The Best & Worst Times to Visit Cabo in 2023

Ever heard of Cabo San Lucas? No? But, I’m sure you’ve heard of Cabo, Mexico. It’s the same place, who knew! Government name aside, Cabo is a top destination spot for travelers worldwide. What’s all the hype about?

What’s better than warm weather, beaches, and nightlife galore? For starters, it’s in Mexico. In Cabo, you can soak up the old-time Mexican traditions, bond with the aquatic wildlife, and take in the organic nature Cabo offers. 

So, without further ado, we’re going to explore:

• The best reasons why you should visit Cabo
• The best times to travel to Cabo
• The top factors you should consider before visiting Cabo
• And the answers to frequently asked questions about Cabo

Why You Should Visit Cabo

Everyone knows the mantra, location, location, location. It doesn’t only apply to choosing houses. Location is an essential factor in finding the perfect travel destination. Cabo is situated near the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez at the tip of Mexico’s Baja California coast. 

Along with its prime location, Cabo boasts excellent food, enchanting destinations and activities, near-perfect weather, and security (a must for traveling abroad). 

Food

No matter where you go in the world, food is a must! If you’re a foodie, you have to taste-test the top foods that Cabo offers.

Out of all the traditional Mexican foods, like enmolada, pozole, and tortas, Cabo is home to some delicious fan favorites. Check out this list:

• Mexican Chocolate Clam: Spoiler alert, they don’t taste like chocolate. Mexican chocolate clams are named for the cocoa-like shade of their shells. This delicacy is a fresh clam that is first roasted and then glazed with rosemary. 
• Smoked Marlin: Marlin is a common type of fish. In Cabo, marlin is smoked and typically served with cheese and vegetables on tortillas. 
• Comida de Pobres: Comida de Pobres is a combination of common foods and flavors. The traditional Mexican is a soup comprised of seafood, beans, rice, and a tortilla. Loosely translated, it can be referred to as the poor man’s food in English, but the name can be a misnomer.
• Guemes and Fajados Tamales: Tamales are made from corn. The corn is transformed into a dough that creates an outer shell or tamale. Fajados are chicken tamales or tamales stuffed with chicken. Guemes are tamales stuffed with pork or chicken along with olives and raisins. 
• Pitahaya: Pitahaya is a native fruit of Mexico. The fruit grows in dry, desert climates and is known as a cactus-like fruit. Pitahaya can be eaten alone or used to create desserts such as gelled candies, jams, and even marzipans. It has also been nicknamed the dragon fruit because of its unique shape and design. 

Destinations

Mexico is home to a lot of natural history. Indigenous groups like the Aztec and Mayan cultures can lay claim to the region. The innate beauty of Mexico and its cities like Cabo made it a hotspot centuries ago as it does today. Here are some of the native attractions you can visit on your trip to Cabo:

1. Whale Watching 
2. Rock Paintings 
3. Isla Espíritu Santo
4. Snorkeling 
5. Regional Anthropology and History Museum
6. Museo de Historia natural

Weather 

One of the reasons Cabo stays a year-round vacation option is the weather. While the summers can be extremely warm, you’ll often never find a day below 60 degrees Fahrenheit in Cabo. January is the coldest month of the year for Cabo.

The cooler months last from December to March. August is the hottest month of the year in Cabo. However, temperatures typically don’t exceed 95 degrees Fahrenheit, even in August. 

Security 

As tourists, you want to feel safe. Traveling to different countries is on most people’s bucket lists. But, there are some dangers attached to going abroad. Cabo is a frequent destination for travelers. As such, it has become a heavily resorted and touristed area.

The highly populated areas are always a little safer than the rural areas because they are more heavily patrolled. However, Cabo overall has a medium safety rating among Mexican cities.  

Cabo does have some crime, but it typically only affects visitors when it comes to petty theft and pickpocketing. Other crimes that may occur in the area can be associated with residents of Cabo or Mexico.

