We spent 6 nights in Cabo San Lucas pet-sitting for a family who was looking for a pet sitter so they could go away on vacation. We’re a family of 5 (with three boys). When we stayed at Cabo, we stayed an hour’s drive north of the city on the west coast of Baja, so we left our RV at a campground and went south to explore the city.
If you’re considering housesitting or pet sitting in Cabo San Lucas, here are some things that would be helpful to understand about the area before making your decision:
Los Cabos: Cabo San Lucas and San Jose Del Cabo
This area at the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula is often referred to as Los Cabos (The Capes). The area comprises two cities: Cabo San Lucas on the Southwest side of the peninsula and San Jose Del Cabo to the east.
These cities are often confused (or “Los Cabos” is used interchangeably) so it’s worth being sure which area you plan to visit.
The two areas are connected by a main highway and the resorts along the southern coast nearly connect the two entirely. As you’re driving, it’s unclear where one starts and the other ends as resorts stretch the coast from the Pacific Ocean to the Sea of Cortez.
As a general observation, we have noticed that Cabo San Lucas seems to have a lot of tightly-packed resorts and nightlife focused around the marina, while San Jose Del Cabo seems to have more golf resorts and spacious resorts that stretch down the coast. Of course, we recognize there are exceptions to this generalization.
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Common questions about pet sitting in Cabo San Lucas:
How to find housesitting Cabo San Lucas:
We used TrustedHousesitters to find a house sit in Cabo San Lucas. Trusted housesitters has listings from all over the world, and because of the diversity in members and locations, it is the highest-priced housesitting membership.
Another platform is called Housesit Mexico. While the price is lower, it is focused explicitly on housesits in Mexico, and those house sit opportunities seem to be focussed in and around mainland Mexico, but we have seen some in the Baja California and Baja California Sur – the two states on the Baja peninsula.
We did this at the Grand Solomar resort to visit Lovers’ Beach. Parking was offsite, so we parked by the marina and then walked to the resort where we were escorted to the beach. For sunset that evening, we saw these whales right off the coast:
View this post on Instagram
Can we walk to the beach from our Cabo San Lucas house sit?
Probably not. Along the coast is all prime land for resorts and since tourism is such a significant part of the economy here, the coast is lined with hotels. Behind the hotels is the transpeninsular highway (8 lanes and up to 10 lanes). While you’ll be able to drive to the beach without a concern, walking there is another story. We’ve stayed in Cabo twice – once with our house sit and once in an off-beach hotel.
At our house sit we could see the water from our house, but to walk there would require us to cross an 8-lane stretch of the busiest highway in Cabo San Lucas.
At our off-beach hotel, we were on the coast side of the highway, but there were no sidewalks or walking access to the beach short of walking the shoulder of the road, so we drove.
If you’re flying into Cabo for a housesit and won’t be renting a vehicle, plan to taxi or uber for beach visits. There is public transportation, so ask the homeowner if that’s accessible nearby, but we’ve found that here in Mexico, public transportation isn’t frequent or reliable to the schedule.
Enjoying a beach day while petsitting in Cabo San Lucas
Can you drink the water in Cabo San Lucas?
We use bottled water for drinking and brushing our teeth. Filtered water is available in 5-gallon jugs at every grocery store, and many neighborhoods have regular delivery. Even the locals we’ve met drink bottled water, though they may use tap water for brushing their teeth or washing food.
Some resorts may have water filtration systems, but for local restaurants, we always bring our own water or order beverages in a sealed container (not fountain drinks with ice).
How much does it cost to eat out in Cabo San Lucas for a family?
Like anywhere, you’ll pay more to eat out that to prepare your own food, and you can choose to splurge while eating out or find economical options.
