Traveler Alert: Heavy Traffic, Road Closures And Schools Closed In Los Cabos Due To Major Event

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If you are currently vacationing in Los Cabos or flying down for a sunny getaway over the next few days, you need to brace yourself for massive traffic gridlock and widespread street closures. What started as a busy week of local festivities has officially escalated into a full scale logistical lockdown across the region.

The 59th edition of the legendary SCORE Baja 1000 off road race is officially taking over the southern tip of the peninsula. For the 1st time in the 59 year history of the competition, the grueling desert race will both start and finish directly inside San Jose del Cabo. With more than 20,000 racing fans, massive support crews, and hundreds of trophy trucks flooding into the municipality, the impact on local infrastructure is so severe that authorities are shutting down major roads and canceling school classes just to keep vehicles off the streets.

Schools Canceled To Fight Gridlock

You know a travel disruption is serious when the government has to close down the school system to manage the traffic. Following a massive block party that drew over 10,000 people and shut down Boulevard Lazaro Cardenas in downtown Cabo San Lucas on Tuesday night, the main footprint of the event has shifted 30 minutes up the coast to San Jose del Cabo.

Because the race blockades and team haulers are completely choking the main commuting arteries, the Ministry of Public Education officially announced the suspension of all school classes across the municipality of Los Cabos for Thursday, November 12. On Friday, November 13, the school closures will expand across the entire state of Baja California Sur as the race vehicles tear up the peninsula. Officials made this move specifically to protect student safety and remove thousands of parent drop off vehicles from the already overwhelmed streets.

Downtown San Jose Del Cabo Is Locked Down

Starting today, Wednesday, November 11, the heart of San Jose del Cabo is effectively barricaded to regular vehicle traffic. Boulevard Centenario, the main artery running right through the historic downtown area between Alvaro Obregon and Manuel Doblado, is completely closed from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM for mechanical inspections and contingency row. Tonight, the street closures around Plaza Publica Antonio Mijares will extend late into the evening as another massive crowd gathers for the official Monster Party starting at 7:00 PM.

These exact same daytime road closures on Boulevard Centenario will repeat all day on Thursday, November 12. If you had plans to attend the famous Thursday evening Art Walk in the Gallery District, expect severe congestion, zero parking, and thousands of race fans packing the sidewalks.

The ultimate disruption hits on Friday, November 13, when Boulevard Centenario transforms into the official starting line. The street blockades will lock down at 1:00 AM as the 1st wave of motorcycles roars out of town in the middle of the night, followed by the massive 6,000 pound trophy trucks launching at 9:00 AM. The finish line closures will keep parts of the area restricted all the way until Sunday, November 15.

Popular Day Trips Will Be Cut Off

This is not just a downtown parking headache. If you rented a car to explore the famous beach towns and snorkeling spots outside the main resort corridor this weekend, your plans are going to run straight into the active race course.

The official route covers between 150 and 200 kilometers of dirt and rural roads right inside the Los Cabos municipality. Once the trucks leave San Jose del Cabo on Friday morning, they will tear directly through the East Cape, passing right by Cabo Pulmo before looping up toward La Paz and roaring back down the Pacific side through Todos Santos and Pescadero.

Civil Protection authorities have deployed a massive security operation featuring 37 emergency units, 2 helicopters, and the National Guard to monitor the route. If you had plans to take a Friday or Saturday day trip to surf in Cerritos, walk the historic streets of Todos Santos, or snorkel the reef in Cabo Pulmo, you need to reschedule. The rural dirt roads will be completely unsafe for standard rental cars, and local officials have already warned that heavy machinery will not begin repairing the torn up rural routes until Monday, November 16.

How To Navigate Los Cabos This Week

If you are staying at an all inclusive resort along the tourist corridor or down in Cabo San Lucas, your pool days are completely safe, as the Tuesday night closures in Cabo San Lucas are already finished. However, if you are flying into or out of the Los Cabos International Airport in San Jose del Cabo between now and Sunday, you must leave for your flight at least 1 hour earlier than normal. Always tell your shuttle or taxi driver to take the paid toll road to completely bypass the downtown San Jose del Cabo street blockades.