One of the most popular Instagram selfie spots in Cabo is in front of the Arch or “El Arco,” in Spanish. It’s a natural landmark off the extreme southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula.
Arch Coordinates
22.8760° N, 109.8947° W
You can’t go to Cabo and not check out this natural arch-shaped landmark!
Even so, I wasn’t there just to get my pic of this notorious arch, I wanted to go CLIFF JUMPING! So, when I found a few (VERY few) posts and selfies of people jumping off Pelican Rock (and not hitting rocks and/or getting hurt or dying...or any number of unsightly things) that’s near the Arch, I knew I was going to check off a bucket list must-do!
Get To Pelican Rock To Cliff Jump In 3 Easy Steps
It's a bit of a journey to get out to the Arch no matter if you stay in Cabo San Lucas or San Jose del Cabo because it’s located in the marina bay of the Sea of Cortez. But I’ll explain how to get there safely and cliff jump in 3 Easy Steps.
Pelican Rock Coordinates
22.8789° N, 109.8984° W
Step 1: Drive to Cabo San Lucas Marina Bay
To get here, we took an Uber from our resort, the Royal Solaris Los Cabos & Spa - All Inclusive in San Jose del Cabo to downtown Cabo San Lucas. If you and your husband, boyfriend or group of girlfriends want to escape from the winter cold and soak up some rays without spending a fortune and having to worry if, “this water is drinkable,” I’d highly recommend Royal Solaris. It’s a little older so if you want the décor to be up to date, then look elsewhere. Even so, this is the “outdated terrace” from the 3rd-floor balcony of our suite during our holiday stay.
More Difficulties Relaxing On Our "Aged" Resort.
(Insert Sarcasm)
Honestly tho - It was rather difficult to find a good place to chill out at the resort when I had this personal, two-person jacuzzi waiting for me on the terrace with FREE room service. Yeah, free. Oh, you may want to know all of our other personal amenities.
Personal Amenities Included But Not Limited To:
Outdoor jacuzzi
FREE Wi-Fi (not all Cabo resorts have this)
FREE alcohol and beverages (not all Cabo resorts have this)
4 swimming pools (adult-only and kid-friendly)
Gym, basketball and tennis courts
Nightly shows
Spa
All the usual hotel things like fridge, TV, hairdryer, safe, etc.
Murphy bed
FREE food with buffet style, swim-up bar style, and 3 restaurants (which you needed to make reservations for supper) and room service
Foodie Problems
These sure fit a lot better a couple of days ago... might have something to do with that Brazilian steakhouse, Italian gourmet supper, Mexican cuisine... or maybe it was just the free room service, swim-up bar, taco bar, burger bar, sushi bar, pizza bar, or the all-you-can-eat buffet.
Your guess is as good as mine.
Traveler Tip: You can take an Uber like I previously mentioned. Since we weren't sure exactly how to get to Pelican Rock once we got to the marina, we took an Uber to Cabo Wabo, a popular restaurant, and walked the rest of the way.
Traveler Tip: Be warned that resorts and taxis aren’t the friendliest to Uber drivers. Uber can get you to and from places MUCH CHEAPER than taxis, but I am pretty sure they have deals or contracts with the taxis and don’t let Uber drivers come directly into the resort pickup. That said, it cost us less than $20 to get from our resort in San Jose del Cabo to Cabo San Lucas (about a 20-minute drive) using Uber services. However, it cost us $20 to get from our resort to a golf course that was almost 5 minutes away using taxi services.
Step 2: Negotiate Aquatic Means To Get To The Arch
Traveler Tip: if you were wanting a romantic walk downtown to the Sea of Cortez, you will be disappointed. Expect to be asked every few seconds about a "deal" or "sale" by peddlers outside the shops and guarding the marina bay.
As frequent travelers, we dressed our best to blend in to help prevent this. But the resort band on our wrists were dead giveaways. We might as well have a glowing neon light sign flashing above our heads saying, "fresh tourist bait." One of the peddlers even tried to bait my husband by like he was one of our friends we'd meet at our resort. It was then that we realized how they were spotting us so quickly. This is one of the reasons we stayed at a resort in the less touristy sister city known as San Jose del Cabo.
Once you get to the marina, you'll have your pick of watery options to see the Arch. We wanted to see the Arch even though my main objective was to actually get onto the shore so I could embrace my internal adrenaline junkie. Thus, we opted for a water taxi. Negotiate rates. Trust me. We got one to give us a tour of Lands End, to include the famous Arch but not limited to:
Arch
Pelican Rock
Lovers Beach
Divorce Beach (These two beaches are connected. One just faces the marina and the other faces the ocean.)
Poseidon’s Finger
Various Caves and Inlets
It's A Watery Highway
If you're thinking that Cabo's waters will be crystal clear and calm like the Caribbean’s, you will be let down. This area is interstate for boats be-bopping back and forth carrying everything from tourists to fresh fish. I had never seen so many yachts, sailboats, fishing boats, water taxis in my life. So, when I say our captain was an expert at navigating the turbulent waters, I wasn't kidding.
Animal lover?
Me too. Along with the sea creatures and pelicans, there are a pile of sea lions lounging around on the beaches and various rocks of Lands End. And when say a pile, I mean a pile of the critters. And boy-oh-boy do they like to sunbathe. Being a fellow sun-worshiper myself, I can safely say that these guys are officially my spirit animal.
Traveler Tip: If you want a dreamy sailing experience or a glass-bottom tour, there are plenty to choose from. You don’t need a reservation to book ahead of time. Literally, just walk down the marina bay. You'll be on the water in no time.
