Los Cabo Tourists Upset Over Increasing Traffic Congestion

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Last Updated 1 year ago

Miguel Ángel Mena, the president of the tourist transport association, which is mainly made up of airport shuttle companies, revealed that travelers are upset with the amount of time that they are spending on Cabo roads.

While Mena didn’t reveal any formal complaints that were filed by tourists he did say many shuttle drivers had to deal with these complaints. Perhaps the biggest issue for travelers has been the time spent while driving to and from the Cabo airport.

Mena would go on to say that December was especially tough for travelers commuting around Los Cabos. When they were used to driving from the airport to the hotel in 30 minutes they are now taking a full hour to make that journey. According to Mena and many other voices in the tourism industry, the main issue is that there are no alternative routes to head to the main Cabo tourism spots.

This revelation regarding tourist complaints coincides with a decision from the local government to rebuild speed bumps on the Transpeninsular road. This is the road that connects both San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas along the beachside. There’s another toll road that you can take to make the trip which runs further up north. Essentially these are the only two routes that lead to all of the main spots in Cabo. 

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How Long Should A Commute From The Airport To Cabo San Lucas Take?  

As is the case with many airports the one in Cabo is located northeast of San Jose Del Cabo away from the main hotel zones. In fact, many of the popular resorts that the region boasts are located in Cabo San Lucas near the marina area.

That’s where you’ll find the Los Cabos arch and other popular landmarks. If you’re staying in that region, you’ll have to deal with, at the very least, a 40-minute commute with no traffic. When you arrive in the middle of the day, or you have to leave your resort early to catch your flight, the drive can take north of an hour easily. 

If you’re staying at a resort near the San Jose del Cabo downtown area, you’ll certainly have a shorter trip to deal with. To make that trip, there are also, in essence, two roads that you can take.

One that forces you to pass through the entire urban landscape of San Jose del Cabo and another that kind of circles around it. With no traffic, that’s a 20-minute ride, but in peak hours of the day, that can look more like half an hour to 40 minutes, if not more.

Making The Trip Between San Jose del Cabo & Cabo San Lucas

If you didn’t know this already, the Cabo region is essentially made up of two main cities, which are San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas. As previously stated, there are only two roads that allow you to make the trip from one city to the next.

If you’re staying near Cabo San Lucas, you’ll have to make the trip to the other side of Cabo to get to the airport. You’ll also make the trip if you want to visit the art district and more Mexican colonial downtown of San Jose del Cabo.

When you’re staying in San Jose del Cabo, you may have to head out to Cabo San Lucas to catch a boat at the Cabo marina. If you’re interested in a night out at the Cabo Wabo cantina, that’s another excuse to make the trip. The trip from one town to the next is about 20 miles long.

Without traffic, you should take about 30 minutes to complete it. Again if you decide to leave at peak traffic hours during the day, that trip can turn into a 45-minute drive. 

No Quick Solutions For Locals Or Tourists

Although complaints by tourists are seemingly warranted, and local transport associations want to use them to lobby authorities to upgrade roads, there’s no quick answer to the traffic issues.

For travelers heading for Cabo, it would be a good idea to grasp just how large the area is. With more people arriving particularly during the peak months, the traffic issues seem to be something that’s here to stay, at least for a while.