Barco Varado (Shipwreck Beach), Los Cabos: Tide Pools & Access

Tourist CorridorSea of CortezSwim with caution✓ Reviewed Oct 2026

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Can you swim here?Sometimes, with caution

You can swim on calm days, but the currents can be strong and it isn’t a good choice for small children. Most people come for the tide pools and the walk. If the flag is yellow or red, stay out of the water.

Barco Varado means stranded ship. The beach is named after the Japanese fishing boat Inari Maru 10, which ran aground here on August 28, 1965. Nothing of the wreck is left to see today, but the beach is still a nice stop on the Tourist Corridor, with tide pools at low tide and the Cabo del Sol Ocean Course right behind it, next to the Sheraton Grand Los Cabos Hacienda del Mar.

📍AreaTourist Corridor
🌊WaterSea of Cortez
⚠️SwimmingWith caution
🚗Getting thereRoad past the Sheraton Grand
🚻FacilitiesSmall parking area only
🔵Blue FlagNot on the current list
⭐Best forTide pools, Surf fishing
🗺️Map22.9108, -109.8400

Barco Varado BeachTourist Corridor

📍 Open in Google Maps ↗

Can you swim at Barco Varado Beach?

With caution. You can swim on calm days, but the currents can be strong and it isn’t a good choice for small children. Most people come for the tide pools and the walk. If the flag is yellow or red, stay out of the water.

How to get to Barco Varado Beach

Take the exit for the Sheraton Grand Los Cabos Hacienda del Mar on the Transpeninsular Highway (Highway 1), then turn onto the first paved road just past the resort entrance and drive to the end. Parking is limited, and steps lead down to the beach. Plan your visit for daylight hours.

Local tips before you go

1Go at low tide to explore the tide pools, and wear water shoes.
2Bring water, food and shade; there are no facilities.
3Arrive early, as the parking area is small.

Check the beach flag

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.