Overall Best Time to Visit Cabo

Great minds think alike. From this methodology, you can infer that most people assume the best time to travel to Cabo is during the winter. This would be wrong.

Everyone wants to travel in the winter to escape the cold or try and take advantage of the perceived lower rates. On the other hand, the peak of summer, July and August, is not the best time to visit Cabo either.

The interim spring and fall months are the best times to take a vacation to Cabo. There’s less traffic and crowds. Finding the perfect time to travel to Cabo can also depend on the activities you’d like to explore.

For example, activities like whale watching can’t be done in the summer months because the activity relies on the migration patterns of the whales. Before planning your travel, the last factor you have to consider is hurricane season.

Hurricane season can last between June and November. But, hurricanes have patterns, and Cabo is generally not in the path of most hurricanes. It is important to note that Cabo does experience many tropical storms in lieu of hurricanes.

Cheapest Time to Visit Cabo

As previously mentioned, many visitors travel to Cabo in the winter. This makes the summer and fall two of the least expensive times of year to vacation in Cabo.

Because summers are associated with being brutally warm, many don’t plan to travel to Cabo between June and August even though the temperatures remain around 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

Summer and fall also span hurricane season, which turns many travelers off from those dates. 

Least Busy Time to Visit Cabo

Spring and fall months like May and November are two of the perfect times to vacation in Cabo. Both months have lower tourism and are usually cheaper as well. 

Other factors like the weather are also better in these months. The days stay constant between 85 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit but the nights are much cooler. Low temperatures in May and November range from 68 degrees to 72 degrees Fahrenheit.

Worst Time to Visit Cabo

The worst times to visit Cabo often have nothing to do with Cabo. When picking the right and wrong times to go, you have to consider the choices others will make as well. 

Spring Break

March and April hold spring break for most colleges and grade schools in the United States. Because of this, Cabo can become a hot spot, especially for college students.

College kids deserve to have fun, but choosing this time as your vacation might interfere with how much or little you enjoy your trip. 

Rainy Season

The rainy or hurricane season is another time of year you want to avoid traveling to Cabo. The period from August to September can be the worst time to plan your vacation to Cabo. 

The weather reaches its highest peak in August. The heat coupled with constant rain and the occasional hurricane makes for a pretty poor vacation.

It can also be noted that many attractions are also closed off in the months of August and September. Cabo has beautiful scenery, but activities are what makes a trip memorable. 

Things to Consider

Before taking a trip to Cabo, you should consider the following:

• Be Vigilant: Safety isn’t a significant concern in Cabo, but it definitely can still occur. Take extra precautions. Don’t travel alone. And be aware at all times. 
• Hotel Location: Your hotel location is critical. You want to try and be close to the happenings of the city and the other hotels and resorts. This allows for easy walking distances and travel times to activities and attractions. The location you choose also aligns with the current security level. 
• Currency Exchange: When traveling to different countries, you should always be mindful of the primary currency being used. For example, the American currency is the dollar or USD. Mexico uses the peso or MSN. On average, one peso is equivalent to about .49 cents.
• Tipping Culture: Understanding the culture of the country you are visiting is another factor you must be mindful of. Mexico has a generous tipping culture. This means that when you visit Cabo, anyone who serves you anticipates a tip. We generally think of tips only at restaurants, but in Mexican cities like Cabo, hospitality workers, taxi drivers, and bartenders. 
• Language: Cabo is a Mexican city. Mexico’s official language is Spanish. However, English is often spoken throughout the city because of its proximity to the United States and its commonplace as a tourist attraction. 
• Travel Insurance: Travel insurance doesn’t stop with hotel flights and rooms. It can extend to medical insurance as well. Insurance isn’t something we often think about before vacation, but it should have a place of importance. 

Travel insurance for flights and hotels can not only save money, but it can also help if any accommodations are subpar. Medical travel insurance comes in handy in case of an emergency. No one plans to get sick on vacation, but it happens. You can avoid huge medical bills if you invest in medical travel insurance before your trip.

