Is Cabo San Lucas Safe? Let Me Tell You About The Place I Now Call Home

👋🏼 Hola! I’m Trisha and you read that right: I live in Cabo!!! What a life, you might think. But today, I am going to genuinely and honestly answer your burning question: Is Cabo San Lucas Safe?

Hi Trisha! Glad to have stumbled upon your blog. I love all your content and loved it even more when I found out that you live in Cabo, which is my dream destination! I have been getting a lot of bad feedback from family about traveling there so I showed your blog to my parents and they were a little bit relieved. I would like to go on a chat with you about traveling alone there: is Cabo San Lucas safe? Can I travel there on my own? I know you are there for years and I am really happy I found you! Any feedback would be appreciated. Muchas gracias!
– Carrie Zellmer, United States

Hola Carrie!

I moved to Cabo San Lucas in 2021 and I never really had the feeling of being unsafe here. Many people have been concerned about Cabo San Lucas safety but for me, this is the least of your concern when traveling here.

As we are all different individuals and travelers, I will not be biased in answering questions like, “Is Cabo San Lucas safe?” or safety in other countries/cities.

For me, safety is objective and personal, so in this post, I will not convince you how safe is Cabo San Lucas, but I will focus more on real-life experiences of living and traveling here.

If you ever make it this way, I would love to meet you for coffee and drinks – just hit me up and I will show you my version of Cabo San Lucas! Good luck and I hope you push through!

Xx, Trisha

In a hurry? Here are my top recommendations for Los Cabos travel:

✈️ Los Cabos Trip Planning: I live in Cabo and I can help you plan your trip through a 1-1 chat. You may book a call with me here.

🛏️ Accommodations: Here’s an awesome map of all the best hotels in Los Cabos near the ocean!

🏄🏽 Things to do: Use the code PSIMONMYWAY10 to get a 10% discount on all local activities in Los Cabos!

🚗 Rental Cars: It’s easy to drive from San Jose del Cabo Airport! Book a rental car here for as low as $45 per day.

🛜 Staying connected: Get an E-sim for Mexico for as low as $5 per day. It has great coverage in Los Cabos and Baja California areas!

🚑 Safety: Do not travel Mexico without an insurance. I use SafetyWing for my digital nomad trips and Ekta Traveling for short trips.

Is Cabo San Lucas Safe?

ABSOLUTELY! I sometimes don’t understand why people ask, “Is Cabo San Lucas safe,” because this is one of the places where I do not feel unsafe at all. FYI, I have traveled all 32 states of Mexico and Cabo is the most comfortable, especially if you are a solo female traveler like me.

To begin with, Cabo San Lucas is unlike Guadalajara or Mexico City which has a notorious past. Our fears of traveling to Mexico are informed by the historical context and, of course, what we see on TV like Narcos Mexico.

Cabo San Lucas does not have any of that kind of notorious reputation, but still, Mexico is being generalized as a whole, without recognizing that each destination in this country is different when it comes to safety.

Cabo is one of the most visited destinations in the world, and the government here will not do anything to interrupt tourism. They will do everything in their power to care for their tourists, which means that locals are more at risk here than foreigners.

👉🏼 Related: Is Ensenada Safe For Solo Female Travelers?

Is Los Cabos safe?

YES, DEFINITELY! On this note, it is important to know that Los Cabos comprises 2 sub-cities: Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo.

I live in Cabo San Lucas but have been thinking for a long time about moving to San Jose. While I feel extremely safe in San Lucas, as I grow older, I feel this lifestyle and crowd are not for me.

Cabo San Lucas is for party-goers and tourists who want to drink all the time during their vacation, so as someone who lives here, I feel the chaos every day, which I loved at the beginning.

As San Lucas gets rowdier, more and more police are patrolling the streets, and traffic is getting heavier.

San Jose del Cabo, on the other hand, is a more quiet area for families and mature travelers who want a quiet and peaceful vacation whilst enjoying the beach and resorts.

Both Los Cabos are safe, and there is NOTHING to worry about when traveling here. Unless you involve yourself in some sketchy transactions while you are here.

Every great trip starts with a plan—make sure TRAVEL INSURANCE is part of yours!

👉🏼 You might also like: Is Mexico City Safe?: Debunking Safety Myths

Is Cabo San Lucas Safe For Solo Female Travelers?

Yes, I live in Cabo so trust me! And I live alone. When I was living in La Paz, I experienced extreme cat-calling, and I did not expect that. Although I felt extremely safe in La Paz, I did not enjoy the constant cat-calling and car-honking by the Mexicans.

Some will even stop and take a good look at you – it’s insane! Some cars will even follow you while you are walking, but they just want to chat. They’re harmless.

In Cabo San Lucas, everyone minds their own business, and I never had an experience of cat-calling here – the city is too loud for you to hear cat-calling anyway and no one will make that effort to shout (I guess).

The only “cat-calling” I experienced was when an Israeli expat actively pursued me because he just wanted to go on a date. Super harmless and cute, if you ask me.

