Cabo San Lucas: Medano Beach

Cabo San Lucas is home to plenty of popular beach areas, each featuring a different vibe. If you want to enjoy a classic beach vibe while in the city, Medano beach might be the best option.

Medano beach is one of the most popular and swimmable beach areas in Cabo San Lucas. You can enjoy that classic beach vibe with fine sands and beautiful shorelines. Moreover, it’s a beach area with amenities like resorts, bars, and restaurants for a more convenient beach day.

This article will guide you if you plan to enjoy a few hours or even a day at Medano beach. Below, you’ll read through the essential information you may need about this beach, including its location, the restaurants and hotels nearby, and the activities you can do around the area.

Without further ado, let’s get into it!

Medano Beach

About the Medano Beach

As mentioned earlier, Medano Beach is one of the most popular and swimmable beaches in Cabo San Lucas and the entire Los Cabos. The beach boasts soft white sand and clear turquoise waters that are perfect for every beach lover.

Medano Beach is also known as Playa El Medano, and it’s packed with establishments that offer a more convenient time for its visitors. 

Here, you can find restaurants and bars for food and drinks at the beach. You’ll also find hotels and resorts in the area that offer amenities for a more relaxing time by the beach.

One thing to note is that Medano beach is safe for swimming. However, some beach areas within Cabo San Lucas aren’t ideal for swimmers since the waters are too harsh from the pacific ocean’s waves.

Since this beach is safe for swimming, plenty of locals and tourists will enjoy it. As such, it’s not the beach you want if you want a quiet and peaceful beach day. If you prefer, you can head to Palmilla or Santa Maria beach.

As you walk along the beachfront, you pass resorts, bars, and restaurants; boat bob in the bay, swimmers play in the water, lifeguards are on duty, and people lie out and play in the sand. Because there are no dangers in the water here, it’s great for swimming.

Medano Beach is the place to stay in Cabo if you’re looking for a more traditional beach resort setting.

Location

Medano Beach is an accessible beach, especially if you’re staying at a hotel within downtown Cabo San Lucas. From there, it’s only a few minutes on foot to reach the beach. However, it’s the longest swimming beach, meaning the walk can take a while if you want to stroll the entire coast.

How to get there

It’s easy to get to Medano Beach since it’s already downtown. The beginning of long coastline of Medano beach starts near the Cabo San Lucas Marina. From there, it goes a long way headed toward the direction of the Tourist Corridor and into San Jose del Cabo. 

From Downtown Cabo San Lucas

If you’re coming from the center of Downtown Cabo San Lucas, the distance going to Medano beach is only around 1.3 miles or 2.2 kilometers. So, you can reach the beach by car within 7 minutes. Or, you can walk to the beach within 20 minutes.

From Los Cabos International Airport

If you’re coming from Los Cabos International Airport, the distance to Medano Beach is around 27.8 miles or 44.8 kilometers. You can reach it by car within 40 minutes or hire a cab and tell the driver that you’re headed to Medano beach.

Parking

Since Medano beach is located downtown, you’ll find plenty of parking spaces if you bring a car. In addition, you’ll generally find a secure parking space within the establishments nearby, such as the malls and shopping districts. However, you can always park by the beach if you find a space.

Restaurants

As mentioned earlier, you can find plenty of restaurants near the beach. Some are simple food stalls, and some are vendors. However, you can also find some dining areas and fancy restaurants if that’s what you prefer. 

