A week in Cabo San Lucas packs in more diving variety than most destinations manage in a month. But fitting it all into a single dive trip without turning your holiday into a logistics exercise? That is where most people get stuck.
I have been guiding divers in Cabo San Lucas for years and the same question comes up every season: How do you fit the best of Baja into a week of diving?
At Cabo Private Guide we have tested every version of this trip, tweaked it season after season, and this itinerary is what I keep coming back to. It balances depth limits with sufficient off-gassing, alongside travel logistics and, most importantly, the kind of marine life encounters that will have you coming back year after year.
Quick jump: Day-by-day diving itinerary
In 5 days you will have logged Cabo San Lucas bay, the Corridor of the Sea of Cortez, descended into the blue at Gordo Banks, immersed yourself in the jack tornado at Cabo Pulmo, and possibly heard humpback whales singing underwater, all while encountering sea lions and whale sharks in La Paz. Not a bad week!
Ready to skip the planning headache? Browse our Best of Baja diving package for full pricing and details. If you only have the weekend, you can opt for the Advanced Baja Diver 3-day package instead.
What certification level do you need to dive in Cabo San Lucas?
This itinerary works at multiple certification levels. Cabo San Lucas and the surrounding waters of Baja California Sur offer a remarkable variety of dive spots for every kind of diver. The dive sites in Los Cabos range from perfectly sheltered bays suitable for beginners to deep blue drift dives that will test the most experienced in the water. Nobody leaves underwhelmed.
Not yet certified? No problem. You can complete your PADI Open Water course right here in Cabo before your first dive day. Ask us about combining certification with this itinerary from day one.
Open Water Certified Divers
Open water divers can dive the vast majority of what Cabo has to offer up to 60 feet / 18 meters. Dive sites including Pelican Rock, Land’s End, Whale Head and Chileno Bay allow you to spot whitetip reef sharks, eagle rays, sea lions, octopus and more during the week.
The only dive sites that require more are certain deeper sections of the Corridor and Gordo Banks depth. Everything else is yours.
Travelling with kids or newer divers in the group? Cabo San Lucas is one of the most beginner-friendly dive destinations in Mexico and we will adjust the schedule to suit your group. Just let us know.
Advanced Open Water
Advanced certification opens the door to every dive site in Cabo San Lucas. Most importantly, it unlocks Gordo Banks at 100 to 130ft (30 to 40 meters), which is precisely where the hammerheads tend to hang. It also gives your guide more room to work with throughout the whole week, on every dive.
Want to upgrade while you are here? The PADI Advanced Open Water or the PADI Deep Diver specialty can be completed in Cabo in two days. The theory is all online and can be finished before you arrive. Training dives are carried out in the bay and the Corridor during your first two days. Giving you the opportunity to be ready to dive at Gordo Banks during the same diving trip.
Before you dive: Should you do a refresher?
Every season I see the same thing. A diver arrives confident, certified a few years back, last dive was Playa del Carmen in 2022. Everything feels fine on land. Then the nerves arrive somewhere on the boat ride out.
If you haven’t been underwater in six months or more, start with a refresher. A quick skills review in the sheltered bay of Cabo San Lucas on Day 1 and you will feel like you never stopped. It is the smartest way to set up the rest of the week. And the best part? It’s completely free with CPG.
Cabo Private Guide includes a free scuba refresher with all private guided tours. Book your first day as a private bay dive and ask the team to add it when you arrive.
Day-by-day diving itinerary in Cabo San Lucas
I have designed this dive itinerary to show you the very best of Cabo San Lucas and Baja California Sur in a single 5 day trip.
The day-by-day schedule below follows our Best of Baja California diving package, a full programme combining private guided dives across the best dive areas around Cabo San Lucas.
This plan works year-round, though certain marine life highlights are seasonal. The overall sweet spot for combining warm water, good visibility and hammerheads at Gordo Banks is September to January. For whale watching to add to the mix, December through April is your window. And Mobula rays are best sighted through May to August.
Keep Reading: Best time to dive in Cabo San Lucas ?
Day 1 : Welcome to the Bay of Cabo San Lucas
- Dive site: Cabo San Lucas Marine Park (10 minutes from the marina)
- Schedule: Half day – 2 dives
- Min. Certification: Open Water
First dives in a new place should feel good. The Bay of Cabo never lets you down. We start at Pelican Rock or North Wall, then move to Land’s End or Neptune’s Finger; most of the dive sites are perfectly sheltered from Pacific weather.
