Private Yacht Charters

The honest truth about chartering a yacht in Cabo

A private yacht day is the single most luxurious-feeling thing you can do in Los Cabos — your group, your music, the Arch at golden hour, swimming in a cove no tour boat visits. It's also the product category with the widest gap between the photos and the reality. The fleet ranges from genuinely magnificent yachts to tired party boats with a fresh Instagram filter. At $1,500 to $15,000+ for the day, the cost of picking wrong is high. This guide is about picking right.

What the money actually buys

Small yacht / large cruiser (up to 12 guests), $1,500–3,000 half-day, $2,500–4,500 full day. 40–55 feet, flybridge, a couple of cabins, decent sound system. The sweet spot for proposals, anniversaries, and groups of 6–10. Comfortable, private, and honestly all the yacht most people need.

Mid-size yacht (12–25 guests), $4,000–8,000 full day. 60–80 feet, multiple decks, proper crew of 3–4, water toys (paddleboards, floats, sometimes jet skis). The corporate-event and big-birthday tier.

Superyacht (25+ guests), $10,000–25,000+ full day. 90+ feet, chef onboard, premium everything. If you have to ask detailed questions about this tier, you're probably working through a broker — which is correct at this level.

"Yacht" that's really a big panga with cushions, $600–1,000. They exist, they're marketed aggressively, and they're fine if that's what you want — just don't pay yacht prices for them. If the listing won't show you the USCG-style capacity plate or the actual boat name, keep scrolling.

The costs nobody puts in the listing

• Gratuity: 15–20% of the charter price, in cash, for the crew. On a $3,000 charter that's $450–600. Budget it from the start.
• Premium bar: most charters include domestic open bar; top-shelf spirits, champagne, and craft cocktails are often an upgrade ($200–500).
• Catering: light snacks are usually included; a proper onboard meal runs $30–80 per person extra, or you can bring your own food (confirm galley access).
• Dock/marina fees and fuel surcharges: legitimate charters include fuel for the standard route; going far (e.g., up the corridor) may add a fuel charge. Get the cruising area in writing.
• Water toys: paddleboards and floats are often included; jet skis and seabobs are usually extra ($150–300 each).

How to pick (the questions that separate good from glossy)

1. Demand photos of the actual boat — exterior, deck, cabins, bathrooms. Not the fleet's flagship, not stock photos. The boat you'll board. If they hedge, walk away.
2. Ask the legal passenger capacity and the crew count. A "fits 20" boat with a captain and one deckhand is a different experience than the same boat with four crew. Overcrowded yachts are the #1 complaint in reviews.
3. Get the inclusions in writing: hours (dock-to-dock or cruising time?), bar level, food, towels, snorkel gear, water toys, fuel/cruising area, cancellation and weather policy.
4. Read reviews for the crew by name. Great crews make average boats wonderful; bad crews ruin great boats. Look for mentions of specific captains and chefs.
5. Book direct with the yacht owner/operator when possible. Brokers add 15–25%. At the superyacht tier a good broker earns it; at the small-yacht tier, go direct.
6. Beware the too-good price. A 60-foot "luxury yacht" for $1,200 full-day is either a mislabeled boat or a timeshare funnel. The math doesn't work otherwise.

What the day actually looks like

Typical full day: board at the marina 10–11 AM, cruise to Land's End for the Arch photos, then to a snorkel/swim cove (Santa María or Chileno on the Pacific side, weather permitting). Anchor, swim, eat, drink. Afternoon cruise along the corridor, maybe a second swim stop, and back for a sunset arrival — the golden-hour return past the Arch is the signature moment. Half-days usually do the Arch + one swim stop.

What to bring

Swimsuits (wear them under clothes), reef-safe sunscreen, hats, sunglasses, a light cover-up for the ride back, motion-sickness pills if you're prone (take them an hour before boarding), and cash for the crew tip. Most yachts have Bluetooth — download your playlists; marina Wi-Fi won't reach the cove. If celebrating, bring decorations early — crews will set them up before you board if you ask.

Good to know

• Sunset charters (3–4 hours, late afternoon) are the best value in the category — you get the golden hour and the Arch at the prettiest light for roughly half the full-day price.
• Whale season (December–April): captains will detour for whales, and watching a humpback breach from your own bow is the kind of thing people talk about for years.
• Bathrooms matter. Ask how many heads (toilets) the boat has and whether they work. On a full-day charter with 12 guests and one sad bathroom, you'll notice.
• Weather cancellations: reputable operators cancel for genuine weather and rebook or refund. Get the policy in writing; "captain's discretion" should mean safety, not convenience.
• The Arch at sunset from your own deck, with your people and your music, no strangers — that's the product. Everything else is logistics.

Frequently asked questions