Snorkeling at Santa Maria Beach, Cabo: All You Need to Know
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So you want to snorkel at Santa Maria Beach? Great idea!
It’s one of Cabo’s top snorkeling spots. And guess what? You might even see whales. Seriously!
But let’s start this fishy-sounding tale from the beginning… ’Coz the whales are just the bonus.
We’ve recently returned from yet another fabulous getaway to this sand-and-sea resort destination in Baja California Sur, Mexico – and another morning of snorkeling, swimming and whale watching.
Santa Maria Bay is a marine preserve in the Sea of Cortez (renowned for its marine life), so it’s an excellent spot for snorkeling.
Here’s our guide to snorkeling at Santa Maria Bay on your own and the facilities you’ll find. If you’d prefer to go on a guided half-day catamaran cruise, kayaking adventure or land tour, we also share some great tour options.
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Santa Maria Beach, Cabo
Contents: Visiting Santa Maria Beach to snorkel
Tips for DIY snorkeling (no tour)
How to get to Playa Santa Maria
Chileno Bay vs. Santa Maria Beach
Pssst! Also see lots of comments and questions from readers at the end of this post.
Lovin’ the Santa Maria Bay snorkeling
There’s not a ripple stirring the sea.
The water is so clear, we can spot tiny iridescent blue fish (damselfish?) at least 50 feet away, darting about the reef.
We love scuba diving in Cabo in October when the water is bathtub-warm. (For snorkeling and diving, October and November are prime months.)
But it’s now January in Los Cabos – a winter day when daytime temps can sometimes be in the low 70s F. And yet today, the sea is warm enough for snorkeling.
So that’s what we’re doing.
Snorkeling in Santa Maria Bay – bumping fins with schools of colorful reef fish, feeding bread to large clouds of yellow porkfish that swirl around us, and loving every moment!
Tip
As you face the water from the beach, the best snorkeling is at the far end by the rocks to your right (in front of the beach club for local residents).
About the beach itself
Santa Maria Beach is a public beach.
It’s one of the top three Cabo San Lucas snorkeling beaches. (The other two are Chileno Beach and Lover’s Beach.)
Heck, it’s one of the best beaches in Los Cabos, whether snorkeling or not!
The coarse golden sand (mixed with small pebbles) is pristine. And its calm waters make it a great choice for swimming, even if you’re not interested in snorkeling.
Having arrived early (before 9:00 a.m.), we almost have the bay to ourselves. Where we’ve plopped down, there’s nothing much more than us, the seagulls and the sand.
Just one lone permanent thatched palapa sticks up out of the sand. It’s marked for wheelchair use only.
Some time around 10:00 am, a vendor arrives to rent out umbrellas and chairs at the entrance to the beach.
When we asked, we were quoted a cost of 250 Mexican pesos (about $13 USD) per umbrella and 100 pesos per chair (about $5.20 USD).
Tip
For the best snorkeling and to appreciate the natural beauty of the beach when it’s quiet, arrive early. We usually come and go by 11:00 am!
But Santa Maria is still a great beach to kick back on even after more people have arrived.
See whales when snorkeling Santa Maria Bay!
Later, drying off on the beach in the sun, after more than an hour in the water, we spot the whales. They’re about 100 feet away from us.
At first, we see only plumes of spray. And then – we see the slick round humps of humpbacks as they swim on the water’s surface. And tails!
Admittedly, we’ve seen closer-up views of whales in Cabo on whale watching tours.
But even though it’s the whale season, we just didn’t expect to see these whales there and then.
And they just keep spouting and finning and showing us a whale of a time. A nice way to finish off a glorious morning of snorkeling…
More tips for snorkeling at Santa Maria Beach your own way
Here’s the key.
We didn’t take a tour to snorkel Santa Maria Bay.
(If we had, we’d be sharing our views of Captain Nemo with up to 100 other eager snorkelers jumping off their catamaran or sailboat.)
No, if you want pristine conditions, the best way to go snorkeling here is to do it on your own.
Each year we visit Cabo, we make a point of returning to Santa Maria Beach to snorkel.
We enjoy it so much, we often end up going several times each trip. It’s one of our favorite things to do in Cabo.
Get to the beach early though.
The first of the snorkel tour boats arrive around 10:00 am.