North Wall is where I take anyone who mentions macro photography. Rocky outcrops hiding seahorses and frogfish, nudibranchs tucked into crevices, moray eels peering out at you with their usual look of mild offence. The sandy bank at 15ft has families of pufferfish and the occasional hawksbill turtle on the way out.
Lands End dive site is where you are most likely to encounter whitetip reef sharks resting below 30ft. While Neptune’s finger offers you the opportunity to spot mobula rays or cow rays in season. The canyon wall gives you room to explore at whatever depth suits your certification and air consumption.
Book this dive: Diving the Bay of Cabo – from $120 USD per person
If you are up for it, end the day with a night dive. Watch the sunset disappear behind the Arch of Cabo. Look for octopus, lobsters, eels hunting in the open, the bay transforms completely after dark.
Day 1 is the ideal moment to add your free scuba refresher if you haven’t been diving for a while. Let us know when you book and we will build it into the morning.
Day 2 : Dive The Corridor of Los Cabos
- Dive site: The Corridor, Sea of Cortez (20 minutes from the marina)
- Schedule: Half day – 2 dives
- Min. Certification: Open Water for most sites
Day 2 is dedicated to exploring some of my favorite dive sites in the sea of Cortez. The Corridor stretches up into the mouth of the Sea of Cortez and the dive sites here get less human impact than the busier dive sites located in the bay of Cabo, which means healthier coral and a slightly more secluded feel.
Note: December to April – Humpback whales pass through this area on their way into the bay. It is not unusual to hear whale song from underwater during your safety stop. Keep your eyes up.
Whale Head dive site is famous for eagle rays. There is a shallow underwater channel that leads through interesting topography into a rocky clearing with huge soft coral-covered boulders, genuinely beautiful.
Gavilanes, one of the most sheltered corridor dive sites, takes you through canyons and chambers with moray eels, scorpionfish and octopus tucked into every corner. Chileno Bay has some excellent soft coral. Swimming from one side to the other you pick up schooling jacks, snapper and grunts, and if you check under the rocky boulders you will often find reef sharks resting in the shade.
For advanced divers, Blow Hole adds another dimension, resident whitetip reef sharks in rocky caves, beautiful corals deeper down, and the site is named for the actual blowhole above the cave entrance where waves push air through with a satisfying boom on the surface.
Book this dive: Diving the Corridor – from $130 USD per person
Day 3 : Cabo Pulmo National Park
- Dive site: Cabo Pulmo, 2 hours drive from Cabo San Lucas
- Schedule: Day trip – 2 dives
- Min. Certification: Open Water for most sites
The day begins early with a 2-hour drive from Cabo San Lucas to Cabo Pulmo; we will arrange transport and hotel pickup with breakfast and lunch included.
Cabo Pulmo deserves your full attention. A fishing village that banned fishing in the 1990s, watched its reef recover by over 425%, and earned a World Heritage designation and a Hope Spot from Dr Sylvia Earle. The difference you feel underwater here compared to anywhere else in the area is stark.
Cabo Pulmo Protected Area
Cabo Pulmo National Park is strictly regulated ! 45-minute dives, 6ft off the reef at all times, certified guides, maximum two boats per site.
It is the best-managed marine park I have dived anywhere and that is precisely why it works.
The jack tornado showcases thousands of bigeye trevally swirling in a column from the surface to the sandy floor, is one of those underwater experiences that stops you entirely in your tracks.
El Vencedor, the small cargo wreck sitting at 35ft, is the most reliable place to find bull sharks in the park, cruising the cleaning station with complete indifference to the divers hovering below.
This third day runs on a shared boat with a shared guide, the standard format in Pulmo, which keeps boats small and impact low.
Book this dive: Diving Cabo Pulmo – from $295 USD per person
Day 4 – Gordo Banks or extended Corridor diving
- Dive site: Gordo Banks (Deep dive) or Corridor of Los Cabos
- Schedule: Full day – 2 or 3 dives
- Min certification: Advanced Open Water for Gordo Banks
Day 4 splits based on certification level and this is the most important fork in the whole trip.
Advanced divers: Gordo Banks (2 tanks)
Gordo Banks seamount sits 29 miles from Cabo San Lucas Marina at 100 to 130ft. Black and wire coral on the rocky peak, schools of jacks and snappers above it, and when conditions align a huge wall of scalloped hammerhead sharks can be seen in the blue. Silky sharks, tope sharks, yellowfin tuna and wahoo are all possible pelagic encounters. So are mobula ray and cow nose ray squadrons, and the occasional humpback whale next to you on your dive (Dec and January are the peak months to see whales underwater). Not to mention all the breaching whales we see at the surface traveling to and from.