Closest to the marina is where the cruise ships arrive. Here you’ll find upscale steak houses, seafood restaurants, and casual family restaurants. You’ll also find restaurants that you’ll recognize like Senor Frogs, Starbucks, and McDonalds. They may be 10-15% less than what you’re used to paying in US or Canada. When you make a trip down the Marina, stop by the CABO sign:
Stop for an iconic picture at the cabo letters
A few blocks from there, you’ll find local restaurants – everything from patio chairs, paper plates, and paper napkins to authentically decorated table-service restaurants with cloth napkins and stone wear. A sit-down meal for our family was about 20-25% less than we would pay in the US. A takeaway meal was closer to 30% less than we might pay in the US.
Outside of Cabo San Lucas, you might visit a town like Cerritos beach, or Todos Santos, or La Paz. In these towns a bit further out of the way, you can still find fancy restaurants, but if you find some street tacos, or BBQ chicken, or churros, you’ll be paying less than half of what you would pay in the US.
The basic rule is the further you can get from the resorts and tourist hotspots, the more likely you are to eat out for less than groceries.
We found lots of delicious food while pet sitting in Los Cabos
What grocery stores are available in Cabo San Lucas?
We don’t typically eat out every meal while visiting a new area. We like to enjoy local foods and produce and cook at home.
In Cabo San Lucas, you’ll find a grocery section at Walmart, a Costco (nearly American prices), a Soriana which has a lot of selection and middle-of-the-road pricing, a Fresko which has a great organic produce section and plenty of selection, and Chedraui (pronounced Sha-Drow-ee) which has a great bakery where we often stop for snacks to go.
If you are down by the marina and are looking for an economical option for food or groceries, there is a Chedraui there with a full selection of food to go – pasta, sushi, a salad bar, and desserts.
We love visiting the grocery store bakeries in Cabo San Lucas
Is Cabo San Lucas safe for housesitting?
We’ve never had any concerns about safety while house sitting or RVing in Baja. Stay in main areas, don’t wander around at night, and ask your questions about safety in Cabo from the homeowner before committing to a house sit, and you’ll be fine.
Don’t ignore red flags, but Cabo San Lucas is very safe in the tourism areas because the locals want to maintain a good reputation and keep tourists visiting.
View this post on Instagram
Things to do while house sitting in Los Cabos?
Sunset walks on the beach, street vendors, local artist markets, and bucket-list tourist activities (like swimming with dolphins, glass-bottom boat tours, and sunset cruises) are all just a short drive away. Plan to have a car to make the most of your visit.
Depending on how long your visit is and how long you’re visiting, here are some of our top recommendations:
- Visit the Marina in Cabo San Lucas
- Plan a sunset walk on the beach
- Find a street vendor for tacos for dinner and churros for dessert.
- Choose a water activity to do together (glass bottom boat, swimming with dolphins, or rent seadoos)
- Visit a local grocery store and visit the bakery for a snack
- Visit a local grocery store and pick something you’ve never tried before
- Use AllTrails.com and find a hike up to the top of one of the many mountains in the city
- Take a day trip out of town to a nearby beach or Todos Santos, a” Pueblo Magico” (A magical town designated by the Mexico tourism board.)
- Find a sit-down restaurant and enjoy some of the best service you’ve received anywhere
An evening hike up the mountain in Cabo San Lucas
Should I take pesos while pet sitting in Cabo?
Yes, we would recommend taking some cash with you. Street vendors, local restaurants, and markets will often take credit cards, but not always. If your credit card charges a foreign transaction fee, then you’re better to get cash before you arrive and save on that fee.
For our family of 5, we try to put as many transactions as possible on our credit card but still use about $100/week in pesos for snacks from street vendors at the beach, visiting local restaurants, tips, or small purchases. You can’t travel into the country with more than $10,000 USD value in cash, so don’t go overboard.
We’ve never had a safety concern in Mexico (like being robbed or threatened), but we always travel with only a portion of our cash and one credit card and leave the rest at home when we go out – also a good idea if you’re prone to leaving your wallet behind at the counter or the table at the restaurant.
For a short stay, purchase the pesos you need before you leave your home country to avoid paying foreign fees at an ATM in Mexico. Plenty of ATMs will accept a foreign card to withdraw Mexican Pesos, so the options are available if you need a top-up. We found that Banorte was the best exchange rate and allowed us to get the most cash at one time (rather than multiple smaller transactions) and often had ATMs that were open after hours.
