Where And When To Watch Cabo’s Famous Annual Day Of The Dead Floating Altar Parade For Free

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Day of the Dead is one of the most culturally significant and visually stunning holidays in Mexico. But while most mainland cities celebrate by decorating local cemeteries and building altars in town squares, Cabo San Lucas puts its own unique spin on the tradition by taking the party straight to the ocean.

If you are visiting Los Cabos during the first week of November, you are in luck. The destination is gearing up for the sixth annual “Altars at Sea” (Altares en el Mar) nautical festival. Instead of typical floats, the community decorates a fleet of local boats with glowing altars, marigolds, and traditional sugar skull motifs, parading them right through the middle of the bay.

The entire event is completely free to watch. Here is exactly where you need to be and when to catch the best views of the boats and the live performances.

The Floating Parade Route

The four-day festival runs from November 1st through the 4th, but the absolute main event you do not want to miss is the nautical parade on Monday, November 2nd.

This year, the parade will feature a fleet of 23 brightly decorated boats. The official procession kicks off at exactly 3:50 PM.

The boats will gather and launch right in front of the RIU Hotel on El Médano Beach. From there, they will cruise slowly across the Cabo San Lucas Bay. If you want a front-row seat, simply head down to Medano Beach early, grab a spot on the sand, or post up at one of the beachfront bars like Mango Deck or The Office with a margarita. As long as you have a clear view of the bay, you will be able to see the illuminated boats passing by.

The Aquatic Performance

Immediately following the start of the boat parade, the bay will host a massive live performance right on the water.

Starting at 5:00 PM on November 2nd, an aquatic show will take over the bay to honor Chalchiuhtlicue, the pre-Hispanic goddess of water and navigation. This is not your average performance. It is designed and directed by Olympic athlete Pamela Toscano and will feature a massive coordinated routine with more than 45 women, including swimmers, kayakers, and paddleboarders.

The performance is a massive logistical undertaking designed to blend traditional Mexican mythology with Cabo’s modern water sports culture. Again, the best vantage point for this will be right from the sands of Medano Beach facing the bay.

On-Land Festivities at the Marina

If you can’t make it to the beach for the parade on Monday afternoon, you can still experience the festival on land throughout the long weekend.

While the boats are the main draw, the festival organizers have also set up a sprawling cultural hub right in the Cabo San Lucas Marina. Specifically, head over to the Barracuda walkway (located in the area currently known as The Place At Cabo).

From November 1st through the 4th, this section of the marina will be packed with live artistic performances, cultural displays, and incredible local food vendors. It is the perfect spot to grab dinner, walk the docks, and take in the Day of the Dead atmosphere without having to fight the massive beach crowds.