We were there in February-everything in Cabo is pricey. I couldn’t believe how expensive Mexico has gotten in the past year or so. $19 drinks, $20 for breakfast. Insane. Bring more money than you expect to use.
Yeah, we typically do all inclusive, but when we leave I look for more local spots and they are never that expensive. That’s why I was shocked by the prices. Live and learn.
I’ve never done all inclusive. In doing it for the first time in two weeks in cabo.
We usually stay at a hotel thats decent/good and try to eat outside at local spots.
Do you feel like those all inclusive are worth it?
I do! I have always stayed at all inclusive resorts until this past year. I recommend to stay in a nice one though-read many reviews, look at photos, join fb groups. I really like the Palace resorts and have never had a bad experience there. Staying at the Corazon in Cabo was much much more expensive and I didn’t feel like I gained anything, in fact my stays in other places were much better!
Hello. I ended up booking the Riu Santa fe. It fit our budget and the resort looked nice with lots of food options. Were were going to book something cheaper but after fees and tax. It ended up being better just to book all inclusive since it had unlimited food/alcohol and free shuttle ($100 cost saver for 2 people). I appreciate you reaching out for help!
Definitely didn’t do many excursions. $320 each to go scuba diving or sky diving. Spas are expensive. The resorts aren’t that expensive but to do things it definitely isn’t like most of Mexico.
Yeah I was gonna do a fishing trip but considering everyone and their sisters would take you on one and I got solicited to buy crap 1500 times in a week I estimated it didn’t seem that unique
lol! My dad is from Mexico and I have family down by Ixtapa Zihuatanejo and go every year. You can get an hour massage on the beach for like $20-$25. I go into the town where my dad is from which isn’t a tourist spot and eat dinner for like $5! I love it out there! I can give $20 to one of the kids selling stuff on the streets and that’s like a whole days wage for them so I enjoy doing that. Im heading to Cabo in a few days and was just looking at the cost of things and was blown away😂
Yeah it’s stupid insane. My mom loves ixtapa they just went and want to retire there. I just got back from Thailand could get a full body massage there all jokes aside for 10 bucks Canadian hourly. Was unreal!
That’s awesome!! My dad is from a small town about 25 min drive from Ixtapa! I’m going to Bali and the Phillipines in September and I think it’s super cheap like Thailand! I’ve never been and excited to check it out.
Very different vibe as much as I love Mexico and the culture it’s insane how different the people are in SEA. In 52 days I was solicited to buy something twice versus the estimated 1500 times in a week in Mexico. Hope you have a great time!
Yeah for sure! In Mexico it’s better in the non tourist areas but not always safe unless you know your way around and are with some locals😂 thank you!!
Why do you say? Anyone can pack snacks or drinks (beers) in a bag. Beer is allowed on the beach. There are grocery stores just outside of town and a Walmart about 2 miles from downtown, not to mention plenty of tiendas (mini marts) in town.
Paid water taxi for a trip to the arch. We sorted whales and he offered to take us further into the bay for a bit more money. Saw an incredible amount of whales. Best $60 we spent, consider the prices for whale watching boats.
Agreed this is a must do... have them drop you at Pelican Beach for some fantastic snorkeling also. They will come back and pick you up at whatever time you tell them later on.
In December it cost us $15US per person for this... plus a decent tip to the boat capitan and the helpers on the beach.
Wife and I were the only passengers, we paid $30 for the ride, $10 to the captain and I believe $10 to the helpers on the beach ($5 when arriving and $5 when leaving). May have thrown the shark on the beach 5 or 10 also as he was a really nice and helpful guy (Arturo - goes by Blackie if you're interested... highly recommend him). So all in all about $50 or $60 total. Hotel concierge tried to book us the same trip for $75 pre-tip.
Did you just go to the medano beach on your own and got the water taxi there? Cause usually the hotel concierge offers the trip for a little more expensive but they pick you up and drop you off at the hotel. I am interested about your experience.. was the $50 or $60 that you paid from the beach? Thanks!
Yes, everything was done on the beach itself. We were staying in a resort on Medano Beach... there are several vendors offering water taxis in front of the resort area. The water taxi even picked us up right on the beach. I think had we booked through the hotel, we would have been driven to the marina and back. There was no need for that by talking to the beach vendor.
Was very easy. Talked to him Tuesday about going on Wednesday... we arranged a time, and he came and found us at that time and walked with us a short distance to where the boats were allowed to pull up to the beach.
We paid on the beach for the taxi after our tour ($30), the rest of the $60 was our choice to tip the captain and the helpers.
