Downtown Cabo Is Getting A Major Makeover, And It’s Coming Sooner Than You Think

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If you love those lazy strolls past the marina and tacos under the fairy lights, you’re going to love what’s next.

We at The Cabo Sun have been tracking a major plan to refresh the heart of Cabo San Lucas—and officials and business leaders now say Phase 1 is slated to kick off before the end of 2025.

The project focuses on upgraded sidewalks, lighting, public spaces, and a fresher urban identity for the historic/commercial core—not just for tourists, but for locals who live, work, and play here every day.

What’s being upgraded?

Early details point to a comprehensive facelift: improved urban infrastructure and public services, revamped sidewalks and roads, safer pedestrian crossings and lighting, and an updated visual identity for downtown.

Working groups have already been meeting with community sectors to define priorities. Business leaders describe the effort as a long-overdue fix for the city center rather than a tourist-only project, which is good news for everyone who wants a cleaner, safer, more walkable San Lucas.

Money matters, too. While an official budget hasn’t dropped, estimates range from “over one billion pesos” ($50M+) to ~1.5 billion pesos based on prior reporting—enough to deliver visible changes across multiple blocks and phases.

Why now?

Local business groups have pushed hard for this for years, noting that a neglected core hurts small shops and nighttime vibrancy.

There’s also momentum behind better governance and funding for Cabo San Lucas specifically; local leaders have argued that a stronger CSL voice would help prioritize projects like boardwalk upkeep, lighting, and safer public spaces—the exact types of upgrades this plan targets.

How it affects your trip (in a good way)

Short term, construction always brings some cones and detours. But medium term, a cleaner, better-lit, more pedestrian-friendly grid means easier taco crawls, safer evening walks, and more reasons to linger downtown instead of rushing back to the resort.

If you’re landing this fall or winter, keep an eye on our running coverage of traffic fixes—the separate airport bottleneck project at the FONATUR roundabout is already ahead of schedule, which should help the whole destination move smoothly while downtown work starts up.

We’ve been tracking those milestones here on The Cabo Sun: a faster airport ride is coming sooner than expected, officials even launched a new bypass route, and overall travel times should steadily improve as crews hit their targets.

• Ahead-of-schedule update: we broke down the underpass progress and what it means for rides to SJD in our latest construction update.
• New route: we also covered the alternate corridor that’s shaving time between CSL and SJD.
• Big-picture explanation: our guide to why your Los Cabos vacation is about to get smoother connects all the dots.

What to expect downtown

• Staging by phases. Expect block-by-block work zones rather than a full-area shutdown. Early phases typically tackle utility fixes, sidewalks, and lighting first so benefits show up quickly.
• Walkability upgrades. Wider, smoother sidewalks and better crosswalks make marina-to-plaza rambles easier with strollers or wheelchairs, and more lighting boosts evening safety and ambience.
• A stronger small-business core. The plan is meant to pull visitors deeper than the marina edge and spark more foot traffic for local restaurants, galleries, and shops.

Traveler tips from our team

• Stay flexible with routes. If you’re cabbing in for dinner, ask your driver which streets are open that night; crews often adjust barricades by block.
• Make it a walking night. Once you’re dropped off, plan to walk between bites—think plaza tacos, a churro stop, then live music a few blocks away. The whole point of the makeover is to make this easier and more enjoyable.
• Support local. Watch for pop-up markets or evening events around newly refreshed blocks; that’s where you’ll find artisan crafts and next-favorite taquerías.

The bottom line

Cabo San Lucas is finally giving its downtown the glow-up it deserves—with Phase 1 poised to start before 2025 is out.

Pair that with the accelerating fix to the FONATUR roundabout and you get a destination that’s not only gorgeous at the water’s edge, but smoother and safer from curb to cantina.

We’ll keep you posted as the city releases block maps, timelines, and traffic advisories—so you can plan smarter nights out and make the most of a downtown that’s ready to shine.