Last Updated on December 30, 2023 by Natalie
I was so excited when we landed in Cabo and I was taking in the unique scenery. It has a southern California vibe, with desert, palm trees, and ocean. Yes, it’s in Baja California or lower California. I know, I know. My husband and I had this discussion. It also reminded me a bit of Phoenix, Arizona.
Cabo is a well known tourist destination and a party destination, in particular. I have a family and I decided to take trip to Los Cabos with kids. It did live up to that party reputation, but it’s also so much more. Is Cabo San Lucas kid friendly? Is there anything to do in Cabo with kids?
Yes!
Ultimate Guide to Cabo with Kids
Cabo is a wonderful destination for families. Even though Cabo has a fantastic night life associated with it, there are plenty of things to do with kids in Cabo San Lucas.
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Before traveling to Mexico with Kids
Be sure to purchase travel insurance soon after booking your trip. My choice for international travel is WorldNomads. In Cabo, we opted to see the physician at the resort and it was $100 USD just to visit. It’s best to be covered. The peace of mind is worth it!
Airport Tips and Transportation
As you exit the Cabo airport, you will walk past a gauntlet of people who will be trying to sell you something. They will act like they are your transportation. If you have prearranged transport, you must exit the building to find their location. We always prearrange our transportation from the airport to our hotel or resort. Here’s a good shared transportation option.
If we are renting a car, we always use Enterprise – check prices.
Be aware that masks are required in most places in Mexico, including the airports and transportation options. Check each tour for their individual requirements. Masks aren’t likely to be provided, so be sure to pack your own.
Things to do in Cabo with Kids
There is so much to do in Cabo with kids. Here are wonderful options and none involve captive animals. Here are some tips if you do want to participate ethically in animal attractions in the Caribbean.
El Arco.
You’ll probably also need to bring water, because Cabo gets hot! Check out this guide on travel water bottles, to carry with you.
El Arco
El Arco is the most famous natural landmark in Cabo. It’s a must-see. There are many companies to choose from for your adventure. You can take a water taxi, a specific tour, the Yellow Submarine (a tour I highly recommend – see below), and even cruise ships get a pretty good view of it. Surprisingly, it didn’t feel crowded. There were boats around, of course, but not enough to ruin the experience. This is one of those iconic landmarks that’s worth seeing. I really enjoyed it!
The guy is blocking my selfie with El Arco. Oh well. This was taken during our trip on the Yellow Submarine. It’s one of the fun things to do with kids in Cabo.
The Yellow Submarine
Check prices and availability!
We took the Yellow Submarine (a semi submersible) to El Arco and back. This option was more expensive than a water taxi and it was a great tour for the kids. The Yellow Submarine offered fish watching from the comfort of a submarine. Sort of. It’s boat with a nice underwater viewing area, but the kids loved the idea that we were on a submarine.
Above deck, you can watch as the boat cruises towards El Arco and Lover’s Beach. When they reach their preferred viewing area, everyone heads below deck. There, we sat in little padded seats, looking out the windows as the fish swim past. My son and husband went back above deck with many others to feed the fish (while this does violate the no feeding the wildlife rule, it seemed less disruptive than feeding stingrays at stingray alley. I also didn’t know in advance. You do and you can make the best ethical decision for your family). My daughter and I stayed below. The boat had cards to help you identify the fish. It was fun and educational. I do recommend this tour for families with younger kids and I’m glad we took it.
Check prices and availability of the Cabo Yellow Submarine!
Lover’s Beach, as viewed from our boat ride!
Lover’s Beach
Being that Lover’s Beach isn’t accessible by land, you’d think it would be sparsely populated. It’s actually a popular destination and you can get there easily with a water taxi. In order to fully enjoy your trip to Playa del Amor, bring water and pack a lunch. Make sure to arrange a pick up time with your water taxi. Please stick to the bay side, as the Pacific side (also called Divorce Beach) is dangerous for swimming.
