Private yacht charters in Cabo San Lucas

From $519 for two hours on the Chaparral 28, which carries up to 10 guests, to $11,199 for eight hours on the McKinna 70 with a chef on board. Four hours on a 40 to 45 foot yacht for 12 guests runs from $1,499 to $2,099. Every price is per boat, not per person, and includes the captain, the crew and the 16% tax.

Yes. One group per yacht, always. You never share the deck, the route or the schedule with strangers, and rates are per boat, not per person.

The yacht, the captain and crew, and everything listed on the yacht page, such as snorkel gear. Every charter price includes the 16% tax. The customary 15% crew tip and food on boat-only yachts are extra; the planner adds them up for you before you send anything. Menu prices are cash prices, and credit card payments add 16% tax.

A written reply within 2 hours, 8 AM to 8 PM Cabo time.

A deposit holds your date and your yacht. Once we confirm your date in writing, we send it as a secure Stripe link (card, Apple Pay or Google Pay). You pay the rest at the dock on the day, by card or in cash. Want to pay everything in cash at the dock? Ask us before you book.

Safety comes first. In Cabo the Port Captain (Capitanía de Puerto, part of Mexico's Navy) decides when the harbor closes to small boats, under Article 37 of Mexico's Navigation and Maritime Commerce Law. Closures follow the wind, swell and storm forecasts and can be partial: sometimes only the Pacific side closes while the bay stays open. The harbor only closes when there is a hurricane or storm threat or another extraordinary situation, and most closures fall between September and mid-October. A closure is a safety protocol to protect everyone on board. If the Port Captain closes the harbor, your charter moves to another date or your payment comes back in full. Official rules: Operating Rules of the Port of Cabo San Lucas (PDF, in Spanish).

No. Humpback whales come to Cabo from November to April, but they are wild animals, so no one can promise a sighting. The crew follows Mexico's whale-watching rules (NOM-131-SEMARNAT-2010) and keeps its distance.

Prices are listed in US dollars (USD) and in Mexican pesos (MXN); use the currency selector on the page to switch. Both include the 16% tax, and your payment link comes in the currency you choose.

Two hours on most yachts, three on the Sea Ray 55, the Sea Ray 65, the Azimut 70 and the McKinna 70. Two hours is the classic sunset cruise; four hours gets you the Arch plus a snorkel stop at Santa María Bay.

Each yacht boards at its own dock in Marina Cabo San Lucas, in downtown Cabo; your exact dock and a map link come on your boarding pass. The Sea Ray 65 meets you instead at Fisherman's Landing restaurant, by the Cabo Escape terminal.

Sunscreen, swimwear, sunglasses, a light layer for the evening and cash for the crew tip. Towels are included on some yachts; each yacht page says which.

Yes, absolutely. Bring whatever you like on any yacht. If you would rather not carry it, add Chef Benny's menu in the planner and it is loaded before you leave the dock.

Only on the Azimut 70 and the McKinna 70, whose charters include complimentary drinks served by the yacht's own crew. On every other yacht we do not sell or serve alcoholic drinks. You are welcome to bring your own; every yacht has a cooler with ice, and the planner sells sodas, water and food.

Only on the McKinna 70. It runs a private sport-fishing charter to the Golden Gate Bank, northwest of Cabo, for marlin, with a Mexican sport-fishing license for each angler on board included. It's quoted separately: ask for it when you request your date. The other yachts are pleasure yachts without fishing permits, so fishing and fishing gear are not allowed on them.

Yes. Tell us your ship and your all-aboard time. Two hours covers the Arch, the sea lions and Lover's Beach, and we plan the departure so you are back at the dock at least an hour before all-aboard.

Yes. Tell us the ages in your request so the right life jacket sizes are on board. The cabin cruisers and the Sea Ray 55 are the easiest yachts with small children.

Cabo is on Mountain Standard Time all year, the same as Arizona. No daylight saving.