The Journal 7 min read
What to pack for Cabo: the no-regret list
The Cabo packing list travelers wish they'd had — by trip type and month, with the things you can't easily buy there.
By The One Happy Aruba Team · Updated Sep 30, 2026 · How we know
Bottom line: Cabo is a desert on the ocean, so pack for hard sun, cool nights from December to March, and water that's colder than the Caribbean for half the year. The things people actually regret leaving home are reef-safe SPF 50, a real sweater for winter evenings, water shoes for the rocky coves, a small stash of U.S. ones and fives for tips, and a printed transfer confirmation so nobody in the airport's timeshare hall can convince you your driver didn't show. Everything else you can buy at a Walmart or OXXO in either town.
The ten things people regret not bringing
- Reef-safe SPF 50, more than you think. The desert sun is fierce year-round and the resort shops charge two to three times what you'd pay at home. Two full bottles for a week, plus a stick for faces on boat days.
- A sweater or light jacket, December through March. Nights drop into the 50s Fahrenheit in January and hover around 60 in March. People pack for the Caribbean and shiver through every dinner on a Corridor terrace.
- Water shoes. Chileno and Santa María are rocky at the entry, the Arch landing is boulders, and the Pacific-side sand is scorching by noon. Cheap, light, and used every day.
- A rash guard or long-sleeve swim shirt. Snorkel and sailing days are three to four hours in direct sun on water. Sunscreen alone doesn't survive it.
- Small U.S. bills. Ones and fives for bartenders (US$2–5 a round), housekeeping (US$3–5 a day), bag handlers and the transfer driver. Nobody makes change for a twenty at a swim-up bar.
- Motion-sickness tablets. Whale watching, the Arch boats and fishing charters all run on open Pacific swell. Take them before boarding, not after.
- A dry bag. For your phone on the water taxi to Playa del Amor and on the pangas; splash is guaranteed.
- Your own snorkel mask, if you care. Rental gear is fine on the good tours; on a cheap one it's foggy and leaky. A mask fits in a shoe.
- Insulated water bottle. July through September runs into the 90s with humidity. Resorts refill from purified water; ice in a plastic bottle is warm in twenty minutes.
- The transfer and tour confirmations, printed or screenshotted. Airport wifi is patchy and the desks between customs and the exit will happily tell you your ride is cancelled. Yours isn't; it's outside.
What to add, by trip type
| Trip type | Add these | Skip these |
|---|---|---|
| Resort week (Corridor all-inclusive) | Two or three swimsuits (they never dry overnight in humid months), a cover-up that passes as dinner-ready, a book, one collared shirt or sundress for the reservation-only restaurant | A car, hiking boots, more than one pair of "real" shoes |
| Adventure-heavy (ATVs, Cabo Pulmo, fishing) | Bandana or buff for desert dust, closed-toe shoes for the ATV, polarized sunglasses with a strap, a hat with a chin cord, a second dry bag, dive certification card, cash for the crew tip (15–20% of the charter) | White clothing (the desert dust doesn't come out) |
| Couples / honeymoon | Something for a nice dinner in San José's art district, a portable speaker for the balcony, reservations made before you arrive, a small first-aid kit for the inevitable heel blister | A hair dryer, an iron; every resort has them |
| Family with kids | Kids' rash guards and swim hats, a beach shade or umbrella (rentals on Medano are pricey), snacks for the transfer, car seats if you're renting, a small inflatable for the pool, kids' reef-safe sunscreen, a night light | Full-size strollers on the cobbled streets of San José; bring a compact one |
| Bachelorette / friend group | Matching whatever, a portable phone charger for the marina bar crawl, hangover electrolytes, one dressy outfit for the sunset cruise, a shared cash envelope for tips | Glass anything for the boat |
By month: what the season changes
We have month summaries for Cabo but no community packing answers yet, so this section is built from the weather pattern rather than traveler reports.
December through March (peak, whale season). Warm, dry days around 78–80°F and genuinely cool nights, into the 50s in January. Pack the sweater, long pants for dinner, and a windbreaker for the whale-watching boat, where the morning breeze off the water bites. The Sea of Cortez is at its coldest, 69–70°F in February and March; the good snorkel tours hand out wetsuits, and you'll want one. Spring-break March in Cabo San Lucas is loud; earplugs if you're a light sleeper near the marina.
April and May (the value window). After Semana Santa, the year's best combination: warm, dry, water warming past 72°F, thinning crowds. Standard warm-weather packing; the sweater can stay home after mid-April, though a light layer for evenings is still smart.
