Where to Stay in San Jose del Cabo

Mexico › Best Areas to Stay in San Jose del Cabo
Updated: July 9, 2024

My Favorite Hotels
• Zona Hotelera: Viceroy
• Centro: Casa Natalia
• Puerto Los Cabos: El Ganzo
• Playa Acapulquito: Cabo Surf
• Boutique: Mar Del
• Budget: Casa Natalia
• For families: Hyatt
• Couples: Viceroy
• Beach: El Ganzo

Colorful flags blow in the wind above a stone street in a historic downtown.

Centro.

Best Areas to Stay in San Jose del Cabo

San Jose del Cabo is on the southern tip of the Mexican Baja Peninsula, 20 miles northeast of Cabo San Lucas. It’s quaint, with an authentic Mexican vibe and picturesque beaches. Centro, the historic town center, is full of colonial buildings and easy to explore on foot. The Plaza in the town center is a gathering spot with a stage and frequent live performances. Visitors can stroll the shops, enjoy the taco stands, and dine at a variety of restaurants.

San Jose del Cabo is home to at least twenty art galleries. Most are in the Arts District, behind the town’s iconic church, Mision San Jose del Cabo, and touted as the largest art district in Mexico. Once a week, on Thursday evenings (from November to June), it hosts an Art Walk, where they celebrate art and local cuisine.

A wild wave hits the yellow sand of the beach.

The strong surf near Centro.

The beaches in San Jose del Cabo are great for relaxing walks and sunbathing. Most beaches are unsafe for swimming and can be dangerous because of strong currents (although you may see a few people jumping the waves in very shallow water). The two safe swimming beaches in San Jose del Cabo are Playa Hoterera (the beach along Zona Hotelera) and El Ganza Beach Club at the Puerto Los Cabos Marina, a 7-minute drive from Centro.

An areal view of a beach.

One of the safe swimming beaches at El Ganza Beach Club (to the right) in Puerto Los Cabos

Best Places to Stay in San Jose del Cabo

Guest sit in white lounge chairs by the ocean.

The white-sand beach at Mar Del.

  • Best Luxury Hotel in San Jose del Cabo
    Viceroy
  • Best Boutique Hotel in San Jose del Cabo
    Mar Del
  • Best Budget Hotels in San Jose del Cabo
    Casa Natalia • Six Two Four
  • Best Hotels for Families in San Jose del Cabo
    Hyatt • Cabo Surf
  • Best Hotel for Couples in San Jose del Cabo
    Viceroy
  • Best Hotel near a Safe Swimming Beach in San Jose del Cabo
    El Ganzo
A man walks past a restaurant.

Art galleries and restaurants in Centro.

Best Places in San Jose del Cabo for…

  • Best Area for First-Timers: Centro
    The historic town center is delightful, with an authentic Mexican feel and a relaxed vibe. Centro is the hub of activity with many shops, restaurants, and a fantastic Arts District. Easy to explore, the town center is compact and makes an excellent base for first-time travelers.
  • Best Area for Families: Zona Hotelera
    Kids swim in a large pool.

    One of the four pools at the Hyatt.

    Zona Hotelera is a strip of luxury hotels and resorts that line the beach along San Jose del Cabo’s coastline. The best hotel for families is the wonderful Hyatt with luxurious guest rooms. This all-inclusive hotel makes for an easy vacation with lots of options to choose from. Kids can access five waterslides, a kids’ pool (geared more toward younger children), and a sanded playground. Kids Club (included in the room rate) offers arts and crafts projects, and sports activities. There are four pools, including one for adults only. Additionally, the infinity pool has two hot tubs. There are seven restaurants and six bars/lounges.
  • Best Area for Couples: Centro
    Centro (Historic Town Center), with its authentic local charm and cobblestone streets, is romantic to stroll through and experience Mexican culture. The Arts District is hugely popular, with 20+ art galleries spread across four city blocks, such as the Ivan Guaderrama Art Gallery, a fun and interactive art gallery, or the Frank Arnold Gallery.

