Beaches of Cabo San Lucas and Los Cabos

About the beaches of Los Cabos

Los Cabos sits where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific Ocean, and that one fact decides what kind of beach day you’ll have. On the Sea of Cortez side, from Médano Beach in Cabo San Lucas along the Tourist Corridor to Palmilla near San José del Cabo, you’ll find sheltered coves with calm water for swimming and snorkeling. On the Pacific side the beaches are wide and beautiful, and the surf is dangerous. This guide tells you which is which, how to get there, and what to bring.

Two seas, two kinds of beach

Most beaches in and around Cabo San Lucas face the Sea of Cortez, inside bays and coves that shelter them from the open ocean. These are the swimming beaches. The Pacific beaches, such as Divorce Beach behind Lover’s Beach and Solmar Beach on the west side of town, face the open ocean, with heavy shorebreak and strong undertow. They are great for walks, sunsets and whale watching in winter, and they are not for swimming.

Which Los Cabos beaches are safe for swimming?

These beaches are usually calm enough to swim, as long as the flag says so:

• Médano Beach: the main beach of Cabo San Lucas
• Lover’s Beach: on the Sea of Cortez side only
• Chileno Beach: calm cove with snorkeling
• Santa María Beach: sheltered horseshoe bay
• Palmilla Beach: protected cove near San José del Cabo
• El Corsario Beach: small Blue Flag beach by the Cabo San Lucas marina
• Tequila Cove: calm water behind a breakwater on the Corridor
• La Playita: buoyed swimming area at the Puerto Los Cabos marina

Swim with caution at Acapulquito (when the surf is small) and Las Viudas (in the sandy pockets on calm days), Monuments (a surf beach with rocks and urchins) and Barco Varado (on calm days only). Don’t swim at Divorce Beach, Solmar Beach, Costa Azul or Playa Hotelera.

Best beaches for snorkeling

For snorkeling straight from the sand, Santa María and Chileno are the easy choices, and Lover’s Beach is good on calm days. Bring your own mask and go in the morning, when the water tends to be clearest. Our guide to scuba diving in Los Cabos covers the dive sites.

Surf beaches

Acapulquito (Old Man’s) is where beginners learn, with rentals and lessons on the beach. Costa Azul, just next door, has the faster Zippers and La Roca breaks for experienced surfers, and so is the left point break at Monuments, near Cabo San Lucas. More in our surfing guide.

Blue Flag beaches in Los Cabos

Blue Flag is an international certification for beaches that meet standards for water quality, safety, services and environmental management. The Baja California Sur tourism department (SETUE) lists Chileno, Santa María, Palmilla, Acapulquito, Las Viudas, El Corsario, Monuments (listed as Playa Monument), Playa Hacienda and several resort sections of Médano Beach among the certified beaches in Los Cabos. The municipality reported Palmilla and Santa María as the only two beaches in Mexico with the top “A+” rating in May 2025. The list is renewed every year, so it changes.

Beach flags and safety

Los Cabos beaches use colored flags: green means good conditions, yellow means caution, red means dangerous conditions and no swimming, and black means the beach is closed. Flags change with the weather, so look for them when you arrive. After storms, beaches can stay closed for days: during Hurricane Polo in October 2026, Los Cabos beaches were kept under black flags. In the eastern Pacific, hurricane season runs from May 15 to November 30; see our Cabo hurricane guide.

Want to see the beach before you go?

Several of our live webcams point at Médano Beach and the bay, so you can check the crowds and the sea before you head out.

More beaches beyond Cabo

If you have a car and a free day, Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park on the East Cape, Todos Santos on the Pacific and La Paz Bay to the north all have beaches worth the drive.

Frequently asked questions

Are beaches in Los Cabos public?

Yes. In Mexico, beaches and the federal shoreline zone are public property, open to everyone. Hotels can front a beach, but they can’t make the beach itself private, although getting to it may mean using a marked public access.

What is the best beach in Cabo San Lucas for swimming?

In town, Médano Beach, inside the bay. On the Tourist Corridor, Chileno and Santa María are calm, sheltered coves. Always check the beach flag first.

Can you swim at Lover’s Beach?

Usually yes, on the Sea of Cortez side where the boats drop you off. Never swim on the Pacific side, at Divorce Beach.

Information reviewed in October 2026. Conditions, closures and certifications change, so check locally before you go.