Todos Santos

Playa Los Cerritos

★★★★☆4.3 out of 5 · 671 reviews

Great swim

Family

Facilities

Photo: © TripAdvisor contributor via TripAdvisor

Playa Los Cerritos is a beach in Todos Santos, Cabo, rated 4.3/5 by 671 TripAdvisor reviewers; swimming excellent; snorkeling limited; usually quiet; restrooms and food nearby.

Swimmable

Gentle waves and beach break; one of few Pacific-side beaches where swimming is practical without getting pummeled.

Sargassum: not a factor

Not a sargassum coast.

About

Playa Los Cerritos sits on the Pacific side just north of Todos Santos, and it's one of the few beaches on this coast where you can actually swim without getting pummeled. The gentle waves make it a beginner surf spot — you'll see plenty of people standing up for the first time — and there's a consistent beach-break year-round. The sand is wide, the water stays clean, and you won't deal with sargassum here; it doesn't drift this far north on the Pacific. The 4.3 rating across 671 reviews reflects what you get: a functional beach with decent access, a couple of casual restaurants behind the dunes, and enough surf rental operations that you don't need to bring your own board. Weekends draw families from Todos Santos and La Paz, but it rarely feels crowded. If you're staying in Todos Santos and want water you can get in without drama, this is the answer.

At a glance

Area: Todos Santos
Swimming quality: ●●●●○
Snorkeling: ●○○○○
Crowd level: fewer▮▮▯▯▯more
Facilities: ✓
Shade: –
Family friendly: ✓

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 Playa Los Cerritos delivers consistent surf-friendly waves year-round with warm Pacific water you can actually swim in, unlike most Cabo beaches. You'll find beachside rentals (chairs, umbrellas, boards) priced around $25 for the day, casual restaurants like Cerritos Tropical serving fresh guacamole cash-only, and surf instruction available mornings before conditions deteriorate. Parking runs $100 pesos in private lots or free along the dusty main road. Off-season visits (September) mean fewer crowds but also restaurant closures, especially Mondays and Tuesdays.

Standing out

Swimmable Pacific waves safe for beginners, warmer than California water
18 mentions
“One of the few Pacific beaches where you can swim without constant pummeling”
Affordable surf rentals and instruction available mornings, board packages around $25/day
12 mentions
“Locals rent surfboard, wetsuit, and chair together for very little money”
Beachside bars serve fresh guacamole and cold drinks cash-only, like Cerritos Tropical
9 mentions
“The guac portion at the palm-tree bar is massive and freshly made”
Wide uncrowded beach with space to walk miles, especially mid-week
11 mentions
“You can run or stroll for hours without hitting another group”
Whale watching visible from shore during winter months
3 mentions
“Dozens of whales breaching right in front of the inn”

Watch-outs

Unleashed dogs leaving waste across the sand, especially concentrated near visitor areas
4 mentions
“Pack of dogs urinated on kids' sandcastle while another defecated in the moat”
Bathroom access restricted to paying customers, charged $200 pesos for brief visits
3 mentions
“Bathroom sits next to trash bins and costs ten times the normal rate”
Dangerous currents for weak swimmers with no lifeguard presence, drowning witnessed
3 mentions
“Watched someone drown with no rescue personnel anywhere in sight”

Tips from travelers

Arrive before 10am for best surf conditions before wind picks up
Bring flip-flops as black sand heats to painful levels midday
Pack food since off-season closures leave few nearby dining options
Reserve beachside massage with Kendra at $400/30min or $700/hour

Maybe skip if: Families with small children concerned about safety should avoid this beach due to strong undertow, high waves, no lifeguards, and unleashed dogs roaming throughout the sand.

Other beaches

Cabo San LucasSwimmable© TripAdvisor contributor via TripAdvisor

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.

Great swim

Family

headed there in the AM before the crowds

Cabo San LucasSwim with caution© TripAdvisor contributor via TripAdvisor

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.

Snorkeling

Santa Maria Beach

Santa Maria Beach is a sheltered cove on the Sea of Cortez side, east of downtown Cabo San Lucas and just before Chileno. The Blue Flag certification backs up what most visitors already know: the water here is consistently calm and clear, which makes it one of the few swimmable beaches in the area without fighting surf or dangerous drop-offs. That same protection makes it solid for snorkeling — the rocky points hold decent fish activity and you can stay close to shore. The 4.5 rating across 1,300+ reviews tracks with what you'd expect from a reliably safe beach that doesn't try to be more than it is. There's no major development right on the sand, so it stays quieter than Médano but still gets steady foot traffic during the day. Parking is limited and fills early on weekends. Bring water and snorkel gear if you have it, because vendor options are thin.

Great swim

Snorkeling

Family

Torn between this and somewhere else? Settle it →

Eat near this beach

Todos Santos

Baja Beans Cafe

Baja Beans Cafe sits on Highway 19 just outside El Pescadero, a few minutes south of Todos Santos. It's a casual breakfast-and-lunch spot pulling 385 reviews at 4.5 stars, with the atmosphere rating (4.7) running higher than the food or service — which tells you something about the outdoor seating and the palapa vibe. The menu bounces between American cafe standards and Mexican plates, with gluten-free options marked. Families show up, surfers show up, people working laptops show up. The value score sits at 4.1, so you're paying a bit more than you would at a local taco stand, but mid-range pricing in this area still means reasonable. No reservations, which is typical for the format — you order at the counter, grab a table, and wait for your number. It's a reliable stop if you're driving the coastal loop and need more than gas-station coffee.

Todos Santos

Shaka’s Delicious Wood Cantina

Shaka's sits right on Cerritos Beach, between Todos Santos and Pescadero, where the highway curves toward the Pacific. It's a wood-built cantina with open sides and a beachfront vibe — you're close enough to hear the waves between courses. The 4.8 rating over 140 reviews holds across the board: food, value, and especially service all clock in well above average. The menu runs international, which here means grilled fish, tacos, bowls, and a handful of other dishes built around what's fresh. Mid-range pricing, but the value score suggests they're landing portions and quality in the right spot. It's kid-friendly, so families show up alongside surfers coming off the break. You don't need a reservation, but Cerritos draws crowds on weekends, so timing matters if you want a table with a view. Cerritos is one of the better surf beaches on the Pacific side, and Shaka's is the obvious stop after a session or between beach walks.

Todos Santos

Art and Beer

Art and Beer is in Todos Santos, an hour north of Cabo San Lucas on the Pacific side. The international menu covers a lot of ground, but the 3.5 food score and 3.0 value score suggest it's more about the setting than the kitchen — the atmosphere rating is the only one breaking 3.5. Expect casual vibes and a bar program that probably gets more attention than the plates. It's kid-friendly and takes walk-ins, so it works as a low-commitment stop if you're passing through town. The numbers tell you what to expect: middling service, decent enough beer selection, and a crowd that's there for the hang more than the meal. If you're hunting for Todos Santos' best food, keep looking. If you want a patio beer and something to eat without a fuss, this does the job.

Source: TripAdvisor · view on TripAdvisor →

Photos by individual contributors as credited above.

Review summaries are AI-paraphrased from public traveler reviews.