Do I need to speak Spanish to be a pet sitter in Cabo San Lucas?
We get this question often, and while the article below asks about speaking Spanish while RVing in Mexico, the answer is similar: You don’t have to be fluent, but you’ll want to know a few basics.
We’ve seen Los Cabos housesitting opportunities on both platforms, but they’re rare. We would recommend setting a notification for new listings based on the search terms and checking regularly to apply quickly.
Here’s a comparison of the most popular housesitting websites.
Looking for a pet sitter in Cabo San Lucas?
Good news! The house-sitting platforms we use are great for homeowners looking to find a pet sitter, AND pet-sitting opportunities in Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo get a lot of attention, so you’ll have no problem finding the perfect person, couple, or family to watch your dog or cat (or whatever furry family you have) while you travel with your Trusted Housesitters membership.
If you’re ready to try out Trusted Housesitters, save 25% with our Trusted Housesitters Discount Code here.
What should I look for when choosing the best house sit?
If you’re new to housesitting, welcome to a whole world of new travel possibilities. You might be excited for the opportunity and want to just jump on the first plane, leaving for the soonest house sit, but before you do that, here’s a list of things we would consider when choosing the best house sit.
We’ve now completed more than 30 house sits. Learn from our experience to make housesitting a positive experience for you and your family.
Can we visit the beach when pet-sitting in Cabo San Lucas?
Yes. The beaches are all federal land, so (from what we can gather) there are no private beaches in Mexico. This means there are many public access points to the beaches, and many resorts will escort you through their resort to access the beach if there isn’t road access.
We did this at the Grand Solomar resort to visit Lovers’ Beach. Parking was offsite, so we parked by the marina and then walked to the resort where we were escorted to the beach. For sunset that evening, we saw these whales right off the coast:
View this post on Instagram
Can we walk to the beach from our Cabo San Lucas house sit?
Probably not. Along the coast is all prime land for resorts and since tourism is such a significant part of the economy here, the coast is lined with hotels. Behind the hotels is the transpeninsular highway (8 lanes and up to 10 lanes). While you’ll be able to drive to the beach without a concern, walking there is another story. We’ve stayed in Cabo twice – once with our house sit and once in an off-beach hotel.
At our house sit we could see the water from our house, but to walk there would require us to cross an 8-lane stretch of the busiest highway in Cabo San Lucas.
At our off-beach hotel, we were on the coast side of the highway, but there were no sidewalks or walking access to the beach short of walking the shoulder of the road, so we drove.
If you’re flying into Cabo for a housesit and won’t be renting a vehicle, plan to taxi or uber for beach visits. There is public transportation, so ask the homeowner if that’s accessible nearby, but we’ve found that here in Mexico, public transportation isn’t frequent or reliable to the schedule.
Enjoying a beach day while petsitting in Cabo San Lucas
Can you drink the water in Cabo San Lucas?
We use bottled water for drinking and brushing our teeth. Filtered water is available in 5-gallon jugs at every grocery store, and many neighborhoods have regular delivery. Even the locals we’ve met drink bottled water, though they may use tap water for brushing their teeth or washing food.
Some resorts may have water filtration systems, but for local restaurants, we always bring our own water or order beverages in a sealed container (not fountain drinks with ice).
How much does it cost to eat out in Cabo San Lucas for a family?
Like anywhere, you’ll pay more to eat out that to prepare your own food, and you can choose to splurge while eating out or find economical options.
Closest to the marina is where the cruise ships arrive. Here you’ll find upscale steak houses, seafood restaurants, and casual family restaurants. You’ll also find restaurants that you’ll recognize like Senor Frogs, Starbucks, and McDonalds. They may be 10-15% less than what you’re used to paying in US or Canada. When you make a trip down the Marina, stop by the CABO sign:
Stop for an iconic picture at the cabo letters
A few blocks from there, you’ll find local restaurants – everything from patio chairs, paper plates, and paper napkins to authentically decorated table-service restaurants with cloth napkins and stone wear. A sit-down meal for our family was about 20-25% less than we would pay in the US. A takeaway meal was closer to 30% less than we might pay in the US.