Below are the five most popular restaurants near Medano Beach:

Tomatillos

Address: Restaurant at Villa del Palmar, Tourist Corridor, 23454 Cabo San Lucas, B.C.S., Mexico
Operating Hours: 6:00 PM – 10:30 PM
Phone Number: +52 877 897 1931
Website: Tomatillos

Carbon Grill

Address: Restaurante frente a la playa El Medano en Villa del Palmar, Cam. Viejo a San Jose, Tourist Corridor, El Medano, 23450 Cabo San Lucas, B.C.S., Mexico
Operating Hours: 6:00 PM – 10:30 PM
Phone Number: +52 624 145 7030
Website: Carbon Grill

La Casona

Address: El Medano S/N, Tourist Corridor, 23454 Cabo San Lucas, B.C.S., Mexico
Operating Hours: 7:00 AM – 10:30 PM
Phone Number: +52 624 145 6900
Website: La Casona

El Patron Mexican Bistro

Address: Restaurant at Villa del Arco, Cam. Viejo a San Jose 1301, Tourist Corridor, 23454 Cabo San Lucas, B.C.S., Mexico
Operating Hours: 7:30 AM – 10:30 PM
Phone Number: +52 624 145 7200
Website: El Patron Mexican Bistro

Cilantros

Address: El Medano Ejidal, 23479 Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Operating Hours: 12:00 PM – 10:30 PM
Phone Number: +52 800 219 2727
Website: Cilantros

For more information about the city’s food, drinks, and nightlife, you can read our article about The Best Restaurants, Bars, and Nightlife in Cabo San Lucas.

Hotels

Medano Beach is surrounded by family-friendly and adult-only hotels and resorts. The following top-notch hotels and resorts are located right on the beach and close to all the action:

Villa La Estancia Cabo

Address: Cam. Viejo a San Jose Km 0.5, El Medano Ejidal, 23450 Cabo San Lucas, B.C.S., Mexico
Phone Number: +1 877 897 1951
Website: Villa La Estancia Cabo

Hotel Riu Palace

Address: Cam. Viejo a San Jose Km 3.5, El Medano Ejidal, 23453 Cabo San Lucas, B.C.S., Mexico
Phone Number: +52 624 163 1000
Website: Hotel Riu Palace

Club Cascadas de Baja

Address: Cam. Viejo a San Jose, El Medano Ejidal, 23410 Cabo San Lucas, B.C.S., Mexico
Phone Number: +526241431882
Website: Club Cascadas de Baja

Pueblo Bonitos Los Cabos

Address: Playa El Medano, El Medano Ejidal, Centro, 23410 Cabo San Lucas, B.C.S., Mexico
Phone Number: +52 624 142 9797
Website: Pueblo Bonitos Los Cabos

Villa Del Palmar Resort Beach & Spa

Address: Cam. Viejo a San Jose Km 0.6, Tourist Corridor, El Medano, 23450 Cabo San Lucas, B.C.S., Mexico 
Phone Number: +1 877 897 1931
Website: Villa Del Palmar Resort Beach & Spa

Regarding Cabo San Lucas hotels, we have compiled a comprehensive list of the best options. To know more, read: Escape to Paradise: The Best Places to Stay in Cabo San Lucas.

Beach Clubs

You’ll find plenty of options if you search for beach clubs at Medano Beach. Most resorts generally have a beach club that you can pay for a day pass. In addition, some resorts offer beach amenities for rent, while some already include amenities in the day pass packages.

Activities

Since Medano beach is one of the few swimmable beach areas in Cabo San Lucas, you can find various activities while you’re around. 

Here, you can enjoy paddleboarding, kayaking, snorkeling, and jet-skiing. You can also play beach sports like volleyball and parasailing if you want something more extreme. 

For the best experience in the city, you’ll want to know the most popular attractions in the area. To learn more, read our article: Experience the Magic of Cabo San Lucas: Top 10 Things to Do.

Nearby Attractions

Medano beach offers so many fun activities that you could spend all day there and still need to do half of them. Beachgoers can also enjoy the sweeping views of Land’s End’s rock formations, including El Arco.

Conclusion

Overall, Medano beach has a lot going on. It’s also close to downtown Cabo San Lucas, so it’s a great place to hang out. Young at heart will find this place to be an actual destination beach. It is the place to see and be seen throughout the day and into the night.

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