We love traveling in Mexico, and Los Cabos is a family favorite. Often we’re asked about planning a safe family vacation in Los Cabos, and it’s easy if you’re prepared. Just like any destination anywhere in the world, it’s good to take precautions to ensure everyone in the family feels safe and secure. The fact is, Los Cabos has a high safety record for travelers from the United States and all over the globe. We’ve organized a safe family vacation in Los Cabos several times without a ton of stress and anxiety. And you can too with our 6 tips for planning a safe family vacation in Los Cabos.
View from the rooftop pool at Garza Blanca Resort looking down at the pool areas and beach surf beyond.Of course, so much of any travel plan relies on your own set of standards. In our family, I tend to be a little more of a risk taker. Triton is a great balance for that, because he is more cautious and always wants to know where the nearest hospital is located. (Just in case, y’know).
After looking into the way Los Cabos has been handling health and safety during the pandemic as well as the overall crime statistics, we feel comfortable booking trips here. We knew it is possible to have a safe family vacation in Los Cabos.
Los Arcos marks the point in Cabo where the Pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Cortez.Los Cabos is a Great Family Destination
Without a doubt, Los Cabos is one of the most beautiful destinations in Mexico. The rocky desert terrain drops down into azure blue seas. The resorts are designed for maximum beauty, comfort and enjoyment. Most hotels, restaurants and shops all cater to an International clientele. And that gorgeous ocean offers bountiful ways to enjoy its riches. Americans love to flock here, which has helped Los Cabos become a top destination – particularly for Californians like us. The area hosts more than 3 million visitors a year from outside of Mexico.
Living in San Diego, the flight to Los Cabos is an easy 2 hours and 15 minutes south. We flew on Southwest Airlines direct from SAN to SJD because we had rewards to redeem, but easy flights are also available via the CBX Cross Border Xpress. This convenient bridge crosses from the US directly into the Tijuana International Airport, bypassing the border congestion. You can learn more about the advantages of using CBX here.
The Cross Border Xpress (CBX) in South San Diego is an easy access to flights within Mexico.Tips for Planning a Safe Family Vacation in Los Cabos
Now those that know us well are aware we are not nervous travelers. We typically are not overly worried about germs and other travel phobias, but the pandemic has been another thing entirely. We did our homework. After all this research, we wanted to share our top tips for planning a safe family vacation in Los Cabos.
1. Choose Your Hotel Wisely
After researching many options and looking at a lot of websites for COVID-safe practices and guest reviews, we decided on the Garza Blanca Resort for our most recent visit. Last year, we stayed at the Hyatt Ziva Resort Los Cabos and really enjoyed both properties.We wanted to stay in an all-inclusive resort, but that is not the only reason we chose these particular resorts. First and foremost, we wanted to feel confident we would be safe and healthy while staying at the resort. We looked at their protocols and cleaning practices, and were comforted by the rules they have in place. Many other resorts also clearly stated their COVID-safe policies and we would have also felt good about staying at the Hilton Los Cabos where we have stayed before. There were several other hotel companies that communicated their policies clearly, and all passed our test in this regard. This is truly one of the most important tips for planning a safe family vacation in Los Cabos.
View from the lobby of the Hyatt Riva Resort looking out over the Sea of Cortez.
2. Check That Your Hotel Is Located in a Safe Area
Equally important in our tips for planning a safe family vacation in Los Cabos is the location of the hotel itself.
The majority of hotels catering to travelers from outside Mexico are located in safe areas. Most of the larger resorts also have strict security protocols for even entering the hotel grounds. It’s common to enter through a security gate, manned 24-hours with a guard that checks names against a roster of registered guests. Then they call ahead to the bell desk so the hotel team can greet the guests when they depart the vehicle.
In all-inclusive resorts (and many others), guests are required to wear ID bracelets throughout their entire stay. The bracelets denote they are guests of the hotel in a very visible way. In some cases these bracelets are also their digital keys to enter their rooms, which further enhances security. A safety feature of many Hilton hotels is a new mobile key system that allows you to link the room to your mobile device and unlock the door from your phone.