Outside of Cabo San Lucas, you might visit a town like Cerritos beach, or Todos Santos, or La Paz. In these towns a bit further out of the way, you can still find fancy restaurants, but if you find some street tacos, or BBQ chicken, or churros, you’ll be paying less than half of what you would pay in the US.
The basic rule is the further you can get from the resorts and tourist hotspots, the more likely you are to eat out for less than groceries.
We found lots of delicious food while pet sitting in Los Cabos
What grocery stores are available in Cabo San Lucas?
We don’t typically eat out every meal while visiting a new area. We like to enjoy local foods and produce and cook at home.
In Cabo San Lucas, you’ll find a grocery section at Walmart, a Costco (nearly American prices), a Soriana which has a lot of selection and middle-of-the-road pricing, a Fresko which has a great organic produce section and plenty of selection, and Chedraui (pronounced Sha-Drow-ee) which has a great bakery where we often stop for snacks to go.
If you are down by the marina and are looking for an economical option for food or groceries, there is a Chedraui there with a full selection of food to go – pasta, sushi, a salad bar, and desserts.
We love visiting the grocery store bakeries in Cabo San Lucas
Is Cabo San Lucas safe for housesitting?
We’ve never had any concerns about safety while house sitting or RVing in Baja. Stay in main areas, don’t wander around at night, and ask your questions about safety in Cabo from the homeowner before committing to a house sit, and you’ll be fine.
Don’t ignore red flags, but Cabo San Lucas is very safe in the tourism areas because the locals want to maintain a good reputation and keep tourists visiting.
View this post on Instagram
Things to do while house sitting in Los Cabos?
Sunset walks on the beach, street vendors, local artist markets, and bucket-list tourist activities (like swimming with dolphins, glass-bottom boat tours, and sunset cruises) are all just a short drive away. Plan to have a car to make the most of your visit.
Depending on how long your visit is and how long you’re visiting, here are some of our top recommendations:
- Visit the Marina in Cabo San Lucas
- Plan a sunset walk on the beach
- Find a street vendor for tacos for dinner and churros for dessert.
- Choose a water activity to do together (glass bottom boat, swimming with dolphins, or rent seadoos)
- Visit a local grocery store and visit the bakery for a snack
- Visit a local grocery store and pick something you’ve never tried before
- Use AllTrails.com and find a hike up to the top of one of the many mountains in the city
- Take a day trip out of town to a nearby beach or Todos Santos, a” Pueblo Magico” (A magical town designated by the Mexico tourism board.)
- Find a sit-down restaurant and enjoy some of the best service you’ve received anywhere
An evening hike up the mountain in Cabo San Lucas
Should I take pesos while pet sitting in Cabo?
Yes, we would recommend taking some cash with you. Street vendors, local restaurants, and markets will often take credit cards, but not always. If your credit card charges a foreign transaction fee, then you’re better to get cash before you arrive and save on that fee.
For our family of 5, we try to put as many transactions as possible on our credit card but still use about $100/week in pesos for snacks from street vendors at the beach, visiting local restaurants, tips, or small purchases. You can’t travel into the country with more than $10,000 USD value in cash, so don’t go overboard.
We’ve never had a safety concern in Mexico (like being robbed or threatened), but we always travel with only a portion of our cash and one credit card and leave the rest at home when we go out – also a good idea if you’re prone to leaving your wallet behind at the counter or the table at the restaurant.
For a short stay, purchase the pesos you need before you leave your home country to avoid paying foreign fees at an ATM in Mexico. Plenty of ATMs will accept a foreign card to withdraw Mexican Pesos, so the options are available if you need a top-up. We found that Banorte was the best exchange rate and allowed us to get the most cash at one time (rather than multiple smaller transactions) and often had ATMs that were open after hours.
Do I need to speak Spanish to be a pet sitter in Cabo San Lucas?
