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Los Cabos Tourists Urged By Authorities To Be Cautious On Beaches After Multiple Incidents

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The vast majority of people choose Los Cabos for their vacation due to its 25-blue-certified beaches. 

Places such as Santa Maria Beach, El Chileno Beach, and El Medano Beach are known all over the area for their spectacular nature and calm waters. 

Los Cabos beach with tourists on it

Despite this, however, several accidents have recently occurred in this municipality, leading local authorities to issue a list of recommendations all tourists are advised to follow to stay safe. 

Watch out for warning signs

The Municipal Civil Protection of Los Cabos has recently issued a list of recommendations for all bathers to avoid accidents. 

Aerial of sail boat in clear turquoise waters in Jose Del Cabo, Mexico

First and foremost, tourists are asked to always look for warning signs placed by the competent authorities on the beaches. Unfortunately, some tourists in the past have decided to ignore these with tragic consequences.  

In this regard, tourists heading to Los Cabos should familiarize themselves with the local color flags system to know at all times whether a certain area is accessible or not. Here is a summary.

Black flags prohibit everyone from accessing both the sea and the beach due to the strong waves that may drag people into the water against their will. 

Red warning flag on beach

Red flags forbid people from entering the sea due to its dangerous conditions. This ban is directed to everyone regardless of their fitness levels. 

Yellow flags allow entry into the water while exercising high levels of caution. When these are present on a beach, people who are not confident in their swimming skills should reconsider whether or not to enter the ocean. 

Lastly, white flags indicate the presence of dangerous animals, in the case of Los Cabos, these are often jellyfish. 

photography with drone in palmillas beach cabo san lucas baja california, in Mexico

Both green and blue flags are a positive sign. The former signals that a given beach is safe for all fitness levels, while the latter is a certification given to the best beaches in the world for their safety, cleanliness, and services provided to bathers.

Be aware of which areas are safe

Apart from this, the local authorities recommend tourists be aware of which areas in the municipality are safe for swimmers and which ones are not. 

Los Cabos is in fact home to some beaches that always present dangerous conditions for bathers of all levels. Among these are Playa Solmar, Pedregal Beach, Divorce Beach, and Playa Hotelera. 

El Arco and Lover's Beach Aerial View

On top of this, tourists should also remember that some beaches are only accessible to experienced surfers. These include Playa Monumentos, El Tule Beach, Playa Acapulquito, and Playa Costa Azul. 

General guidelines

Apart from these two main recommendations, the Municipal Civil Protection of Los Cabos also advises tourists to avoid accessing the water if alone. 

Aerial Image of couple standing on Playa de los Almantes in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California, Mexico. Impressive rocky cliffs and crystal clear turquoise green water with white sand and waves.

On top of this, local authorities warn people to never underestimate the strength of the local waves and current which, although may not always seem so strong from the shore, can make it extremely difficult for people to go back to the shore at times. 

Why these recommendations? 

But why did the Los Cabos government feel the need to reiterate these rules? Unfortunately, the Los Cabos municipality has recently experienced a number of fatalities that took place on its beaches.  

For instance, just a few days ago, a 35-year-old man from Veracruz lost his life in the town of Todos Santos. Similarly, on Sunday 11th of this month, a body was found in Cabo San Lucas.

Rain From a Storm in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

People immediately called the authorities and tried to save the man carrying out standard maneuvers, but it was too late. Lastly, in January 2024, a man died due to drowning at La Ventana Beach.

Considering all the recent fatalities, people heading to Los Cabos soon may now be wondering whether these beaches are safe.

The truth is that the local government is constantly trying to improve the safety levels of its beaches to keep bathers safe at all times with a number of initiatives, for instance increasing patrols and hiring new lifeguards.

lifeguard sitting surveying beach

Despite this, tourists are always advised to follow the regional guidelines and familiarize themselves with the local warning system before their vacation. 

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Jennifer Bublitz

Friday 23rd of February 2024

I wish they wouldn't let anyone go into the water. Sometimes you see people out there, beyond where the undertow is, and you think "Well, if they are out there, I can be too".