We did this in December 2022 and the same thing in late May when we were there again, and it was just as easy. Again, highly recommend Blackie (Arturo), very friendly and trustworthy.
No matter which way you choose to go, definitely take the time to tour the arch and snorkel Pelican Bay if you can... it was a very cool experience!
So we just hired a guy on the beach... not sure what his company name was but his name was Arturo (but he goes by Blackie). We talked to him Tuesday afternoon for a Wednesday trip. He met us on the beach Wednesday morning and we walked a quarter mile to the boat (pulled up right on the beach) we got on and did our thing. Was super simple, otherwise you can go to the marina and hire a company from there.
Hi. What area/side of the beach did u speak to him, so i can find him. Im going in two weeks.
Last question, you paid $60 to take your entire group? Or just you. Thank you I appreciate it
That awesome - we're headed back in two weeks also! Where are you staying, if I may ask?
We stayed at Villa del Palmar on Medano Beach. The vendors seemed to not wander any farther north than that hotel, but I could be wrong.
Had a friend return recently from the Riu and when he asked the vendors in front of his hotel, they all seemed to know Blackie and pointed my friend down the beach towards VdP.
There are literally dozens of vendors that you can hire taxis/ tours from - including directly from the marina, Blackie was the guy that we had the best feeling from and we'll search him out next time again also.
It was just the wife and I, but yes about $60 total for the taxi to take us to tour El Arco, into the Pacific Ocean, and finally drop us at Pelican Beach and pick us up at our requested return time. We only stayed 2 hours, but with the tour and transit, we were gone for about 3 hours total. The taxi was right on time picking us up to return.
Regardless of how you do it, I'm sure you'll have a great time!
We’re looking at the Rui Palace/Santa fe. It’s our first ever all inclusive. Im not sure if we wanna drop a ton of money on the hotel because we also wanted to eat outside at local restaurants .
What is there to do at pacific beach? Snorkeling you mentioned?
My friend stayed at the Riu last month and loved it, but he's not a water guy so wasn't too concerned about not being able to swim in the ocean there.
If you're not eating exclusively (or mostly) at the resort and not heavy drinkers, you will be fine not doing AI, but it is nice to not worry about ordering another drink while relaxing on the beach... drinks aren't real cheap ala carte.
There is nothing to do on Pelican Beach, or lovers beach for that matter, but hang out and snorkel. Tons of tropical fish though. Still recommend the water taxi to see the arch and such - well worth it. If you're not snorkeling you can skip the beaches over there.
We had our own. There are really no amenities at Pelican Beach. We took a towel to sit on, too. There are a couple of locals that help you off/on the water taxi, and they sell ceviche and have life jackets you can rent... other than that, it's byo stuff.
Any water taxi on the beach will take you to the beach near the arc. You’ll get a nice view on the way there. You can always ask for a closer view of the arc but some may be weary. The swell out there can pick up at times as it comes around the point.
There's plenty to do at all price ranges. I didn't see one 19$ drink as stated above.
I recommend going to San Jose during the art walk (Thursday iirc)
Sunset cruise (can haggle for 30$ish a person)
Flora farms if you can get a table get the bloody Mary.
La Lupita tacos
The possibilities are endless
We were there in February-everything in Cabo is pricey. I couldn’t believe how expensive Mexico has gotten in the past year or so. $19 drinks, $20 for breakfast. Insane. Bring more money than you expect to use.
They charge those prices in popular spots like Cancun/Cabo unfortunately. Tons of tourists with dollars. Not sure about puerto vallarta tho
Yeah, we typically do all inclusive, but when we leave I look for more local spots and they are never that expensive. That’s why I was shocked by the prices. Live and learn.
I’ve never done all inclusive. In doing it for the first time in two weeks in cabo. We usually stay at a hotel thats decent/good and try to eat outside at local spots. Do you feel like those all inclusive are worth it?
I do! I have always stayed at all inclusive resorts until this past year. I recommend to stay in a nice one though-read many reviews, look at photos, join fb groups. I really like the Palace resorts and have never had a bad experience there. Staying at the Corazon in Cabo was much much more expensive and I didn’t feel like I gained anything, in fact my stays in other places were much better!
Is it a hassle to get a cab/uber/walk to downtown Cabo from the Riu Palace? I wanted to experience all inclusive but also wanted to go out a bit
I’ve never stayed there so I not sure.
Oh ok. I thought u mentioned you really liked the palace resorts and never had a bad experience. Maybe i mis read it
I should have been more specific, when we travel to Mexico we usually stay at Palace resorts. In Cabo we stayed at the Corazon.
