Just Landed in Cabo? Your First 35 Minutes From SJD

The plane door opens, the warm air hits you, and you are officially in Los Cabos. Now comes the part that sets the tone for the whole trip: getting from the gate to your pool chair. Do it right and you are holding a cold drink about 35 minutes after the curb if you are staying on the Corridor. Here is how we handle the first stretch, from customs to your front door.

Where you actually land

Los Cabos International Airport, code SJD, sits about 11 km from San José del Cabo. That one fact explains every drive time in this post. San José is the closest town. One highway runs from there along the coast, through the Tourist Corridor, and ends in Cabo San Lucas.

The airport has more than one terminal. Terminal 1 handles all domestic flights and some international ones, and Terminal 2 is international only. Check your boarding pass, and if someone is picking you up, give them your flight number so they wait at the right door.

The walk through arrivals

After customs you walk into a hall full of desks and friendly people offering rides, tours and deals. Smile, say gracias, and keep walking. Nothing you need is in that hall.

If you booked a private transfer, your driver waits outside, past the sliding doors, holding a sign with your name. If you did not book anything, the authorized taxi stand is outside too. Either way, the answer is outside.

Your ride options

• Pre-booked private transfer. Our pick for a first trip. The price is set before you land, the driver tracks your flight, and you go straight to your hotel or villa. See our transfer routes and vehicles.
• Shared shuttle. Cheaper and slower, since the van can stop at other hotels before yours.
• Authorized taxi. Fine if you did not plan ahead. Agree on the fare to your hotel before you get in. Fun local detail: the red and yellow taxi vans work San José del Cabo, and the blue and green ones run through Cabo San Lucas.
• Rental car. Worth it if you plan day trips up the coast. Visit Los Cabos says agencies ask for a driver's license and a major credit card, and you need to be at least 24.
• Your hotel's ride. Some resorts set up airport transportation for you. Ask when you book your room.

Our honest advice: have your ride sorted before the wheels touch down. It is the easiest way to start the trip.

How long the drive takes

These are the drive times we plan our own transfers around. Traffic and the time of day can move them a little, so treat them as a guide.

• San José del Cabo: about 20 minutes
• Puerto Los Cabos: about 20 minutes
• Costa Azul: about 22 minutes
• Palmilla: about 25 minutes
• Cabo del Sol: about 30 minutes
• Tourist Corridor: about 35 minutes
• Medano Beach: about 48 minutes
• Cabo San Lucas and Pedregal: about 50 minutes
• East Cape and Todos Santos: about 70 minutes

So if you land at 2 and you are staying in San José del Cabo, you can be in town before most people finish their first margarita. Staying on the Corridor? You are about halfway down the coast. Heading to Cabo San Lucas? Settle in, roll the window down, and watch the coastline for the last stretch. It is a pretty way to arrive.

Money and your phone in the first hour

Pesos are the currency here. Dollars are taken in a lot of tourist spots, but each place sets its own rate, and pesos usually get you the better deal. You do not need much cash on day one. A few small bills, 20, 50 and 100 peso notes, cover a tip for your driver and a snack.

• Use a bank-affiliated ATM, the kind inside or attached to a real bank branch. Withdraw in pesos.
• When an ATM or card terminal offers to charge you in dollars, say no and pick pesos. Your bank's rate is almost always better.
• Tell your bank you are traveling, and bring a card with no foreign transaction fee if you have one.
• Prices in pesos often use a $ sign. A $45 taco is 45 pesos, not 45 dollars.

For your phone, keep it simple. Download offline maps before you leave home, so your map works even if your signal drops on the highway. Save your hotel or villa address and phone number somewhere you can show a driver without a signal. Our full Cabo money guide covers tipping and cash in more detail.

Small habits that make the trip easier

• Book the transfer round trip. The ride back to the airport is the one people forget.
• Send your driver the flight number, not only the landing time, so a delay does not leave you waiting.
• Grab a hotel business card on day one and hand it to any driver who needs directions.
• Landing early? Many hotels check in around 3 pm. Ask them to hold your bags, change in the lobby, and start the trip at the pool.

For a deeper look at where each hotel sits and how check-in works, read our SJD airport to hotel guide. Once you are checked in, our first 48 hours in Cabo plan picks up right where this one stops, and the Ultimate Cabo Guide has the rest of the trip.

Frequently asked questions

How far is SJD airport from Cabo San Lucas?

Our transfer routes put SJD to Cabo San Lucas at roughly 50 minutes. The airport sits about 11 km from San José del Cabo, so San José is the short ride and Cabo San Lucas is the long one.

Should I take a taxi or book a private transfer?

Both work. Authorized taxis run from the airport, and you agree on the fare before you get in. A pre-booked private transfer has the price set before you land and a driver waiting outside with your name, which is what we pick for a first trip.

Do I need pesos when I land?

Not a lot. Pesos are the currency and they usually get you the better deal on small things like tips. Use a bank-affiliated ATM, withdraw in pesos, and say no when the machine or card terminal offers to convert to dollars for you.

Which terminal will I land in?

The airport operator says Terminal 1 handles all domestic flights and some international ones, and Terminal 2 is international only. Check your boarding pass and send your driver the flight number so they meet you at the right door.

Key takeaways

• SJD is about 11 km from San José del Cabo. San José is roughly 20 minutes away, the Corridor about 35 and Cabo San Lucas about 50.
• After customs, walk straight through the hall of desks. Your booked driver waits outside the sliding doors with a name sign.
• Book your ride before you fly and send the driver your flight number, not only the landing time.
• If you take a taxi, agree on the fare before the car moves.
• Carry a few small peso bills for tips, use bank ATMs, and always choose pesos on the card terminal.
• Download offline maps at home so your map works without a signal.

Want the easy version? Book your private transfer from SJD before you fly, and your driver will be outside the sliding doors with your name on the sign. Questions about your arrival? Message our concierge on WhatsApp and we will sort it out with you.