San Jose Del Cabo

Intro – Who This City Is For

San José del Cabo is where you’ll land when flying into Los Cabos International Airport (SJD). It’s the smaller, quieter side of the Los Cabos municipality. Often overshadowed by Cabo San Lucas and its row of clubs and tour hawkers by the marina.

This town runs slower. It’s still touristy, but it’s not party-centric. You’ll find art galleries, boutique shops, local taco spots, and upscale farm-to-table restaurants. It even hosts its own yearly festival in mid-March that takes over the town for a full week.

What the city actually feels like

The historic center revolves around Plaza Mijares and the Misión San José del Cabo. Most evenings, something is happening..families walking, street vendors, small performances.

On Thursdays, the Art Walk is from 5 PM to 9 PM in the Gallery District behind the plaza.

The vibe is more relaxed, authentic feeling and more food driven. There is an entire street lined up with delicious and higher end restaurants. Though you can easily find local eateries 5 minutes away.

Who will love it

If you want a town that is easy to get to from the US, one of the shorter flights into Mexico for people that live on the west.
If you want warm Baja California Sur weather - dry and sunny.
Great access to other parts of Baja California Sur and the untouched east cape. Towns like Los Barriles and national parks like Cabo Pulmo are much closer.
Less “beach hustler” vibe compared to Cancun or Cabo San Lucas

Who should avoid it

If you want a super big town or super walkable area. Outside of the main square you would need a car or public transit. San Lucas is more walkable than SJDC.
If you don’t like the heat or the beach. This is warm year round and hot in the summer.
If you want to immerse yourself in Mexico, this is still a touristy town and prices reflect it.

One personal anecdote: I stayed here for a long weekend in March during the festival and have returned 2x. Each time I have discovered a new pocket of this town and have grown to enjoy it and its people. It doesn’t have the Arch like Cabo San Lucas. It’s not flashy, but it holds its own and has a nice charm that grows on you. Not to mention the ease of access to the lesser known east cape is unbeatable.

My favorite drive is to head north past the marina north along the East Cape road. You will have the empty remote beaches all to yourself. The marine life is so abundant, you can see fish swimming through the waves like a real-life aquarium.

Best Areas to Stay

San Jose Del Cabo is fairly small but there are a few different options depending on what you’re interested in. The first few times I liked to be near the central plaza with all bars, restaurants and activities. As I explored it more, I enjoyed the quieter part by the marina, closer to the Sea of Cortez. Zona Hoterleria is for the restort hotels. You will likey have an all inclusive there and stay there save for a few trips to El Centro or Flora Farms.

Main Areas & Streets

El Centro

Who it’s for: First time visitors, don’t mind being in the center of everything.

Pros:

You can walk out your door and walk to bars restaurants the art walk
It’s close to the main highway coming from the airport SJD.

Cons:

Parking can be a pain, but my recommendations have parking included
Pricier and a bit noisier
Places are smaller

Outskirts / La Choya

Who it’s for: If you want to relax and have more space, but still have access to the town.

Pros:

More tranquil and more space
Easier access to the nature part of Baja California Sur

Cons:

Its a further drive across the bridge and you would need a car or taxi to go out/come back

Zona Holeteria

Who it’s for: Resort hotels and a massive beach.

Pros:

Just show up and relax. Cons:
You will need a taxi or car to get to El Centro

Where I Stayed

Posada Nomad

Wonderful, wonderful place. Owned by an American that really goes above and beyond in the hospitality department. The grounds are serene and inviting. The amenities are perfect. A rooftop, swimming pool and many areas to just hang out and relax. The kitchen has everything you need and there is plenty of storage for your food. Plus there are fruit trees around that the owner offers you if in season.

It is walkable to a few very good restaurants and right at the start of the East Cape with easy access to the road that lets you explore it. I will stay here whenever I return

Pros

About 10 min drive to centro
Easy access to East Cape road
Good WiFi for remote work
Quiet at night

Options if you want to be in El Centro

Lumina at Cardinal San José del Cabo I stayed here in March, nice and clean. Modern. Rooftop pool and walkable to centro. Plus underground parking garage. They didn’t have a blender though. It was muy importante.
Hotel Casa Ceci Inn I stayed here in June. It was RIGHT next to the church, coulnd’t be closer, you will hear church bells. That’s part of the experience. Very central budget-friendly, Good for short stays. It has a basic shared kitchen, common area and they had a drip coffee for the guests in the morning. There is a car park with an attendant.

Things to Do

🌊 Nature

Explore the East Cape. Drive north and enjoy the small remote beaches on the way. There are many but I liked this area. Sedan was fine.
San Jose Estuary and Bird Sanctuary

🍽 Food & Drink

La Lupita, sit down restaurant. I sat at the far corner of the bar for great people watching. All of the food and drinks were fantastic. Mix of locals and tourists. Its more of a fusion-style restaurant.

Speakeasy type bar. Clandestina - Nice staff, drinks and ambiance.
Burritos El Sacrificio - All the local taxis will go here. Its a fantastic burrito spot right next to Hotel Posada. Affordable too!
Barbacoa Vicky - My first stop after I land. They have seasoned and traditional. I like the prefer the traditional (pictured).

