Baja California Sur, Mexico

State guide with cities, regions, and key information.

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Introduction
Baja California Sur occupies the sun-baked southern half of Mexico's long Baja peninsula, where the desert meets two seas — the Pacific and the wildlife-rich Sea of Cortez. For travellers it offers the resorts and dramatic rock arch of Los Cabos, the laid-back capital of La Paz and its turquoise islands, world-class whale watching and marine life, the bohemian surf town of Todos Santos, and ancient cave paintings and mission towns in a stark, beautiful landscape.

Discover Baja California Sur

Los Cabos, at the southern tip of the peninsula, is Baja Sur's resort hub and Mexico's most upmarket beach destination — a 30-kilometre 'corridor' of luxury hotels, golf courses and beaches linking two contrasting towns. Cabo San Lucas, at the very end, is the lively one: a busy marina, beach clubs, sportfishing fleets, nightlife, and boat trips out to the famous El Arco — the dramatic natural rock arch at Land's End where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific, near the sea-lion colony and the photogenic Lover's Beach. San José del Cabo, half an hour east, is the calmer, more cultured sibling — a pretty colonial centre with an art district, galleries and a mission church, and a quieter beach scene. Between them, the corridor's beaches range from the swimmable and snorkel-friendly (Chileno, Santa María) to the dramatic but dangerous-for-swimming Pacific surf. Golf, spas, world-class sportfishing and whale-watching in winter round out a destination built for indulgence.

Travel Types

Los Cabos Resorts

The beaches, marina and rock arch of Cabo San Lucas and the art and calm of San José del Cabo.

La Paz & Marine Life

The relaxed capital, Espíritu Santo island, sea lions, whale sharks and the Balandra beach.

Whale Watching

Winter gray-whale encounters in the Pacific lagoons of San Ignacio and Magdalena Bay.

Towns & Desert

Bohemian Todos Santos, the mission town of Loreto and the UNESCO rock art of the sierra.

Frequently asked questions

They're very different. Cabo San Lucas (in Los Cabos, at the peninsula's tip) is the upmarket, lively resort scene — marina, beach clubs, golf, nightlife and the famous El Arco rock. La Paz, the state capital up the calm gulf coast, is a relaxed, authentic seaside city with a lovely malecón and outstanding access to marine wildlife — sea lions, whale sharks and the pristine Espíritu Santo island. Choose Los Cabos for resort indulgence, La Paz for nature and a slower, local pace; many combine both.

Gray whales migrate to the peninsula's Pacific lagoons — chiefly San Ignacio Lagoon and Magdalena Bay — from roughly December to March to calve, and here the friendly mothers and calves famously approach the small boats to be touched, a world-renowned encounter. The Sea of Cortez side around La Paz also offers whale sharks (roughly October to April) and other whales and dolphins. Winter is the prime wildlife season, aligning nicely with the most pleasant weather.

The cooler months from November to May are the most pleasant in this hot desert state, with warm, sunny days, calm seas and — importantly — the winter gray-whale and whale-shark seasons. Summer (June to October) is very hot and is the Pacific hurricane season, when storms occasionally reach the peninsula. For the classic combination of good weather and marine wildlife, aim for the winter and spring.