June (dry heat). Hot but not yet humid, water climbing into prime snorkel temperature. This is the month the sun really starts to punish: SPF 50, the rash guard, the hat with a cord, and a plan to be in the shade from noon to three.
July through September (hot, humid, storm season). Highs in the low-to-mid 90s, water at 80–82°F, afternoon storms rolling through every few days, and peak hurricane risk in August and September. Pack the lightest, quickest-drying clothes you own, a packable rain shell (umbrellas are useless in a squall), sandals that can get soaked, mosquito repellent for evenings after rain, and a printed copy of your travel insurance policy. Rooms are air-conditioned to arctic levels; a light layer for indoors is oddly essential. Read the September month guide before you go.
October (tapering). Still warm and humid, rain easing, water near 80°F. Same list as summer minus some of the anxiety. Late October brings the Bisbee's marlin tournament crowd to the marina hotels.
November (the sweet spot). Dry-season weather returns, mid-80s highs, low 60s nights, ocean still warm. Pack for warm days and a light layer at night; nothing else special. If you can only visit once, November before Thanksgiving is the month our guide keeps pointing at.
Documents, money and tech
- Passport, valid for the length of your stay. No visa for U.S. or Canadian citizens; the immigration officer stamps the days granted (up to 180), and that stamp is your permit because SJD no longer issues the paper FMM card to air arrivals. Check the stamp before you leave the booth. There is no state tourist tax in Baja California Sur.
- Two credit cards from different networks, at least one with no foreign transaction fee. Cards work nearly everywhere. Decline the dynamic currency conversion when the terminal offers dollars.
- A debit card for bank ATMs (Banorte, BBVA, Santander). Paying in pesos is 5–15% cheaper than dollars, and you'll want some for tacos, taxis and gas-station tips (MXN 10–20).
- US$100–200 in small U.S. bills for the tip lines above. That's the cash most couples actually spend.
- Phone plan. Most U.S. carriers include Mexico roaming; check before you buy a SIM at the airport, where it's overpriced. Download offline maps for Highway 19 and the East Cape, where coverage drops.
- Power. Mexico uses the same two-flat-prong outlets and voltage as the U.S. and Canada, so no adapter. Bring a power bank for boat days.
- Driver's license and the rental confirmation if you're renting; the mandatory third-party liability insurance is added at the counter and isn't covered by U.S. credit cards, so budget US$30–70 a day all-in. See the getting-around guide before deciding whether you need a car at all.
What not to pack, and what to buy there
Leave at home: beach towels (every resort has them), a hair dryer, an iron, formal wear, a full snorkel set unless you're picky, hiking boots, a heavy raincoat, and more than US$300 in cash. Skip anything you'd be sad to lose in the surf.
Buy there: bottled water by the case (any OXXO or Walmart in both towns), extra sunscreen if you run out (pricey at resorts, normal at the Walmart in Cabo San Lucas), aloe, cheap flip-flops, a sun hat from a beach vendor, tequila and vanilla for the flight home (the tequila and taco tours will tell you which bottles are worth it), and pharmacy basics, which are over the counter and cheap in Mexico.
The copy-paste checklist
Sun and water: reef-safe SPF 50 x2, face stick, rash guard, hat with cord, polarized sunglasses with strap, water shoes, 2–3 swimsuits, cover-up, dry bag, snorkel mask (optional), insulated bottle, aloe.
Clothes: quick-dry shorts and tees, one dinner outfit, light layer for restaurants and AC, sweater and long pants (Dec–Mar), packable rain shell (Jul–Oct), sandals, closed-toe shoes for ATV or hiking, sleepwear.
Health: motion-sickness tablets, repellent (Aug–Oct), blister plasters, painkillers, stomach tablets, any prescriptions in original bottles, small first-aid kit.
Documents and money: passport, printed transfer and tour confirmations, travel insurance policy, two credit cards, debit card, US$100–200 in ones and fives, driver's license if renting.
Tech: phone with Mexico roaming or a local SIM plan, power bank, chargers, offline maps, portable speaker (optional), earplugs (March, near the marina).
Kids: rash guards, swim hats, kids' sunscreen, beach shade, snacks, compact stroller, car seats if driving, pool inflatable, night light.
If you're still deciding where to stay and therefore what to bring, the planner will pick your resort area first, and the packing sorts itself out from there.