All in the Family

Bring the kids — there's fun for all ages here

By Mark Chesnut

It’s never a surprise to see families enjoying time together in Los Cabos. But no matter how many parents bring their offspring here every year, one particular family always seems to attract the most attention, year-round. It’s the colony of sea lions that inhabit the stretch of water and rocks near the iconic Land’s End. Relaxed, playful and certainly appreciative of the region’s sunny beauty, these popular residents — viewed during countless daytime cruises — appear to share as much love for Los Cabos as the humans who snap their photos.

There was a time, of course, when Los Cabos didn’t have much to offer families. But as the destination has grown, diversified and gone upscale, it’s become an increasingly good option for families with children of all ages. With outdoor and nature activities, exciting tours and interesting children’s programs, there’s plenty to keep the younger set occupied and entertained.

Sea Life. Cabo San Lucas, the region’s biggest hub for dining, shopping and entertainment, is a popular place for families to begin their day. It’s home to the Cabo San Lucas Marina, where glass-bottom boat tours, kayak trips, sunset cruises and other ships set sail for adventure — and most daytime excursions include a sail past the rocks where those famous sea lions live. Families can book cruises with companies like Transcabo, Tropical Incentives and SunRider Tours, which offers snorkeling, whale watching and sunset cruises aboard a 65-passenger ship. Children under age 10 board for free (one per adult) on SunRider’s snorkel lunch excursion; or consider the sunset dinner, which includes music and a full dinner served near Land’s End.

Anyone visiting during the months of January, February or March may get a thrilling glimpse of yet another kind of family, when the annual migration season brings gray and humpback whales to the waters just off Los Cabos.

Visits between June and December provide still more opportunities for kids to learn about wildlife; in this case, the giant sea turtles that build nests in the sand. Local sea turtle rescue programs allow kids to witness hatchings and even, perhaps, help the babies make their way to the water.

Among the newest attractions for adults and kids interested in marine life is the Cabo Dolphin Center, operated by Cabo Dolphins at the Cabo San Lucas Marina. The Dolphin Kids program teaches children ages 4–9 about these fascinating mammals with a 30-minute introduction to the resident family of Pacific bottlenose dolphins, followed by a 15-minute supervised period during which kids can touch and interact with the dolphins.

Families looking for downtime at the beach can choose from several attractive stretches of sand — including Playa Médano in Cabo San Lucas, which serves up countless activities for all ages. Whether it’s beach volleyball, snorkeling, riding a Jet Ski or enjoying tasty cuisine at a beachfront restaurant, there’s something here for just about everyone. For a quieter alternative, families can head to Playa Chileno, named after a group of pirates from Chile that once used the cove as their headquarters. The pirates are long gone, and today, families find safe swimming and snorkeling in a scenic, uncrowded area.

The dramatic desert terrain surrounding Los Cabos offers its own array of interesting opportunities for kids to learn about nature. Kids ages 8 and up can hop aboard a 4x4 vehicle for the Desert Safari Jeep Tour, a four-hour excursion operated by Cabo Adventures that whisks travelers into the magnificent Baja desert, followed by an educational nature walk with a trained ecological guide. Kids ages 8 and up can also join the Cabo Adventures Canopy Tour, during which participants fly across a series of zip lines through scenic canyons.

Diversion at the Inn. The growing number of luxury resort hotels in Los Cabos means there are even more options for kid-friendly lodging, with an array of supervised activities right on site — including arts and crafts workshops, beach games and Spanish-language classes.

The Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort, for example, offers the Vacation Station, a club for children ages 4–12. The club’s roster of activities — which varies daily, to keep the offerings fresh — includes scrapbook making and cooking classes for kids. Special menus are available not only in the restaurants, but even in the spa — with tasty-sounding treatments that use chocolate, vanilla, strawberry and other deliciously scented foot scrubs and masks.

Activities at the Marquis Los Cabos Beach, Golf, Spa & Casitas Resort highlight Mexican culture, including piñata-making, ceramics and Latin dance. At the all-inclusive Dreams Los Cabos Suites Golf Resort & Spa, kids can test their skills during sandcastle contests and treasure hunts, and partake in evening programs including big-screen movie screenings outdoors and weekly campouts on the beach.

The Meliá Cabo Real All-Inclusive Beach & Golf Resort has not one but three kids’ clubs, each for a different age group — including those harder-to-satisfy teenagers, who can choose from daytime activities like beach volleyball, water polo, wall climbing and archery, and after-dark diversions including karaoke, night beach volleyball and beachside bonfires.

Sure, human families may require a bit more to keep themselves occupied than those relaxed-looking sea lions. But in a destination like Los Cabos, it’s easy to keep everyone happy.

Why is Cabo so much fun? There is so much to do! Click here for a list of dive, watersports, fishing and tour operators. You'll also find links to Cabo's world class golf courses, spas, adventure tours, horseback riding, wedding coordinators and cruises.