The East Cape is the part of Los Cabos for people who have already done the Corridor. It begins where the highway bends north past San José del Cabo and runs up the Sea of Cortez, and its centre of gravity is now Costa Palmas: a 1,500-acre private estate that holds the Four Seasons, Aman’s new Amanvari and a marina, with the Sierra de la Laguna behind it and a long, calm beach in front.
The trade is simple. You give up the restaurants and nightlife of Cabo San Lucas, and accept a drive of 45 to 60 minutes from the airport, in exchange for space, quiet water and a slower day. For a growing number of travellers, and buyers, that is exactly the point.
Why the East Cape feels different
The Tourist Corridor is a line of resorts and golf courses between two busy towns. The East Cape is wider, emptier and more rural: desert, estuary, orchards and mountains meeting the sea. Seasonal winds make it a draw for kitesurfers, and the pace is set by the water rather than the clock.
The water is the other difference. Much of the Pacific-facing coast near Cabo San Lucas is beautiful but rough. Afar notes that Costa Palmas fronts one of the region’s few swimmable beaches, and Aman describes the estate as having three miles of swimmable shoreline. As always in Baja, check conditions and flags on the day.
Amanvari: Aman arrives in Mexico
Amanvari opened in August 2026 as Aman’s first resort in Mexico, and it is the most private place to stay on the East Cape. The name joins the Sanskrit words for peace and water. There are just 18 casitas, most raised above the landscape, a few set along the estuary or directly on the sand, and each has a private heated pool, an outdoor shower and a broad terrace.
Dining is split across four rooms: Luma for coastal cooking over open fire, Arva for Aman’s signature Italian, The Lounge for cocktails and lighter plates, and Sesui, a ten-seat omakase counter. The Aman Spa has six treatment rooms, two Hydro Houses with a banya and a hammam, and a contemporary temazcal. Days are built around sailing, diving, snorkelling, hiking and horseback riding.
Know before you go: with ten seats, Sesui is the hardest booking at the resort, so request it with your room. Ask for a beachfront casita if being on the sand matters more than the view from above. The helicopter transfer from the airport takes around 15 minutes and is the most graceful way to arrive.
Four Seasons at Costa Palmas: space for everyone
If Amanvari is a retreat, the Four Seasons Resort Los Cabos at Costa Palmas is the full resort experience, moved to a calmer coast. It opened in October 2019, designed by Guerin Glass Architects, with 141 rooms and suites, every one with an ocean view and a private terrace.
It is built for families and groups as much as couples. There are seven pools, including a lap pool, family pools, an adult pool and three arroyo pools; a year-round Kids for All Seasons programme in its own facility; and the Oasis Spa, close to 16,000 square feet with ten treatment rooms. Restaurants include Estiatorio Milos for Mediterranean seafood, Casa de Brasa for Baja brasserie cooking, El Puesto for ceviche and crudo, and Mozza Baja. For a late night, Chiki, the cocktail lounge in the Marina Village, is on The Cabo 100 in its own right: it opens only three nights a week, by reservation, with DJs on Thursdays and Fridays and a live band on Saturdays.
Golf, marina and village
The estate’s 18-hole course, Costa Palmas Golf Club, was designed by Robert Trent Jones II and opened in 2019. It runs from the hillside down to the marina and the beach, through gardens and orchards, with mountain and ocean views along the way. It is a walkable, relaxed round compared with the Corridor’s headline courses, and guests of both resorts can play it.
The marina is planned for 250 slips and yachts up to 250 feet, and anchors a Marina Village of restaurants and shops. For members, the Beach and Yacht Club adds racquet sports, wellness and dining, and the Aventura team arranges fishing, diving, kitesurfing and other outings on the Sea of Cortez.
Getting there and getting around
From Los Cabos International Airport, the drive to Costa Palmas takes 45 to 60 minutes along the coast, and the helicopter takes around 15. Arrange the transfer through your resort before you fly, and decide early if you will want a car for the stay. Most guests will not: between the two resorts, the Marina Village and the beach, the estate is designed to be enjoyed without driving.
The Marina Village widens the choice of dinners beyond the hotels, with restaurants that include Mozza by Nancy Silverton and Delphine by Ludo Lefebvre. If you plan a night on the Corridor or in San José, book a driver for the return; the coast road is long and dark after dinner.
Cabo Pulmo, just down the coast
The East Cape’s great natural asset lies south of Costa Palmas. Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site whose reef recovered after local families shifted from fishing to marine tourism in the 1990s, and Afar reports that it now supports more than 800 species.
A day diving or snorkelling there with Cabo Pulmo Dive Center is the single best reason to base yourself on this side of the peninsula. Go early, when the water is calmest, and book a private boat rather than joining a group if you are travelling as a family.
Who the East Cape suits
- Return visitors who know the Corridor and want a different rhythm.
- Families who value calm water, space and a strong kids’ programme.
- Divers, sailors and kitesurfers, for whom the Sea of Cortez is the whole attraction.
- Couples seeking seclusion, especially at Amanvari.
It suits less well if you want to dine in town every night or move between Cabo San Lucas bars. Many travellers split the trip: a few nights on the East Cape, then a few on the Corridor.
The Cabo 100 take: if you split the stay, do the East Cape first. Arrive, slow down, swim and dive, then finish on the Corridor, where the dinners and the nightlife make a better last act.
Owning on the East Cape
Costa Palmas is also a residential community, and owning there brings access to the members’ club, the golf course and the marina. Aman Residences are planned within the estate, with large villas across beachfront, ocean-view and golf settings. Buyers here are choosing a resort-scale lifestyle with far fewer neighbours than the Corridor, and should weigh the drive to town and the airport against that calm.
As anywhere on the coast, coastal property is typically held through a bank trust, and a local notary and lawyer should guide any purchase.
If the East Cape has you thinking about a home of your own, start with our Own in Cabo guide and browse current homes at Luxury Los Cabos.
