What makes a great beach? Is it the views? The color and consistency of the sand? The availability of 
bars or restaurants? The conditions for activities like surfing, snorkeling and swimming?
It’s an interesting question and one that is at the heart of any visit to Los Cabos, given that the region boasts over 100 miles of coastline, with more picturesque playas that the average tourist could see in a year.
When it comes to aesthetics, picking a favorite is purely a personal choice. But there is one objective measurement for beaches, in Los Cabos and elsewhere. That’s the Blue Flag program pioneered in the 1980s by the European based Foundation for Environmental Education, which judges beaches based on very defined standards of cleanliness, services and sustainability.
Blue Flags are not about beauty. They’re about signs, clean bathrooms, showers, handicap access, recycling bins, parking, and other practical concerns that can significantly enhance one’s experience at the beach.
But since every beach in Los Cabos is visually breathtaking, offering stunning Sea of Cortez or Pacific Ocean views, the availability of these basic services is a big deal when it comes to choosing where you want to spend your day in paradise…particularly if you’re traveling with children or people with disabilities.
The good news is that there are a lot of blue flags flying in cape cities Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, as well as along the 20-mile tourist corridor which connects them. As a matter of fact, Los Cabos has more blue flag beaches – 19 – than any other destination in Mexico.
For some context, the blue flag program is globally recognized, with beaches or marinas maintaining the stringent blue flag standards (it’s not a lifetime award) in nearly 60 different countries around the world. Mexico is currently in 13th place overall in terms of countries with the most blue flag beaches, claiming 54 nationwide. Baja California Sur, the state where Los Cabos is located, leads the way with 20 (again, 19 in Los Cabos alone!). The only other state that is close is Quintana Roo, the state where Cancun and the Riviera Maya is located, with 17.
Los Cabos’ blue flag supremacy is a rather new phenomenon. As recently as 2016, the municipality had only three beaches that had earned FEE’s blue flag stamp of approval: Playas Chileno, Santa Maria and Palmilla. The stunning growth of the program since then is a credit to the community at large, which has recognized how important beaches are to the tourism industry and has made a commitment to keep the local sands both beautiful and sustainable.
Many of the newest blue flag beaches in Los Cabos are in fact subsections of Playa El Medano, the two-mile stretch of golden sand that is the center of social life in Cabo San Lucas. But blue flag beaches can be found in virtually every corner of Los Cabos, from popular city based locales to lesser known gems like La Ribera, an East Cape playa where a new Four Seasons resort has recently opened.
With that in mind, here are the 19 blue flag beaches in Los Cabos for 2020:
Acapulquito
El Chileno
El Corsario
La Ribera
Las Viudas
Medano Breathless
Medano Casa Dorada
Medano Club Cascadas de Baja
Medano Hacienda
Medano ME Cabo
Medano Pueblo Bonito Los Cabos
Medano Pueblo Bonito Rose
Medano Riu Palace Los Cabos
Medano Riu Santa Fe
Medano Villa Del Palmar
Medano Villa El Arco
Medano Villa La Estancia
Palmilla
Santa Maria
No need to rank them further. Visiting any of these sun-kissed meccas ensures you’re going to have a great day at the beach.
For more information about events, activities and villa rentals in Los Cabos, call us TOLL FREE at 1-888-655-4548, visit www.LosCabosVillas.com, or email us at Info@LosCabosVillas.com.
Photo credit: Chileno Beach Resort & Residences
Upcoming Events Calendar
February
Todos Santos Writers Workshop – Feb. 1 – 8
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Feb. 6, 13, 20, 27
Todos Santos Artists’ Open Studios Tour – Feb. 7 – 9
Los Cabos Half Marathon – Feb. 9
Biker Week Los Cabos – Feb. 13 – 17
San Jose del Cabo Jazz Weekend – Feb. 14 – 15
Rock Fest in Cabo San Lucas – Feb. 15
Carnaval in La Paz – Feb. 20 – 25
March
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Mar. 5, 12, 19, 26
Baja Shakespeare Festival – Mar. 6 – 8, 11 – 14
Sabores de Baja in Miraflores – Mar. 8
East Cape Arts Festival – Mar. 15
Festival Artesanal El Triunfo – Mar. 15
Todos Santos Film Festival – Mar. 26 – 29
April
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Apr. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
Semana Santa – Apr. 5 – 11
NORRA Mexican 1000 – Apr. 17 – 24
Warren Hill’s Los Cabos Jazz Festival – April 30 – May 3
May
Warren Hill’s Los Cabos Jazz Festival – April 30 – May 3
485th Foundation Festival in La Paz – May 3 – 5
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – May 7, 14, 21, 28
El Dia de la Madre – May 10
Gastrovino Food & Wine Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced
White Party at ME Cabo/Blue Marlin Ibiza – Date Not Yet Announced
June
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – June 4, 11, 18, 25
7th Cabo Summer Slam/Pelagic Triple Crown of Fishing Tournament – June 11 – 13
Los Cabos Open of Surf – Dates Not Yet Announced
Fiesta de la Musica in San Jose del Cabo – June 20
24th Stars and Stripes Golf and Fishing Tournament – June 24 – 28
July
Pitahayas Harvest Fair in Miraflores – Dates Not Yet Announced
East Cape Dorado Shootout – July 18
Los Cabos Open of Tennis – July 20 – 25
Ladies Only Fishing Tournament in Los Barriles – July 23 – 27
Mango Festival in Todos Santos – Dates Not Yet Announced
August
Bisbee’s East Cape Offshore Fishing Tournament – Aug. 4 – 8
East Cape Gold Cup Wahoo Jackpot Fishing Tournament – Aug. 22
September
Mexican Independence Day – Sep. 16
October
Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore Fishing Tournament – Oct. 15 – 18
Bisbee’s Black & Blue Fishing Tournament – Oct. 20 – 24
November
Day of the Dead – Nov. 2
Los Cabos Film Festival – Nov. 11 – 15
53rd Annual SCORE Baja 1000 – Nov. 16 – 21
Revolution Day – Nov. 20
December
Feast Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe – Dec. 12
Las Posadas – Dec. 16 – 24
Nochebuena – Dec. 24
Navidad – Dec. 25
Nochevieja – Dec. 31
Please let me know what you think about this!