Best Tours and Excursions in Cabo San Lucas

This 60' yellow semi-submersible takes guests on short but memorable 75-minute tours of Cabo San Lucas Bay, with abundant views of the local marine life from their climate-controlled underwater viewing cabin, and the occasional Beatles song (you guess which one) as mood music. Helpful guides allow you to identify up to 70 types of fish (everything from dolphins and whales to colorful puffer fish), and if it isn't on the chart, the crew are readily available to answer questions. On the return trip, the submarine hugs the coast near Land's End, offering up-close looks at The Arch, and other notable rock formations like Pelican Rock and Neptune's Finger.

Enjoy incredible aerial views of Médano Beach, Pedregal, Land's End, The Arch, and Bahía San Lucas from a motorized ultralight. Pilot Ernesto Magaña has over 30 years of flying experience, and offers some of Cabo San Lucas' most exhilarating tours. Depending on your fear factor, there are basically two settings: smooth and extreme. Extreme is recommended. Either way, this is a sightseeing dream, with stunning views of all the local landmarks from a thousand feet in the air. Tour durations range from 10 minutes (Land's End Tour) to one hour (King Sky Tour), with the latter including a jaunt to San José del Cabo.

The Pez Gato fleet of catamarans boast some of the area's finest cruising tours, from cool sunset "wine and jazz" excursions aboard the smooth-sailing Tropicat to "fiesta dinner" outings with a Mexican buffet and open bar on the double-decker power cat Cabo Mar. Fleet flagship Pez Gato and newcomer Pez Gato III, meanwhile, offer snorkeling trips to gorgeous Santa Maria Bay, seasonal whale watching expeditions (mid-December to mid-March), and lively party cruises featuring drinking and dancing. All tours showcase guided looks at the evocative granite monuments found at the half-mile Land's End headland, such as Pelican Rock, Neptune's Finger, Cerro Blanco, Scooby Doo Rock, and El Arco (The Arch).

Surf lessons at beginner-friendly breaks at Playas Costa Azul and Los Cerritos may be the most sought-after water-based activities option from High Tide – at least with kids – but the company's most iconic offering is a tandem kayak paddle out to Land's End and the Arch, with a stop at Lover's Beach for sun, sand, snorkeling, snacks and superb photo opportunities. Stand up paddle boards are also available on this tour, which is a great option for visiting couples. "Two Bay" snorkel tours are also offered by High Tide, as are hiking excursions in picturesque Fox Canyon. Less active pursuits include private off-road jeep explorations of Todos Santos and East Cape sites like Cabo Pulmo.

Cuadra San Francisco is one of the Los Cabos area's hidden gems, offering virtually every equine-related activity imaginable: trail rides over local terrain, romantic rides along secluded beaches, carriage rides for weddings or special events...even polo lessons. The late Francisco Barrera trained under Nuno Oliveira, the Portuguese legend considered by many to be the most outstanding horseman of the 20th century, and his son Valente excels at teaching dressage, and the traditional techniques of Mexican vaqueros. The stables are located in the Tourist Corridor, just off the Cabo Real golf course, and maintain over 60 horses. Pony-sized horses with special saddles are available for kids, who can take riding lessons, as well as studying dresssage, reining, Western pleasure, and other equine arts.

Few local adventure companies can match Cabo Expeditions' variety of eco-themed activities, which include whale watching and swimming with whale sharks (seasonal), parasailing, snorkeling, kayaking, and day trips to Isla Espíritu Santo off the coast of La Paz. Perhaps the best thing about the company's collection of land and water-based activities is that they cover a good portion of Baja California Sur, and thus provide visitors with wide-ranging introductions to the area's incredible biodiversity. The Land's End snorkel tour is a great introduction to local flora and fauna, both above and below the surface. Adults and kids ages 5 and up will enjoy the snorkeling at Pelican Rock, where an upwelling effect contributes to the profusion of colorful marine life. Sightseeing stops at the sea lion colony and iconic Arch, meanwhile, offer abundant photo opportunities.

Racing fans will be familiar with the legendary Baja 1000, the off-road race that winds down the peninsula from Ensenada to La Paz (or loops back to Ensenada), with everything from motorcycles, buggies, and trucks trying to weather the shock-busting desert conditions. Wide Open Cabo offers visitors a taste of these challenging conditions, with experiences, tours, and races that last from a few hours to three days. A Taste of Cabo is the introductory experience, a three hour adventure that includes up to 45 miles of off-road driving in an authentic $100,000 Baja Challenge race car. The car features a custom made Chromoly chassis, 4-speed manual transmission, 18 inches of suspension shocks and springs, safety harness, and a fresh air supply to combat the desert dust.

Cabo Adventures is among the top activities companies in Los Cabos, with an impressive array of outdoor excursions that include dolphin swims, scuba dives, whale watching outings, outback camel tours, mountain biking and zip lining through a UNESCO protected biosphere in the Sierra de la Laguna mountain range. For adrenaline junkies, the zip line tour is the one most likely to set the heart racing, with a series of lines criss-crossing rugged terrain in the Boca de Sierra. The longest line, dubbed Superman, stretches for nearly a mile and requires riding face down at speeds up to 60 mph. The views are spectacular, from the elevated launch point to exhilarating stretches where you seem to be flying just above the tree (and cactus) line.

Based on a concept similar to that to the popular reality television show Amazing Race, A-Maze-In Cabo Race is at heart a tour around the city that offers participants an introduction to the area's signature sights, as well as a few lesser known landmarks. This is no typical self-guided tour, however. It's a fun-filled adventure/competition, with teams consisting of couples, family members or friends racing to decipher clues, solve puzzles and win interactive challenges in an effort to be first to the finish line. In addition to their classic race tour, A-Maze-In Cabo Race also offers fun-filled pub crawls, as well as tours custom tailored for birthdays, bachelorette parties, weddings and team building exercises. Race briefings are held at Giggling Marlin in downtown Cabo San Lucas.

The 144' luxury catamaran Caborey is the premier cruise ship in Los Cabos, best known for its popular margarita and dinner cruises. The premier sunset dinner and show cruise is one of the great local dining experiences, particularly for those who are in town for a short time and want to get a feel for the local landscape, culture and cuisine. Enjoy romantic sunset views of Cabo San Lucas Bay, Médano and Lovers' Beaches, and the unique rock formations such as El Arco that stretch out towards Land's End. There are two below-deck areas for dinner, depending upon your ticket preference. There is a buffet on the middle deck, and a sit-down dinner on the lower deck with a choice of entrées. After the sit-down dinner, there is a rousing Las Vegas-style floor show featuring Mexican and Latin American singing and folk dances, headlined by a passionately romantic Argentine style tango.