Best Resort Pools in Cabo, Ranked: From Seven-Pool Giants to One Private Plunge

Most of the ocean in Cabo is not for swimming. The Pacific side has real current, and even the calm bays change with the wind. So the pool is not a nice extra here, it is where you will spend your afternoons. We ranked the resort pools we list by what they actually give you: how many pools, who they are for, and whether the water is warm when you get in. Rates are the lowest per-night rate on file for each resort, and scores are guest ratings out of 10.

The big pool complexes

Grand Solmar Land's End Resort & Spa

Seven outdoor pools and a private beach at Land's End, on the Cabo San Lucas side. That is the most pools of any resort on our list, and the suites have kitchens and balconies. From $562 a night, a 9.2 from around 230 reviews. If you want to spend a week without leaving the property, start here.

Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach

Six outdoor pools on the Pacific side, plus a private beach, a spa and eight restaurants, all-inclusive. From $351 a night, an 8.6 from about 410 reviews. The Pacific means you look at the ocean rather than swim in it, which is exactly why the six pools matter.

Hard Rock Hotel Los Cabos

Five outdoor pools, a waterslide and the guitar-shaped pool the resort is known for, in San José del Cabo. All-inclusive, from $591. Reviews are split here, a 7.8 from close to 280, so go for the energy and the slide, not for quiet.

The family pools

Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos

Lagoon-style pools, a water park and swim-up access, in an all-inclusive built for families in San José del Cabo. From $590 a night, an 8.6 from around 270 reviews. If your kids are the ones deciding, this is the pool.

Dreams Los Cabos Suites Golf Resort & Spa

Three pools, a kids club, golf and beach yoga, all-inclusive in San José del Cabo. From $427, an 8.8 from over 660 reviews, which is the biggest review count in the family group. Good value for a mixed-age trip.

The adults-only pools

Le Blanc Spa Resort Los Cabos

Four outdoor pools with swim-up suites, butler service and a spa with sauna and steam room, adults only, on the Corridor. From $974 a night, a 9.6 from about 425 reviews. The most polished pool day on the list, priced like it.

Marquis Los Cabos

Three outdoor pools, the infinity kind, an adults-only all-inclusive on the Corridor with five restaurants. From $613, a 9.2 from around 385 reviews. This is the honeymoon pool.

Nobu Hotel Los Cabos

Four outdoor pools with Japanese-inspired design and the restaurant the hotel is named for, in San José del Cabo. From $490, a 9.6 from close to 290 reviews. Quieter than the all-inclusives and better looking than most.

The view pools

The Cape, a Thompson Hotel

Two pools on the cliffs looking straight at the Arch, on the Cabo San Lucas side. From $510, a 9.6 from about 300 reviews. Not the most pools, but the best thing to look at from one.

Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal

Every guest gets a private pool. The resort sits on the Pedregal cliffs, reached through its own tunnel, with a secluded beach area. From $1,369 a night, and it holds a perfect 10 from around 215 reviews. One pool, yours, is the whole pitch, and it works.

The small heated pools

If you are staying in town and want a warm pool on a cool winter morning, the boutique hotels win. Casa Natalia in the San José art district has a heated pool in a garden, adults only, from $199 with a 9.2. Drift San José del Cabo has a heated outdoor pool and 29 rooms from $116, an 8.5. Guaycura Boutique Hotel in Todos Santos has an open-air heated rooftop pool with a sky bar, from $287, a 9.2. Hotel El Ganzo, on the marina in San José, pairs its pool with a hot tub, from $283, a 9.2 from about 520 reviews.

Before you book

• Rates move a lot. Peak season is December through April. Summer is 30 to 50 percent cheaper with occasional afternoon rain. Book peak season all-inclusives six to nine months out.
• Get three quotes. The same room can differ by $200 a night between the resort's own site, group sales and third-party sellers.
• Check the red flags on the beach before you swim in the ocean. When in doubt, that is what the pool is for.

Seven pools for a week, a private plunge for a honeymoon, a heated boutique pool for a winter weekend. Compare every property on our Cabo resorts page.