Our captain didn’t speak much English, but our tour guide did and was a delight. He did a great job of keeping an upbeat atmosphere, pointing out the landmarks and making sure the captain was giving me the best views to capture the sights of Lands’ End with my camera. The tour guide also was happy to take as many pictures of Dustin and I so it wouldn’t be just endless selfie shots.
After the tour of the landmarks, our boat driver brought us back to Pelican Rock. This area is popular amongst snorkelers and scuba divers. The water is legit filled with hundreds of different spices of fish and underwater creatures. It's not known as the ocean’s aquarium for nothing.
So, if scuba diving or snorkeling is your jam, I highly recommend it.
Traveler Tip: Our water taxi had the gear and "for a price" they would let us use the gear and let us immerse ourselves next to the fishes. They weren’t the only ones. So, don’t worry about buying and/or renting expense gear because the locals will likely have it.
Traveler Tip: Many locals will loan you the gear and drop you off at the Arch. Negotiate at the time for them to pick you back up (usually in increments of 30 minutes). However, it was a bit cooler (mid 70's) overcast and windy when we went. So, we passed on this excursion.
Step 3: JUMPING OFF OF A CLIFF!
Now is what the adrenaline junkie has been waiting for: CLIFF JUMPING! Our boat driver pulled as close as he could to Pelican Rock (the side facing the inlet of the marina bay). They do have this area roped off, so boats and other marina vehicles don't get too close.
Step 3.1 Getting Off Of The Boat
I could hardly wait. The tour guide was busying himself getting the ladder unlatched so I could descend gracefully into the water. Instead, I barreled into the sea, keeping my head above the water like I'd been trained to do as a 21 Charlie (bridge builder) in the National Guard.
Was I worried about crushing a few dozen fish as I jumped in? Yes. 100% yes. The saltwater coated my lips, I knew I was exploring a different part of the world. Growing up in the Midwest, I always forget how salty saltwater tastes.
Step 3.2 Getting Onto Pelican Rock
Excitement built I neared the rock. I recalled the tour guide pointing out where to get on the rocks and that I had to navigate around the boulders, always climbing upward to get to the popular jumping spot. Nevertheless, my thoughts kept detailing to the sea lions that could absolutely bitch slap me off their boulder in a very National Geographic King of the Mountain sort of way. So, I was totally frozen stiff when I reached the rocks and I pulled myself upward and saw...
FEROCIOUS SEA SPIDERS!
Crabs for the layman. But as a person with a "slight" phobia of creatures with more than two legs, I was frozen with fear.
While I am sure it wasn't more than a handful of seconds, in my mind, I expertly negotiated a reasonable travel package with the ugly creatures. If I promised not to eat them, nor they me, they would disappear between the cracks of the rocks. After I'd pulled my entire body onto the rocks, they had all but disappeared. I tried not to think about that too much as I worked my way up and around the boulder, keeping a watchful eye out for those pesky sea lions. Fortunately, there were none.
Step 3.3 Climbing Up Pelican Rock
The rocks weren't as slippery as I'd imagined... and it wasn’t called Pelican Rock for a reason. The birdies left their mark on the rock, but it wasn't outrageous. I was careful to keep my eye out for sea lions since they'd been sunbathing on nearly every other rock in the area. However, they tended to stay clear of this area, probably since people frequented it for underwater activities.
I inched my way around the back of Pelican Rock (the side facing the Arch). The rocks are formed some 115 million years ago, during the Cretaceous period. They'd stood the testes of time, so I wasn't nervous that they'd hold me even though I had eaten a lot at the endless-all-you-can-eat buffets at the resort.
Nevertheless, my hands weren't exactly dry. While it might not look very tall, I absolutely had to rock my up. I consider myself a novice but capable rock climber, so this wasn't the tallest rock formation I'd climbed, but I'd never done it in a bikini with hundreds of folks snapping pictures from the sides of their boats.
On the backside of the rock, it was a fairly straight climb up with landings to regain your footing. On the last stretch upward, I thanked my stars I am flexible because I absolutely had to gain a big step up, throwing my leg up near my shoulders and gripping the rocks with my toes to help drive me up.
On the top of Pelican Rock, facing the bay inlet at a 45° angle and at the landmass where the snorkelers were watching to see how long it would take me to jump from some 30 feet tall cliff - that's a 3-story building if you are wondering.
Step 3.4 Picking A Jump Zone
I peeked over the edge. I was glad I did. There were green-brown waters splashing up against the tiny rock island. As the water would rhythmically resend with the waves, it revealed rocks and boulders. However, a few feet out it was straight black. I figured that was the "safe place" to jump. I shot up a quick prayer to the Big Man Upstairs and hoped that an unknowing scuba diver (or sea lion or group of fishes) wasn't chilling below the surface.
Taking one step backward since it wasn't a huge landing and took a deep breath. I knew if I waited too long, I'd chicken out. That and I wasn’t sure how deep underwater I'd go. So, I didn't think too hard about all the things that could go wrong. I just went for it.
Step 3.5 Taking The Plunge!
I plummeted into the water. The sea gently swallowed me up...and spit me back up a few seconds later.
I gasped for air, filling my lungs with warm Mexican air. Saltwater coated my lips. My heart swelled. As an adrenaline junkie, this got my heart pounding because of all the unknowns. I try not to be too thoughtful in imagining the things that could go wrong. Because if you do that, you might scare yourself into not living.
Watch The Cliff Jumping Video on YouTube
If you like this post, please be sure to LIKE & SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel as well as subscribing to our blog. Want to see us do more crazy, stupid fun things? Check out our Bucket List Playlist on YouTube! Shoot me any questions you have. I’m always happy to help out a fellow bucket lister!
Date Sarah J. Pepper First Checked Off CLIFF JUMPING From Her Bucket List: December 27, 2019
Zingy!
