It’s difficult enough planning a dinner that will please the whole family, let alone a summer vacation. That’s why we were thrilled to discover the plethora of kid-friendly options in Los Cabos. Here you’ll find a straightforward guide to where to eat, stay, and play with tots (or big kids) in tow.
EAT
Los Cabos’ finest fare can lean more fancy than family friendly. Not so at Restaurant Pancho’s & Tequila Bar (www.panchos.com), Baja Cantina (www.bajacantina.com.mx), Mariscos Mocambo (www.mariscosmocambo.com), and No Worry’s (www.noworrys.com), four Los Cabos Magazine favorites that boast robust children’s menus, with everything from chicken fingers to miniquesadillas. Learn more in our Dining Guide section, starting on page TK.
Up your adventure quotient with a picnic on the beach. Denni’s Catering (www.denniscatering.com) is known for its impressive wedding spreads, Hollywood-quality production value, and commitment to service. It also provides catering on a smaller—yet no less excellent—scale, providing picnic goodies and whatever supplies you’ll need for rent. The popular marina restaurant Solomon’s Landing (www.solomonslandingcabo.com) recently launched a catering service, building on its excellent reputation for flavor-packed food at great prices. Pick up food to go or plan ahead for a picnic to remember.
Stay
Boarding a plane with a young brood is intimidating enough. You don’t want to have to worry about their comportment 24-7 at some snazzy but stuffy resort. This is your time to relax. And, thank goodness, there are Los Cabos hotels that not only welcome families but also cater to kids. The Capella Kids Club at Capella Pedregal (www.capellahotels.com) offers the resorts’ littlest guests a variety of activities, including cooking classes, scavenger hunts, and swimming with dolphins. The half-day, daylong, evening, and weeklong programs—and hourly nanny service—mean parents can get some much-needed respite, too. Moms and dads on a budget will appreciate Cielito Lindo’s (www.hotelcielitolindo.com) children’s policy: Kids 5 and younger stay free. That means you could get a standard room with two full beds at this San José del Cabo hotel for just $55 U.S., a deal parents everywhere can appreciate.
Play
And now to the heart of the matter. While Los Cabos has rightfully come to be known as one of the world’s hottest playgrounds for spring breakers, sexy singles, and margarita-sipping celebs, it’s also the perfect destination for families wanting sun, relaxation, and maybe just a little adventure.
Tiny tots will need to stay home, but bring the big ones for an exhilarating off-road adventure with Baja Buggys (www.bajabuggys.com). You’ll joyfully careen over dunes and speed through canyons, taking in breathtaking views of waterfalls, the Pacific Ocean, and even some Bones-worthy bones. The three-hour all-terrain Xrail Adventure also includes a delicious Mexican buffet.
Speaking of food, Brown’s Private Services (www.brownsprivateservices.com) offers hands-on cooking classes for adults and young chefs of all skill levels. There are Mexican, international, and seafood menu options, with classes starting at $75 U.S. per person (two-people minimum).
The ridiculously popular Buccaneer Queen (www.buccaneerloscabos.com), a 96-foot-long, pirate-themed ship sets sail for snorkel and sunset cruises and is a fantastic all-ages option. The vessel, a veteran of the high seas and Tinseltown, is so authentic looking that your lil’ mateys will be looking for Captain Jack to make a cameo. And the charismatic crew, dressed to the nines in pirate garb, put on a lively show that entertains children, teens, and the folks, who’ll also enjoy the open bar.
The folks at Cabo Escape (www.caboescapetours.com) know how to have a good time. The tour company’s late-night floating nightclub is a sexy affair, and flirty crewmembers shine during sunset sails on the catamaran. Mild-tempered mamas and papas with kids in tow should opt, though, for the midday snorkel cruise, a fun affair that includes grub, snorkel time off Chileno Bay, and open bar. Kids 4 and younger are free, and kids up to 12 half-price.
To ensure your children (ages 5 and up) will have plenty to share come show-and-tell, sign up for the Espíritu Santo Island Expedition, an extraordinary one-day adventure with Cabo Expeditions (www.caboexpeditions.com.mx). The journey starts near dawn, when you set out for La Paz—stopping along the way for a traditional breakfast—and the pristine Espíritu Santo, a crown jewel among the Sea of Cortés’s nearly 1,000 islands and a World Heritage site. There, you’ll swim with sea lions, explore coral reefs and breathtaking caves (bring that underwater camera!), and learn about the region’s rich history with Cabo Expeditions’ charming expert guides: geologists, marine biologists, ornithologists, and professional divers. You’ll also enjoy a seafood lunch on a pristine, Kodak-worthy beach.