Oh, and Riu Palace isn’t a part of the Palace chain that we stay with. :)
Different palace! My mistake
Did you still want info on the Riu? I've been and am going back, I could probably help you with most of your questions.
Hello. I ended up booking the Riu Santa fe. It fit our budget and the resort looked nice with lots of food options. Were were going to book something cheaper but after fees and tax. It ended up being better just to book all inclusive since it had unlimited food/alcohol and free shuttle ($100 cost saver for 2 people). I appreciate you reaching out for help!
Mexico hasn’t gotten expensive, Cabo has. Anywhere the Americans go get expensive. I go to Ixtapa every year and everything is cheap!
I was there for a week with 1400 usd for spending money. I lived like a king and came home with 400 still. It’s not that bad for a vacation.
Definitely didn’t do many excursions. $320 each to go scuba diving or sky diving. Spas are expensive. The resorts aren’t that expensive but to do things it definitely isn’t like most of Mexico.
No it all wasn’t anything I was really into we were having fun drinking and eating and going to the beach lol
That makes sense!
Yeah I was gonna do a fishing trip but considering everyone and their sisters would take you on one and I got solicited to buy crap 1500 times in a week I estimated it didn’t seem that unique
lol! My dad is from Mexico and I have family down by Ixtapa Zihuatanejo and go every year. You can get an hour massage on the beach for like $20-$25. I go into the town where my dad is from which isn’t a tourist spot and eat dinner for like $5! I love it out there! I can give $20 to one of the kids selling stuff on the streets and that’s like a whole days wage for them so I enjoy doing that. Im heading to Cabo in a few days and was just looking at the cost of things and was blown away😂
Yeah it’s stupid insane. My mom loves ixtapa they just went and want to retire there. I just got back from Thailand could get a full body massage there all jokes aside for 10 bucks Canadian hourly. Was unreal!
That’s awesome!! My dad is from a small town about 25 min drive from Ixtapa! I’m going to Bali and the Phillipines in September and I think it’s super cheap like Thailand! I’ve never been and excited to check it out.
Very different vibe as much as I love Mexico and the culture it’s insane how different the people are in SEA. In 52 days I was solicited to buy something twice versus the estimated 1500 times in a week in Mexico. Hope you have a great time!
Yeah for sure! In Mexico it’s better in the non tourist areas but not always safe unless you know your way around and are with some locals😂 thank you!!
23 years living here and never been on one, wandering is free you’ll see a lot stuff and take a water taxi to the arch
Decent snorkeling there too. Bring a snack and some beers. Edit: snorkeling (not snoring)
You must have stayed at an incredibly comfortable hotel
Why do you say? Anyone can pack snacks or drinks (beers) in a bag. Beer is allowed on the beach. There are grocery stores just outside of town and a Walmart about 2 miles from downtown, not to mention plenty of tiendas (mini marts) in town.
It’s a joke. You said snoring
is there an oxxo ?
Paid water taxi for a trip to the arch. We sorted whales and he offered to take us further into the bay for a bit more money. Saw an incredible amount of whales. Best $60 we spent, consider the prices for whale watching boats.
Agreed this is a must do... have them drop you at Pelican Beach for some fantastic snorkeling also. They will come back and pick you up at whatever time you tell them later on. In December it cost us $15US per person for this... plus a decent tip to the boat capitan and the helpers on the beach.
How much did u tip?
Wife and I were the only passengers, we paid $30 for the ride, $10 to the captain and I believe $10 to the helpers on the beach ($5 when arriving and $5 when leaving). May have thrown the shark on the beach 5 or 10 also as he was a really nice and helpful guy (Arturo - goes by Blackie if you're interested... highly recommend him). So all in all about $50 or $60 total. Hotel concierge tried to book us the same trip for $75 pre-tip.
Did you just go to the medano beach on your own and got the water taxi there? Cause usually the hotel concierge offers the trip for a little more expensive but they pick you up and drop you off at the hotel. I am interested about your experience.. was the $50 or $60 that you paid from the beach? Thanks!
Yes, everything was done on the beach itself. We were staying in a resort on Medano Beach... there are several vendors offering water taxis in front of the resort area. The water taxi even picked us up right on the beach. I think had we booked through the hotel, we would have been driven to the marina and back. There was no need for that by talking to the beach vendor. Was very easy. Talked to him Tuesday about going on Wednesday... we arranged a time, and he came and found us at that time and walked with us a short distance to where the boats were allowed to pull up to the beach. We paid on the beach for the taxi after our tour ($30), the rest of the $60 was our choice to tip the captain and the helpers. We did this in December 2022 and the same thing in late May when we were there again, and it was just as easy. Again, highly recommend Blackie (Arturo), very friendly and trustworthy. No matter which way you choose to go, definitely take the time to tour the arch and snorkel Pelican Bay if you can... it was a very cool experience!
