We arrived into Cabo San Lucas just after 6am on a gorgeous April morning, gliding silently into the bay as the sun started to rise. One of those cinematic moments where everything looks golden and calm — until you realise you’ve got 12 minutes to get dressed and caffeinated before the tendering process starts – a necessary evil to go ashore today.
The arch, the lovers, and the logistics
First things first: El Arco de Cabo San Lucas. The iconic natural rock formation, forged by waves over thousands of years, stands dramatically where the Pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Cortez (aka. the Gulf of California). It’s also known as Land’s End — because if you kept sailing south, you wouldn’t hit land again until Antarctica, which feels a bit dramatic.
Next to it is Lover’s Beach, a tucked-away little spot only accessible by boat. Romantic in name, slightly treacherous in nature. It’s flanked by Divorce Beach on the other side, which is… poetic.
El Arco de Cabo San Lucas and Lover’s Beach
Tender loving care (and a bit of backstage drama)
Cabo is a tender port, which means the cruise ship can’t dock directly. Instead, small boats (tenders) ferry you from ship to shore — kind of like aquatic Ubers, but with more life jackets.
Thanks to sailing with NCL Haven, we had a 7.45am escort to the tenders, complete with a cheeky ‘staff only’ lift ride. It’s always cool to peek behind the curtain a little. Zero waiting time. Zero patience needed. Perfect.
Ben greeted our concierge with “zǎo shàng hǎo” (good morning in Mandarin). The concierge had taught it to him the night before, and clearly didn’t expect Ben to remember, let alone use it. Impressed! Might be why we were whisked right down to the tender!
Tender boat deck hands
Tender boat view of Norwegian Joy
The long walk, the perfect beach, and a dog living its best life!
Upon landing, we were immediately asked if we were smuggling in any fresh fruit — a question that sounds funny until you realise they’re deadly serious. I couldn’t help but laugh, but the illegal smuggling of freshly prepared fruit from the buffet must be a major concern.
The port area is surprisingly big. We clocked 5.5km just wandering around the marina — dodging polite taxi drivers, politely declining boat tours, and politely sweating through our shirts. We weren’t here for excursions today.
Continuing on our marina walk, we passed a shopping centre with a giant decorative bear on top (obviously) and kept going — right to the far side of the marina, where everything opened up. That was the apex of the walk: the views back across the bay were stunning, the beach below looked absolutely perfect, and one bloke was playing fetch with his dog like they were in a slow-mo commercial for joy itself.
Playa El Farito – the perfect beach!
One giant creepy-looking bear.
That’s a happy derpy dog.
Also outside the shopping centre? Three heavily armed members of the Mexican military — cruising around in a golf cart. They smiled and nodded at us. Possibly the friendliest heavily armed patrol we’ve ever encountered.
Beers before brunch (it’s holiday maths)
By 9am, it was already roasting, so we stopped for drinks at a little spot with decent shade and a good drinks menu
Later, we found Eco Bar, a brilliant place for brunch with a marina view and shockingly large portions. Prices were a bit “we know you’re on a cruise ship”, but to be fair, it tasted great and the views were fantastic.
Views of the Marina
A very VIP return
On the way back to the pier, a friendly Haven crew member clocked us and immediately ushered us to the front of the tender queue. It’s always nice to get through the embarkation process quickly, there’s usually a lot of queuing and waiting involved.. The ride back was loud — music pumping, waves crashing, everyone slightly sun-kissed.
NCL Haven team waiting for their guests.
Some Mexican flare! Not boarding our Cruise ship.
Final Thoughts
We didn’t snorkel or parasail or tequila-sample this time — but we got our steps in, filled the SD card, had a solid brunch, and were smiled at by the Mexican army in a golf cart. Also, Ben spoke Mandarin before breakfast. Honestly? Peak travel, and just how I like it. We will be back!