We get this question often, and while the article below asks about speaking Spanish while RVing in Mexico, the answer is similar: You don’t have to be fluent, but you’ll want to know a few basics.
We’ve seen Los Cabos housesitting opportunities on both platforms, but they’re rare. We would recommend setting a notification for new listings based on the search terms and checking regularly to apply quickly.
Here’s a comparison of the most popular housesitting websites.
Looking for a pet sitter in Cabo San Lucas?
Good news! The house-sitting platforms we use are great for homeowners looking to find a pet sitter, AND pet-sitting opportunities in Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo get a lot of attention, so you’ll have no problem finding the perfect person, couple, or family to watch your dog or cat (or whatever furry family you have) while you travel with your Trusted Housesitters membership.
If you’re ready to try out Trusted Housesitters, save 25% with our Trusted Housesitters Discount Code here.
What should I look for when choosing the best house sit?
If you’re new to housesitting, welcome to a whole world of new travel possibilities. You might be excited for the opportunity and want to just jump on the first plane, leaving for the soonest house sit, but before you do that, here’s a list of things we would consider when choosing the best house sit.
We’ve now completed more than 30 house sits. Learn from our experience to make housesitting a positive experience for you and your family.
Can we visit the beach when pet-sitting in Cabo San Lucas?
Yes. The beaches are all federal land, so (from what we can gather) there are no private beaches in Mexico. This means there are many public access points to the beaches, and many resorts will escort you through their resort to access the beach if there isn’t road access.
We did this at the Grand Solomar resort to visit Lovers’ Beach. Parking was offsite, so we parked by the marina and then walked to the resort where we were escorted to the beach. For sunset that evening, we saw these whales right off the coast:
View this post on Instagram
Can we walk to the beach from our Cabo San Lucas house sit?
Probably not. Along the coast is all prime land for resorts and since tourism is such a significant part of the economy here, the coast is lined with hotels. Behind the hotels is the transpeninsular highway (8 lanes and up to 10 lanes). While you’ll be able to drive to the beach without a concern, walking there is another story. We’ve stayed in Cabo twice – once with our house sit and once in an off-beach hotel.
At our house sit we could see the water from our house, but to walk there would require us to cross an 8-lane stretch of the busiest highway in Cabo San Lucas.
At our off-beach hotel, we were on the coast side of the highway, but there were no sidewalks or walking access to the beach short of walking the shoulder of the road, so we drove.
If you’re flying into Cabo for a housesit and won’t be renting a vehicle, plan to taxi or uber for beach visits. There is public transportation, so ask the homeowner if that’s accessible nearby, but we’ve found that here in Mexico, public transportation isn’t frequent or reliable to the schedule.
Enjoying a beach day while petsitting in Cabo San Lucas
Can you drink the water in Cabo San Lucas?
We use bottled water for drinking and brushing our teeth. Filtered water is available in 5-gallon jugs at every grocery store, and many neighborhoods have regular delivery. Even the locals we’ve met drink bottled water, though they may use tap water for brushing their teeth or washing food.
Some resorts may have water filtration systems, but for local restaurants, we always bring our own water or order beverages in a sealed container (not fountain drinks with ice).
How much does it cost to eat out in Cabo San Lucas for a family?
Like anywhere, you’ll pay more to eat out that to prepare your own food, and you can choose to splurge while eating out or find economical options.
Closest to the marina is where the cruise ships arrive. Here you’ll find upscale steak houses, seafood restaurants, and casual family restaurants. You’ll also find restaurants that you’ll recognize like Senor Frogs, Starbucks, and McDonalds. They may be 10-15% less than what you’re used to paying in US or Canada. When you make a trip down the Marina, stop by the CABO sign:
Stop for an iconic picture at the cabo letters
A few blocks from there, you’ll find local restaurants – everything from patio chairs, paper plates, and paper napkins to authentically decorated table-service restaurants with cloth napkins and stone wear. A sit-down meal for our family was about 20-25% less than we would pay in the US. A takeaway meal was closer to 30% less than we might pay in the US.
