Bachelor Party Cabo Ideas: A Three-Day Plan That Actually Works

Every bachelor party we have helped plan in Cabo wanted the same three things: a day on the water, a night that goes late, and one dinner where nobody looks at their phone. The trick is the order. Here is the plan we hand to friends, with the places that handle a loud group of ten without blinking.

Day one: Medano Beach, then downtown

Mango Deck

Start here. Mango Deck is on Playa El Medano, opens at 8am, closes at 10pm, and is built for groups: bar games, live music, a quiz night, happy-hour drinks and food at the bar. $$, with a 4.4 rating from around 6,200 reviews. Claim a table by late morning in high season. By 2pm the whole beach is one party and you are already in it.

The Office

Next door on the sand, open 7am to 10pm. $$$, a 4.3 from over 5,300 reviews, live music and a slightly calmer table than Mango Deck. This is the lunch stop when half the group wants real food and the other half wants to keep the drink going.

Cabo Wabo Cantina

After dark, walk to Vicente Guerrero downtown. Cabo Wabo is open 9am to 11pm, $$, with live music, dancing and a 4.3 from more than 6,200 reviews. It is the most famous bar in town and the easiest place to lose a groom for an hour. From there the group usually rolls to El Squid Roe or La Vaquita for the dance-floor part of the night.

La Vaquita

High energy, loud music, cow-print everything. It is the unpretentious end of Cabo nightlife and the right kind of ridiculous for a bachelor group. Use official taxis or a pre-booked car to get back, and do not let anyone walk home alone.

Day two: the boat day

Book a private boat for the group and go out for the afternoon. The Arch, Lover's Beach and a swim stop are the standard loop, and a sunset return past the rocks is the photo everyone posts. If you are here between December and April, you will likely see humpback and gray whales on the way out. Book this before you fly, especially in peak season, and book direct with the operator, which our team has seen save 15 to 25 percent. Take the morning slow, eat a late breakfast at Mango Deck or The Office, and be at the dock by early afternoon.

Day two, dinner: the big table

Salvatore G's

Downtown on Vicente Guerrero, Italian, $$$, open 11am to 10:30pm (from 4pm on Sunday). A 4.8 from close to 2,000 reviews, which is the highest rating of any $$$ room we list in Cabo San Lucas. Handmade pasta, a long wine list and happy-hour drinks. Book a week out for a group of ten.

Los Tres Gallos

Traditional Mexican at Leona Vicario and 20 de Noviembre, $$, open 11am to 10pm every day, live music, a 4.4 from about 1,500 reviews. The better call if the group wants mole and mezcal rather than pasta, and it is easier on the bill.

Edith's Restaurante

On Av. del Pescador near Medano, $$$$, open 5pm to 10pm, with live music and a 4.5 from around 1,170 reviews. The splurge dinner. Tableside service and a mariachi moment for the groom. Reviews call it historic, and it feels that way.

Day three: recover in San José del Cabo

Jazmin's Restaurant

On Morelos in the San José art district, open 8am to 11pm, $$, a 4.5 from roughly 1,900 reviews. Breakfast is the reason to come. Chilaquiles, good coffee and a table in the shade.

Baja Brewing Company

The San José brewpub, open 11am to 10pm, $$, live music, a 4.5 from about 1,380 reviews. Beer made on site and a room where a hungover group can sit for three hours without anyone minding.

La Lupita Taco & Mezcal

Also on Morelos, open noon to 10:30pm, closed Monday. $$, a 4.6 from around 2,200 reviews, live music and rooftop seating. The mezcal list is the point, and tacos are the cure. This is where the trip ends on a good note.

Planning notes

• Peak season is December through April. Prices go up and everything needs advance booking, including dinner reservations for groups and VIP tables at the clubs.
• Pre-book your airport transfer from SJD. A van for the group is safer and cheaper than a fleet of taxis.
• Reserve the big dinners. Salvatore G's, Edith's and Los Tres Gallos all take groups, but a table of ten on a Saturday needs a call ahead.
• Carry small pesos. Tips run 15 to 20 percent and bar staff appreciate cash.
• Stay in Cabo San Lucas. The nightlife is here. San José is the day trip, not the base.

Beach, boat, big dinner, late night, tacos. That is the whole plan. Find the rest of where we eat and drink on our Cabo restaurants page.