Scuba Diving & Snorkeling
My husband and I are both certified scuba divers. Can you believe we have never gone diving together? It’ll be awhile before we have that opportunity, since our children are still little. It’s a great option to do in Cabo! The water is cold, by the way. Also make sure you’re carrying insurance for scuba diving – I always do when I’m diving. Of course, young kids can’t do this activity, though it might be able to be combined with a snorkeling trip.
I opted for the Yellow Submarine instead of snorkeling this trip. However, I think snorkeling is a great activity for families! Cabo has many, many options to choose from, so you can find the best one for your family’s skill and comfort level.
Whale Watching (Seasonal)
We missed whale watching season by a few weeks. Many of the tours take you to La Paz (here are other things to do in La Paz) and then out on a boat, making for a long excursion. We would’ve gone whale watching had we visited just a few weeks earlier. Whale watching has long been one of those activities high up on my wish list. Alas, I’ve missed it yet again!
This whale watching tour leaves from Los Cabo and if you book in advance, hotel pick up is offered! This particular tour gets great reviews and is limited to 15 people, so everyone should be able to see the whales! It’s a zodiac boat and includes bottled water and a professional guide. The tour last approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes.
We did catch up with some whales when we visited La Paz, which you can see on the video.
These sea lions were at the marina. We paused to watch for a bit as we were walking around the area.
We stayed at the Riu Santa Fe in Cabo, check out my review!
Sea Lions and Pelican Rock
Sea lions and seals are everywhere. We saw several hitching a ride on the back of fishing boats, hoping for a treat. It was amazing and also worrisome. I am sure they get hit bit boats regularly. Pelican Rock is a dive site and worth seeing from a boat, too. We saw many sea lions on our excursions out on the water, too.
It’s fun to just sit and watch the sea lion and their antics in the marina.
The Marina and Surrounding Area
The marina is THE place to go while you’re visiting Cabo San Lucas. There’s a mall there. It’s air conditioned. You’ll be glad to know that after wandering around for awhile in the heat. We picked up a better pair of flip flops for my son and enjoyed some ice cream. There are also several restaurants and many, many people trying to sell you something. We walked all the way to the beach. Pro tip: Plan time here either before or after your tours, since the marina is where most of the tours start.
FYI, if you have a child who needs to go to the bathroom, you’ll need to head back to the mall. There is a restaurant that will allow you to use theirs for 5 pesos if it is a dire emergency. Don’t ask me how I know this.
Buccaneer Queen – the Pirate Ship
Shiver me timbers, me hearties! Ye can set sail on an ole fashioned pirate ship. Along wit’ a hearty meal ‘n multiple beverages, thar’s a pirate show full o’ laughs ‘n swashbucklin’ action (would thar be another kind on a ship of the pirates?). On this cruise, ye’ll sail right past El Arco t’ watch th’ sunset. ‘Tis a wonderful cruise fer sprogs.
Translation: Shiver me timbers, friends! You can set sail on an old fashioned pirate ship. Along with a hearty meal and multiple beverages, there’s a pirate show full of laughs and swashbuckling action (would there be another kind on a pirate ship?). On this cruise, you’ll sail right past El Arco to watch the sunset. This is a wonderful cruise for kids.
Of course, the exciting Sunset Dinner Cruise and Show on a Pirate Ship – check prices and availability
Check prices and availability for the Whale Watching Pirate ship cruise (available seasonally)
Museum of Natural History in Cabo San Lucas
For a few hours out of the water and sunshine, check out the Museum of Natural History in Cabo. It’s a small museum and the admission is inexpensive. Much of the museum has English signage in addition to the Spanish signs. This museum is spunky and a labor of love!
The Children’s Water Park in the Riu Santa Fe resort.
Resort Water Parks
Many of the child-friendly resorts in Cabo have great water parks for kids. The amazing water park above is accessible from this fun resort. Additionally, they have a water slide park for ages 12 and up that looked like it was a lot of fun. Except I was too scared to try any of the slides there! A definite plus for teens.