The 3 Best Areas in San Jose del Cabo

1. Zona Hotelera

A wood serving plate holds a grilled avocado.

Our delicious grilled avocado from Santo Pulpo restaurant.

Zona Hotelera, also known as Hotel Row, is where luxury resorts line miles of gold-sand beach in downtown San Jose del Cabo. There are no large beach clubs and very few beach vendors. The waves are robust, and the current is strong, so it’s not safe for swimming, but it’s a great spot to go for long walks along the shoreline. Eateries range from upscale (near or in the resorts) to rustic and casual restaurants just off the hotel strip. Also nearby is a mega-sized grocery store and local cafes. The beach in Zona Hotelera is Playa California (often called Playa Hotelera Beach).

A woven nest restaurant with table along its walls.

Nido restaurant at Viceroy.

2. Centro

A stone street with an art sculpture.

The charming, relaxed, and slow-paced Centro (Historic Town Center) has shop-lined walkways, some pedestrian-only. The Arts District is home to colonial buildings, art galleries, and boutique shopping along cobblestone streets.

The weekly San Jose del Cabo Art Walk happens in the Historic Town Center near the town’s landmark church, Mision de San Jose. The event is popular and features a variety of art: traditional (hand-painted pottery), sculptures, and modern art (blown glass, jewelry, and oil paintings). Visitors can browse the art exhibits easily as the roads are closed to vehicles and are pedestrians-only. Street performers and dancers also provide live entertainment.

A man sits by the pool.

The pool at Casa Natalia.

3. Puerto Los Cabos

Boats sit in a marina under blue sky.

The view of the marina from our room deck at El Ganzo.

Three miles east of San Jose del Cabo are Puerto Los Cabos and the Puerto Los Cabos Marina, about a 7-minute drive from Centro. Puerto Los Cabos has a fantastic, albeit small, swimmable beach.

A thin pool sits above the marina.

The infinity pool and the glass pool at El Ganzo

  • The Best Hotel in Puerto Los Cabos: El Ganzo

8 Best Hotels in San Jose del Cabo

1. Viceroy – Zona Hotelera

Hotel phone: +52 624 104 9999
A hotel room with a white bed, a small sofa, a desk, and table and chairs.
Stunning, opulent, and ultra-modern hotel whose guest rooms overlook a series of seascape pools. The atmosphere is captivating, and its design is truly unique. Five pools sprawl across the grounds including a beachfront infinity pool, family, and adults-only pool. The attentive service is top-notch, with a luxury spa, six restaurants, a state-of-the-art gym touting a circuit fitness room (bootcamp), and an adult jungle gym. Guest rooms are airy and white with minimalist decor featuring floor-to-ceiling windows, custom lighting, and a private outdoor space with comfy seating. The large 4-bedroom suites have full kitchens and 4 bathrooms. Villas offer 5 bedrooms, with living room, 7 bathrooms, full kitchen and BBQ.

2. Hyatt – Zona Hotelera

Hotel phone: +52 624 163 7730
A white bed in a hotel room with a photograph above it.
All-inclusive hotel on the beach has modern amenities and spacious guest rooms that overlook the sea, pools, or gardens. Rooms are stylish in cream and white with black wood accents and terracotta tiled floors. Hyatt Ziva has four pools, including an adults-only pool with a bar. The kids’ pool has five (small-sized) waterslides, a sanded playground, and a complimentary Kids Club with supervised play. Exclusive swim-up adults-only suites feature direct access to the pool, available in either double or king. Five a la carte restaurants are onsite—Italian, Asian, Mexican, French, and a steakhouse. Offsite, there are more restaurants and cafes, including a mega-sized grocery store that is a 5-10 minute walk. The beach is beautiful and great for sunbathing, but it’s not safe for swimming.

