Cabo cruise port day: a private boat to the Arch and back before all-aboard
How to fit a private boat to the Arch, the sea lions and Lover's Beach into a Cabo cruise stop and still make all-aboard.
In this guide
- How does the Cabo cruise port tender work?
- What can you see in 2 hours from the cruise port?
- Which yacht works best for a cruise group?
- How do you time a charter around all-aboard?
- Can you bring food and drinks off the ship?
- Private boat or the ship's own excursion?
- What to bring off the ship
- What if the weather turns?
- Booking your cruise port boat
Yes, you can see the Arch on a cruise stop in Cabo San Lucas without joining a shared tour. A private boat for 2 hours covers Pelican Rock, the sea lions, the Arch and Lover's Beach, starting at USD 519 (MXN 9,799) per boat, and we plan the departure so you're back at the dock at least an hour before all-aboard.
How does the Cabo cruise port tender work?
Cabo San Lucas has no pier for big ships. They anchor in the bay and tender passengers to Marina Cabo San Lucas, a ride of about 10 minutes. The tender landing is on the south side of the marina, and downtown starts right behind it.
That setup makes a boat day easy. Twelve of our thirteen yachts board inside Marina Cabo San Lucas, so you step off the tender and walk to the boat without a taxi; each yacht has its own dock, and your exact dock and a map link come on your boarding pass.
What you can't control is the tender line. When several ships are in the bay the same day, the queue to get ashore can eat a chunk of your morning, so leave a buffer between your first possible tender and your charter time.
Those busy days are getting more common. The Los Cabos municipality counted 285 cruise calls and 1,057,758 passengers in Cabo San Lucas in 2025, up from 221 calls in 2024.
What can you see in 2 hours from the cruise port?
The standard 2 hour route is Arch and Land's End, 4.7 miles round trip. Every stop sits within about a mile and a half of the marina, which is why two hours is enough.
| Stop | What it is | From the marina |
|---|---|---|
| Pelican Rock | Calm, clear snorkel spot at the foot of Land's End | 0.8 mi / 1.3 km |
| The Arch | Granite arch where the Pacific meets the Sea of Cortez | 1.2 mi / 1.9 km |
| Sea lion colony | California sea lions on the rocks by the Arch | 1.3 mi / 2 km |
| Lover's Beach | The calm bay side of Land's End | 1 mi / 1.7 km |
| Divorce Beach | The Pacific side, for photos from the boat | 1 mi / 1.7 km |
| Médano Beach | Cabo's swimming beach, on the way back | 0.8 mi / 1.3 km |
A typical run goes like this. You meet your captain at the slip about 15 minutes before departure for a short safety briefing. Ten minutes after casting off you're at Pelican Rock, and around the 25 minute mark you're at the Arch with the sea lions on the rocks beside it.
Next comes Lover's Beach on the calm bay side, with a look at Divorce Beach facing the open Pacific. Divorce Beach has big surf and a strong undertow, so it's a photo from the deck. The last part of the trip is the long way back along Médano Beach, and you're at the dock at the two hour mark. Your captain adjusts the order to the sea that day.
Should you book 3 hours instead?
If your ship is in port long enough, three hours adds a proper snorkel stop at Pelican Rock and still leaves time for a walk through town. Two hours is the right call when all-aboard is early afternoon or when your group mostly wants the photos.
Which yacht works best for a cruise group?
All prices are per boat, not per person, with the 16% IVA tax included. The customary crew tip of 15% is not included.
| Yacht | Guests | 2 hours, per boat |
|---|---|---|
| Chaparral 28 | Up to 10 | USD 519 / MXN 9,799 |
| Bayliner 33 | Up to 8 | USD 599 / MXN 11,399 |
| Pontoon 38 | Up to 18 | USD 869 / MXN 16,599 |
| Sea Ray 40 | Up to 12 | USD 879 / MXN 16,799 |
| Sea Ray 55 | Up to 15 | USD 2,129 / MXN 40,399 (3 h) |
| Sea Ray 65 | Up to 12 | USD 2,509 / MXN 47,699 (3 h) |
The per-person math changes fast with a full boat. Ten people on the Chaparral 28 for two hours works out to about USD 52 each. Eighteen on the Pontoon 38 comes to about USD 48 each, and that boat has a water slide off the upper deck and an enclosed head with a freshwater shower.
The Sea Ray 65 is the one built around cruise days. It meets you at Fisherman's Landing restaurant, by the Cabo Escape terminal, instead of inside the marina. Its standard route covers the Arch, Lover's Beach and Médano Bay, with paddle board, snorkel gear and a lily pad floating mat on board. It has a boat-only and an all-inclusive option, so ask which fits when you book. Because the Cabo Escape terminal closes at 8 PM, the Sea Ray 65 has to be back by then.
