Los Cabos Attractions

Most of Los Cabos' beaches are great for strolling and sandcastle-building, but not for swimming. That's because the surf is often rough with a strong undertow and currents. Most bathers at Los Cabos' resorts enjoy their ocean views from the pool.

The best beach for getting wet is Cabo San Lucas' Playa Medano, a two-mile strand with relatively calm waters. Popular resorts line this beach, and cruise daytrippers come in droves, so the shores can be crowded. Another beach that's a bit more calm is Playa Palmilla, near the One and Only Palmilla Resort. Depending on the season, we've managed to get in the water almost to our waists, but the undertow can be strong. Pools are the safest places to swim in Los Cabos, especially for children.

Cabos' desert landscape of pink-hued sands, dotted with green cacti, is alluring. Take time to explore the area if it's not too hot, especially if your kids have never encountered the desert. Many companies will take you off-road in Cabo. Although you can opt for ATV's and dune buggies, we recommend guided Jeep tours, where someone else does the driving. It's safer that way, and you can concentrate on the views -- not the dirt paths. Cabo Adventures, one of the many choices, bounces you around in converted Mercedes Benz Unimogs, built for military use. Wear hats, and bring plenty of water.

El Arco is the region's symbol -- a rock arch with the jade-colored Sea of Cortes on one side and the deep blue Pacific on the other. Lover's Beach, a cafe au lait small swath of sand, edges the two bodies of water. From Cabo San Lucas' marina, you can take a glass-bottom boat or kayak to El Arco. Remember that the currents can be strong. For young kids, a glass-bottom boat outing with the chance to see fish and to spot the seals sunning and barking on nearby rocks is a nice outing.

Los Cabos has all the typical souvenirs of any Mexican tourist destinations -- from painted pottery and silver jewelry to T-shirts and Tequila. Browse the shops bordering the Cabos San Lucas marina. The pedestrian walkway around the marina leads to Puerto Paraiso, a three-story, outdoor mall with cafes and more shops. Adjacent is Luxury Avenue, an indoor, air-conditioned mall, which opened in December 2008 and features Fendi, Coach, Tiffany and Company and other upmarket shops.

Snorkeling and diving in Cabos' often-rough waters, known for their undertows, are best for teens and adults on guided trips. That said, the region offers a few good spots. Chileno Bay, as well as Santa Maria Bay, both located along the hotel corridor, are the region's favored snorkeling sites. It's best to go snorkeling in the morning, when the seas are calmer than in the afternoon. Chileno Beach, however, is also a favorite surfing spot, so beware of waves. Among the many companies offering guided tours are Tropical Tours, Cabo Snorkeling, and Gray Line Tours.

Established in 1995, this marine park, situated 40 miles north of San Jose del Cabo, contains the only hard coral reef in the Sea of Cortes, as well as the wreck of a Mexican fishing vessel that went down in 1939. The 14 dive sites -- as well as Mermaid's Cove, a good snorkeling spot -- are less visited than the sites closer to Cabo. Turtles also nest on the beaches, and a sea lion colony likes the offshore rocks. As with all water adventures in Cabo, go with a reputable company.

You can hook a really big fish in Los Cabos, which is known as the "marlin capital of the world" because more are hooked in Cabos' waters than anywhere else. This is the place to share a love of sport fishing with your 'tweens and teens, as well as to learn the sport. For newbies, consider chartering a boat for a half-day, just to be sure the swells don't do you in. Everyone onboard, fishing or not, requires a fishing license, except for those younger than 12. Your boat charter can supply these.

Swimming with dolphins is certainly fun and memorable for kids. After getting up-close to one of these intelligent critters, children gain a new-found appreciation for them. Located in Cabo San Lucas' marina, Cabo Dolphins offers encounters (in shallow water), swims, trainer-for-a-day programs and Dolphin Kids, a 30-minute encounter in the shallow end of the pool that's geared toward ages 4 to 9. Reserve ahead, and avoid cruise days, when the facility can be crowded.

From January through March, Pacific gray whales can be seen spouting off of Cabo San Lucas' coast. The 40-foot-long behemoths travel 6,000 miles from Alaska to give birth in the warmer waters of Baja, CA. The majority of whales head for the shallow waters of Magdalena Bay on the Baja's Pacific Coast. To see the most whales, go with a company that offers a flight to the Pacific side, transportation and a whale-watching boat outing. For a less costly outing, board a boat to search for whales offshore from Cabo. The smaller the boat, the more exciting the outing, as you may get closer to the giants of the deep. Even the calves are big, born 15 feet long and weighing 1,500 pounds.