Cabo Expeditions’ other family-friendly offerings include snorkeling, Snuba (a form of diving minus the unwieldy equipment), parasailing, Sea Treks (kids 8 and older can walk the sea floor thanks to a special underwater diving helmet), Los Cabos Colors and Flavors City Tour, Pueblo Mágico Todos Santos Tour, and the Cabo Submarine (a semisubmersible submarine that lets kids—big and small—get up close and personal with the Sea of Cortés’s rich marine life…and stay dry).
If your older kids—or spouse—prefer dry land and have a need for speed, we suggest you check out the Cabo Karting Center (www.cabokarting.com), where speed racers can zip around a quarter-mile track at up to 40 miles per hour.
The 100-foot-long, all-wood Cabo Legend (www.wildcabotours.com), a sister ship to the Cabo Escape catamaran, provides champagne brunches, sunset and snorkel tours, and private charters. How is this different from the raucous sunset cruises that depart from the Cabo San Lucas Marina, you ask? Cabo Legend’s tours tend to have a calmer, more sophisticated feel—perfect for families wanting to explore the bay and take in sights without having to deal with the shenanigans of Jersey Shore wannabes.
The Cabo Mar (www.cabo-mar.com) fiesta dinner cruise is another kid-approved option in a sea of rowdy sunset sails. The whole family will love Chef Armando’s Mexican buffet, and Mom and Dad will dig the open bar as you sail into the sunset. The crewmembers’ après-dinner dancing will get everyone moving. Added bonus: Little ones are free, and children 5 to 11 get in for half-price.
Take your vacation to new heights with Cabo Sky Tour (624-144-1294), which provides powered hang gliding tours. The aerial views of the Pacific and Sea of Cortés, not to mention the stunning Pedregal development, are postcard worthy. Children can participate, but you may want to reserve this jaunt for your older, braver kids.
Squeezing in time to work on your fitness can be extra tough while on vacation. Fortunately, Cabo’s year-round sunshine makes outside adventures the perfect way to blow off steam and burn off calories. Make like stand-up paddle enthusiasts Cameron Diaz or Jennifer Aniston by visiting the new Cabo SUP (www.cabosup.com) beach club on Médano Beach, which provides stand-up paddle boarding lessons, rentals, and tours. Your older kids (and core) will thank you.
Relax after a solid workout with a cruise onboard Charter de Los Cabos (www.chartercabos.com), a fleet that offers public and private fishing, sailing, diving, and snorkeling tours. If you can afford to splurge on a private charter, the crewed yachts are the ideal venue for family bonding and sunbathing.
The Pez Gato (www.pezgato) fleet sets sail for whale watching (seasonally), snorkeling, and sunset party cruises. A classy affair, the party cruise is kid friendly (4 and younger, free; kids 5 to 11 half-price) and features dancing, games, and a national bar. Even better, its snorkel cruise to Santa María Bay, where families can snap underwater shots of the bay’s abundant sea life before settling in for lunch and drinks.
While your photography skills are no doubt fabulous, it’s nice to have some pics with the whole family in them, not to mention the stunning Los Cabos backdrop. Lucky for you, the area is absolutely teeming with skilled photographers for hire: chief among them are Los Cabos Magazine contributor Carlos Aboyo (www.caboyo.com) and wedding specialist Tomas Barron (www.tomasbarron.com).
For a low-key afternoon, stroll the streets of historic San José del Cabo and the Plaza Artesanos (www.artesanosplaza.com), an outside marketplace with vendors selling pottery, souvenirs, jewelry, and more.
Children 8 to 80 will get the thrill of a lifetime with Wide Open Excursions (www.wideopenbaja.com), a company specializing in high-adrenaline, off-road adventures in Baja 1000 cars worth more than $100,000 U.S. each. Get into the same driver seat as such celebrities as Enrique Iglesias and Ben Stiller—plus the late Paul Newman—and buckle up for tours that last anywhere from a couple of hours to three days. The views are spectacular, the technology beyond impressive, and the memories worth a million bucks. Note: Speak with Wide Open personnel about age requirements.
Vacation time has a way of flying by. So don’t fight the inescapable. Instead, get zipping, too, at the Wild Canyon EkoPark (www.wildcanyon.com.mx), where you and the whole brood can soar on the Flying Tortuga Ziplines (ones’s almost nine football fields long!), swing at 75 miles per hour while hanging 230 feet high, or show off your off-roading skills. (Some age limits do apply.)
While some age limits will inevitably apply, we hope this article has shown the only real barrier on your road to an off-the-charts family vacation is your imagination. Los Cabos is the world’s best playground—for the young and the young at heart. So what are you waiting for?