The drive from Cabo San Lucas to Todos Santos takes about an hour on Highway 19, but the two places feel like different countries. Cabo runs on resort energy, marina crowds, and boat horns. Todos Santos moves at the pace of a plaza bench at siesta time. Splitting a week between them with kids means you get the calm-water beaches and dolphin encounters of the tourist corridor plus the galleries, mission history, and Pacific sunsets of a Pueblo Mágico — without turning every day into a long-haul transfer.
Not if you base in Cabo for the first 4–5 days and either overnight in Todos Santos or dedicate one full day there as a focused trip. The drive is short and scenic. The mistake is trying to do Todos Santos as a rushed afternoon after a morning boat tour — it deserves its own day. The bigger risk is booking too many activities in Cabo and having no energy left for the quieter half of the trip.
Why This Split Works for Families
Cabo San Lucas has the infrastructure — lifeguarded beaches, kids’ club programs, and tour boats that take children as young as one year old for dolphin interactions. Todos Santos has none of that, and that’s the point. The town’s compact historic center around the Plaza Principal is easy to walk with a stroller, the art galleries are small enough that kids won’t get bored in five minutes, and the main attraction — watching hatchling sea turtles scramble to the surf at Tortugueros Las Playitas — costs nothing and works for every age.
What you lose by staying only in Cabo: the experience of a Mexican town that isn’t built around tourists. What you lose by staying only in Todos Santos: reliable swimmable beaches and the full range of kid-oriented tour options. A week lets you have both without compromise.
Cabo’s family-friendly options cluster around the Sea of Cortez side. Médano Beach is the only swimmable beach in the main town area — calm, lifeguarded, lined with restaurants that expect kids. Chileno Bay and Santa Maria Bay, both a short drive up the Tourist Corridor, are Blue Flag certified coves with flat water and good snorkeling for children as young as five. You can build three full days around these beaches alone, rotating between them so no single morning feels like a repeat.
The glass-bottom boat tour to Land’s End Arch is the standard first boat trip for families — roughly 45 minutes to an hour, leaves from the marina or Médano, and the glass panel keeps younger kids engaged between sightings of sea lions and Pelican Rock. Some captains will drop you at Lover’s Beach for a stretch of sand time, but there are no facilities, no shade, and no lifeguards there. Skip the drop-off if your kids need bathroom access or you don’t want to haul your own umbrella.
The dolphin program in the Marina district accepts children as young as one year old, with the youngest staying in shallow water beside a specialist. The session uses guided hand signals, and kids can touch and splash. Book the earliest morning slot so the afternoon stays open for pool time. The listing tags this experience as American Humane Certified, which is the facility’s own designation — I’d still ask the operator directly about animal rotation and rest periods before booking.
For older kids, the zipline circuit in the Sierra de la Laguna foothills, about 40 minutes northeast of Cabo, features a line over 4,000 feet long and reaches speeds up to 100 km/h. The operator sets a minimum age of eight, and the circuit includes rappelling, suspension bridges, and a UTV drive. That’s a full-day commitment, not an afternoon add-on.
The Baja Pass is a $75 one-time purchase that gives 2-for-1 pricing on 24 activity partners, including the glass-bottom boat, camel safari, snorkeling tours, and ATV rentals. For a family of four, two passes ($150 total) can cut the activity bill roughly in half — the pass typically pays for itself on the first booking. All sales are final with no refunds.
Todos Santos sits 80 km (50 miles) north of Cabo on the Pacific coast, designated a Pueblo Mágico for its natural setting and colonial architecture. The historic center is small enough to cover on foot in a couple of hours — start at Misión Nuestra Señora del Pilar with its gold-leaf altar, then wander the surrounding blocks where local artisans sell handmade jewelry, pottery, and blankets. The Hotel California, founded by Chinese immigrant Mr. Wong, has original tile floors and aged beams; the hotel itself confirms the Eagles song has no connection to the place, though it leans into the association anyway.
The real draw for families is Tortugueros Las Playitas, a SEMARNAT-permitted nonprofit turtle camp a short drive from the center. The incubation greenhouse holds nests at a steady warm temperature, and the group patrols a long stretch of Pacific beach to relocate endangered nests. Public hatchling releases happen at sunset during release season and are open to all ages — everyone watches from a designated distance as hatchlings scramble to the surf. The camp posts each day’s release time earlier in the day; confirm before making the drive. During August, the Los Cabos coast is in peak hatching period, with release programs continuing beyond it.
Lunch at Oystera, a Michelin Guide oyster bar built where a sugar mill once stood, works as a late-morning stop while kids browse craft stalls. For a fuller meal, Jazamango serves farm-to-table dishes in a garden setting — reservations recommended. Save the Pacific beaches around Todos Santos for walking and photos, not swimming. The open Pacific runs big here. Playa Los Cerritos, 15 minutes south, is the exception — it’s swimmable and surf-friendly, with surf schools and board rentals on the beach.
Drive from Cabo to Todos Santos early — leave by 7:30 AM. You’ll arrive before the tour buses, have the plaza nearly to yourself, and finish the gallery walk before the heat settles in. The turtle release is at sunset, so you can stop at Cerritos Beach on the way back to Cabo for a late-afternoon swim.
