Make a Splash: Find your spot in the sun

By Nick Honachefsky

Split personalities. That’s the diagnosis for the eclectic variety of beaches that Cabo and the East Cape have to offer. Born with natural beauty and marked by five-star affluence, the shifting sands along Baja’s shoreline cater to just about every kind of desire a beach bum or jet-setter can want. Moonlit strolls over secluded sands, hustle and bustle with free-flowing drinks, waverunning and high-octane ocean action, or serene snorkeling — Baja’s beaches have it all.

There may be a time and place for secluded romance or wild partying, but there’s always time for family fun. Cabo’s soft sands are ultra kid-friendly and offer up fantastic options to keep everybody in the clan happy.

Médano Beach is the magnet for myriad options of all things exhilarating. The protected 2-mile-long cove sets up safe swimming, volleyball, snorkeling, Jet Skiing and seemingly unlimited pools for the kids to do cannonballs in. Need a quick break from the fam? Step up to the Mango Deck or The Office to grab a quick bite to eat, have a margarita or simply sit and watch the world go by. Kids love dolphins — period. Now they have a chance to swim with the real deal. A short stroll from Médano Beach lies Cabo Dolphin Adventures where kids and kids-at-heart can enjoy a 30-minute up-close and personal swim with the lovely mammals in an enclosed pool. Watch out for Ende, my favorite; she loves to tease the group! A bit outside of Cabo, at Km. 27, lies Playa Palmilla, a seaside sanctuary complete with shady palapa trees and a calm-water bay for a laid-back day of sun tanning and lazy snorkeling. Playa Chileno is noted as the most accommodating of local beaches — as shallow, crystal-clear waters teem with tropical fish for underwater exploration and convenient restroom facilities and showers are nearby to wash the kids off. Up in the East Cape, family-friendly Hotel Buena Vista Beach Resort’s sands touch the Sea of Cortés, and offers family packages as well as a kids-stay-free guarantee, provided they get good grades, of course.

Sun Kissed. As they say, marriages are made in Cabo. The idyllic setting where the Sea of Cortés greets the Pacific Ocean is known as Land’s End, shadowed by the spectacular El Arco stone formation that resides as a backdrop for romance. This is Lover’s Beach. Sunrises are spectacular here! Take a short five-minute panga ride from the bustling Médano Beach and saunter along the secluded sands hand in hand. If you really hit it off, be sure to look up Sunset Weddings where you can tie the knot under El Arco. If you aren’t that committed, take a few steps across Lover’s Beach through silent sandstone bluffs to the Pacific side, where Divorce Beach can keep a secret. Northward bound, up the Pacific side, the sands seem endless as you walk across Playa Solmar to spot whales as they breach and spout spray. Solmar can only be accessed at low tide, since a rocky outcropping seals the access at high tide — but it’s worth the walk! Along The Corridor on the East Cape, a wilder beachfront exists as the Sea of Cortés waves crash the beach on a rockier coastline, prime for rock hopping and exploring tide pools. Take a break from exploring and enjoy a world-class spa treatment at Hacienda Encantada that’s sure to start a fire. Top it all off with a sunset stroll at Monuments Beach, or pull up to longtime local favorite beach La Playita at San José del Cabo, perfect for a late afternoon picnic.

Swim With the Fishes. John Steinbeck penned a novel titled Log from the Sea of Cortez, detailing the almost unfathomable array of aquatic wonders that reside below Los Cabos’ sea surface. Steinbeck’s novel rings true to this day. One-on-one interaction with marine life is unparalleled and the centerpiece at Cabo Pulmo State Park. This is Baja’s only coral reef, bristling with technicolored marine life, including vibrant butterfly fishes, scrawled sea snails and multicolored sponges. Visibility can reach up to 100 feet here for some mind-blowing dive experiences. Chileno Beach’s shallow reef system can easily be accessed from the beach for snorkeling. If the sun gets to be too much, the soft sands of Chileno Beach are fully equipped with beach umbrellas, purified water and beach chairs to kick back and regain your swimming strength. Swashbucklers can hop on the Buccaneer Queen, a 17th-century pirate ship reproduction that offers up snorkeling and whale watching excursions off of Land’s End, where strange formations of Neptune’s Fingers and the brilliant sponge-covered boulder fields of Sand Falls lie — the legendary Jacques Cousteau dove these spots! You may even spot the resident sea lion colony clamoring into the waters at Land’s End.

