Palmilla Beach
Best for. Families, swimmers and value minded travellers who want calm, safe water and a free public beach in a region where so much of the swimming is either rough or resort gated.
Best spot. The sheltered northern half of the bay for an easy swim, and the submerged rocks at the far south end below the resort for the beach's best snorkeling.
Know this. This is one of Cabo's genuinely swimmable beaches, unlike the dramatic but dangerous open Pacific shores, so it is worth the short drive from either town.
Palmilla Beach is the answer to a question a lot of first time visitors to Los Cabos ask, which is where you can actually swim. Much of this coast is spectacular but treacherous, with the open Pacific throwing up powerful surf and rip currents that make swimming unsafe on beach after beach. Palmilla is different. A headland shelters the bay, the water is calm and clear, and it carries Blue Flag status, so for a value minded traveller it delivers the one thing a lot of prettier looking Cabo beaches cannot, a safe and free swim.
The honest picture is that Palmilla is a swimming and snorkeling beach rather than a scene. It sits on the Tourist Corridor between San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas, with the famous One and Only Palmilla resort occupying the far south end. The beach itself, though, is public, with a free car park and signed access, so you do not have to book a resort to enjoy it. What you will not find is a strip of beach clubs and daybeds, so bring your own shade, water and snacks and treat it as a proper beach day, not a serviced one.
Play it for value and it shines. Park in the public lot, set up on the calmer northern half for the easiest swimming, and take a mask to the submerged rocks at the southern point, below the resort, which hold the beach's best snorkeling and a surprising amount of marine life. If you want loungers, cocktails and a party, that lives at Medano Beach in Cabo San Lucas, which is a completely different and much busier day. Come to Palmilla for the safe, free, family friendly water, and it is one of the best value beaches in the whole region.
The beach is free, the resort is not
Palmilla has no public beach club. The famous resort sits at the south end, but the sand in front of you is free, and that is the value.
The One and Only Palmilla resort occupies the southern end of the bay, and it is a beautiful hotel, but it is a private resort rather than a public beach club you can walk into for a daybed. The good news for a value traveller is that you do not need it. The beach itself is public, the parking is free, and the calm water that the resort was built for is open to everyone. So skip the idea of a lounger and a minimum spend here, bring your own shade and a cool bag, and put the saving toward a meal in town. When you do want the full club scene, loungers, music and cocktail service, it lives a short drive west at Medano Beach in Cabo San Lucas.
On the Tourist Corridor
Palmilla Beach sits on the Tourist Corridor that links San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas, only a few minutes by car or taxi from San Jose and around twenty minutes from Cabo San Lucas. Follow the signs for Palmilla off the main highway to the public access and car park, which is separate from the resort entrance. Los Cabos International Airport is about a half hour drive away.
The beach has a free public car park and access path but little shade or service, so bring an umbrella, water and snacks for a long day. The water is usually calm, but there is no reliable lifeguard, so keep an eye on children and take extra care near the rocks and the surf at the exposed southern point. For a livelier day with loungers and clubs, head to Medano Beach in Cabo San Lucas.
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Palmilla is a free public beach, but tell us your dates and party size and we will help arrange a daybed or table at a beach club in Los Cabos. We reply by email.
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Common questions about Palmilla Beach
Is Palmilla Beach free and open to the public?
Yes. Palmilla is a public beach with free access, a public car park and signed access points near the Palmilla community, so you do not need to be a guest of the resort at the south end. That free access to calm, swimmable water is a big part of why it is such good value in Los Cabos.
Is Palmilla Beach safe for swimming?
It is one of the safer swimming beaches in Los Cabos. A headland shelters the bay so the water is usually calm and clear, and it holds Blue Flag status, which is why families choose it over the rougher open ocean beaches nearby. There is no reliable lifeguard, so still watch children and take care near the rocks at the southern point.
Can you snorkel at Palmilla Beach?
Yes. The best snorkeling is at the submerged rocks at the far south end of the bay, below the resort buildings, where the marine life gathers. Bring your own mask and fins, enter carefully near the rocks and keep an eye on conditions, as there is no lifeguard and the sea is livelier at the point than in the sheltered northern half.
Do you need to stay at the One and Only to use Palmilla Beach?
No. The One and Only Palmilla is a private resort at the south end of the bay, but the beach itself is public with its own free parking and access, so anyone can enjoy the sand and the calm water. There is no public beach club here, so bring your own shade and supplies for the day.
Is Palmilla or Medano Beach better?
They suit different days. Palmilla is calmer, free, better for swimming and snorkeling and much quieter, ideal for families and value. Medano Beach in Cabo San Lucas is the lively one, lined with beach clubs, vendors and water sports, busier and pricier. Choose Palmilla for a safe swim and space, and Medano when you want the scene.