Often by 11:00 am, there are some five snorkeling tour boats anchored in the bay. The snorkelers from the boats don’t usually swim to the beach though.
Tip
We mentioned there’s a vendor who usually shows up to rent umbrellas and chairs.
You’d be wise to bring your own beach umbrella, though, if you plan to hang around on the beach after snorkeling and want to be assured of shade.
Facilities at Santa Maria Bay
Toilets and showers
The public beach facilities have been spiffed up recently.
When you arrive at the parking lot to the beach, you’ll notice a big clean new bathroom building, with flush toilets and change rooms.
Outside the bathroom, there are outdoor showers, so you can rinse off the salt water after swimming and also rinse off your snorkeling gear.
From the parking lot, it’s a short walk along a newish wooden boardwalk down to the beach.
Montage Los Cabos
If you haven’t been to the beach in a few years, you’ll no doubt be surprised to see a large new hotel there.
There’s no stopping development in Cabo (which just keeps getting bigger and better!).
A Montage Los Cabos hotel has been built on the shores above the beach. One of the finest luxury hotels in Los Cabos, the low-rise resort is quite tasteful though, and blends in with the landscape.
It has beach chairs and umbrellas for guests set up in a middle section of the beach.
You can have lunch at the Montage Los Cabos if you reserve in advance. Marea, the hotel’s stylish open-air beachfront restaurant, serves fresh seafood, Mexican food and burgers.
But you can’t just walk up from the beach and access the hotel restaurant as a non-guest. (We asked.)
You need to drive around to the front of the hotel and enter through the lobby to have lunch at the hotel restaurant. (Obviously you’ll want to wear suitable clothing, not just a wet bathing suit!)
Beach club for local residents
At the far end of the beach from the public parking lot, you’ll see a chichi beach club, usually empty!
It’s for the exclusive use of local home-owners. So it’s off limits if you don’t have privileges.
Tip
Bring your own snorkel gear, water and food or snacks, as there’s no gear rental stand or readily-accessible public restaurant or bar.
Getting to Santa Maria Beach, Los Cabos
Where is Santa Maria Beach exactly?
The beach parking lot for Santa Maria Beach is located along the Tourist Corridor, about 8 miles east of Cabo San Lucas at Km 13, Carretera Transpeninsular (Federal Highway 1).
How to get there by car
Drive along the Corridor Highway 1 connecting Cabo San Lucas with San Jose del Cabo to Km 12 (7½ miles east of Cabo) and look for the “Playa Santa Maria” sign, indicating the turn-off toward the ocean.
Follow the road for about a ¼ to ½ mile to the paved parking lot.
The public parking is free.
How to get there by bus
It’s easy to hop on the bus if you don’t have a car.
While we usually go in a rental car, we have taken the Ruta del desierto bus. It’s not a “first-class Mexico bus” like we took for longer distances when visiting Mexico’s colonial towns.
But the local Cabo bus is very inexpensive and not a hardship if you’re feeling a little adventurous.
Buses will stop along the Corridor highway if you flag them down. Tell the driver you want to get off at Santa Maria Bay for snorkeling. There’s a bus stop on the side of the highway there.
Guided Santa Maria Bay snorkeling tours
What if you haven’t rented car – and don’t fancy taking a taxi, Uber or the bus to get there?
No worries! We can recommend several excellent guided snorkeling tours that include round-trip transfers from your hotel. (The boat tours all leave from the Cabo San Lucas Marina.)
- Kayak and snorkel combo: Paddle to both Santa Maria and Chileno Bays on this awesome kayaking-and-snorkeling tour with Cabo Outfitters. We’ve done it ourselves – and loved the extra adventure kayaking adds!
- Santa Maria and Chileno Bay duo: This popular 3-hour snorkeling tour takes you first to Santa Maria Bay to snorkel, then to Chileno Bay. You travel by AC mini-van (with hotel or cruise port transfers included).
- Deluxe sailing cruise: Prefer sailing to Santa Maria Bay on a catamaran instead? We had a marvelous time on this 4-hour luxury sailing and snorkeling cruise – complete with mimosas, lunch and an open bar. (It goes to Santa Maria Bay or Chileno Bay, which is also beautiful, depending on conditions.)
- Private yacht experience: For an intimate and luxurious option, this private snorkeling yacht tour (for up to 4 guests) includes lunch and premium drinks aboard a 42-foot sailing yacht. We’ve sailed with Cabo Sailing (who run this boat tour), and they’re fantastic!