Mary Juana - Great service and fantastic flagship taco. They have unique options as well like bone marrow taco etc.

Flora Farms: Expensive but well done. More of an experience than a casual meal. Good for visitors or special occasions.

🏛 Culture

Wander El Centro. Lots of cool shops, cafe’s, bars and restaurants.
Plaza Mijares - Always something going on.
Frank Arnold Gallery
Practice Spanish with local vendors on the Plaza. Most know enough English if you get stuck, and they appreciate the effort.

If you’re coming to Mexico and don’t want to rely on English the whole time, I highly recommend improving your Spanish beforehand. I personally use Baselang for unlimited one-on-one online Spanish lessons. It’s been the fastest way for me to build confidence speaking. If you want to improve quickly before or during your stay, you can get a discount and try it here

🏄 Adventure

Costa Azul - A spot that you can go and watch the surfers. Lots of locals under the bridge. Its a fun time. Go to an oxxo, if you buy beer they give you ice.

Cerro de las Chivas A short hike offering panoramic views of the city and Sea of Cortez.

🚗 Day Trips

Cabo Pulmo National Park
Sierra de la Laguna Mountains - Cañón de la Zorra
Los Barriles

Working Remotely in

Average WiFi speeds: Fast
Best cafes: Cafeteria | Cochimí very nice coffee and really cool ambiance.
Power outages? They do happen but are rare
SIM / eSIM options: Telcel is strongest network in Baja. You can buy prepaid SIM at Oxxo. eSIM options like Airalo also work fine. I have service through my U.S Carrier Verizon.
Is it productive or distracting? Productive, away from the main party zone and tranquil.

Transportation

✈️ From the Airport:

There will be A LOT, of people trying to get you to take their taxi, sell you their timeshare, get in their shuttle my advice? Go past them all. And take the bus. Unless you have a lot of luggage. Taxi: Expensive ($40–70 USD depending)

Ruta del Desierto bus: ~80 MXN from the airport to Cabo San Lucas as of Oct 2025. If the driver doesn’t give change, just say “Cambio, por favor.” Sometimes they give you change sometimes they don’t.

Bus stop is at Terminal 1, which is a short walk from Terminal 2 You will need to go up the escalator to “Departures” Walk along the road until you see a sign for the bus. It will be in between 2 topes.
Uber is not allowed at the airport.

🚌 Public Transport:

Best to rent or have someone with a car. Getting the Ruta del Desierto bus is great for getting out of the airport affordably. You can also take it to Cabo San Lucas.

🚶 Walkability:

Only walkable near centro. You would need a car for most other places.

⚠️ Things to Watch Out For:

Summer heat. It gets HOT
Tourist pricing in centro
Limited sidewalks outside main areas
Need a car if staying outside town

Withdrawing Money at the airport

ATMs are available at SJD. Best machine I found: HSBC.
I use Charles Schwab checking, ATM fees reimbursed worldwide.
Important: Always decline the automatic currency conversion. The transaction still goes through, and your bank gives you a better exchange rate.
If you get 500 peso bills, many street vendors won’t have change. Quick fix: Go into Oxxo, buy a snack or water, and break the bill.

Travel Essentials

If you’re staying long-term or traveling between countries, I personally use Genki for travel health insurance. Mexico is affordable for healthcare, but accidents happen.

Genki travel health insurance (affiliate): GENKI

Cost of Living Estimates

Rent (1BR): $800–1,500 USD depending on area
Utilities: $50–100
Groceries: $150-250 depending on how often you eat out
Eating Out Sit down casual: $8 to $15
Local places: $2-4 / taco
Bus ride: 45 MXN (in town) // 80MXN (from airport)

It’s not cheap Mexico. Baja is pricier than the mainland.

Pros

Easy access to and from the United States
Great weather most of the year except summers
Amazing and unique nature. Mountains and sea.
Local town feel in El Centro
Mexican hospitality and warmth is unmatched

Cons

Could be tougher without a car if you want to stick to public transit
It is a smaller town and could get boring if you don’t like the beach/water activities.
Pricier than mainland Mexico, closer to U.S prices

FAQ

Is San Jose Del Cabo Safe?

Yes it is largely safe for visitors. Especially so in El centro and the hotel zone. Uber is available and recommended if needing transport. It is not recommended to walk around alone at night in the outskirts.

Would I Come Back?

I definitely would return. There is more and more to see each time I go.

If you like road trips, sightseeing mountains, remote beaches, and both coasts, this is a great base. There’s sport fishing, snorkeling, diving, surfing in Los Cerritos, and nature preserves like Espíritu Santo Island or Balandra Beach outside of La Paz, the capital of Baja California Sur.There are plenty of day and weekend trips that San Jose Del Cabo and Los Cabos have to offer.

If I was here for an extended stay I would definitely want to not do it during the summer and bring work to focus on. While there are a lot of great weekend trips, It is a smaller town and it could get old after a few weeks going to EL Centro, which can be walked in about 15-20 minutes.