The Complete Cabo Bucket List: 16 Things Worth Doing at Least Once

A bucket list should be short enough to finish. This one has sixteen things on it, and you can do most of them in a week without rushing. We left out anything we would not do again ourselves. Where a restaurant is named, the hours, price level and rating are from our listings.

On the water

1. See the Arch from a boat. Land's End is the reason Cabo is on the map, and it looks nothing like the photos until you are under it. Go in the morning, when the water is calmest.

2. Go out in whale season. December through April, the whales are here. It lines up with the best weather of the year, 75 to 85°F and dry, so plan the trip around it if you can.

3. Start a day on Medano Beach. The Office opens at 7am with tables on the sand. $$$, a 4.3 from over 5,300 reviews. Breakfast first, swim second.

4. Stay for the beach club afternoon. SUR Beach Club, 8:30am to 10:30pm, $$, 4.6 from about 1,070 reviews. The calmer end of Medano. Mango Deck is next door in spirit if you want the loud version.

At the table

5. Sunset at Sunset Monalisa. Km 6 on the Corridor, $$$$, open 4pm to 10:30pm, a 4.5 from over 2,100 reviews. Book the hour before the sun goes down.

6. Dinner on the cliff at El Farallon. Cam. del Mar 1, $$$$, 3pm to 11pm, 4.5 from close to a thousand reviews. The one fine dining room on this list with late-night food.

7. A long lunch at Flora Farms. Las Ánimas Bajas, $$$, 4.7 from about 3,400 reviews. Closed Monday. Lunch runs 11am to 1:30pm Tuesday to Saturday, and Sunday is 10am to 2pm.

8. Tacos and mezcal at La Lupita Taco & Mezcal. San José art district, $$, noon to 10:30pm, closed Monday, with live music and a rooftop. A 4.6 from around 2,200 reviews.

9. Traditional Mexican at Los Tres Gallos. Downtown Cabo San Lucas, $$, 11am to 10pm, live music, 4.4 from about 1,500 reviews.

10. One properly Italian night. Salvatore G's, $$$, the highest rated room on this list at 4.8 from nearly 2,000 reviews. Open 11am to 10:30pm, from 4pm on Sunday.

After dark

11. Live music at Cabo Wabo Cantina. Vicente Guerrero, $$, 9am to 11pm, with dancing and a 4.3 from more than 6,200 reviews. Once is the right number of times, and it is a good once.

12. A last drink at Outpost. On the Marina, open until 1am, $$, with a rooftop and a 4.6 from around 1,140 reviews. Where the night ends when everything else has closed.

On land

13. Play one of the big three golf courses. Quivira Golf Club, Cabo del Sol Ocean Course and the Diamante Dunes Course. Peak season green fees run $195 to $475. Book a 7 or 8am tee time: cooler, calmer wind, better light.

14. Ride a horse on the Pacific side at sunset. A quiet beach, no crowd, and the best light of the day. It is our pick for an anniversary.

Day trip

15. Drive to Todos Santos for lunch. Oystera does oysters and seafood, $$$, 10am to 9pm (noon to 8pm Monday), 4.6 from close to 1,500 reviews. Jazamango is farm-to-table, $$, 1pm to 9pm, closed Tuesday, 4.5 from around 1,140. Pick one, walk the town, drive home before dark.

For an occasion

16. Mark it at golden hour. A proposal, an anniversary, a birthday: do it in the hour before sunset, when the light is soft and the sky does the decorating. Add a mariachi serenade if you want the full Mexico version. Nobody forgets that one.

How to plan it

• When. November to April is peak season: dry, sunny, 75 to 85°F. Summer is hotter and more humid, with better value and fewer people.
• Reservations. Book Sunset Monalisa, El Farallon and Flora Farms ahead in peak season.
• Two towns. Cabo San Lucas is the Marina, Medano and the late nights. San José del Cabo is the art district and the earlier dinners. Split your list between them.
• Mondays. Flora Farms and La Lupita are closed.
• Tipping. 15 to 20 percent, pesos welcome.

Sixteen things, one week, no filler. Start with the tables: they are all on our Cabo restaurants page.