Note: Best season for Gordo Banks hammerheads: July to January.
Checkout our Gordo Banks dive Log & Trip Report
This is a blue water drift dive. It demands good buoyancy, solid experience and an Advanced certification. It rewards you in a way that is genuinely hard to describe to someone who hasn’t done it.
You CAN come on this dive if you have Open Water level cert with a impressive log book, you just need to sign up for a Deep Workshop on your check out dive.
Book this dive: Gordo Banks Dive Tour — from $250 USD per person
Open Water divers: Corridor and Bay mix (3 tanks)
Three dives across the Corridor and the Bay with your guide, hitting sites you may not have reached yet. More marine life, more dive time, a deeper exploration of what Los Cabos has on offer at Open Water depth.
Day 5 : La Paz, whale sharks and sea lions (or Espiritu Santo Island)
- Dive site: La Paz, 2 to 2.5 hours north of Cabo San Lucas
- Schedule: Day trip – 2 dives
- Min. Certification: Open Water
Day 5 changes character depending on when you visit, and both versions are spectacular.
November to March : La Paz whale sharks and sea lion colony (1 tank):
Whale sharks, the largest fish in the ocean, filter feeding in the waters around La Paz alongside a resident California sea lion colony at Espiritu Santo Island. At first you will be snorkeling with whale shark, then enjoy 1 tank dive with the sea lions.
Swimming alongside a whale shark for the first time recalibrates your sense of scale entirely. The sea lions, meanwhile, have absolutely no interest in being dignified about it. Young ones barrel roll around you and attempt to steal your fins. The adults watch from the rocks with complete contempt.
April to October : 2-tank diving around Espiritu Santo Island:
Espiritu Santo Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is home to the largest sea lion colony in the area, accessible between May to October every year.
Explore La Paz shipwrecks, coral reef, sea lions year-round, dolphins, turtles and some of the most interesting underwater topography in the entire Sea of Cortez. A minimum number of divers is required to confirm this day trip, so book early.
Pre-flight planning: if you are flying home the following morning, Day 5 in La Paz gives you a comfortable surface interval before the airport. The day trip returns to Cabo in the late afternoon.
Where to stay? Dive and stay packages in Cabo San Lucas
When your boat departs at 7am, your hotel location matters more than you think. All four accommodation options below are partnered with Cabo Private Guide and positioned within walking distance or a very short ride from our dive centre at Plaza Nautica Marina. Transport is included in the package price for those not within walking distance.
Enquire about Cabo San Lucas dive and stay packages, contact the team for an exact quote based on your dates.
- Tesoro Los Cabos Resort (4-star, $$$): A 3-minute walk from the dive shop with marina views, rooftop pool, spa, and on-site dining. The most convenient option for divers who want resort comfort steps from the boat. Great for couples and solo travellers. See on maps
- The Bungalows Boutique Hotel (4-star, $$$): A quiet, charming hideaway 5 minutes by car. Tropical garden, in-room kitchenettes, outdoor lounge and hosts known for exceptional personal service. Perfect if you want to genuinely decompress between dives. See on maps
- Hotel Santa Fe (3-star, $$): Family-friendly, 10 minutes on foot or 5 minutes by Uber. All-inclusive amenities, kitchenettes, outdoor pool and a supermarket on-site. The best choice for groups or families who need flexibility over luxury. See on maps
- Siesta Suites Boutique Hotel (2-star, $$): One minute’s walk from the dive shop. Rooftop terrace, BBQ, fully equipped kitchens and a location surrounded by the best tacos in Cabo. The most popular option with returning divers for good reason. See on maps
Dive and stay packages in Cabo San Lucas
Travelling with kids? The 5-day diving family version
Running a dive business and raising a child in Baja California means I think about family diving quite a lot. The 5-day itinerary above is entirely compatible with a family trip, it just needs a little choreography.
Days 1 and 2 stay exactly as planned for certified parents. Kids aged 10 to 18 can join the Scuba Kids Vacation Camp, which runs five full days from 8am to 5:30pm. Maximum three students per instructor. They earn their PADI Open Water Diver. You get your dives. They get a life-changing week.
By Day 4, if you have timed it right, the whole family could be underwater together at Cabo Pulmo and La Paz. Young certified divers exploring coral reefs and diving alongside sea lions. That is the kind of holiday that reshapes a child’s relationship with the natural world.
