Chileno Beach, Los Cabos: Swimming, Snorkeling & Access

Tourist CorridorSea of CortezSwimmable🔵 Blue Flag✓ Reviewed Oct 2026

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Can you swim here?Yes, usually calm

Yes, it’s one of the calmest swimming beaches in Los Cabos, on the Sea of Cortez side and protected by the shape of the bay. The reef offshore is good for snorkeling.

Chileno Beach (Playa El Chileno) is a sheltered cove on the Tourist Corridor, around Km 14.5 of the highway between Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo. It’s one of the best beaches in Los Cabos for an easy swim and some snorkeling straight from the shore, and it has public parking, restrooms, showers and shade palapas. That combination makes it popular, so weekends can be busy.

📍AreaTourist Corridor
🌊WaterSea of Cortez
🏊SwimmingYes, usually calm
🚗Getting thereHwy 1, Km 14.5
🚻FacilitiesParking, restrooms, showers, shade palapas
🔵Blue FlagYes
⭐Best forSwimming, Snorkeling, Families
👥CrowdBusy on weekends

Chileno Beach from above, with clear turquoise water and boats close to shore — Photo: Francisco Estrada / PhotoMexico.com

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Can you swim at Chileno Beach?

Yes, it’s one of the calmest swimming beaches in Los Cabos, on the Sea of Cortez side and protected by the shape of the bay. The reef offshore is good for snorkeling. As always, check the flag first: storms and swells can change conditions quickly.

Playa El Chileno is on the Blue Flag list published by the Baja California Sur tourism department (SETUE).

How to get to Chileno Beach

Drive or take a taxi along the Transpeninsular Highway (Highway 1) to around Km 14.5 and turn into the public beach parking. It’s roughly halfway between Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo.

Photos: Chileno Beach

Chileno Beach with shade palapas and palm trees above the bay and boats in the water — Photo: Francisco Estrada / PhotoMexico.com

Local tips before you go

1Bring your own snorkel gear and go in the morning, when the water tends to be clearest.
2Palapas are first come, first served, so bring an umbrella if you arrive in the afternoon.
3Visit on a weekday if you’d like more room on the sand.

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.