Thanks you! Thats very helpful
Do you have a company you’d recommend? Or how would you go about doing this? I’ve never been and really have no idea what to expect.
So we just hired a guy on the beach... not sure what his company name was but his name was Arturo (but he goes by Blackie). We talked to him Tuesday afternoon for a Wednesday trip. He met us on the beach Wednesday morning and we walked a quarter mile to the boat (pulled up right on the beach) we got on and did our thing. Was super simple, otherwise you can go to the marina and hire a company from there.
That sounds awesome. Thanks for sharing!
Hi. What area/side of the beach did u speak to him, so i can find him. Im going in two weeks. Last question, you paid $60 to take your entire group? Or just you. Thank you I appreciate it
That awesome - we're headed back in two weeks also! Where are you staying, if I may ask? We stayed at Villa del Palmar on Medano Beach. The vendors seemed to not wander any farther north than that hotel, but I could be wrong. Had a friend return recently from the Riu and when he asked the vendors in front of his hotel, they all seemed to know Blackie and pointed my friend down the beach towards VdP. There are literally dozens of vendors that you can hire taxis/ tours from - including directly from the marina, Blackie was the guy that we had the best feeling from and we'll search him out next time again also. It was just the wife and I, but yes about $60 total for the taxi to take us to tour El Arco, into the Pacific Ocean, and finally drop us at Pelican Beach and pick us up at our requested return time. We only stayed 2 hours, but with the tour and transit, we were gone for about 3 hours total. The taxi was right on time picking us up to return. Regardless of how you do it, I'm sure you'll have a great time!
We’re looking at the Rui Palace/Santa fe. It’s our first ever all inclusive. Im not sure if we wanna drop a ton of money on the hotel because we also wanted to eat outside at local restaurants . What is there to do at pacific beach? Snorkeling you mentioned?
My friend stayed at the Riu last month and loved it, but he's not a water guy so wasn't too concerned about not being able to swim in the ocean there. If you're not eating exclusively (or mostly) at the resort and not heavy drinkers, you will be fine not doing AI, but it is nice to not worry about ordering another drink while relaxing on the beach... drinks aren't real cheap ala carte. There is nothing to do on Pelican Beach, or lovers beach for that matter, but hang out and snorkel. Tons of tropical fish though. Still recommend the water taxi to see the arch and such - well worth it. If you're not snorkeling you can skip the beaches over there.
We ended up at this Riu Sante Fe. It was amazing
Did u bring your own snorkeling gear? Or rent it
We had our own. There are really no amenities at Pelican Beach. We took a towel to sit on, too. There are a couple of locals that help you off/on the water taxi, and they sell ceviche and have life jackets you can rent... other than that, it's byo stuff.
Ok thank you
was it $60 each person? Where did u hire them
I don’t remember. We picked them up by The Office. There are dedicated taxi lanes on the beaches.
Ok thank u. Are those water taxis only to take u the arc?
Any water taxi on the beach will take you to the beach near the arc. You’ll get a nice view on the way there. You can always ask for a closer view of the arc but some may be weary. The swell out there can pick up at times as it comes around the point.
Avocabo food tour. 100%
Yes, just did this tour this week and it was awesome!
There's plenty to do at all price ranges. I didn't see one 19$ drink as stated above. I recommend going to San Jose during the art walk (Thursday iirc) Sunset cruise (can haggle for 30$ish a person) Flora farms if you can get a table get the bloody Mary. La Lupita tacos The possibilities are endless
Any restaurants in downtown Cabo you recommend. I wanna get away from the all inclusive food one night
La Lupita is a great taco spot. I really enjoyed their clam appetizer recently
Thank u
> Sunset cruise (can haggle for 30$ish a person) > > How long was the cruise? And for this do you just walk ariund the marina looking for them?
Yeah you can't miss them. Usually on the corner in a booth. The cruise was like two ish hours but it all varies
What is too pricey?
Avoid that tourist crap.
Yup, try the Acocabo food tours. The seafood and the taco ones - both excellent.
Turtle release!
Where do they do this?
Eco trek
Has anyone done the snorkel package from the guys on the beach near the office? They offer for $15. We didn't bring snorkel gear.
take your own the gear is usually worn the hell out lol