Our family recently went to Mexico after counting down the years we have left with our daughter in our home, and decided things will only get harder from here on out, so we went ahead and booked the trip! Since I shared our trip on Instagram, I thought it would be helpful to answer the most-asked questions here for future reference. So, below is just that; allllll the info!
Hotel:
We stayed at Villa del Palmar in Cabo, about eight minutes from downtown, and it’s a place we’ve stayed 3–4 times now. I originally found this hotel through a Costco special, and the family-friendly atmosphere was what kept us coming back. I liked that it was far enough from the main strip to avoid the college party scene, yet still walkable when we wanted to head to the beach. They offered several room options, which worked well for our family since we needed the space. We had a two-bedroom condo, so J and I had a room, Gwyn had a room, Cal had the pullout couch, and we got a rollaway bed for Franklin. With growing teens, having their own space was incredibly nice and kept everyone happy.
There was an all-inclusive option available, but since we liked going out for lunch on the beach or heading into town, we didn’t want to feel obligated to eat at the resort, so it didn’t make sense for us to choose that route. We did the math and figured you’d have to spend around $115 per person, per day, for the all-inclusive to be worth it. We didn’t come anywhere close to that.
They had recently completed major renovations (and some areas still under construction while we were there) and no longer had the whale slide, which was a big disappointment for our kids. The kid’s pool is now waist-deep, which I think I would have loved when our children were younger for peace of mind. At this stage, though, they probably would have preferred a pool they could jump into. They still made it fun for older kids by setting up the volleyball net, but I think if we could choose, we would prefer the way it was before. Though, I can totally see why the new setup would be appealing!
The beach in front of our hotel used to be unswimmable because of the undertow, so we would walk about 0.25 miles down the beach to the swimmable area near the restaurants. On this trip, there were swimmers out front and lifeguards stationed along the beach. I would probably still recommended swimming at your own risk or simply taking the short walk to the more protected area.
Activities the resort included that our family loved:
There were multiple teenagers there, and I guess it depended on what they liked to do, but I would say there was enough to keep teens busy. They all seemed to gather during the volleyball games, and the resort kept music going during the afternoons. With the beach at the back of the resort, I think that’s where a lot of the teens went, too. That all being said, we haven’t been to many resorts, so I didn’t have much to compare it to.
Daily Bingo- They hosted daily bingo, and you could win an ice cream cone for a regular bingo or a blackout. If you won blackout and were over 21, you also won a bottle of wine.
Afternoon water volleyball- We all got in on this a few times!
Nightly shows- The dinner shows were included with the all-inclusive option, but you could also purchase them separately, which we did. Our kids loved them, and the dinner buffet was absolutely delicious. They also went all out for the holidays, which we really enjoyed!
Before leaving, we toured Villa del Arco (the sister hotel to ours, which was connected), and it was very appealing. There was a trolley that took you back and forth between the hotels, which was very convenient. Villa del Palmar could get very crowded and loud in the afternoon, which felt overwhelming to me. There also weren’t as many pool chairs since the pool was smaller, and people got there early to grab them. We didn’t love playing the “pool chair game.”
The pool at the Arco was much larger, and guests were more spread out, so we thought we might look into staying there on a future trip. When we walked through around 9 a.m., there were plenty of open chairs. They also had two-bedroom condos, but because there are fewer rooms overall, those booked up faster.
Villa del Palmar has a fairly large gift shop/grocery store, while the one at Arco is quite small. The Arco also don’t have the nightly shows, and I think there were fewer kids’ activities, though I’d need to double-check that. So it was definitely a mix of pros and cons.
The resort we visited where we were throwing the football with the cousins is called the Grand Solmar. It is an incredibly nice resort, but it was a bit of a drive and not very close to much. If you wanted to stay at a resort, not leave, and enjoy a quieter atmosphere that still offers plenty for the kids to do, this might be a good option for you.
Our favorite restaurants in Cabo:
Las Guacamayas, we always get the steak molcajete; it’s delicious!
We were on our way to another spot for dinner when we stumbled upon this place next to our parking garage and decided to divert and try it out and I’m so glad we did! It was beautiful, all built around a “cave” of trees. There was a large restaurant, several smaller eateries, tequila tasting, cute shops, and, at the very end, a carousel and some vendor stalls. We absolutely loved it!
For a great spot for brunch, lunch, or dinner right on Medano beach, we LOVED Cascadas. It’s a nice way to get out of the sun, isn’t loud, and the food is all very good. We ate here twice!
When we ate downtown, we only ordered bottled water and drinks. Sometimes there could be tummy troubles if consuming the water or ice in places where the filtration system is different from the U.S., and our stomachs aren’t accustomed to it. So, to be safe, we just stuck with bottled options. The resorts used different ice, so we never had a problem there.
Activities:
We rented a boat right off Medano Beach (they drove) and visited all the sites, including the famous Arch, Scooby-Doo Rock, and the Keyhole. They even let us feed the fish from the boat before dropping us off on Pelican Island for snorkeling. You can tell them how long you wanted to stay, we stayed about an hour, and then they picked us back up. I believe it cost around $30 per person, and you can negotiate the price.
The beach where we went boogie boarding and surfing is called Cerritos Beach. It’s about 40 minutes from our resort, but it was absolutely worth spending the day there. You can rent all sorts of equipment, and a surfboard cost $20 for the day. Lessons were also available. There are a couple of restaurants as well, making it easy to grab a bite to eat in between all the fun!
It varied in different areas, but it was around 80 degrees the day I checked.
Safety:
Everything at the resorts and on the beaches felt safe. We never encountered anything unsafe downtown, but I wouldn’t go there at night without J. I just feel safer with him when we are down there, especially after dark; it was more of a feeling than anything specific.
Weather:
The weather this time of year (when we have visited) is in the high 70s and 80s, simply beautiful!
Car Rental:
If you didn’t want to leave the resort, you wouldn’t need a car rental. We, however, like being able to go downtown, visit the cousins, or drive to other beaches, so renting a car made sense for us.
How I booked:
I booked through our travel agent, Lysa, and we were able to get free breakfast for 4 of the 5 of us each day (one free kid and one free adult per paying adult).
As our trip wrapped up, I couldn’t help but feel grateful for the memories we made and the little discoveries along the way. Cabo always has a way of surprising us, whether it’s a new place to explore, a small change at a familiar spot, or just the simple joy of being together. If you’re planning a visit soon, I hope some of these insights help make your stay just as special.
<3 Shannon