3. Casa Natalia – Centro

Hotel phone: +52 888 277 3814
A white bed with a pink throw sits in a hotel room.
Adults-only budget hotel next to the town square in the heart of San Jose del Cabo and home to one of the best restaurants in the area, Mi Cocina. Rooms are colorful with Mexican textiles, local artworks, and bold accent walls and furnishings. One-bedroom suites feature a hot tub, sun loungers, and a hammock on your private terrace (one location option for a complimentary breakfast service). It’s steps to San Jose del Cabo’s famous Art Walk, historic church, charming shops, and restaurants.

4. Casa Costa Azul – Costa Azul

Hotel phone: +52 624 172 6699
A bed covered in white has a dark wood headboard and orange rugs under it.
Small and quaint family-run hotel with a sleek-white exterior nestled on an expansive white-sand beach. Guest rooms are large and clean, offering air conditioning, a mini bar, and a ceiling fan. Coffee is available in the lobby. Perched directly beside the beach is a beautiful plunge pool and quiet pool deck. The room rate includes a homemade breakfast. Tip: upgrade to an ocean-facing room for an amazing view.

5. Six Two Four – Zona Hotelera

Hotel phone: +52 624 123 2892
Two twin beds share a golden wood planked headboard.
Affordable and modern hotel with 17 cozy rooms, each with a cute and quiet furnished patio or balcony. The hotel is across the street from Hotel Row and one block from the beach. Convenient to shops, restaurants, and groceries. Hotel amenities include a swimming pool with sun loungers and bikes, which are available for rent. Guest rooms have a mini fridge, air conditioning, flat-screen TV, coffee maker, hair dryer, and mini-bar. Rooms have a private bathroom with a shower and small vanity. There are two options for the room category: double twin or king. It’s a great value at this quiet and well-maintained property.

6. El Ganzo – Puerto Los Cabos

Hotel phone: +52 624 104 9000
Two teal painted rocking chairs sit on a patio overlooking the marina.
An artsy and hip adults-only hotel boasts a private beach club accessed by the hotel’s courtesy water taxi. The Fabulous rooftop infinity pool features a glass cube-shaped hot tub and a swim-up bar. Ocean-view rooms are worth the splurge and have the best views overlooking the yachts, palm trees, and the Pacific Ocean. The hotel has a lobby restaurant, rooftop eatery, café at the beach, and a taco food truck open during concerts and events. Amenities include a cozy spa, a quiet relaxation pool on the garden level, and a fitness room with bay views. Nestled beside a marina/yacht dock is the hotel in the community of Puerto Los Cabos, a ten-minute drive from the shops and Art Walk in the quaint and historic town of San Jose del Cabo.

7. Mar Del – Tourist Corridor

Hotel phone: +52 800 831 2990
A white bed has a cobalt blue throw and matching woven bench at its foot.
Three-star boutique hotel with white architecture, ornate Mexican tile, and trailing pink bougainvillea flowers on the many walkways. It is a mix of elegance and relaxation coupled with a casual vibe. The colorful tile-clad steps descend from the lobby at the top of the property along the pretty walkways to the guest rooms and further below to the restaurant and pool near the ocean. The beach area is incredibly scenic, with rocky outcroppings, white sand, and a grassy fire pit area. The open-aired restaurant (known for its fabulous ceviche) has fantastic ocean views. The hotel’s 48 guest rooms feature a mini fridge, air conditioning, coffee maker, and microwave. Included is a complimentary breakfast. The minimum guest age is 16+.

8. Cabo Surf – Playa Acapulquito

Hotel phone: +52 624 142 2666
A view of the blue ocean from a golden wood room.
Upscale boutique hotel with a laid-back vibe on a surfing beach at Playa Acapulquito and a five-minute drive from downtown San Jose del Cabo. This terrific oceanfront hotel has many guest rooms with unobstructed sea views where you can hear the waves. Cabo Surf has two pools and two hot tubs. The décor is contemporary, with tiled floors, natural wood, and a beachy look. For larger families, try the connecting rooms or a suite with three bedrooms and a full kitchen. Their restaurant offers Mexican and Mediterranean cuisine and overlooks the beach and surfers. There’s a spa and all-day dining. Onsite surf rentals and lessons are available for ages five years and older including private, group, and three-day surf clinics.