiance were all divine!
DAY SEVEN
Not wanting to stray too far from the resort, we spent our final morning by the pool– leaving only to take one last walk on the beach. A final virgin strawberry daiquiri from the swim-up bar was a must, followed by some tasty pool-side nachos. All too soon it was time to head back to the airport, so we begrudgingly packed up our bags and checked out. We used the same private driver to take us all back to the airport, and had another lovely experience.
PARTING THOUGHTS
Cabo offers the perfect vacation for everyone. We were pretty keen on having a low-key, relaxing vacation, so our beach and pool-side days with stunning views were exactly what we wanted. For those looking for more adventure, there’s enough desert, beach, and ocean to keep anyone entertained. If you want to cut loose and indulge in night life, there is abundant opportunity for that as well. Truly a vacation spot for any and all to enjoy!
While we always encourage anyone traveling to a forgein country to make an attempt to know some of the local language, Cabo is pretty touristy, so most people you converse with will be able to speak English.
Just a heads up, many snorkel spots in Mexico aren’t quite as vibrant as they once were, due to dying coral. Reef safe sunscreen is everywhere nowadays, so be sure to add that to your packing list before you go!
written by McKenna
If you look up diva in the dictionary, you will find a picture of McKenna Lee. Loud-mouthed and overly opinionated she may have the biggest personality (read: attitude) of us all. McKenna is in college at FSU, but her passion lies in her small business Mack Swimwear and running her small group through church. She lives for days spent in a bathing suit, and tries to go surfing in every new beach town she visits.
