Playa La Laguna

Playa La Laguna sits at the very start of the East Cape road, three miles east of La Playita and the small beachfront estate community of La Laguna, just outside San José del Cabo. Heading east, across the arroyo and up the hill, a turnoff leads down to a beach that is usually deserted, with small geological fissures in the rock tide pools not unlike mini hot tubs; wander east down the beach to the rock outcroppings, find your spot and enjoy.

Like most East Cape beaches it stays uncrowded because it takes a dirt road to reach: the coastal road is unpaved but passable for most cars, with wind and deep-sand sections to watch. There are no facilities of any kind, so bring water, shade and food. The Sea of Cortez surf season runs May to October, when summer tropical storms send swell onto this coast, and the Pacific hurricane season runs 15 May to 30 November, with August and September the most active months.

Local guides call the beach swimmable, but nobody posts flags here and conditions change with the swell; look at the sea before going in and keep clear of the rocks. Surf-casting from the sand for roosterfish and jack crevalle is the East Cape's classic pastime, and Zippers, the nearest named surf break, lies back toward San José.

Sources: Los Cabos Guide (local directory) · Visit Los Cabos, East Cape · Visit Los Cabos, surfing · Visit Los Cabos, swimming and safety · AFAR · Los Cabos municipality, hurricane season