And… Action! The Los Cabos sunshine will make you sweat, but you might want to earn your perspiration. Los Cabos’ beaches pride themselves for their Baja attitude and waveriding action on the water. Hands down, Médano Beach is the mecca for watersports, as myriad waverunning operations abound to help you speed across the ocean surface. If high speed isn’t your thing, take it at a leisurely pace and rent a kayak to paddle around the silent back coves at Los Chopitos or any other far-off spot where you can walk the beach away from the rest of the pack. Be sure to check out the clear waters of the San José estuary and Palmilla Bay, bustling with diverse aquatic life, all the while serenaded by the cheerful songs of any of the 250 species of native birds onshore that call the estuary home. Want to see the entire Baja coast from 400 feet in the sky? Go parasailing with any outfitter on Médano Beach to get the rush. More refined watermen may opt to rent out a Hobie Cat and harness the power of the wind to glide and ride. To get a bit of a soap opera, romantic feeling, it’s time to saddle up and ride a horse on the pristine beachfront. Check out Meliá Cabo Real; they will arrange some wonderful beach jaunts on horseback to truly get a feel for what it was like for the original Spanish visitors who “discovered” the Los Cabos beachfront.

Surfin’ Surfari. Baja is synonymous with surfing. When California beach bums ran their beat-up pickup trucks down to this region to explore waveriding possibilities, they found the Promised Land for tasty waves and good times. Eight minutes from San José, the Cabo Surf Hotel is situated at Km. 28, the center point for all things surfing in Cabo. Don’t worry about bringing a board — both longboards and shortboards can be rented out at the hotel. And if you need some guidance, take lessons at legendary surfer Mike Doyle’s own private surf school. The East Cape area of Costa Azul offers a selection of beach breaks with three main breaks that peel off the shelf and roll with flavor down the line: Zippers off San José attracts the beginner to expert crowd, with easy waist- to head-high sets; Shipwrecks can be accessed by 4-wheel-drive vehicles to offer uncrowded conditions and some soul-searching; Acapulquito is an easy beginner’s break for young and old alike; and El Tule, a strong break for both lefts and rights set in the middle of The Corridor. Any day out, you can rent a car from Avis and head up along the Pacific side of the cape to find your own surf haven; be sure to stop by Km. 66 on Highway 19 at Playa Cerritos, a crescent-shaped beach break enclosed by hanging cliffs that overlook the beach from the west side. The waves are makeable on the inside but will tend to blow out by afternoon hours. Check out El Diablo Blanco surf shop for board rentals on-site.

Party On! At sunset, Cabo San Lucas’ beaches come alive. To sample the party from the seas, jump on the Buccaneer Queen for dockside drinks, or if you want to experience the circus firsthand, head straight to Médano Beach, order up a few margaritas at the Mango Deck and watch the scene unfold as the moon rises. Upscale Nikki Beach, in front of the ME by Meliá Cabo, has a trendy type of swank vibe with couches and entertainment that’s sure to astound even the most discerning individual. Steps away from Médano lie the street bars that hold unlimited good times such as Hard Rock Cafe, the Giggling Marlin and Squid Roe, where the party truly becomes headline material. Don’t worry about driving; contact Transcabo shuttle service, which runs up-to-the-minute shuttles, cars and vans to taxi you between most hotels and beaches in Los Cabos. They even run trips to and from the airport.

The beaches in Los Cabos are well-rounded for any and all types of tastes. Whether you want rest and relaxation or sundown and sunup partying, you can rest assured you’ll find what you’re looking for on the Baja’s sands!

Why is Cabo so much fun? There is so much to do! Click here for a list of dive, watersports, fishing and tour operators. You'll also find links to Cabo's world class golf courses, spas, adventure tours, horseback riding, wedding coordinators and cruises.

Read unbiased opinions about Cabo San Lucas activities at TripAdvisor.