Authorities Advise Caution On All Los Cabos Beaches Right Now

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Last Updated 12 months ago

Gusty winds are leading to some dangerous swimming conditions for tourists enjoying the beach resort destination of Los Cabos.

Because of this, local officials have posted yellow and red warning flags on some of the popular tourist coastlines to protect visitors to the area from being stuck in hazardous situations.

Windy Week in Los Cabos

It’s been windy in Los Cabos lately, with constant breezes over 14 kilometers/hour and gusts to 29 kilometers/hour.

Because of this, most beaches will have yellow flags posted, at a minimum, for the entire duration of the windy weather.

According to the Federal Maritime-Terrestrial Zone officials, Palmilla beach, El Corsario beach, Hacienda beach, Acapulquito beach, El Chileno beach, El Médano beach, El Surgidero beach, and La Ribera beach all will have yellow flags posted.

The yellow flag advisory covers most of the popular tourist zone beaches in Los Cabos, such as El Médano beach.

The yellow flag means that travelers can enjoy the water at the beach at their own risk. However, swimming is not recommended because the beach is considered dangerous.

Some of the beaches typically susceptible to dangerous wind conditions, such as Las Viudas beach, as well as all of the beaches in the tourist zone of San José del Cabo, will have more restrictive red flags.

Red flags prohibit tourists from entering the beach due to extremely dangerous conditions or risk a citation or arrest by municipal law enforcement.

What The Other Flags Mean

There are several other colored flags that are often posted on beaches in Los Cabos that tourists should be aware of before traveling to the area for a vacation getaway.

The flag system is set up similarly to a stop light with green, meaning the best condition for swimming without any hazard warning or restrictions.

The black flag is often seen after tropical storms, which means that the beaches are closed for swimming.

Typically, this indicates a high level of pollutants or sewage in the water because heavy rains have washed hazardous materials into the streams and out to the ocean.

Recently, several beaches in La Paz had black flags posted for several days due to the storm runoff from Hurricane Lidia.

The white flag has nothing to do with the winds or wave conditions at the beach. Instead, it indicates the presence of jellyfish in the water.

This does not close the beach, but tourists who swim in the water and walk along the shore are at risk of painful and potentially dangerous stings from jellyfish.

Because of this, it is not recommended that visitors to Los Cabos spend a day swimming in the water when a white flag is posted.

Tips for Travelers

Windy conditions are expected at Los Cabos beaches this week in part due to the potential development of two tropical systems located to the south of Los Cabos.

However, the winds are not expected to be constantly at a level that requires flags.

Wind conditions can change from hour to hour, and travelers to the popular tourist beaches, especially in the Cabo San Lucas tourist zone, should be aware of the conditions and ask local lifeguards for safety information before entering the water.

Local civil protection officials in Los Cabos are constantly monitoring the weather conditions and providing constant updates for the safety and security of travelers on a vacation getaway to the beach resort destination.

It is very important that visitors to Los Cabos strictly follow the colored flag advisories, as several tourists in the past had to be rescued by lifeguards and even the Los Cabos Fire Department after being put at risk by not following the direction of local safety officials.

While the winds and colored flag advisories may temporarily spoil a beach vacation in Los Cabos, tourists should be aware that it is for their safety, and there are many more things to do in Los Cabos beyond the sun, surf, and sand.