Fun Things To Do for Families: Los Cabos, Mexico

When you’re soaking up the good life in Los Cabos, it can be tough to come in from the beach. But beyond the sand and surf, Cabo teems with culture, shopping, boating, road trips and volunteer opportunities.

Culture in Cabo

Even the youngest in your entourage will be dazzled by the top-notch art on display in Los Cabos. On Thursday night art walks in San José del Cabo, you can stroll the streets sampling wine, finger foods, paintings, pottery, sculpture and indigenous art. Kids will love the amber art gallery, where they can peer through magnifying glasses at bugs trapped in tree sap tens of thousands of years old.

Part of the fun of being in another country is learning the language. If your resort doesn’t offer language lessons, try a one-week course in Survival Spanish or a two-week course in Basic Spanish at The Apple Tree. Students as young as 10 can join in the fun, and the experienced instructors also offer private lessons.

Los Cabos Shopping

Whether you’re shopping for groceries, jewelry or souvenirs, you’re in for a cultural treat. I’ve chatted with a local shopkeeper-turned-movie-extra while buying silver and ran the big churro machine while browsing at the supermercado (supermarket). 

• This fearless boy asked the owner of a large iguana if he could hold it for a photograph.
• Kevin Fliess

In both Cabo San Lucas and San José, you’ll find big open air markets featuring local handicrafts like rugs, blankets, stained glass, embroidered clothing, leather goods and hand-painted pottery.

Kids of all ages will enjoy the glass-blowing factory, Vitrofusion y Arte on the Tourist Corridor (Lazaro Cardenas and Edificio Posada, Local 6-A; tel. 624-143-0120). It’s nothing fancy, but that’s part of the authenticity and charm. Be sure to visit early in the day, because they close at siesta time.

For a more upscale experience, you can’t beat the Puerto Paraiso mall in Cabo San Lucas with its marble floors and fountains. There I saw a first-run movie in the plushest theater I’ve ever encountered, with leather recliners and alcohol at the snack bar. The film was in English with Spanish subtitles, and the matinee price was less than $2. The exit onto the outdoor balcony at sunset was as spectacular as the film.

Boating for Families

A jaw-dropping visit to the marina in San Lucas will populate your dreams with yachts that rival small hotels. 

• See some of the world’s largest creatures right off the coast.
• The Jamoker

Once you’ve had your fill of eye-candy, board a glass-bottomed boat to Playa del Amante (Lover’s Beach), home of Cabo’s famous arch, where the calm waters of the Sea of the Cortez churn with the surging waves of the Pacific. It’s a tourist thing, but before my kids were old enough to snorkel, they loved peeking at all that lay beneath the waves.

Pirates once roamed the coasts of Cabo, and now families can set sail on the Buccaneer Queen, a pirate ship that looks like its straight out of the movies. Hop aboard for snorkeling tours, sunset cruises, private charters and whale watching cruises. Tickets for all tours aboard the Buccaneer Queen run around $35 plus tax.

Kids who love a fast ride will have fun on Caborey’s Rolls Royce Jet, a naval-grade vessel that’s perfect for a quick spin around the bay. Caborey also offers sunset cruises, whale watching, parasailing and snorkeling.

Cabo’s Famous Nightlife

Teens and pre-teens will love the vibrant nightlife in Cabo San Lucas. Take them out early and return to your hotel before the hard-core party crowd digs in. 

• Cabo Wabo Cantina in downtown Cabo San Lucas is a required stop for many visitors.
• pmurgolf

At places like Señor Frog’s, the Giggling Marlin, and Carlos ‘n Charlie’s, you provide the entertainment. Before you know it, the lively hosts will have the whole family dancing on tables. Watch out for the guys with whistles—they like to tip you back and fill you with tequila to liven things up.

No one will believe you’ve been to Cabo unless you swing through Sammy Hagar’s famous Cabo Wabo Cantina in downtown Cabo San Lucas, where they make wonderfully smooth tequila that you can sip at your leisure, sans whistle.

In San José, Havana’s open air restaurant and jazz club is a local favorite on the Tourist Corridor across from the Costa Azul Resort and Spa. Downtown, the new El Spicy Cooper’s offers eclectic live music on Thursday and Friday nights.

The drinking age of 18 isn’t widely enforced in Mexico, so you’ll need to set your own boundaries for teens.