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Arch of Cabo San Lucas

Name: Arch of Cabo San Lucas
Rating: 4.8

★★★★½4.8 out of 5 · 8,725 reviews

cultural

outdoor

Photo: © TripAdvisor contributor via TripAdvisor

Arch of Cabo San Lucas is a cultural tour rated 4.8/5 by 8,725 TripAdvisor reviewers; lasts 1 hour.

About

The Arch sits at the southern tip of the Baja peninsula, where the Pacific meets the Sea of Cortez. You reach it by water taxi from the marina or Médano Beach — most people do a quick loop, snap photos, and head back. The 4.8 rating across nearly 9,000 reviews reflects what it is: a reliable postcard moment, no tricks. The rock formation marks Land's End, and depending on the tide, you'll see sea lion colonies on the rocks and sometimes pelicans stacked on the outcroppings. Water taxis run constantly during daylight hours, and some will drop you at Lover's Beach on the Cortez side if you want to wade. The Pacific side (Divorce Beach) has a serious undertow — people look, they don't swim. It's the thing everyone does once. Go early or late to dodge the midday boat clusters. The ride out takes ten minutes, you get your shot, and you're done. If you skip it, you'll end up seeing it from every other boat trip anyway.

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The Arch (El Arco) & Lover's Beach Boat Tours: compare the 3 ways to do it

At a glance

Category: cultural
Duration: 1 hours
Price: $0
Minimum age: None
Intensity: ●○○○○
Setting: outdoor
Booking partner: direct
Product ID: —

Photos

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Visiting in November?

November in Cabo offers pleasant conditions without peak-season intensity. You'll find attentive service across properties, from boutique hotels to luxury resorts, and generally comfortable weather for beach and pool time. Thanksgiving week sees a noticeable uptick in visitors, with some restaurants running short on supplies and resorts busier than usual, but the month overall feels more relaxed than true high season.

Based on 150 traveler reports

Recent Pulse

What travelers are saying.

Steady

Low confidence

Travelers say the Arch delivers as Cabo's postcard icon—a quick boat ride from the marina (10-15 minutes, 100-250 pesos per person) gets you close enough for photos and sea lion sightings on the rocks. Glass-bottom boat tours run constantly, often with guides pointing out where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific and stopping at Pelican Rock or Lover's Beach. Most visitors spend 30-60 minutes total, snap their shots, and move on. Early morning or late afternoon departures dodge the midday boat clusters. The experience is simple and reliable: impressive rock formations, wildlife, and the views you came for.

Standing out

Glass-bottom boat tours offer close wildlife viewing and experienced captains who point out sea lions, stingrays, and turtles
12 mentions
“Captain showed us stingrays and a huge turtle through the glass floor, got us super close to the arch”
Water taxis cost 100-250 pesos per person for a quick 30-40 minute loop including Pelican Rock and both beaches
8 mentions
“For fifteen dollars each we toured all the highlights and got dropped at Lover's Beach for an hour”
Sunset and early morning departures provide better light for photos and fewer competing boats in the area
7 mentions
“Took the boat near sunset and the views were incredible, great timing for pictures”
Sea lion colonies rest visibly on the rocks year-round, close enough to photograph and sometimes smell
6 mentions
“Sea lions were sunbathing on the side, if the boat gets too close you'll smell them”
Private boat charters (booked directly at the pier) run under $35 per couple versus $100+ cruise ship group tours
4 mentions
“Ended up with a private tour for two people and the captain for less than thirty-five total”

Watch-outs

Boat photographers charge 400 pesos for three WhatsApp photos and position the boat so only they can shoot
3 mentions
“Photographer took over, didn't let us take our own shots, then wanted four hundred pesos for three images”
Heavy boat traffic during midday makes the area feel crowded and photos include multiple vessels in frame
3 mentions
“All pictures will have a plethora of boats like flies on honey”

Tips from travelers

Book water taxis directly at the pier for 100-250 pesos versus hotel tour markups
Go early morning or near sunset to avoid midday boat clusters
Ask the captain to drop you at Lover's Beach for an hour if you want to wade
Look for glass-bottom boat options to see fish, rays, and turtles during the ride

Maybe skip if: Skip this if you're averse to tourist clusters or expect a quiet nature experience—boats run constantly and the photographer hustle is real.

More activities

All Ways Cabo Team 2019, we are so happy to have all these incredible people working with us. They make that everything works. Gracias!!

OutdoorFrom $50© TripAdvisor contributor via TripAdvisor

All Ways Cabo Transportation

All Ways Cabo Transportation runs airport pickups and private transfers around the Los Cabos corridor. The 5-star rating across more than 4,300 reviews suggests consistent execution on something simple: drivers show up on time, vehicles are clean, and you don't haggle at baggage claim. They're based in El Tezal, just inland from Cabo San Lucas, which keeps them close to the airport run. The volume of feedback points to reliable logistics — useful when you're coordinating flights, resort check-ins, or day trips between San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas. Private transport here cuts out the shuttle wait and the shared-van detours. You book in advance, someone meets you with a sign, and you're moving. If your group has gear, golf clubs, or you're just not interested in figuring out taxi rates after a flight, this is the straightforward option.

land

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Cabo Sailing Ocean Adventures