Is Cabo San Lucas Safe For Dating Apps?

I am in a serious relationship now, but when I moved here in 2021, I did nothing but date! Dating here is like anywhere else in the world. It doesn’t matter if you date Latinos or Americanos – in Cabo, they are all the same.

If you feel like your date is sketchy, bring him to Cock’s Cantina, a corner bar that I frequent. My friend is a bartender there, and every time I feel uncomfortable, he comes to the rescue!

What I am trying to say is if you decide to go on a date with a person you do not know, make sure you have allies around. I am only saying this for women because men have different experiences.

I know many men who also went deep into the Cabo dating scene (including my current partner). They all told me that the girls they matched with were asking for money or wanted to be a sugar babies.

Sugar baby/daddy is a pretty common culture in Mexico (and some Latin American countries) so if you are looking to date here, expect to come across this kind of culture.

Is swimming safe in Cabo San Lucas?

I know many of you have heard that swimming in Cabo San Lucas is unsafe, but not on all beaches. In the earlier part of this article, I mentioned that Cabo is where the Pacific Ocean meets the Gulf of Mexico (Sea of Cortez).

All the beaches on the Gulf of Mexico are safe to swim (i.e. El Medano Beach, Santa Maria Beach, etc), while the Pacific Coast is not swimmable (areas of Diamante/Hard Rock Los Cabos to Todos Santos).

Here are the swimmable beaches in Cabo San Lucas and along the Tourist Corridor:

1. Medano Beach – The most popular and safest swimmable beach in Cabo, with calm waters and plenty of beachfront restaurants.
2. Lover’s Beach – Located near Land’s End, accessible only by boat, and great for swimming and snorkeling.
3. Chileno Beach – Known for its clear waters and vibrant marine life, making it ideal for snorkeling.
4. Santa Maria Beach – A protected marine sanctuary with calm waters, perfect for swimming and snorkeling.
5. Palmilla Beach – A family-friendly beach with gentle waves, great for swimming.
6. Playa Acapulquito – Also known as “Old Man’s Beach,” popular among surfers but has swimmable areas.

Tips for Beach & Water Safety in Cabo San Lucas

• Swim only at designated swimmable beaches, as strong currents can be dangerous.
• Check local beach flags for water conditions before swimming.
• Avoid drinking tap water—stick to bottled or purified water.
• Be mindful of jellyfish and other marine life that may pose a risk.

Is Cabo San Lucas Safe At Night?

ABSOLUTELY! It is 24/7 open anyway, so there will always be people around. When I first moved here, I did not have a car yet, and I walked everywhere (up to 30 minutes walking).

Walking in Cabo San Lucas is safe, and the roads are made for pedestrians, especially in the tourist areas. You have nothing to worry about when walking any time of the day in Cabo.

The only downside of walking is that there are so many vendors who will see you EVERYTHING and ANYTHING so expect to be approached by someone in every corner especially if you really look like a tourist.

Is Uber safe in Cabo San Lucas?

YES, IT IS. Although I have to tell you that one time, an Uber driver tried to grab my leg but this was extremely my fault as I agreed to ride in the front.

No matter what you do, or even if the driver asks, do not sit in front of the Uber. Always sit at the back. I know this is basic knowledge to all of you and should be applied when traveling anywhere.

The reason why I sat in front that night was that Ubers were banned on Pescadero Avenue and other tourist corridors of Cabo. If you don’t take an Uber, you will pay crazy taxi fares, and I didn’t want to do that, especially if I live here and am not a tourist.

The driver texted me that he was arriving and instructed me to sit in front to make it appear like we are just friends. I did not really expect that he will try so I asked him to pull over.

That was my only bad experience riding an Uber in Cabo (alone) and it never happened again. I still take Uber even if I have a car because the traffic here is insane but nothing bad happened to me after that.

Note that like the USA, Mexico (especially Cabo) is a driving country. If you will feel better to drive yourself, you can rent a car at San Jose International Airport (from $75 per day). I have my own car as I live in Cabo and it is super convenient!

Tips for Transportation & Navigation Safety in Cabo San Lucas

• Use official taxis or rideshare services rather than hailing cabs off the street.
• If renting a car, be aware of local driving laws and road conditions.
• Avoid isolated areas, especially after dark.

Is It Safe To Leave The Resort in Cabo?

Yes it is! In fact, resorts in Cabo San Lucas often provide transportation to the center, especially at night. If the free transportation is not available in your resort, the concierge will book a trusted driver (someone they already know) so you don’t have to worry.

You only need transportation if you are staying far from the center anyway so if you don’t want the hassle, book a resort that is near Medano Beach. This is basically the party area. Check my resorts map below to see the safest locations in Cabo San Lucas.

USE THIS MAP SO FIND THE BEST HOTELS IN CABO!

From resorts to vacation rental homes, this map will show you if your accommodation is in the best spot! You can also turn to me for questions about road situations.

🔻 Pin this Cabo Travel Safety Guide and save it for later! 🔻