Worse: the resort is at 98% occupancy. The pool has towels on every lounger by 6:30 AM. The hot tub is tepid and crowded. And the elevator smells faintly of regret and tequila. Morning – The Beach That Isn’t. You wanted to swim at Médano Beach, Cabo’s most famous stretch of sand. But the surf is dangerous—red flags snap in the wind. Swimming is prohibited. Instead, hundreds of tourists stand ankle-deep in the shallows, looking like disappointed flamingos. Vendors walk by every 30 seconds selling hats, blankets, massages, sunglasses, cigars, and a mysterious substance in a Ziploc bag. “No, gracias” becomes your mantra.
Cabo: Weekend Nightmare Headline: Paradise Lost: When a Weekend in Cabo Turns Into a Travel Horror Story By J. Hayes Special to the Travel Desk cabo: weekend nightmare
You board at 7:00 PM for a flight that was scheduled at 3:00. You land home at midnight. You have work tomorrow. Cabo has been a victim of its own success. In 2023, Los Cabos International Airport saw over 6 million passengers, up 40% from pre-pandemic levels. But the infrastructure hasn’t kept pace. The same two-lane highway serves airport, town, and the tourist corridor. Hotel occupancy routinely exceeds 90% on weekends, but service staffing hasn’t recovered from COVID layoffs. Cruise ships disgorge thousands of day-trippers directly onto the marina, doubling the Saturday crowd. Worse: the resort is at 98% occupancy
The drive back to SJD should take 45 minutes. On a Sunday afternoon, it takes 2 hours, thanks to a single-lane highway clogged with hungover tourists, shuttle vans, and a sudden topes (speed bump) every 500 meters. At the airport, the security line winds outside into the heat. Someone faints. The airline announces that your flight is delayed—again—and offers a $10 food voucher that can’t be used anywhere in the terminal. And the elevator smells faintly of regret and tequila