Nightlife in Los Cabos: Best Bars, Clubs, & More

After a day of lounging on the beach, practicing watersports, or a round of golf, as the sun sets over Los Cabos, the fun is just beginning. This destination has a host of nightlife options to choose from and Cabo San Lucas is the center for most of the action. You’ll find beach bars, vibrant dance clubs, and rock venues owned by music legends. Along the Corridor, sophisticated hotels offer trendy lounges where you can sip expertly blended cocktails, and in San José del Cabo, you can sample mezcal at a mellow bar or enjoy a craft brew and pub fare at a late-night restaurant. 

Bars

After a day of fun in the sun, you can continue the good times by starting off your evening in one of these laid back bars and cantinas, taking advantage of happy hour specials before moving on to the dance clubs:

• Uno Más? is a small but fun bar that prides itself on the fact that its cocktails are made with fresh ingredients, not mixers. Fun and friendly bartenders and good prices make this a favorite among tourists and locals alike. 
• Sancho’s Bar is located on the Marina. The terrace of this casual sports bar offers views of the boardwalk promenade while inside, big-screen TVs display music videos or live sporting events. Try their signature pink taco, a hard-shell tortilla stuffed with a soft tortilla and beef, chicken, or shrimp filling.

If you’re looking for something a little more upscale, consider one of these trendier lounges:

• Blind Boar Cantina was founded by a group of bartenders who were tired of serving tequila shots and blended margaritas. This cantina offers custom craft cocktails in an atmosphere that pays tribute to a 1920s speakeasy. It's the best place to enjoy a classic old fashioned or Manhattan, or switch things up and try a mezcal mule.  
• The Rooftop at The Cape is a swanky cocktail lounge and beer garden where you can enjoy hand-crafted cocktails or artisanal beer as you take in the sweeping views from the sixth-floor rooftop of the Thompson Hotel.
• Mixology Fusion Bar, a weekend-only bar in San José del Cabo’s art district, plays Jazz music on Thursdays, on Fridays the eclectic crowd gets down to disco, and on Saturdays they play house music. Check their Facebook page for the secret password to get in, or contact them directly.

Dance Clubs

Cabo San Lucas has a well-deserved reputation as one of Mexico's hottest party destinations. Most of the action centers around the Marina area, where a few iconic clubs have been maintaining the party atmosphere for decades. Many are considered a tourist attraction in themselves: take a photo, buy a T-shirt, and stay for the live music and dancing until the wee hours of the morning. 

• Cabo Wabo Cantina was founded by Sammy Hagar of Van Halen fame in 1990. This club has a house band playing rock n' roll every night. If you’re lucky you may be there for one of the occasional cameos from visiting rock and country music stars.
• The Giggling Marlin is a restaurant, bar, and nightclub best known for its bawdy floor show. Try drinking a shot while hanging upside down, and join in other fun and games with staff and other patrons.
• El Squid Roe has a family-friendly atmosphere during the day (children under 18 are allowed until 10:30 p.m.), but after hours it gets raucous quickly. By midnight, all three levels of this club are crowded, and waiters armed with tanks of tequila make their way through the throngs as patrons dance on every available space (including tables and bar tops).

There are some newer clubs on the scene where those looking for a more typical night out on the town will find music and dancing until dawn: 

• Mandala Los Cabos is one of the most popular spots for dancing after midnight, featuring EDM and hip hop music from a rotating cast of international DJs. There's colorful lighting, upscale design elements, and a huge dance floor to accommodate the large crowds. 
• La Vaquita Los Cabos is a fun and energetic dance club playing a mix of Latin, reggaeton, top 40, and some EDM and hip hop. The decor is unmistakable, its white walls strewn with black spots, and a huge cow hanging from the ceiling, the eponymous “vaquita” (little cow). 

Late-Night Restaurants

A majority of Los Cabos restaurants close around 10 or 11 p.m., and most bars serve food until late. 

Enjoy Los Cabos’ original local craft beer along with delicious eats ranging from hearty pub fare to elegant seafood entrées at any of Baja Brewing Company three locations: the original in San José del Cabo’s historic art district, overlooking the Cabo San Lucas Marina, or in a rooftop above the Cachet Beach Club with beautiful views of El Médano beach and Land’s End. All are open from 8 a.m. until midnight. 

Live Music

• Two For The Road is an intimate jazz club in a hidden location on the Marina behind Solomon's Landing restaurant. Run by a husband-and-wife team who makes the music, he plays the piano and she provides the vocals.
• Cabo Wine & Jazz Club is another cozy and mellow wine bar catering to an older crowd than most Los Cabos clubs, and offers live jazz music performances several nights a week.
• Rock & Brews was founded by Kiss members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley in 2013. Similarly themed to Cabo Wabo Cantina and Hard Rock Cafe, it's a winning blend of comfort food favorites with live music and rock star memorabilia.
• Rockstone Tavern is a hybrid sports bar and live music venue with a rock n' roll-themed decor and rock band playing nightly. It has both indoor and outdoor bars, and they serve a wide selection of comfort food favorites such as nachos, French fries, fried pickles, onion rings, and popcorn shrimp, as well as more filling fare like burgers and sea bass sandwiches.

Events or Activities 

If an organized nighttime activity is more to your liking, there are many events and excursions you can enjoy in Los Cabos after the sun goes down.

• Families with children may enjoy a pirate show aboard the Buccaneer Queen pirate ship. Experience an adventure as you voyage along Los Cabos’ picturesque coastline, with views of the Arch while you enjoy dinner and an open bar. 
• The best way to enjoy the sunset is out on the water. Cabo Adventures has a Luxury Sunset Sailing trip on a French-made catamaran. Children aged 8 and up are welcome on this excursion.
• If you’d like to enjoy the sunset out on the water, but with music and dancing rather than on a sailboat, you can go on a sunset party cruise. Enjoy snacks and an open bar while you cruise past Los Cabos’ landmarks like Lover’s Beach, the Arch, and Sea Lion Colony.
• If you want to enjoy the nightclubs but don’t want to spend time waiting to get in, or once inside, trying to get the bartender’s attention, the Cabo Crawl is a great option. You'll visit three different nightclubs in Cabo San Lucas with an escort who knows their way around and will make sure the drinks keep flowing and your group is having a great time. 

Tips for Going Out in Los Cabos

• The legal drinking age in Mexico is 18.
• People dress casually for most bars and clubs in Los Cabos. A few of the nicer clubs will not let you in wearing tank tops, shorts, or flip-flops, but in general, anything goes.
• Drinking alcoholic beverages in public places is prohibited by law in Mexico, but authorities usually turn a blind eye to discrete public drinkers who don’t create a disturbance. 
• Some clubs have a cover charge that includes an open bar. Keep in mind that tips are not included, and you may have to tip generously to keep the drinks coming. 
• Check food and drink prices and keep track of what you’ve ordered. It’s a good idea to close out your drinking tab after every two rounds to keep things simple and ensure no extra charges are added. Pay for drinks in pesos, to avoid an inflated exchange rate.
• Buses stop running by 10 p.m. or earlier. Taxis and Uber are your best bet for getting around after hours. Taxis are generally safe, but if you’re taking a cab alone at night, take a photo of the taxi number on the side of the car and send it to your friends.
• Between June and October, things are quiet in general, whereas the rest of the year, you can find a raging party any night of the week.