If you are worried about safety, our recommendation is to stay in one of the larger resorts located in main tourist areas. These properties are most likely to have the highest level of security to ensure peace of mind during your visit.
On our recent stay at Garza Blanca, we felt 100% safe – even more so than some of the dodgier hotels we’ve visited in the United States.
Beach cabanas and lounge chairs are a safe bet at a private resort like Garza Blanca in Los Cabos.3. COVID-safe Protocols
All the staff and employees at most resorts in Los Cabos wear masks at all times. Guests were not required to wear masks on property and inside restaurants, bars and other on-property facilities. Many guests wore masks at their own discretion. At check-in, we were asked if we had been ill recently or shown any signs of symptoms. (We had not).
The hotel and every place we visited in Los Cabos were all very strict about their employees wearings masks. Particularly in the tourist areas, workers showed a great degree of respect for our personal safety. After all, if they had a serious outbreak and the news reached the US people would be less inclined to visit.
Resorts in Cabo are preparing meals and serving outdoors as much as possible.4. Consider an All-Inclusive Resort
I never thought I would be the one saying this, but all-inclusive resorts have been really growing on us. In the past, we have not typically been big fans, but lately going the all-inclusive route has been a fantastic choice. Not only because of all the food, activities, entertainment and fun (which were pretty great). Consider an all-inclusive resort because you don’t need to leave it very much. Everything a family might need is right on-property. If you find a resort where you feel safe, the vacation experience can be more relaxing without worrying about all the touch points and interactions you might encounter out and about.
The night time lights at Garza Blanca Resort make the place look like magic.5. Use a Car Service
If you’ve ever flown into a Mexican tourist destination, the airport exit is usually crowded with people offering you a ride. Many of these are not sanctioned or licensed, and therefore could be potentially less safe.
Many travelers suggested we hire a driver if we wanted to explore the area. This way, we could be sure the vehicle was ours alone to use and that the driver was licensed and secure. After researching the cost of this, we decided not to do it. Cost was the primary reason, because if it had been more affordable than $100 an hour we might well have considered it.
Our driver in Cabo made sure our ride was clean, safe and comfortable.Still, we did go off property a couple of times during our week-long vacation. We did not use a car service, but we managed those excursions carefully and successfully. Uber transported us to and from lunch at Flora Farms, which is one of my favorites restaurants in the world and I highly recommend it if you go to Los Cabos. When we went to dinner in downtown San Jose del Cabo one night, we also took an uber for the short ride there. A local taxi brought us back to the hotel, and we also felt safe with this licenses driver and vehicle. All drivers were wearing masks at all times.
All the dishes at Flora Farms are both beautiful and delicious, like this hummus platter.6. Plan Extra Time at the Airport
The Cabo San Lucas International Airport is bustling. All the time. We’ve never seen it not bustling, and during recent times it has been no different. The airport itself is modern, clean and very nice. After going through customs and departing the security area, travelers are led into a gauntlet of timeshare sales people, followed by another crowd of people offering you a ride. Walk past them all, and do not allow yourself to stop and get sucked into a conversation if you don’t want to add extra time to your arrival. It’s best to pre-arrange your transportation to the hotel. Often the hotel will offer this service for an extra fee. Take them up on it to avoid any hassle or question about safety.
When departing to return home, plan ahead, be prepared for long waits and give yourself at least an hour longer than you think you should. Keep your personal belongings close, as there have been reports of pickpockets in these highly crowded areas.
The Cabo airport is good, but not big enough to handle all the air traffic.Most Important: Have Fun!
Listen, you’ve done your homework, you’ve read this blog post all the way to the end, you’ve done everything you can to plan a safe and fun holiday in Los Cabos. Now go enjoy it and stop stressing!
More Fun Things To Do in Los Cabos
Our Badass Family Zipline Adventure in Los Cabos
