Playa Palmilla

Playa Palmilla sits at kilometre 7.5 of the Carretera Transpeninsular, on the Los Cabos Corridor between San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas in Baja California Sur. A rocky headland crowned by the One and Only Palmilla resort curls out into the Sea of Cortez and blocks the swell that batters almost every other beach along this coast, leaving a wide, gently curving bay of soft golden sand and clear, pale-turquoise water. It is one of the very few Corridor beaches officially considered safe for swimming, and the difference is obvious: the water inside the bay is usually flat, shelves slowly, and stays clear enough that the rocks near the point are visible from the surface. Snorkelling around the headland boulders, on the eastern side of the bay, turns up parrotfish, sergeant majors and rays.

Under Mexican law the beach is public, and a signed public access road drops down to a free car park before the resort gate; the resort's own loungers, umbrellas and beach service belong to hotel guests and are not open to walk-in visitors. Public facilities are correspondingly thin. There are no public restrooms of any consequence, no lounger concession and no lifeguard, though pangas operate from the northern end of the bay and local vendors sometimes sell drinks at the car park in high season. Anyone spending the day needs to bring water, food and shade, since the sand offers almost none.

The crowd is a mix of resort guests along the southern half, local families and Corridor residents at the public end, and small groups of snorkellers working the point. It rarely feels raucous; there is no music, no beach club scene and no water-sports circus, which makes it a favourite among couples and families with small children. Access by car is straightforward, roughly 10 minutes from San Jose del Cabo and 20 from Cabo San Lucas, and the corridor bus stops on the highway leave a short but hot walk down the access road.