Cabo Travel Blog | Parasailing

I love parasailing. It is such a relaxing and peaceful activity. It’s thrilling for those who aren’t used to heights, but you’re attached to a parachute above water, so it’s at a very slow and comfortable pace. Mexican tour guides make it a little more fun than your typical parasailing adventure and you’ll hear why. It’s an activity suitable for both kids (5+) and adults. I wouldn’t recommend this for toddlers and younger unless there is an adult staying on the boat with them at all times.

How do I get here? We went to Medano Beach and came across many beach vendors, so parasailing along with jetskiing is what we decided to go with. What’s nice about Mexico is that you always have these options, however, if you prefer to plan out your days and would like to research who you’re signing up with, Tripadvisor is a resourceful tool that I like to use as well.

When: All year round on sunny days

Cost: Anywhere from $60-$140 depending on how many “flights” you’re doing

Who: Beach vendors or TripAdvisor (to be safe)

Duration: 1 hour or so

Tips:

• Bring waterproof camera or a camera you feel safe bringing on a boat

• Lots of sunscreen

• Sunglasses

• Hat

• Bathing Suit & Cover-up

My personal experience: I went parasailing for the first and only time the first time we arrived in Cabo. My brother and I decided to take the “double flight” where both of us went up together. I’m glad we did it together because personally, I’m a little fearful of heights. The ride up and down was surprisingly pleasant. It ended up being more relaxing and peaceful than a thrilling and scary adventure. You can appreciate the water and the scenery from up high and it’s a lot cooler temperature-wise. You’re up in the air for about 10-15 minutes following your boat. On the way down, our Mexican tour guide decided to “dunk” us in the water before reeling us in. I’m glad he did because it was unexpected and hilarious. Thank god my digital camera at the time didn’t get ruined, but it was so worth it. This is a great family activity and one of the best places you can parasail.

Cabo Travel Blog | Outdoor Zipline Adventures

The most memorable experience from my first visit to Cabo was the ziplining excursion. It was my first time ziplining, rappelling, or doing any sort of group adventure, and it remains to be one of the best experiences I’ve had (probably second best after New Zealand). I enjoyed the excursion so much that I definitely plan to return to Cabo and have them experience it as well (when they are older of course😊).

How do we get here? The company you book through provides roundtrip transport from your resort to the excursion site. To be on the safe side, I recommend contacting the company before landing in Mexico, to validate pick-up timings, location, etc.

When? All year round

Cost: $90 per adult and $70 for kids (ages 8-11)

Who: Cabo Adventures

Duration: typically save a whole day for the excursion it’s usually 3.5 hours, lots of fun and you’re exhausted afterward

Tips: I did this excursion 12 years ago, from what I remember:

• load up on sunscreen

• sunglasses are very helpful

• no hats because you’re wearing a helmet most of the time

• breathable pants/long shorts and a top

• bug repellant

• don’t pack a camera or bother bringing it — they provide their own awesome photography

• tennis shoes

My personal experience: As I mentioned earlier, this excursion is one of the best experiences I’ve had. If you haven’t gone ziplining yet or have only experienced minor ziplining - this is definitely one of the places to do it. Not to mention, the tour guides are incredibly fun.  There’s a variety of “obstacles” that are set up for you in the gorgeous desert. They’ve managed to capture every angle of you so as well. Pictures definitely speak more words than I can share with you so please check those out. It’s a lot of fun and a change of scenery from the beach. I highly recommend it.

Cabo Travel Blog | Lover’s Beach

Cabo is known for its amazing beaches and one of their best, as well as my favorite, is Lover’s Beach. It’s located right next to the iconic El Arco de Cabo, and sits right in between the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean. It’s a beautiful sight, but the beach is a MUST see.

How do we get here? The only way to access the beach is via boat, so you will need to make a trip to the marina. A common way to get to the beach is to book a boat tour of El Arco which will drop you off to the beach for 15-30 minutes as part of your tour. Otherwise, there are many water taxis that can take you to and from the beach.