Use Rideshare

Rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft have taken over. These companies should be utilized when traveling because they offer an extra level of security. 

When you use rideshare, you can track your comings and goings and who was with you. They also keep you off the street if you’ve had a fun night of partying and need to make it safely to your hotel or resort. 

Resorts

Resorts are typically all-inclusive options for travel. This means that accommodations, food, activities, drinks, and anything else in between are covered by the fee you pay upfront.

Like rideshare companies, resorts also provide an additional layer of security. You can stay at the resort for beaches, nightlife, and more, meaning that you never actually have to leave the resort to have a fantastic experience.

But of course, you will. When you exit and return to the resort, you can be assured that the location is secure and monitored.

Frequently Asked Questions

There are always questions when it comes to travel. Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about vacationing in Cabo:

What is the meaning of Los Cabos?

The Spanish translation of Los Cabos is The Capes. It is named for its shoreline and rocky terrain. 

Are Los Cabos and Cabo San Lucas the same?

Yes. Los Cabos and Cabo San Lucas are the same destination. Los Cabos translates to The Capes, and Cabo San Lucas translates to Cape St. Luke. 

What timezone is Cabo?

Mexico is a large country. Four different timezones span Mexico. Cabo lands in the MDT or mountain time zone. 

How expensive is Cabo?

Cabo can be on the more expensive side when it comes to vacations. The average cost for one week is about $2,300 for one person and doubles as people are added on.

Resorts and hotels can start at around $50 on the low-end and $500 on the high-end per night. The high costs can be associated with the increased interest in Cabo as a travel destination.

Is Cabo Dangerous?

Crime can occur in Cabo. However, Cabo is not dangerous overall. Between the hotels and resorts, Cabo has a pretty decent level of security. 

Can you swim on the beaches in Cabo?

Yes and no. Several beaches are swimmable in Cabo. However, many are not. Here are some of the beaches you can swim in Cabo:

• Medano Beach
• Lover’s Beach
• Chileno Beach
• Santa Maria Beach
• Palmilla Beach
• Cannery Beaches
• Cabo Pulmo

Save Big on Your Trip to Cabo

Smart travelers (aka you) know that the best way to save big on a trip to Cabo is to shop around. As travel experts, we know a thing or two about saving money on a trip.

We suggest browsing both individual resort offers and also flight/resort packages on Booking.com and Expedia.com to see what awesome deals are available. We’ve spent countless hours on these sites, and can confidently say that there are some smoking deals right now.

While we tend to favor Booking.com for individual hotel/resort bookings and Expedia for complete trip packages, that’s just our own opinion. Both platforms are competing for market share, and we think that they both offer compelling value, regardless of the type of trip you’re taking.

To see what’s available, simply click one of the buttons in the box above. Trust us — you can save BIG on your booking!

The Best Time to Visit Cabo: Final Thoughts

Cabo is a year-round travel spot. The near-perfect weather 365 days a year makes it one of the best places to travel to on vacation.

Cabo is known for its great food, activities, weather, and security. As a traveler, you can experience traditional Mexican cuisine, natural scenes like whale watching, depending on the time of year, and weather that fluctuates between 70 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit at all times.

👍 Best Time to Visit	March-April & September-October
💲 Cheapest Time to Visit	June-August
🗓️ Least Busy Time to Visit	May & November
👎 Worst Time to Visit	Spring Break & August-September

Before you book your trip, keep in mind that there are several best times to visit Cabo. The overall best time to take a trip is in spring or fall. The cheapest times to vacation in Cabo are in the summer. And the least busy months are May and September. 

Once you’re all set for your Cabo vacation, remember to:

• Always take note of your surroundings
• Be familiar with the culture 
• Have the right currency 
• Consider travel insurance 
• Invest in rideshare to move around 

Cabo is full of excitement and wonder. Its natural scenes and wildlife make for the best types of memories. Regardless of when you choose to visit, you’ll enjoy all the Cabo has to offer. Get started and book your visit today!