Back in the day, Cabo San Lucas was just a small fishing village, but it transformed into a tourism destination after more infrastructure was added in the ’80s and ’90s. Since then tourism has exploded here and one of the biggest attractions is the many beautiful beaches.
Blessed with the gorgeous blue waters of the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez, Cabo San Lucas is a haven for activities in or out of the water. And because both the sea and the ocean meet at the bottom of the Baja Peninsula, there’s a lot of movement under the water, thus carving out the land under the water. The same reason you can see so many whales from the shore is also reason you can’t swim at some of the beaches –the depth drops rapidly and very close to the shore. Those beaches are more for strolling, and soaking up the sunshine, not for swimming. The beaches that aren’t safe for swimming have a permanent red flag in the sand warning you not to go in the water, so be sure to look out for those.
But there are a lot of gorgeous beaches that are great for swimming, here’s my list of the six best swimming beaches that you’ve got to come and SEA for yourself!
1) Medano Beach
It’s by far the most popular beach and is located right in the heart of downtown Cabo San Lucas. The whole area feels like a traditional resort area beach, with boats bobbing in the bay, water sports activities, bars and restaurants on the beach, lifeguards, and people enjoying the warm ocean. The water here is more protected, including where the famous arch is, and it’s shallower with waves being quite a bit smaller than in other areas.
2) Lover’s Beach
Located at Land’s End, this beach can only be reached by water taxi, which stops there and also goes to the famous Arch of Los Cabos.
There’s great snorkeling and you can swim at Lover’s Beach, but if you go on the other side of the rocks it’s a different story. It’s called Divorce Beach and it’s very rough and dangerous, so no swimming there!
3) Santa Maria Beach
Santa Maria Beach is a small, beautiful, and more secluded horseshoe cove with coral-colored sand. It’s also protected and was awarded the international Blue Flag certification, which signifies the highest-possible environmental and water-quality standard.
It is the best snorkeling beach in all of Los Cabos, and is a popular stop for boat tours and private charters because of the abundant marine life in this National Marine Preserve.
You can wade into the water and go swimming among gentle waves and out by the rocks you can go snorkeling and see tons of pretty fish.
4) Chileno Bay
This is one of the most popular beaches, and it was also awarded the international Blue Flag certification. Chileno has lifeguards, public restrooms, palapas to sit under, and snorkeling equipment for rent. On the east end of the beach there are tidal pools and a reef for snorkeling or SCUBA diving.
5) Costa Azul
If you’re looking for a good surfing spot without having to drive out of town, this is the place to go. Grab lunch and beers at the restaurant and sign up for a surf lesson at Zipper’s. Costa Azul is popular with surfers and boarders, so you will find surf shops where you can rent SUPs and set up lessons.
6) Playa Bledito and Tequila Cove
This long beach is connected to several resorts, so it has a few different names but all refer to the same beach: Playa Bledito, Tequila Cove Beach or Playa Cabo Real. It’s located in front of the Hilton hotel but there’s a public path and access to the beach.
It was created by putting an artificial breakwater into the ocean that eventually created a cove with a swimming beach. There’s also bathrooms, restaurants, an abundance of sea life, and water sport equipment rentals are available too.