When: gorgeous all year round

Cost: about $10-$20 roundtrip max depending on what kind of trip it is

Who: If you use a Water Taxi - make sure they are licensed because there are a lot of hustlers and the safety of the boat is not always ensured. For tours, I recommend using El Jefe Glass Bottom Boat.

Duration: 8-10 min boat ride, the beach is open all morning until 4:30 pm. The timings may change due to what season is.

Tips:

• You can rent umbrellas for shade on the beach. Sometimes it may be difficult to spot an umbrella vendor as they may be mistaken for beachgoers. Ask someone who has an umbrella where they received it and they can point you to a vendor.

• Lots of sunblock and re-apply as instructed and sunglasses (use MARIAM15 for $ off the best and trendy eyeshades).

• I would definitely bring a beach blanket for you to lay on. We used this blanket - it’s lightweight, compact, and really easy to carry. It fits our little family of 4. If you have more people with you, I recommend getting a bigger blanket or two of these. Along with all the beach essentials necessary. There are no bathrooms on this beach and no trashcans either. So please take the trash back with you.

• Bring a sand-proof bag along with a backpack to carry all your items. The more handsfree you are the better especially for transitioning to the beach from the boat and vice versa.

• Bring reusable water bottles filled with water. There is no food or water available at the beach. Occasionally you’ll find mango being sold, but that’s about it.

• If you have young children, bring their floaties so they feel comfortable playing in the water and nature’s pool. There’s a section, where you can swim with a low tide. It’s not closed off to the rest of the ocean, so knowing how to swim is very important.

• Book a photography session - this beach is scenic from every angle possible. There are men on the beach willing to take photos of you and your family on your phones for a tip. It’s definitely not the best photos, so if you want to go above and beyond this is a great spot to do it.

• If you use a water taxi, you need to ensure the following: they’re licensed (usually will show you the paperwork around their neck), you agree on the price of round trip and potential timings of pickup. I’d offer 2 pick-up times. Don’t forget to tip them at the end. They may try to hustle you by charging you at the end for unnecessary items that you both already agreed on, so just politely remind them of your agreement and tip. It’s just a common way of haggling in Cabo.

My personal experience: I’ve been here 3 times in my life and it’s definitely not enough. We always like to get the first glimpse through the boat tours. I highly recommend you make it a point to take a 15-20 minute stop at the beach on your boat tour, otherwise, they won’t do it. Since I had already been on this beach, it was nice to see my family get excited and want to return for a whole beach day. I would plan to spend 3-5 hours to spend here and definitely on a sunny day. . We got there around 11 am (we Ubered and told them we wanted to go to Marina for a water taxi) and took a boat taxi to Lover’s beach. The water warmed up around 12:30 pm - 1 pm so we swam as long as we could. Nature’s swimming pool is the best swimming spot in all of Cabo. The water is absolutely gorgeous and you need to be in it if you’re making the trip out there. I love how it feeds right into the Pacific Ocean and Cortez Sea. The tide is just right, the water isn’t crazy warm but as a swimmer, you can easily get used to it. There are rocks nearby so you need to be careful of where your feet are and not to get too close to the side. My son absolutely loved the waves on the beach, he eventually started teaching himself to swim to me and back. I was truly impressed and proud. My husband took a dip himself and really enjoyed it. It’s a great beach to lay on and enjoy all the views. We saw whales on our whale tour, literally a couple of feet away from this beach so if it’s whale season definitely be on the lookout. You get tan very easily — the sun is extremely strong. We saved this day towards the end of our trip, so out of all the days, I got tan this was the most intense tan. Around 4 pm was our pick-up right before the beach was about to close. We got dropped back in the Marina, but I wish we had agreed to drop us near Medano Beach because that’s where a ton of shopping and restaurants are located. We ended up walking a block to come across this delicious restaurant that a lot of tourists were dining at. It was some of the best casual seafood we tasted! They had stir fry, shrimp, fish, everything and it was so reasonably priced. We loved it. The staff was friendly as well. There is no wifi on that block as much as it is available in the shopping center area, so definitely keep that in mind when you’re trying to arrange a ride back to your resort. Our waiter ended up ordering us an Uber, as many of them are willing to do — so it worked out. It was the best and my favorite day out of our trip.

