El Arco and the Beaches of Los Cabos.

Los Cabos & Baja

At the southern tip of the long Baja California peninsula, where the Pacific meets the Sea of Cortez, Los Cabos is Mexico's most glamorous beach escape. Its emblem is El Arco, the dramatic natural rock arch at Land's End off Cabo San Lucas, best seen by boat amid sea lions and pelicans.

The coast strings together golden beaches, luxury resorts and championship golf, from the lively marina of Cabo San Lucas to the artsy calm of San Jose del Cabo. It is a place built for easy days on the sand and long, unhurried evenings out on the water.

Beyond the resorts, the desert-meets-sea landscape of Baja delivers world-class sport fishing, and from December to April the gray and humpback whales arrive to calve in the warm waters, one of the planet's great wildlife shows.

Where: The tip of Baja California Sur
Best time: Oct-May; whales Dec-Apr
Good for: Beaches & luxury
Pair it with: The Sea of Cortez or a resort stay

Where it is

On the map.

Los Cabos sits at the southern tip of Baja, where the Pacific meets the Sea of Cortez; Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo anchor the coast.

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What you'll see

On the route.

Stop 01

El Arco at Land's End

The dramatic natural rock arch at the very tip of Baja, best reached by boat amid sea lions and pelicans where the Pacific meets the Sea of Cortez.

Stop 02

Golden beaches & resorts

A glamorous coastline of golden sand, luxury resorts and championship golf, strung between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo.

Stop 03

Whale watching

From December to April the gray and humpback whales arrive to calve in the warm waters, breaching and waving their flukes in one of the planet's great wildlife shows.

Stop 04

The marina of Cabo San Lucas

The lively heart of the resort, where sport-fishing boats and yachts line the harbor and the trips out to El Arco set off each morning.

Know before you go

The practical details.

Good to know

The two Cabos

Cabo San Lucas is the lively hub, with the marina, the nightlife and the boats out to El Arco, while San Jose del Cabo is quieter and more refined, with art galleries and a colonial center. The resort-lined corridor between them holds many of the finest hotels and golf courses.

Good to know

The water

A boat trip to El Arco and Lover's Beach is a must, with sea lions along the way, and the Sea of Cortez, Cousteau's "aquarium of the world," offers superb sport fishing, snorkeling and diving. Note that some Pacific-facing beaches have strong currents and are not safe for swimming, so ask locally.

Good to know

When to go

October to May brings warm, dry, sunny weather, and the gray and humpback whales arrive December to April. Summer is hot and humid and is hurricane season, so the cooler months are ideal.

From the journal

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El Arco and the Beaches of Los Cabos.

On the map.