Outside of Cabo San Lucas, you might visit a town like Cerritos beach, or Todos Santos, or La Paz. In these towns a bit further out of the way, you can still find fancy restaurants, but if you find some street tacos, or BBQ chicken, or churros, you’ll be paying less than half of what you would pay in the US.
The basic rule is the further you can get from the resorts and tourist hotspots, the more likely you are to eat out for less than groceries.
We found lots of delicious food while pet sitting in Los Cabos
What grocery stores are available in Cabo San Lucas?
We don’t typically eat out every meal while visiting a new area. We like to enjoy local foods and produce and cook at home.
In Cabo San Lucas, you’ll find a grocery section at Walmart, a Costco (nearly American prices), a Soriana which has a lot of selection and middle-of-the-road pricing, a Fresko which has a great organic produce section and plenty of selection, and Chedraui (pronounced Sha-Drow-ee) which has a great bakery where we often stop for snacks to go.
If you are down by the marina and are looking for an economical option for food or groceries, there is a Chedraui there with a full selection of food to go – pasta, sushi, a salad bar, and desserts.
We love visiting the grocery store bakeries in Cabo San Lucas
Is Cabo San Lucas safe for housesitting?
We’ve never had any concerns about safety while house sitting or RVing in Baja. Stay in main areas, don’t wander around at night, and ask your questions about safety in Cabo from the homeowner before committing to a house sit, and you’ll be fine.
Don’t ignore red flags, but Cabo San Lucas is very safe in the tourism areas because the locals want to maintain a good reputation and keep tourists visiting.
View this post on Instagram
Things to do while house sitting in Los Cabos?
Sunset walks on the beach, street vendors, local artist markets, and bucket-list tourist activities (like swimming with dolphins, glass-bottom boat tours, and sunset cruises) are all just a short drive away. Plan to have a car to make the most of your visit.
Depending on how long your visit is and how long you’re visiting, here are some of our top recommendations:
- Visit the Marina in Cabo San Lucas
- Plan a sunset walk on the beach
- Find a street vendor for tacos for dinner and churros for dessert.
- Choose a water activity to do together (glass bottom boat, swimming with dolphins, or rent seadoos)
- Visit a local grocery store and visit the bakery for a snack
- Visit a local grocery store and pick something you’ve never tried before
- Use AllTrails.com and find a hike up to the top of one of the many mountains in the city
- Take a day trip out of town to a nearby beach or Todos Santos, a” Pueblo Magico” (A magical town designated by the Mexico tourism board.)
- Find a sit-down restaurant and enjoy some of the best service you’ve received anywhere
An evening hike up the mountain in Cabo San Lucas
Should I take pesos while pet sitting in Cabo?
Yes, we would recommend taking some cash with you. Street vendors, local restaurants, and markets will often take credit cards, but not always. If your credit card charges a foreign transaction fee, then you’re better to get cash before you arrive and save on that fee.
For our family of 5, we try to put as many transactions as possible on our credit card but still use about $100/week in pesos for snacks from street vendors at the beach, visiting local restaurants, tips, or small purchases. You can’t travel into the country with more than $10,000 USD value in cash, so don’t go overboard.
We’ve never had a safety concern in Mexico (like being robbed or threatened), but we always travel with only a portion of our cash and one credit card and leave the rest at home when we go out – also a good idea if you’re prone to leaving your wallet behind at the counter or the table at the restaurant.
For a short stay, purchase the pesos you need before you leave your home country to avoid paying foreign fees at an ATM in Mexico. Plenty of ATMs will accept a foreign card to withdraw Mexican Pesos, so the options are available if you need a top-up. We found that Banorte was the best exchange rate and allowed us to get the most cash at one time (rather than multiple smaller transactions) and often had ATMs that were open after hours.
Do I need to speak Spanish to be a pet sitter in Cabo San Lucas?
We get this question often, and while the article below asks about speaking Spanish while RVing in Mexico, the answer is similar: You don’t have to be fluent, but you’ll want to know a few basics.