Chileno Bay vs. Santa Maria snorkeling
Gosh, this is a toss-up. Tacos or tostadas?
Santa Maria and Chileno are both great places to snorkel in Cabo San Lucas.
No motorized water sports (like jet skis) are allowed at either beach. So they’re both more tranquil than, say, Medano Beach.
Like Santa Maria Bay, Chileno also has a public parking area, washrooms and showers, along with umbrella and chair rentals.
We think Santa Maria Beach has slightly softer sand, however. The sand at Chileno is a little more pebbly with crushed shells.
Chileno Beach is also larger than Santa Maria and a little rockier, with more rocks on the sea floor as you’re walking into the water.
On the other hand, some people think the amount of fish you see when snorkeling is a bit better at Chileno.
The good news is: You don’t have to choose between Santa Maria Bay or Chileno Bay. You can snorkel at both!
Several snorkeling tours include stops at Chileno as well as at Santa Maria.
Last words on Playa Santa Maria, Los Cabos
For some of the best snorkeling in Cabo, head to Santa Maria Bay.
With thick golden sand lapped by crystal-clear waters, it’s a beautiful beach.
Go early in the morning before the breeze picks up and the snorkel cruises arrive – and you’ll have the beach to yourself. And you’re sure to love spotting all the colorful fish that swim about the reef in this lovely horseshoe-shaped bay.
There’s virtually no natural shade, though (and we wish more palapas could be built for the public). But if the Santa Maria Bay vendor appears, you can rent an umbrella and chairs from him. You also need to bring your own drinks, snacks and snorkeling gear.
If you’d prefer, there are also several good snorkeling tours that take you out by boat to snorkel off Santa Maria Beach.
Have fun!
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Photo credits: 2, 5, 9, 11, 12, 13, 16 © Janice and George Mucalov, SandInMySuitcase | 6 to 8, 15 Andrea Norrie, Janice’s sister-in-law
About the authors
Where is this beach located? How far is it from Grand Fiesta Resort?
Hi Cheryl,
Santa Maria Bay is fairly close to the Grand Fiesta Americana Los Cabos – about a couple of miles away. You should be able to catch an Uber there and back. Enjoy!
Thank you so much for this blog!
We just went snorkeling at Santa Maria Beach in Cabo and it was great! Saw dozens of different tropical fish. The beach didn’t get crowded. The snorkeling tours weren’t bad even after 11am, though we got there at 9am and enjoyed the beach mostly to ourselves, except for the occasional other visitor or so.
The only turn-offs are the coarse sand (my tender feet are sore!) and not having convenient access to food.
We used Uber and were able to get free Wi-Fi at the end near the local club. Thanks again for your info, it helped a ton!
-Kevin and Helen
Hi Kevin and Helen,
Delighted you found our post helpful! Thanks so much for letting us know :-)
Do you know if you can still drive down the dirt road past the parking lot to park Next to the beach? Thanks. Good article!
Hi Pat,
There’s a signed road (with a “Playa Santa Maria” sign) off the main highway that leads to the paved parking lot for the beach. Once at the parking lot, there’s a wheelchair-accessible path from the parking lot to the actual beach.
Hope this helps!
Is there a good place along the corridor to rent or purchase our own snorkeling equipment if we want to go to the beach on our own?
Hi Nancy and Bill,
Sorry, just saw your comment now :-).
You could probably buy snorkeling gear at Walmart or maybe the Costco, both just outside of Cabo San Lucas off the main highway. Let us know if you have any success!
Is Santa Maria Beach also known as Santa Maria Bay? I ask because many years ago we snorkeled and swam in what I thought was Santa Maria Bay (we have pictures very similar to those you posted, so I think it is the same place), but now I see that there is a huge new resort (Montage) seating atop of the mountain on Santa Maria “Bay”, and I am wondering if it is the same place or not. Thanks for clarifying, if possible.
Yes, there’s no stopping development, and the new Montage Los Cabos has opened up on Santa Maria Bay (which is the same as Santa Maria Beach).
Depending on your point of view, it’s a bad news/good news scenario. The bad news – expect more people on the beach. The good news – the finished hotel looks better than the unfinished construction site which marred the landscape for years. And there’s now a classy new restaurant you can visit for lunch :-).