Cabo Travel Blog | Hacienda Del Mar Resort

Hacienda Del Mar is near and dear to me. I first came here over a decade ago with my parents and brother when it was known as the Sheraton Los Cabos. It was such an unforgettable experience that I had to bring my husband and kids back. . I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Hacienda Del Mar still ranks as a top family-friendly resort in Cabo. A great deal of the hotel has been upgraded since I last visited. They’ve renovated and extended their hotel grounds, added more pools, and revamped some of their rooms, which has made this resort even more beautiful.

How do you get here? Cabo is very accessible through flights. We ended taking a very early AM flight to get here and couldn’t find a non-stop, so we ended up having one stopover on the way there and on the return as well. If you have kids, I’d recommend booking during the early morning or evening flight so they’re most likely to sleep during most of it. If you do end up having a stopover, make it 45 minutes to an hour. It’s enough time to go to the bathroom and catch your next flight. If you have a stopover on your return flight, make sure it’s enough time to grab your baggage again and run it through immigration. We barely did it in 45 minutes because luckily there were no lines when on our stopover in Arizona. We also packed plenty of snacks from home so that we could skip grabbing meals/foods at the airports since there were long lines at the restaurants and food stores anyway.

Yes, we did travel during covid and we were sure to take extreme measures. Even before covid with my first son, we were always wiping down seats and any surface we or my kids would touch with Lysol wipes. Thanks to covid that is now normalized and I highly encourage you to do the same. United did give us a wipe each, but if you’re cleaning down 4 seats you’ll need a lot more wipes than that. Even though my husband and were vaccinated at the time of travel, we still kept our guard level high. . At airports, when there were long lines and no social distancing, we created distance between us. If people started creeping upon us, I would make it a point to either: say to my family we are socially distancing or let them know myself. I also carried hand sanitizer and Lysol wipes on hand ready to go when we were boarding airplanes or just walking through the airport. We always take advantage of family boarding or any space we can get, even if that meant getting off the plane last. I appreciated that some airlines like to board the back first to make boarding as quick and contactless as possible. Another precaution we took was turning on the air vent above the seats as we settled into our row. This provides a constant airflow when we would need to take our masks during lunchtime. I do recommend packing an extra sweater or blanket as this definitely made the flight cooler.

We including my 4 year old all took PCR tests prior to our departure and return flights. The resort does offer daily covid testing at a specific time slot, but we missed it since we were whale watching. We took an Uber to the nearest hospital 10-15 minutes away and easily got tested there. Bring your hotel papers and the pricing printed to avoid any confusion in price (which we experienced). I recommend Ubering as often as you can, it is very safe, super convenient, and usually, a fraction of the price, when compared to the taxi rates, which the hotel strongly encourages.

• When: March - November is generally the high season. The best time to stay in Cabo is May because of the warmer temperatures and fewer crowds.

• Cost: Cabo is generally more expensive compared to other cities in Mexico due to its unique location, the quality of services, and demand. We booked a travel package that included a breakfast buffet every day through Costco Travel. I highly recommend booking with breakfast included.

• Duration: We stayed 6 days, which is perfect amount of time with two young kids to settle in and enjoy themselves as well. If you’re going just as a couple, 4 days is plenty.

• Tips:

  • Book your stay with breakfast included. The breakfast is amazing, has plenty of options, and worth the price. You’ll definitely need that food for energy on the beach and the pool.

  • If you are staying with kids, try to book a first floor (garden room) and close to the main lobby. It’s much easier to be out the door for breakfast, will give you better access to the pool and beach, and allows you to be closer to the lobby for your excursion pickups.

  • If you want to eat at their fancier restaurants, we loved Thilapayas — amazing and delicious food. Book dinner reservations with the concierge once you get there.

