7 Best Family All-Inclusive Resorts in Los Cabos

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Look at the pool before the beach. Rip currents and undertow make swimming unsafe along many stretches of the Los Cabos coast. That makes the slides, the kids’ club and beds for four matter most. Book for those, then check the drive from the airport. Here’s where I’d stay, depending on how long your kids last in a car.

Family All-Inclusive Resorts in Los Cabos

Which Part of Los Cabos Suits Kids

Los Cabos is three zones along one highway, and the zone you pick sets the length of the drive and the feel of the evenings.

• San José del Cabo: Quieter and more traditional, with the shortest drive from the airport. Rip currents are a risk along this coast, so the resort pool does the swimming.
• Tourist Corridor: Highway 1 runs between the two towns here. Expect 25 to 40 minutes from the airport.
• Cabo San Lucas: Livelier, with a busy marina and Medano Beach, the best-known swimmable beach in Los Cabos. It is the longest transfer from the airport.

Beaches Where Kids Can Swim

Plenty of Los Cabos beaches have rip currents, so the tourism board’s short list of safe ones is worth knowing.

• Medano Beach: The Los Cabos Tourism Board counts it among the safest beaches in Cabo. It is the long town beach in Cabo San Lucas, in a protected bay on the Sea of Cortez side.
• Calm Corridor Bays: Chileno Beach, on the Tourist Corridor, is a Blue Flag beach with lifeguards. Swells that wrap round the peninsula turn even protected bays rough, so look at the water before the kids do.
• Pacific Side: Divorce Beach and the other Pacific-facing beaches have rip currents, shore break and rogue waves. Skip them for swimming, even in shallow water, however calm they look.
• Flags Decide It: Green means safe, yellow means swim with caution, red means no swimming and black means the beach is closed. Many Los Cabos beaches have no lifeguard or flag, so skip swimming where there is none. Check the flag every morning, because the water changes from day to day.

Getting From the Airport With Kids

Everything in Los Cabos is a drive from the airport, and the ground transfer is the first thing worth booking.

• Book a Private Car: A private transfer is priced per vehicle, so a family of four splits one fare. Shared shuttles charge per person and stop at other hotels on the way. Ask for child seats when you book.
• Walk Past the Desks: After customs, reps in the arrivals hall offer free tours and discounted transport vouchers. Say no, keep walking and look for your driver or the licensed taxi rank outside.
• Skip the App-Based Taxi: Don’t plan the first ride around an app-based taxi, because the taxi unions control pickups at the terminal. Use the apps in town once you’ve arrived.

Beds for a Family of Four

A room can sleep four on paper and still give the kids a sofa bed, so read the bed line before booking.

• Read the Bed Line: Room names rarely say how the beds are laid out. The Master King Room at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos – All Inclusive has one extra-large bed, and the Master Double Room has two double beds.
• Suites With Space: Junior suites at Dreams Los Cabos Suites Golf Resort & Spa measure 60 square meters. The Ocean View Double has two double beds.
• Kitchenettes Included: The junior suites at Pueblo Bonito Rose Resort & Spa – All Inclusive and Pueblo Bonito Los Cabos Blanco Beach Resort – All Inclusive both have two double beds and a kitchenette. Both resorts sit near Medano Beach in Cabo San Lucas.

All-Inclusive Details to Check Before You Pay

All-inclusive means different things from one resort to the next, and the room table shows which version you’re buying.

• Match the Meal Plan: Some Cabo resorts sell all-inclusive as an add-on to the room rate. Read the meal plan on the room row before paying, and book the rate that says All-Inclusive.
• Dinner Reservations: Most restaurants at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos – All Inclusive are walk-in, and Hibachi needs a reservation made at the lobby. Ask at check-in which dinners need a booking at your resort.
• Babysitting Costs Extra: Babysitting at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos – All Inclusive is on request at extra cost, separate from the kids’ club. Ask each resort the same question before booking.
• Vacation-Club Pitches: Vacation-club sales run in lobbies and by the pool at some Los Cabos resorts. Ask before booking whether a presentation is expected, and say no politely at the first desk.

When to Go With Kids

Los Cabos has a busy season in the cooler months and a storm season in late summer and fall.

• Busy Months: Hotel occupancy peaks from December to April. Book early for those dates.
• Whale Season: Whale-watching boats leave from the Cabo San Lucas marina from mid-December to April. That overlaps the busiest months, so book boat trips early.
• Storm Season: The eastern Pacific hurricane season runs from mid-May to the end of November, and September carries the most risk for Los Cabos. Rates are lower in September.

Day Trips That Work for Kids

Every resort here is a drive from the best day trips, so pick one or two and let the pool carry the rest.

• El Arco by Boat: Boats to the arch leave from the Cabo San Lucas marina. Lovers Beach, beside the arch, is reached only by boat and sits next to the dangerous Pacific side, so keep swimming to the boat stops with calm water.
• Todos Santos: Todos Santos is an art town about an hour north of Cabo San Lucas, known for its galleries. The Pacific beaches along the way are for looking only.
• Cabo Pulmo: Cabo Pulmo is a marine park, a drive of 90 minutes or more from San José del Cabo, and the snorkeling suits confident swimmers. Check each tour’s minimum age before booking for a 6-year-old.

FAQs

1. Do children need a passport to fly to Los Cabos?

US citizens need a passport book to fly to Mexico, and that includes children. The passport card works only for land and sea entry. Air travelers need a blank page for the entry stamp. Mexico issues a digital entry permit at international airports, so download the PDF and keep a copy for departure. A visa is only required for stays over 180 days.

2. Do kids need a consent letter to enter Mexico?

Mexico asks for no consent letter when foreign children travel with a parent or guardian. The US State Department says children travelling without a parent or guardian need notarized written permission. Mexican consulates describe looser rules, so carry a notarized letter whenever a parent is absent and check with your airline and the consulate before the flight. Canadian children need a valid passport of their own.

3. Is the tap water safe to drink at Los Cabos resorts?

Tap water in Mexico is not safe to drink, according to the CDC. Ask the resort whether its water and ice are purified, and drink bottled water if the answer is unclear. The CDC also advises against swallowing water while swimming or wading, and that covers pools. Remind the kids at the slides and splash areas.

4. Are US dollars accepted at Los Cabos resorts?

Hotels and many restaurants take US dollars, and major cards are widely accepted. Some smaller local businesses and street vendors take only cash, and local currency gives a better rate there. The resort front desk converts dollars. Ask which rate it applies before you hand over cash. Carry a few small bills for tips and market stalls.

5. Do you tip at all-inclusive resorts in Los Cabos?

Tipping is customary at Los Cabos resorts, including all-inclusives, though some resorts include gratuities in the rate. Bartenders, housekeepers and bellhops are commonly tipped, in dollars or local currency. Local currency spares staff the exchange cost. Carry small bills so tipping is quick at the bar and the pool. Ask at check-in whether your resort has a no-tipping policy.

6. How many nights should a family stay in Los Cabos?

Six to seven nights works well for a family. That gives the kids several pool days plus one or two day trips. Every resort is a drive from the airport, so the first and last days shrink quickly on a shorter stay. Book the transfer for both ends of the trip.

7. How do families protect kids from the heat and sun in Los Cabos?

Los Cabos health officials advise limiting outdoor activity in the hottest hours and scheduling tours early in the morning. Children develop heat illness faster than adults, so keep them in shade and give them plenty of water. Loose, light-coloured clothing helps. The CDC advises broad-spectrum sunscreen, which is sold in Mexico, and limiting prolonged sun exposure.