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Cabo San Lucas: when your ship stops here

The Arch by water taxi, the beach and marina on foot, whales in winter; the artist town up the coast is an hour each way.

Facts checked Nov 2, 2026, each with its source. No prices on this page.

Cabo San Lucas is at the very tip of the Baja California peninsula, where the Pacific meets the Gulf of California (the Sea of Cortez). It is a tender port: ships anchor in the bay and small boats carry you to the marina, a ride of about 10 minutes. The town, home to 202,694 people in 2020, grew up around that marina; Cipriano Ceseña founded it in 1788.

Sources: Wikipedia: Cabo San Lucas; Cabo Sailing (a Cabo tour operator): Make the best of your Cabo San Lucas port call

Top 3 things to do

  1. 1. El Arco, the Arch, and Lover's Beach

    The granite arch at Land's End, about 200 feet (61 m) high and three storeys tall, was carved by the sea alone. It stands at the extreme southern end of the peninsula, with Lover's Beach beside it on the calm Sea of Cortez side and Divorce Beach on the rough Pacific side. You cannot walk there: water taxis and glass bottom boats go from the marina, about 10 minutes.

    Tip: Stay on the Lover's Beach side. Getting close to the arch in a small boat can be dangerous when the sea is running, and reaching the arch itself means climbing big rocks.

    Sources: Wikipedia: El Arco de Cabo San Lucas; Cabo Sailing (a Cabo tour operator): Make the best of your Cabo San Lucas port call

  2. 2. Medano Beach and the marina

    Medano is the main beach of Cabo San Lucas, with the Arch in view across the bay. The beach, the marina restaurants and the tour boats are all within about a 10 minute walk of where the tender lands.

    Tip: Plan the way back: join the tender line 45 minutes to an hour before all aboard, because the first hour of every rush is the longest.

    Sources: Wikipedia: Cabo San Lucas; Cabo Sailing (a Cabo tour operator): Make the best of your Cabo San Lucas port call

  3. 3. Whales, in winter

    In winter, pods of whales can be seen off Cabo. They swim up to 10,000 km (6,000 miles) from Alaska and Siberia to bear their calves in the warm water of the Gulf of California. Whale watching boats run in the December to April season.

    Tip: If your call is between December and April, this is the thing to do here. Outside those months the boats still go to the Arch.

    Sources: Wikipedia: Cabo San Lucas; Cabo Sailing (a Cabo tour operator): Make the best of your Cabo San Lucas port call

What to skip

  • Todos Santos on a port day

    The artists' town on the Pacific, with its mission of 1723, is about an hour's drive north of Cabo San Lucas on Highway 19: two hours on the road plus the tender at each end. San Jose del Cabo, about 32 km (20 miles) to the north east with a mission from 1730, is the nearer old town if you want one.

    Sources: Wikipedia: Todos Santos, Baja California Sur; Wikipedia: San José del Cabo

Before you go ashore

You do not have to book a tour: you are free to go ashore on your own. Royal Caribbean sets the all aboard time about 30 minutes before the ship sails, posts it near the gangway, and says the ship does not wait for guests touring on their own.

Source: Royal Caribbean FAQ: Do I need to book a shore excursion?

Back-to-backs that stop in Cabo San Lucas

Back-to-back cruises from these home ports have a stop in Cabo San Lucas, from the Royal Caribbean sailings we track:

Sources

Read on Nov 2, 2026. Opening days, hours and rules change: check with the place itself before you go. legtolegcruises.com is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by Royal Caribbean International or any place named here.

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