Lovers Beach

Lovers Beach is the postcard of Los Cabos, the little crescent of sand tucked among the granite spires at Land's End, right beside the Arch that every brochure leads with. Its magic is real and it is also specific, because this is the one famous beach here that you cannot drive to, walk to or wander onto. You arrive by boat, which lends the visit a sense of occasion the roadside beaches cannot match, a short crossing from the marina that drops you at one of the most photographed pieces of coast in Mexico. Come at the right hour and it feels like a private cove; come at the wrong one and you share it with a flotilla of day boats.

The essential thing to understand is that Lovers Beach has two faces and only one of them is for swimming. The Sea of Cortez side, the one by the Arch, is usually calm and clear, with rocks at each end that make an easy snorkel and water gentle enough for a swim. A short walk across the neck of sand brings you to the Pacific side, aptly nicknamed Divorce Beach, where the open ocean rolls in with a powerful shore break, a steep drop and rip currents that have caught people out. That side is for photographs and for watching the surf, never for swimming. The honest caveats beyond the water are simple. There is nothing here, no shade, no toilets, no vendors, no fresh water, so you carry everything in and out, and the cove is small enough that it feels crowded once the mid morning boats land.

Play it early and self contained. Take the first water taxi of the day, snorkel and swim the calm Sea of Cortez side while the light is soft and the water clear, wander across to see the Pacific surf from a safe distance, and be back on your boat before the midday sun and the crowds arrive. Agree your pickup time before you step off, bring water, sun cover and your own shade, and treat any figure a boatman quotes as to be confirmed. Approached that way, Lovers Beach lives up to its billing, the most romantic and dramatic beach in Los Cabos, best enjoyed in the quiet first hours.