  • Plan when you will take your covid test as well. There’s only one time slot each day— and if you miss it, you will need to take a trip to the hospital. It’s not bad, but just extra effort out of your way.

  • We loved the beach/pool restaurant known as the snack bar because you can order food to your pool and even on the beach! We loved this service the most, so you can thoroughly enjoy that relaxing and gorgeous resort life.

  • I wish someone had shared this tip earlier with us - but you can use Uber. The resort doesn’t encourage it because they have contracts with the taxis, but we found out during the last 2 days of our stay. The taxi rates were just a little pricey for the amount we were adventuring out $25 to go one way compared to Uber which was at most $10 round trip. How did we find this out? We became friends with the staff and eventually, they shared this golden piece of information. The resort doesn’t allow Uber pickups to come all the way to the front, but you can walk just 20 feet and get picked up.

  • If you have kids: bring water toys instead of sand toys. The sand doesn’t really hold well and the tide can be dangerous at times. There are tons of shallow pools for the kids, which they can easily enjoy playing with their toys in. Have your kids wear sunblock and sun hats—because there’s a definite chance of sunburn, even with a hat there’s a slight chance, but a lot less. Pack a lot of kids snacks not for just the travel, but for when you’re out on excursions, beach, or waiting for meals in between. Bring floaties for your kids or whatever your children feel comfortable being independent and in the pool with.

    • Beach blanket 70 x 55 inches: we used this at Lover’s Beach, it’s really easy to use and fits a family of 4 (2 kids)

    • Beach tent: perfect if your child isn’t crawling yet and you need to protect them from the sun. It’s great for infant naps as well, I got this for my 8-month-old, but he refused to stay in it.

  • Bring reusable water bottles. Clean water is charged for, so whatever you don’t drink at meal times you should definitely keep the remaining in your reusable water bottles.

  • Depending on when you go, it can get chilly at night around 50-60s in March so definitely bring a light jacket, sweater, or poncho.

  • Beach Essentials: the products that saved my hair from all the sun exposure, pool, and salt water.

• My personal experience: This is my second time staying at this resort. I was excited to bring my husband back here and was pleasantly surprised to see that it’s still one of the best and most family-friendly resorts to stay in Cabo. They’ve extended and improved the resort in so many ways. It’s a gorgeous resort, with one of the best views and locations. It is one of the few resorts that has direct access to a private and wonderful beach that you can enjoy. The other resorts are on cliffs or have rocky beaches. The only con I have to say is that some of the rooms are still the same as when I came 10 years ago. The room we stayed in was not renovated, but they are very clean and are thoroughly cleansed and sanitized every day. It’s a 10 min ride to the two most popular beaches, Medano Beach and Lover’s Beach as well as the Marina. The staff is incredibly friendly and so personable. They truly made our experience the most hospitable and convenient as possible with two young little kids. Even my kids got attached to them. I went and got a massage this time at the Cactus Spa and while the spa seems a little outdated, it’s clean and the massage was amazing. My kids loved the pool and even the hot tub as the weather would get less hot throughout the day in March. They have several kids pools, actually countless pools and parks at the resort, which we didn’t get a chance to explore all. We mainly stuck to the center of the resort, because it’s closest and I just love that area. My favorite part is being able to order my favorite foods right there on the gorgeous private beach. The best part about going in March is that you can sit there admiring the waves and be able to see whales literally so close to you! It’s unbelievable. The food prepared by the Sheraton restaurants is beyond delicious unlike many of our vacations in Cancun or Punta Cana. Our vacation was absolutely perfect and I will be going back when my kids are older so they can enjoy all the other activities as well.

Cabo Travel Blog | Whale Watching in Cabo

Under my life vest, is my Ergo carrier which Hadi is comfortably sleeping away on the ride.

Scroll through my Instagram post (linked here) to watch some of my video captures

This is literally in front of our resort. Half the tour was basically in front of our resort but out further in the water. The only way to get on a boat regardless is through the Marina in Medano beach.

