Garbage, taxes and fiestas: Los Cabos takes on cruise season

The precocious tourism play successful Los Cabos is drafting to a adjacent pursuing the extremity of whale watching play connected April 15 and the decision of Semana Santa (Holy Week) connected April 20, making this a bully clip to measure the seasonal ups and downs for the destination. Los Cabos’s beaches, for instance, proceed to beryllium beautiful, though the effort required to support them cleanable is becoming progressively steep. 

Why is it truthful hard to support Los Cabos beaches clean?

Extensive clean-up efforts are often required astatine Los Cabos’ beaches aft tropical storms oregon aggravated rains. Following rains successful September 2024, the tallness of the rainy season, implicit 140,000 pounds of trash were cleaned from Cabo San Lucas’ beaches alone.

Spring breakers were projected to make 100 tons of garbage this twelvemonth successful Los Cabos. (Elizabeth Ruiz/Cuartoscuro)

However, garbage accumulation connected 1 of the region’s premier tourer attractions, its picturesque beaches, is not simply tied to upwind events. It’s an ongoing issue. In March 2024, the section coordinator for the Federal Maritime Land Zone (Zofemat) — the 20-meter national country crossed the country’s coastline that notably includes fashionable sandy stretches — noted that implicit 80,000 pounds of garbage were being cleaned up connected Los Cabos beaches monthly. By January 2025, that fig had accrued to 50,000 pounds per week. 

Naturally, the amounts spike adjacent further astatine times similar Spring Break oregon Semana Santa , erstwhile importantly much radical flock to beaches similar Playa El Médano successful Cabo San Lucas. “We spot a 500% summation successful coagulated discarded connected the beaches during Spring Break and Easter,” Zofemat coordinator Rafael Álvarez Munguía told Tribuna de México. “Most of these tourists volition beryllium concentrated successful Cabo San Lucas.” 

Nearly 100 tons of garbage was expected during Spring Break this twelvemonth — determination was 95 tons successful 2024, and 90 tons successful 2023 — including solid brew bottles, integrative h2o bottles and cigaret butts.

Ahead of Semana Santa and its influx of vacationers, it was reported that section officials were adding further trash containers and toilets to section beaches. Authorities successful Los Cabos person stressed the value of raising consciousness connected the issue, which is captious to protecting the section situation and h2o prime and helping the municipality support its galore Blue Flag beaches.

Playa Palmilla is 1 of Los Cabos’ Blue Flag beaches. (Los Cabos Tourism Board)

Los Cabos has much Blue Flag beaches than immoderate different municipality successful Mexico — 25, to beryllium nonstop — and these indispensable beryllium strictly maintained successful presumption of cleanliness to support their presumption with the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). They are likewise required to supply capable toilets, trash and recycling receptacles, parking facilities and entree ramps for those with disabilities. 

As specified efforts demonstrate, the occupation isn’t coming from a deficiency of authorities involvement oregon apathy connected behalf of tourism agencies oregon section businesses. Zofemat, successful particular, schedules regular formation cleanups, and thousands of section volunteers participate.

Residents and tourists who bask connected these aureate soil beaches are liable for littering them with rubbish. Many don’t attraction astir the consequences of their actions, however, and it’s improbable that section officials volition telephone tourists retired either: contempt the monolithic amounts of trash it generated, Spring Break tourism added upwards of US $40 cardinal to section coffers. 

But for those who care, determination are a fewer basal things to bash erstwhile visiting section beaches that volition assistance them enactment cleanable and beautiful. Plastic bags and different single-use plastics are banned successful BCS, truthful bring a tote container to transportation distant trash and dispose of items successful due containers arsenic available. Make definite not to permission thing behind, including cigaret butts, which tin instrumentality years to disintegrate. 

Cabo San Lucas has bully cruise play amid negotiations connected caller tax

Despite uncertainty regarding the federal taxation connected cruise vessel passengers scheduled to spell into effect connected July 1, Cabo San Lucas has enjoyed a palmy 2024-2025 cruise campaign, finishing 4th among Mexico’s ports successful vessel visits and 2nd down Ensenada connected the Pacific coast. 

Although the cruise play is year-round, the highest play ends aft April, allowing section and nationalist authorities to analyse the latest trends. Cabo San Lucas logged 200 vessel visits for the season, up 12% from 2024. Early estimates suggest a 10% emergence adjacent year, assuming the taxation contented is settled to the restitution of cruise lines.

Cabo San Lucas invited implicit 448,000 cruise vessel passengers successful 2024. (Norwegian Cruise Lines) 

Upset implicit the upcoming changes, starring cruise enactment companies similar Carnival person threatened to permission Mexican ports disconnected their itineraries. However, section sources study that negotiations betwixt cruise lines and the national authorities are ongoing for a substantially little taxation rate; US $21 per idiosyncratic alternatively of $42. 

Whether oregon not this comes to pass, Cabo San Lucas volition stay the astir costly cruise larboard successful the world. This is owed to factors similar the lack of a cruise vessel dock — passengers person to beryllium tendered from ships astatine anchor successful the bay — and the disbursal of the destination successful general. 

Fiestas tradicionales successful San José del Cabo gully monolithic turnout

Known arsenic San José del Cabo since Jesuits opened a ngo by that sanction successful 1730 to effort to person section Pericú people, the cape metropolis celebrated its 295-year past with its yearly Traditional Festival successful March. To accidental the festivities were a occurrence would beryllium an understatement, arsenic much than 275,000 locals and visitors turned retired implicit days to spot events similar the equestrian parade and philharmonic performances from acclaimed artists similar Julión Álvarez, Gloria Trevi and Pancho Barranza. 

Indeed, metropolis officials are already considering however they tin grow the fig of venues for the lawsuit and the magnitude of parking spaces disposable adjacent year. For those readying ahead, the Cabo San Lucas Traditional Festival volition beryllium hosted successful October. Just arsenic March 19 is the feast time for Saint Joseph and frankincense the day of San José del Cabo, Oct. 18 is the feast time for Saint Luke and the day the city’s multi-day festival is arranged around. 

Chris Sands is the Cabo San Lucas section adept for the USA Today question website 10 Best, writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos question guidebook and a contributor to galore websites and publications, including Tasting Table, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, Forbes Travel Guide, Porthole Cruise, Cabo Living and Mexico News Daily. His specialty is travel-related contented and manner features focused connected food, vino and golf.