Day Trips from Cabo
I recommend renting a car for day trips, especially with kids. You are assured of being able to correctly install car seats and booster seats. I also recommend purchasing the insurance. My preferred car rental company is Enterprise. It is easy to rent a car in touristy cities. Click here for prices!
Day Trip to La Paz Beaches
Enjoying Tecolote Beach, just outside of La Paz, Mexico.
La Paz is an awesome destination on its own, but it’s possible to take a day trip from Cabo to the beaches in La Paz. Balandra Beach is the most famous, but in 2021, you have to arrive early (think 5 am early) in order to be able to get in due to current restrictions (more below). However, very close by is Tecolote Beach which has many of the same characteristics, like soft sand and calm, shallow water for several yards, plus there are places to buy food. Plan for at least 2.5 hours to get from Cabo to Tecolote or Balandra and you need to bring your own beach items for the former.
I loved Tecolote and I highly recommend a visit.
Balandra Beach (La Paz)
In 2016, USA Today voted Balandra Beach as the most beautiful beach in Mexico. It will take you around 2 and a half hours (around 116 miles) to drive there from Cabo, but it’s worth the trip. Balandra Beach is perfect for little ones and the water is such a gorgeous turquoise. It’s best to drive here, because you will need to pack everything you need for a beach day. This will include sunscreen (use a reef safe sunscreen, please), water, snacks, beach towels, dry clothing, and anything else you need. There is hiking, so it’s great to bring water shoes or sandals, plus a shoe that’s better for hiking.
Balandra doesn’t have any restaurants or stores to sell items. However, very close by is El Tecolote that does have food options and shops. Please pick up after yourself after visiting this lovely beach.
If you’re not exhausted after exploring Balandra Beach, you can stop by Todos Santos on the way back to Cabo.
Please note that Balandra Beach may or may not have restrictions on the number of people allowed into the beach. At the time of my visit, people were getting in line in the middle of the night. We were told that it was filled by 4:30 am. Other accounts are saying you have to arrive at 5 am to be able to get a spot on the beach. If you miss your spot, go a few miles down the road and check out Tecolote. You won’t get a photo with the mushroom rock, but you will have a fantastic beach experience. We bought food on the beach and it was AMAZING. There is something about fresh food on a beautiful beach, with clear water. I cannot wait to visit again.
Todos Santos, Mexico. Photo courtesy of Milana’s Travels
Day Trip to Todos Santos
Maggie from Milana’s Travels recommends a day trip to Todos Santos. “One of the best things to do in Cabo with kids is take a day trip to Todos Santos, an hour north of Cabo,” she says. “We rented a car and it was an easy drive up, you can even stop along the way to try and find the wild horses on the beach! The famous Hotel California is in Todos Santos and their downtown area is really cute to explore, with lots of shops and restaurants. We had lunch at Lost Adobes de Todos Santos, which was very family friendly. Kids were given a bucket of blocks while waiting for the food to come out, keeping them entertained at the table. If you find yourself in Cabo, rent a car and go explore Todos Santos with your kids!”
Where to stay
We stayed at the Riu Santa Fe all inclusive, which had a water park for younger kids and Splash Water World for older kids and adults. It also has a great nightlife! However, for families, this resort is so much better. You get access to the best of the Riu Santa Fe (water parks and nightlife), as well as a quieter atmosphere that’s helpful for families. We loved the activities available for kids.
Check prices and availability!
There are many family activities Cabo San Lucas
There are a lot of family things to do in Cabo San Lucas and you can find the activities that best suit your family. This list doesn’t include any activities with animals (expect whale watching) because many of those activities do not have the best interests of the animals at heart. Dolphins, in particular, suffer a lot because of tourism. I advocate against doing activities involving animals and promote ethical animal tourism. It’s great that without specific animal activities, there are so many things to do in Cabo San Lucas with family!
D you have feedback on this list of top activities for kids in Cabo? My best recommendations come from readers! Please share your thoughts on what to do in Cabo with kids in the comments.