The road into Tortugueros Las Playitas includes a short unpaved stretch. A rental SUV handles it fine, but a low-clearance sedan may struggle after rain. If you’re driving a standard car, park at the paved pull-off and walk the last 200 meters.
| Day | Morning | Afternoon | Evening | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (Arrival) | Travel, airport transfer | Resort pool, unpack | Easy dinner at resort or Médano Beachfront | Low-effort entry, no booked activities |
| 2 | Glass-bottom boat to Arch | Médano Beach, pool time | Marina stroll, watch fishing boats weigh catch | Young kids, first-time boat riders |
| 3 | Chileno Bay snorkeling (ages 5+) | Lunch at Flora Farms or resort | Dinner at Acre (farm-to-table, kids welcome) | Snorkel-ready kids, food-focused families |
| 4 | Camel safari (ages 5+) or dolphin program (ages 1+) | Pool, rest | Sunset sail or quiet resort dinner | Mixed-age siblings, non-swimmers |
| 5 (Todos Santos) | Drive north, mission, gallery walk | Lunch at Jazamango or Oystera, Cerritos Beach swim | Turtle release at Tortugueros Las Playitas | Cultural depth, wildlife experience |
| 6 (Todos Santos repeat or Cabo rest) | Sleep in, slow breakfast | Repeat favorite beach or explore San José del Cabo | Final dinner at El Squid Roe (kids welcome before 10 PM) | Flexible day, avoids over-scheduling |
The table above assumes you’re based in Cabo for the full week and driving to Todos Santos on Day 5. That works well for most families because you don’t have to pack and unpack twice. If you’d rather do a true split — two nights in Todos Santos — swap the Day 5 evening for a stay at Hotel San Cristobal (beachfront, good food) or Hotel Guaycura (historic landmark with a sky lounge). The trade-off: you lose the easy resort pool access for two days, and Todos Santos has no lifeguarded swimming beach within walking distance of town.
Getting Around with Kids
Renting a car is the most flexible option for the Todos Santos leg. Highway 19 is a well-maintained four-lane road, safe and well-traveled during daylight hours. Street parking near the Todos Santos plaza is free. If you don’t want to drive, the Aguila bus runs from the downtown Cabo bus station to Todos Santos for under $10 USD one way per person — cash only, credit cards not always accepted. A guided tour from Cabo handles the driving and includes a walking guide and lunch, which removes the navigation burden entirely.
For the Cabo days, pre-book private airport transfers from Los Cabos International Airport (SJD). The airport is closer to San José del Cabo than to downtown Cabo San Lucas — build the transfer time (roughly 35–60 minutes depending on your hotel) into your arrival and departure plans. Rideshare availability can vary; pre-booked services with car seats available are more reliable for families.
Drivers in Cabo cannot pump their own gas — attendants fill the tank. Watch for speed bumps (topes) in Todos Santos town; they’re not marked on the highway but appear suddenly on side streets. Avoid night driving on Highway 19 between Cabo and Todos Santos — livestock can wander onto the road after dark.
Beach Safety and the Flag System
This matters more than any other logistics detail. Cabo’s Pacific-facing beaches — Solmar, Divorce Beach, the stretch north of Todos Santos — have powerful undertow and are not safe for swimmers of any age. The calmest family swimming is on the Sea of Cortez side. Médano Beach in Cabo San Lucas has lifeguards on duty and water gentle enough for toddlers. Chileno Beach is a Blue Flag certified cove with a roped-off swimming section. Check the flag at every beach every morning: green means calm, yellow means caution, red means stay out of the water, black means the beach is closed, and white warns of jellyfish. Conditions change daily.
Reader Questions
Do kids need a passport to fly into Cabo San Lucas?
Every traveler flying into Los Cabos needs a valid passport book — a passport card is not enough for air travel, infants included. Mexico also issues a tourist entry permit to every visitor. A parent traveling without the other parent should carry a notarized letter of permission or proof of sole custody; officials may ask for it.
What’s the best month for a family week split between Cabo and Todos Santos?
November through April gives you zero hurricane risk, comfortable temperatures in the 70s–80s F, and peak whale watching (December–March). August and September are hotter and more humid, but turtle hatching peaks in August — if that’s your priority, accept the heat. May through early July is shoulder season with fewer crowds and lower prices, though hurricane season starts May 15 and the whales have departed.
Can toddlers swim at Cerritos Beach near Todos Santos?
Yes, with supervision. Cerritos is the most swimmable Pacific-side beach within reach of Todos Santos — gentle waves, surf schools, and a wide sand beach. But it’s open Pacific, not a protected cove. Keep toddlers within arm’s reach and check the flag. For guaranteed calm water, stick to Chileno Bay or Médano in Cabo.
Is the Todos Santos turtle release guaranteed on any given day?
No. The camp posts each day’s release time earlier in the day on its social media or by phone — confirm before driving up. During peak hatching season (August–December) releases happen most evenings, but a nest can delay by a day. Build flexibility into your Todos Santos plan so a missed release doesn’t ruin the day.
How much should I budget for a week of family activities?
A family of four can easily spend $1,200–$2,000 on activities alone across five days — glass-bottom boat ($20–$40 per person), camel safari ($100–$150 per person), snorkeling tour ($60–$110 per person), plus the Todos Santos day. A Baja Pass ($75 one-time, 2-for-1 pricing at 24 partners) can cut that roughly in half for two adults covering two kids as their guests. All pass sales are final with no refunds.
End the week where you started: on Médano Beach. Let the kids have one last swim while you sit at a beachfront table and watch the pelicans work the marina. The contrast between Cabo’s boat-horn energy and Todos Santos’ plaza quiet will stay with you longer than any souvenir from the gallery walk. For a deeper dive into building your Cabo days, read our Cabo San Lucas destination guide.
