Getting Around Los Cabos
By Chris Roberts
Some will tell you the best way to see the sights of Los Cabos is by foot, but no matter where you choose to stay, a car is a must if you want to experience both Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo or take a side trip. Car rental agencies can be found at most hotels, in the airport and downtown. The smooth four-lane Corridor highway connecting San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas has been improved, now with more safety features. The drive is a breeze from the airport to either town, but surrounding areas are still under development.
A government-funded highway patrol — the Green Angels — patrols the Corridor, providing emergency service for people encountering car trouble.
Car Rental Tips:
- Minimum age to rent is 24
- Valid driver's license and major credit card are required
- Mileage is free
- Rent from an agency with multiple locations so if you need it, help is close by
- Gas prices are about the same as in the United States
- Bring back the car with the same amount of gas
- Expect to pay $14-$16 per day for local insurance coverage (your own company may not cover you in Mexico)
Car Rental Agencies at the Airport:
| Avis | 1-800-331-1212 |
| Budget | 1-800-527-0700 |
| Dollar | 1-800-800-4000 |
| Hertz | 1-800-654-3131 |
| National | 1-800-227-3876 |
| Payless | 1-800-PAYLESS |
Harley Davidson Motorcycle Rentals
Blvd. Lazaro Cardenas s/n
Centro Comercial Puerto Paraiso Mall
Cabo San Lucas
Tel: 011 52 624 14 333 37
Fax: 011 52 624 14 333 77
E-mail: cabos@harley-davidson.com.mx
Website: www.harley-davidson.com (English)
www.harley-davidson.com.mx (Spanish)
It's all about the experience. Contact Harley-Davidson in Cabo San Lucas for the ride of your life. You'll find rentals, sales, clothing and the Harley-Davidson Bar & Grill in Puerto Paraiso Mall.
Taxis: From Hotel Finisterra in Cabo San Lucas to the airport, the rate is $56 for the carload. From Casa Natalia hotel in San José, it's about $15. To get from one town to the other, you can expect to pay about $35. Red and yellow taxi vans operate in San José; blue and green vans cruise Cabo San Lucas. These vans are available 24 hours a day and are never far away.
Public Bus: For those who like to do as the locals do, live the adventure of a public bus. They run as shuttles between the two towns. The ride takes about an hour with highway stops at major hotels along the Corridor. The cost is less than $2 one way.
Arriving at the Airport: Longtime residents remember when the airport terminal was just a cart selling Coca-Cola. Now there are three large buildings located 20 minutes north of San José. One is for Delta, Alaska and most large charters; another is for private flights; and the recently remodeled terminal hosts all other commercial airlines.
When traveling abroad, all passengers must pass through customs and immigration. You will need a current passport or certified birth certificate, accompanied by a valid photo I.D. Once you have passed through immigration, collect your luggage and proceed to customs. It's quick and easy. Passengers push a button on a traffic light. If the light turns red, be ready for your luggage to be inspected.
After passing through the customs and immigration area, you might be greeted by time share salespeople eager to get your attention.
Airport Shuttles: Unless you've arranged pick-up by your hotel, yellow and white mini buses are the best bet to bring you to your destination. When they are full, you leave. So if you're the first in, you'll have to wait. Fares range from $8 to $15 per person depending on your hotel destination.
Airline Update: Although Los Cabos' first connections to the outer world were by land and sea, air transportation has been most important in shaping its future. The first airline to service Southern Baja was Aeronaves de México, which began flights between the mainland and La Paz in 1941. At press time, there were 144 weekly nonstop flights to Los Cabos from international destinations and 62 weekly nonstop flights from within Mexico.
AeroMexico offers daily nonstop service from San Diego and connecting flights from Ontario, California. Alaska Airlines operates nonstop flights from Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco, and connecting flights from Seattle. Alaska is also starting nonstop service from Portland. American Airlines has daily nonstop service from Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles, plus seasonal service from New York's JFK Airport. America West offers nonstop service from Las Vegas and Phoenix, as well as connecting flights from Oakland, Ontario and San Diego, California. Continental has nonstop flights twice daily from Houston and nonstop service from Newark that varies in frequency seasonally.
Delta has nonstop service from Atlanta, Salt Lake City and New York, and connecting flights from Cincinnati. Mexicana offers nonstop flights from Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Sacramento. Northwest offers connecting flights from Minneapolis and Detroit. United operates nonstop flights from Chicago, Denver and San Francisco. Frontier now operates three weekly nonstop flights from Denver and is starting nonstop service from Los Angeles and Kansas City. Apple Charters offers charter flights on a seasonal basis from Detroit (via Cancun), Minneapolis and St. Louis (via Cancun).
Nonstops to Los Cabos:
- Atlanta via Delta Air Lines
- Chicago via American Airlines and United
- Dallas via American Airlines
- Denver via Frontier and United
- Houston via Continental
- Las Vegas via America West and Mexicana
- Los Angeles via Alaska Airlines, American Airlines and Mexicana
- Mexico City via Mexicana
- New York via Delta
- Phoenix via America West
- Portland via Alaska Airlines
- Sacramento via Mexicana
- Salt Lake City via Delta
- San Diego via Alaska Airlines and AeroMexico
- San Francisco via Alaska Airlines and United
Airline Telephone Numbers:
| Aero California | 1-800-237-6225 |
| AeroMexico | 1-800-237-6639 |
| American Airlines | 1-800-433-7300 |
| Apple Charters | 1-800-828-0639 |
| Alaska | 1-800-426-0333 |
| America West | 1-800-235-9292 |
| Continental | 1-800-525-0280 |
| Delta | 1-800-221-1212 |
| Frontier | 1-800-432-1359 |
| Mexicana | 1-800-531-7921 |
| Northwest | 1-800-225-2525 |
| United | 1-800-864-8331 |
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