(We’ll update the post to reflect this. Thanks!)
In your article you state Santa Maria Bay is one of the three best places to snorkel in Cabo San Lucas. What are the other two? Thanks.
Oh, sorry, we should have mentioned the other two! They are Pelican Rock at Land’s End (take a water taxi to get there, or you can kayak over) and Chileno Bay (if you go on a snorkeling tour, both Santa Maria and Chileno are often included – but of course, you’ll have lots of other snorkelers with you).
We are in the beginning stages of planning a trip to Cabo for spring 2018. I am trying to figure out whether to stay in Cabo St. Lucas or San Jose Cabo. We like it quiet but still easy to get around without a car. Can Maria beach be accessible by a bus from San Jose Cabo?
Yes, there are buses that travel the Corridor between San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas, stopping along the way (just let the driver know where you want to get off). We’ve taken the bus back and forth several times. Have fun planning your trip!
have you been snorkeling in Cabo in March? we are going in March 2017. Tried the snorkeling tour during our first trip and was very disappointed. Since the guides bait the fish, all we saw was gray striped fish (not sure of their name).
We haven’t gone snorkeling in Cabo in March – mostly October/November and December/January. Maybe try going snorkeling on your own, make it a bit of an adventure – and perhaps you won’t be quite so disappointed as you might be if on a “snorkeling tour.” You can find some good snorkeling around Pelican Rock by the Arch too. Take a glass bottom boat for a tour of the Arch and to see the sea lions, then get dropped off on the teeny strip of sand still in front of Pelican Rock, do some snorkeling and then hail a boat to go back. That’s a fun morning (and not as expensive as a tour). Enjoy your Cabo holiday!
Cabo is so close to where you are, no doubt you’ll get to explore it soonish :-).
Such vibrant, gorgeous colours and the beach to yourselves – that’s the way to do it! I’m hoping to go snorkeling next month in the Caribbean, if I see half as many fish as you did I’ll be happy.
The Caribbean waters are so gorgeous – and warm! No doubt you’ll have a great time regardless of how many fish you see :-).
I think I will go with the bus :) Really amazing place to dive
The bus is a good choice :-). We haven’t dived there, but know that divers go there – we can imagine all the little underwater canyons would make it a great place to dive too.
How incredible that you saw whales on your trip! Is the sea quite calm for snorkelling, I generally like to have my footing in the water?
The water at Santa Maria beach is perfectly calm – smooth as glass :-). You’d feel quite comfortable here. You can even see fish as you wade in when standing just waist-deep.
This is so beautiful! I want to visit this place in Cabo soon.
There aren’t too many swimmable beaches in Los Cabos so thanks for sharing your secret.:-)
Those photos are absolutely amazing! What kind of camera did you use?
Yes, riptides and wave conditions make many of Cabo’s beaches unsafe for swimming, whereas Santa Maria beach is great for this (with the added bonus of offering some nice snorkeling too). And do we know what kind of camera Janice’s sister-in-law has? (She took many of the photos.) A smallish one, that’s as far as we know! Not a good answer, but the best answer for now :-).
Have you snorkeled in Hawaii? I’d like your opinion of if it’s better snorkeling here or in Hawaii. Thanks for the tips though.
Yes, we have snorkeled in Hawaii – in Maui with sea turtles and off the Big Island with wild dolphins and also at night with manta rays. They are different experiences.
We probably wouldn’t plan a trip to Cabo just to snorkel, unless you visit in October and go to Cabo Pulmo (a marine sanctuary) or Los Islotes near La Paz (to snorkel with sea lions), or go snorkeling with whale sharks in the winter season in La Paz (and we’ve written about these experiences on our blog). But if you happen to be visiting Cabo, it’s definitely worth going snorkeling. It’s a fun thing to do there (along with golf, hiking to a canyon waterfall, sailing, etc.).
Where are the canyon waterfalls?
Are you talking about Fox Canyon near Santiago, about an hour from San Jose del Cabo? There’s a great hike there to a freshwater pool at the base of a 40-foot waterfall.
Oh the snorkeling looks incredible! And those little blue fish are just beautiful. That’s so lucky that you happened to see whales, it’s always exciting when sightings like that happen out of the blue.
It was totally unexpected to see whales – so yes, all the more fun :-).