Cabo Sailing Ocean Adventures runs out of the IGY Marina in Cabo San Lucas, operating from docks F and H in the main harbor. The 4.9 rating across 2,500+ reviews puts it near the top of the local sailing operators, which matters in a port town with dozens of boat outfits competing for the same tourists. The fleet handles everything from morning snorkel trips to sunset sails, though the consistency in that rating suggests the crew setup is solid regardless of which boat you're on. You're departing from the main marina complex, so logistics are straightforward—parking, restrooms, and the dock access all work the way they should. Most Cabo sailing trips hit the arch and Land's End, then push toward Pelican Rock or Santa Maria depending on conditions. This operator's review volume means they're running multiple departures daily during high season, so booking windows are flexible. Check what's included on your specific trip—some cover lunch and drinks, others just beverages.

water

Cabo Blue Trimaran Sailing Boat

Cabo Blue runs trimaran sails out of Marina Del Rey in Cabo San Lucas. The boat takes groups snorkeling and cruising along the coast, and the 4.8 rating across 2,000+ reviews suggests they've figured out the format. Trimarans sit steadier than monohulls, which matters if you're not a natural sailor or you're bringing kids who get queasy. The crew handles the sailing while you handle the snorkeling or the open bar, depending on the trip. Most departures hit the arch and nearby reefs where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific. It's a shared tour, so you're sailing with other groups, but the trimaran deck gives you more space than the packed catamarans you see lined up at the same dock. Book morning trips if you want calmer water.

water

2.5h

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Pairs well with

Blue Sky Cabo Fishing and Tours

Blue Sky Cabo Fishing and Tours operates from F Dock in the Cabo San Lucas marina, and the 5 out of 5 rating across nearly 6,000 reviews puts them in rare territory. Most charter operations in Cabo cluster around 4.5 stars — this one doesn't. The volume matters as much as the score. Five thousand reviews means hundreds of boats went out, came back, and enough people felt compelled to say something that the average held. That's consistency at scale, which is harder to fake than a handful of perfect scores. Whether it's the crew, the boat condition, or how they handle rough days, something's working. They run fishing charters and tours from the marina, which is the standard launching point for anything heading into the Sea of Cortez or around the arch. If you're comparing operators, this is one where the data actually separates from the pack.

All Ways Cabo Transportation

Solmar Spa Collection

Solmar Spa Collection operates out of Marina Centro in Cabo San Lucas, right where the tourist corridor meets downtown. The 5-out-of-5 rating across 3,215 reviews is unusually consistent for a spa at this volume — most places crack under that much feedback, but the score holds. That suggests process, not just a couple of good therapists. The collection format means you're booking treatments across multiple Solmar properties, which gives you options if you're staying elsewhere or want a specific modality. The review count also tells you they move a lot of people through without the rating collapsing, so appointment availability tends to be better than boutique spots that book out weeks ahead. If you want a spa day in Cabo and don't need it to feel undiscovered, this is the reliable pick. Just know you're in a high-capacity operation — it's polished, not intimate.

Beaches nearby

Cabo San Lucas

Medano Beach

Medano Beach is the main swimming beach in Cabo San Lucas, which matters because most of Cabo's coast is open Pacific with serious undertow. This one sits on the Sea of Cortez side, sheltered and calm enough that lifeguards actually oversee designated swim zones instead of just waving people back. The 4.3 rating across 4,500+ reviews holds because it delivers the straightforward thing people want: swimmable water, long stretch of sand, and the restaurant-and-bar infrastructure you expect from a tourist beach. You'll find beach clubs with lounge setups, water sports rentals, and boats heading out to the arch. It gets crowded, especially midday when the cruise groups arrive, but the water stays gentle. If you're traveling with kids or you just want to get in the ocean without checking the flag conditions, this is the one that works.

Cabo San Lucas

Playa de los Amantes

Playa de los Amantes sits at the southernmost tip of the Baja peninsula, where Land's End meets the Sea of Cortez. You can only reach it by water taxi from the marina or by walking along the base of the cliffs from Playa El Médano at low tide. The beach is tucked into a cove with calmer water on the Cortez side, though you're swimming without lifeguards and dodging boat traffic from tour groups coming to see the Arch. The rock formations are the draw—the natural stone archway frames the beach and marks the division between the two seas. The Pacific side, officially Divorce Beach, is a different story. Swimming there is prohibited. The rip currents are serious and people have drowned ignoring the warnings. Most visitors stay on the Cortez side, where the water is swimmable if you're cautious and aware. Bring what you need—there's no shade and no facilities. The water taxis run frequently, and most will wait or pick you up on a return trip.

Source: TripAdvisor · view on TripAdvisor →

Photos by individual contributors as credited above.

Review summaries are AI-paraphrased from public traveler reviews.

Arch of Cabo San Lucas

Not sure how this fits your trip?

All Ways Cabo Transportation

Cabo Sailing Ocean Adventures

Cabo Blue Trimaran Sailing Boat

Blue Sky Cabo Fishing and Tours

All Ways Cabo Transportation

Solmar Spa Collection

Medano Beach

Playa de los Amantes

Blue Sky Cabo Fishing and Tours

All Ways Cabo Transportation

Solmar Spa Collection

Medano Beach

Playa de los Amantes

Cabo San Lucas Beach