Have Kids, Will Travel: Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Vacationing in Cabo with Kids

When you think of a Mexico vacation, you probably don't think about bringing the kids along.

Don't worry- I didn't either. 

Posing at the Cabo sign at the marina!

Mexico makes me think of margaritas at the swim-up bar and digging my toes into the sand while nursing a Modelo. I don't so much think of chasing my kids through the neighboring country to the south.

But Cabo with kids is actually really fun! It turns out there is plenty for families to do in Cabo. Although if you were expecting an inexpensive Mexican holiday you're probably headed to the wrong spot...

Things to Know about Traveling to Cabo

- Cabo San Lucas is on the west side of Mexico, at the southern most point of the Baja California peninsula. 

- Cabo is about three hours by direct flight from DFW. Cabo is on Mountain Standard Time, so you gain an hour going and lose an hour coming back.

- You do not currently need a Covid test to get to Cabo but you will need one to return to the United States.

- Cabo is not the spot for you if you want to spend time on the beach. Because the Pacific Ocean brings big waves and strong undertows, there are very few areas of Cabo where you can swim in the ocean or Gulf.

Kids Activities in Cabo

Boat/Snorkeling Tours: We booked a snorkeling tour with Caborey and loved every minute. We paid $215 for three kids and two adults. The tour was four hours- we boarded at 10:30 and set sail just after 11. We sailed for about an hour and got to see Cabo's famous "el arco"- called this because it means land's end in Spanish, and this is the point where the Gulf of California becomes the Pacific Ocean. We got to snorkel in Chileno Bay for about 30 minutes and saw tons of gorgeous fish. After snorkeling, we got back on the boat and had lunch- teriyaki chiken, rice, veggies and bread, plus unlimited drinks. We got back to the marina around 3 pm. The girls had a blast!

Posing at the Arch before snorkeling. 

Swimming with the Dolphins: Swimming with the dolphins is one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences I think everyone should try. I paid a ton for our experience- $285 for 30 minutes for 4 people- but my girls loved every. single. second. We arrived at 9:45 for our 10 am experience at the Cabo Dolphin building on the marina. At 10, we were given life jackets and instructions and then went up to meet our dolphin, Ali. We were placed with three other people. Each person in our group got to dance with the dolphin, ride the dolphin holding his fins, get a kiss from the dolphin and hug the dolphin. We were cleaned up and ready to leave by 11. It was an expensive but worthwhile experience. Just don't ask how much I paid for the pictures...

Swimming with dolphins! 

Cabo Adventure Park: The Wild Canyon Adventure Park came highly recommended by a friend of a friend who lives in Cabo. We debated partaking in this all-day experience but, in the end, decided not to. Not because it doesn't sound amazing! You can ride camels, go zip-lining, play at a splash pad, ride UTVs, run (or ride) across a crazy suspension bridge. My girls would have loved every single one of those experiences. In the end, though, we decided that the cost was just too much. We figured it would have been about $650 for the five of us (two kids and three adults because my 11-year-old would be an adult). But we've heard such good things! Next time...

Beaches in Cabo

Again... Cabo is not the spot to go if you are wanting to hang out at the beach. Florida or Alabama will give you show stopping beaches... And closer to home! But if you want a beach fix on your Mexican getaway, here are a few spots to try:

- Medano Beach - A sweet spot where you can rent an umbrella from a beach vendor for $20 and get drink (and food) service from an on-the-beach restaurant. Just beware: this beach is packed with vendors trying to sell you everything from hats to bracelets and so much more. They will drive you bonkers for sure!

Checking out the water at Medano Beach. 

- Chileno Bay Beach - This beach, located closer to the airport than the "downtown" area of Cabo, this beach doesn't have vendors (beyond the guys that will help get you set up with an umbrella because the sun is relentless!). There is a rocky area where kids can climb and play and a laidback atmosphere as well as free parking on site. 

- Costa Azul - This gorgeous beach is also located closer to the airport than downtown and is truly beautiful. There are spots here where you can try surf lessons! You can watch the waves roll in and man are they big! The girls loved working on cartwheels here and dipping their toes in the sand... I just wouldn't let them go out too far!

- Pedregal Beach - This is another beach closer to the downtown area where kids can climb on rocks and play around. We didn't make it to this beach but it does come highly recommended.

Places to Eat in Cabo (with kids!)

7 Seas Seafood Grill- Gorgeous spot situated looking down at the water. Located near the airport, 7 Seas has delicious seafood and drinks. 

Zipper's Bar and Grill- Zippers is the place to go if you want to eat and the kids want to play. They can play in the sand while you have a drink and wait for the food. This spot had the best portions and prices of any spot we ate in Cabo. The nachos fed three of us and were so so good!

The Office- The Office is a fun spot on Medano Beach with yummy drinks and decent food. Just beware- don't let them sit you next to the fence barrier between the restaurant and the beach or vendors will drink you batty your entire meal. 

Smiles after our meal at The Office! 

Cascadas- We went to Cascadas our last night in Cabo for a fancy, festive meal and Cascadas did not disappoint. Although this spot in on Medano Beach, it is far enough away from the vendors that they won't make you too crazy! My oldest had lobster for the first time at Cascadas and loved every bite.

Lobster at Cascadas in Cabo! 

Mi Casa- We loved Mi Casa because, honestly, it felt like stepping onto the set of Coco! The experience felt authentically Mexican from start to finish, with a mariachi band roaming during our meal and flan cake served to my daughter to celebrate her ninth birthday. The food is a little less traditional but I found it delicious. Highly recommend!

Cabo Wabo Cantina- If I'm being honest, this is one of the few spots we ate that I wasn't impressed with. The menu is small, the service was eh. It's definitely a tourist trap, fueled by Sam Hagar's name attached to it. I could see it being a fun place to enjoy pricey drinks and party with adults- but you can skip it when you bring the kids to Cabo.

Flora Farms- Guys. If you don't take my advice on anything else on this list... This is the one recommendation you shouldn't skip out on! Flora Farms is farm-to-table food and drink that will knock your socks off. The food is delicious and reasonably-priced, there is a playground for the kids (and games on the placemats!), everything is wide open and fresh and green. There are shops and Instaworthy spots galore. Highly highly recommend! 

Instaworthy photo spot at Flora Farms. 

Need a sweet treat in Cabo? There is a Haagen Daz on the marina and a Dairy Queen downtown. We also ate at the gelato stop at our condo and they had the best green tea ice cream ever!

Where to Stay in Cabo

We stayed at Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach. There is a market for quick shopping on site as well as a gift shop. There is a large food hall with sushi, a bar, American fare, an ice cream shop, sweets shop and more. There's a golf course and multiple pools- and staff is happy to zip you around the resort, which is incredibly hilly, in golf carts. We loved it! 

Enjoying the infinity pool at our resort. 

What do you love to do in Cabo?