For a group of 13 to 15, the Sea Ray 55 has air conditioning, cabins and heads. Above 15, the Pontoon 38 is the only boat in the fleet that takes 18.
How do you time a charter around all-aboard?
Start from your all-aboard time and work backward. Here's how we set it up with cruise passengers. If you don't have your times yet, the cruise ship schedule for Cabo lists each ship's arrival and departure, and every row opens the planner with those hours filled in. The regulars have their own pages with every date and a plan built around their hours: the Carnival Panorama calls on Tuesdays and Fridays and often stays overnight, the Discovery Princess is in port Mondays from noon to 8 PM, the Norwegian Encore on Tuesdays from 11 AM to 7 PM, and the Voyager of the Seas mostly on Sundays.
- Tell us your ship and your all-aboard time when you book. We plan the departure around it.
- Aim to be back at the dock at least an hour before all-aboard.
- Go by your ship's last tender time, not only the sailing time.
- Check which clock your ship runs on. Cabo is on Mountain Standard Time all year, with no daylight saving, and ship time doesn't always match.
- Give yourself a buffer for the tender line before your departure.
An example: all-aboard is 4:30 PM. You want to be at the dock by 3:30 PM, so a 2 hour charter should leave no later than 1:30 PM. If your tender runs late, text us as soon as you know and we'll look at moving the departure so the charter still ends with time to spare.
Departures run from 7 AM to 7 PM, so even an early ship can fit a morning boat.
Can you bring food and drinks off the ship?
We don't sell or serve alcohol on these yachts. You can bring your own if you're 18 or older. Check your cruise line's rules on carrying food and drinks off the ship before you pack anything.
The easier route is to add food in the planner when you book, so it's on board when you arrive and lunch doesn't cost you port time. A few options from the menu, in cash prices (paying by card adds 16%):
- Burrito box lunch, MXN 289
- Turkey breast or tuna box lunch, MXN 238
- Lunch and 5 soft drinks, MXN 493
- Bottled water, MXN 17, or a soda, MXN 51
Several yachts already carry water and ice. The Bayliner 33 includes ice, bottled water, a floating mat and snorkel gear, and the Sea Ray 40 includes bottled water, ice, a cooler and towels.
Private boat or the ship's own excursion?
A shared tour runs on a fixed schedule and waits for everyone on the list. A private yacht carries one group, leaves when you're ready and goes where you ask, inside the time you booked. To compare prices, divide the per-boat price by the number of people in your group and set it next to the per-person ticket. We compare the two in more detail in private yacht vs shared boat tour.
Fishing is only on the McKinna 70, on its sport-fishing charter. The other yachts are pleasure yachts without fishing permits, so if someone in your group wants to fish, book the McKinna 70's fishing charter.
What to bring off the ship
What if the weather turns?
The Port Captain, part of the Mexican Navy, closes the harbor only under a hurricane or storm threat or another extraordinary situation, and most closures fall between September and mid-October. If the harbor is closed on your date, you get a new date or a full refund. On a one-day port stop, that means a full refund.
Booking your cruise port boat
The cruise port day page has the route, the yachts that suit it and the month-by-month conditions. When you're ready, open the planner, pick the cruise ship option and enter your ship and all-aboard time.
We reply within 2 hours, 8 AM to 8 PM Cabo time. Once the date is confirmed in writing, you pay through a secure Stripe link by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. If you're also planning time in town after the boat, our things to do in Cabo San Lucas guide covers the rest of Cabo, and the Marina Cabo San Lucas guide shows where everything boards.
Yachts in this guide
Questions people ask
Do cruise ships dock at a pier in Cabo San Lucas?
No. Cruise ships anchor in the bay and tender passengers to Marina Cabo San Lucas, a ride of about 10 minutes, and downtown starts right behind the landing.
Is 2 hours enough to see the Arch on a cruise stop?
Yes. The 2 hour Arch and Land's End route is 4.7 miles round trip and passes Pelican Rock, the sea lions, the Arch, Lover's Beach and Divorce Beach before heading back along Médano Beach.
How much is a private boat from the Cabo cruise port?
Two hours starts at USD 519 (MXN 9,799) per boat on the Chaparral 28 for up to 10 guests. Prices are per boat with 16% tax included, and the customary 15% crew tip is not included.
How long before all-aboard should we be back?
Plan to be back at the dock at least an hour before your all-aboard time. Tell us your ship and that time when you book and we set the departure around it.
Where does the Sea Ray 65 board for cruise passengers?
The Sea Ray 65 meets you at Fisherman's Landing restaurant, by the Cabo Escape terminal. The other twelve yachts board inside Marina Cabo San Lucas.
Plan your day on the water
Pick a yacht, the hours and the food in the planner. A written reply within 2 hours, 8 AM to 8 PM Cabo time.
Keep reading
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