Regarding accommodation, Hotel Santa Fe and Siesta Suites are the most family-friendly accommodation options close to the dive shop.
Discover our 5-day Kids Camp
From $950 USD for the first student, $850 for the second, $800 for the third. Full details and booking at the Kids Scuba Diving Vacation Camp page.
Make the most of it: Combine your trip with a diving courses
Cabo San Lucas is genuinely one of the finest places in the world to get certified or to level up. The conditions are accessible, the marine life is extraordinary, and the team at Cabo Private Guide have been teaching and guiding here for years. Here is how each course slots into the week.
Free Scuba Refresher
Included with all private guided tours at Cabo Private Guide. If you haven’t dived in six months or more, this is your secret weapon. Add it to Day 1 and start the week properly.
PADI Open Water Diver
Start from scratch and get certified before or during your trip. Four open water dives in the protected bay, while diving theory completed online before you arrive. PADI Open Water course in Cabo San Lucas.
PADI Advanced Open Water
The key that unlocks Gordo Banks at full depth. Can be completed over two days, fitting perfectly into Day 3 (theory + first adventure dives in the bay) ready for Gordo Banks on Day 4. PADI Advanced Open Water course.
Specialty and Marine Conservation Courses
Shark Conservation, Coral Conservation, Project AWARE Specialist, Dive Against Debris. Any of these can be layered into the itinerary. Leave Cabo a more informed, more effective ocean ambassador. PADI Specialty courses | Marine Conservation courses.
Want More? The 7-Day Extension
Seven days is never really enough in Cabo. Here is how to stretch the itinerary to a full 7 days without repetition and without running out of things to see.
The extension adds two season-specific extra days to the core programme, built around the best wildlife encounter available during your visit.
June to October: Diving to Cerralvo Island and La Reina reef
Get ready for some of the most spectacular open ocean encounters in Baja California Sur : the giant manta of La Reina reef. A day trip from La Ventana, about an hour and a half north of Cabo. Scuba diving at Cerralvo Island, known to many as Jacques Cousteau Island, offers a completely different underwater landscape from anything else on this itinerary. Interesting rock formations, turtles, grouper, sea lions and manta ray.
May to August : Mobula Ray Snorkeling + Dive Combo
The Mobula ray dive combo combines two tank dives in Cabo San Lucas with an ocean safari swimming among the rays. Every year in Cabo, tens of thousands of Munk’s devil rays gather in the waters around Cabo San Lucas during the summer months. The Mobula rays are easier to encounter from the surface than from depth, which makes this one of those rare experiences that is equally spectacular for divers and snorkellers.
December to April : Whale Watch and Dive Combo
Humpback whales are in the bay of Cabo San Lucas from December through April, breaching and socialising at the mouth of the Sea of Cortez. The Whale Watch & Dive Combo Tour pairs two tank dives in the morning with a dedicated whale watching session on the water. If you are lucky, and in peak season you often are, you will hear whale song from underwater during your dives and then watch them breach from the surface an hour later. Two completely different kinds of awe in one day.
April to October : Ocean Safari at Cerralvo Island, Wild Dolphin & Mobula
Common and bottlenose dolphins are resident in the waters around Cerralvo Island. This wild Dolphin open ocean safari to Cerralvo island takes you out to find them in their natural environment, not a show, just wild dolphins doing what they do in open water.
For a dedicated Mobula ray experience in April to October, the Cerralvo Island Mobula Ray Open Ocean Safari takes you out into the open Sea of Cortez where the aggregations form away from the busy bay. Fewer boats, wilder setting, unforgettable.
Ready to Plan Your Cabo Diving Trip?
This 5-day diving itinerary to Cabo is a template, not a rulebook.
Every week in Cabo looks slightly different depending on the season, the conditions, your certification level and what you are actually chasing underwater. Maybe you want to spend three days on Gordo Banks. Maybe the kids need to be factored in from day one. Maybe you have never dived before and you want to leave with your Open Water and your first shark encounter in the same week. All of it is doable!
Not sure where to start? The Best of Baja California diving package is the most popular way to experience this itinerary, with pricing starting at $1250 USD for 5 days and 10 to 12 dives, including seasonal options all laid out in one place.
Start planning your dive trip
What I can tell you, after years of guiding divers through Los Cabos and Baja California Sur, is that this stretch of ocean never stops surprising people. Even divers who have been everywhere.
Get in touch and we will build the right version of this trip around your dates, your certification and what you want to see underwater. That is what private guiding is for.