This is by far my favorite activity to do when you’re by the ocean and the best part is you can definitely do it with young children. Unlike most places, you only have to venture out 3-4 miles by boat in Cabo, Mexico to catch these majestic creatures. The best part is you’re by gorgeous beaches the whole time. I love it!

If you haven't seen Blackfish, then stop right now and go watch it. Don't even think about mentioning SeaWorld to me, even the aquarium is pushing it (if they're keeping large sea animals there). The best way to see something is at its best, in its au natural environment. To add to your watch list, please watch Seaspiracy on Netflix. We all need to be more aware of what the fishing industry is doing to our oceans. I was appalled and it’s more than just about plastic and polluting the ocean (which makes up about 30% of the ocean’s problems btw). Please watch it.

How do you get here? Cabo is very accessible through flights to Mexico and reliable transportation arranged by your hotel. This whale watching company offers you round trip transportation from your resort/hotel, which I recommend committing to so that you don’t have to worry about where to go exactly on the day of your trip and they have all the communication necessary.

When: mid-December - mid-April, early morning to afternoon on sunny days

Cost: $90/adult on group tours (3 and under are free)

Who: Whale Watch Cabo, a licensed research group of volunteers to study and protect marine animals

Duration: around 2.5 hours

Tips: It's always cooler out on the water so definitely prep for that. Pack an extra sweater, waterproof friendly clothing, sandals, and definitely sunglasses (use MARIAM15 for $ off the best and trendy eyeshades). You won’t need a hat for the boat ride since there’s a roof you can sit under, but for all the other times you’re not under there: a hat and tons of sunblock to protect you from the amazing, but the strong, sun. There is no food or water provided, so pack some snacks and water if you get thirsty on the boat ride or hungry post-ride. Bring something to keep your trash in and a reusable water bottle, I carry mine everywhere—it’s lightweight and easy to carry. Do not liter at all. Let’s keep the Earth clean and our animals safe. If you’re bringing a baby like we brought our 8-month-old, a baby carrier such as the Ergo 360 is all you need (which we love and both our babies loved because of the comfort, lightweight, and multiple positions it has to offer). A backpack is your best bet to carry all your belongings safely. A waterproof camera or your iPhone is perfect — you may not be able to capture the best shots, but the tour guide does that for you. Professional whale and beach photography is included in your tour and you’ll receive a link to the professional photography in your email a few days later. This company does require you to wear masks the whole time unless you’re taking a family picture.

My personal experience: We went around noon and got picked up by the transportation arranged by Whale Watch Cabo. Because we had our kids with us (4 years old and an 8-month-old) we decided to book our tour during the hottest hours of the day, at 12 - 2:30 pm (end of March). The boat is very clean and they have a safe little section protected from the water where you can place your belongings. I wore my 8-month-old the whole time in my baby carrier, while my son and husband got to carefully walk to each side of the boat to catch the best view of the whales. The water ride is really fun, because it’s a choppy tide area (you are boating through the Pacific Ocean) once in a while you could get sprayed, but definitely not wet. It wasn’t too long where you spotted a whale blowing some steam and other boats trying to catch up to it. The reason why I went with Whale Watch Cabo is that they respect the whale’s space, which is mandated by the government, but not strictly followed by other vendors. It’s mating season and this is the only time the Mom and baby whale are together, so it’s a precious moment to witness and you don’t want to be ruining it. Watching the whales majestically float in the air and perfectly roll back down in the water is an instant sight that you will not forget. It’s not guaranteed that you’ll see whales, but at the same time I’ve never seen this many whales in my life — both casually from this tour and from our resort beach view! Don’t bother wasting your time It’s hard to pose and get a picture with the whale, so don’t bother wasting your time. Just keep your eyes peeled and camera recording so you can save a few moments for later. We got to watch a handful of whales: mama and baby, 3 males and 1 female competing, a male on its own. My 4-year-old son loved it and so did we. Truly an unforgettable experience and a great way to be in nature with your family.