Cabo San Lucas recorded 428,799 cruise passengers across 117 ship arrivals during the first quarter of 2026, a 69.6% year-over-year jump that made it one of Mexico’s fastest-growing cruise ports. The surge is part of a broader national boom: Mexico welcomed 9.3 million international visitors in March alone, an 11.9% increase over March 2025, according to data from INEGI (Mexico’s national statistics agency).
The average number of passengers per ship also climbed, rising 5% from 3,172 in 2025 to 3,329 this year. Arturo Musi Ganem, president of the Mexican Association of Tourist Cruises, confirmed that Cabo San Lucas experienced a 30% increase in cruise ship arrivals compared to the previous year. Only Santa María Huatulco in Oaxaca grew faster in percentage terms, logging a 93.2% passenger increase, though on a far smaller base of just 12 ships and 20,045 passengers.
Marina Congestion and Local Impact
The record cruise traffic has transformed daily life around the Cabo San Lucas marina. On days when two or three mega-ships anchor in the bay, the marina boardwalk, downtown shops, and local restaurants fill to capacity. Residents and land-based tourists have reported heavier taxi traffic and longer waits for excursions like glass-bottom boat tours and snorkeling trips to El Arco.
The Ministry of Tourism (Sectur) projects 1.28 million cruise passengers nationally for the full high season, a 10.6% year-over-year increase with an estimated economic impact of $111.7 million. Cabo San Lucas now ranks alongside Cozumel, Mazatlán, and Puerto Vallarta as a top port. Carnival Cruise Line has already announced new adults-only sailings from Long Beach to Cabo for October and November 2026.
More Visitors, Less Spending Per Person
The passenger boom comes with a caveat. Total tourist spending in Mexico during March fell 3.4%, and average per-visitor spending dropped 13.7% to $378. More people are arriving, but each one is spending less. Border tourism nationally surged 33.9%, and cruise passengers rose 14.9% year-over-year.
The first-quarter data largely predates any tariff-related travel hesitancy, so the second-quarter picture could look different. Baja California Sur’s “Embrace It” tourist tax, raised to 488 pesos (approximately $25 USD) per visitor on January 1, 2026, funds local tourism infrastructure and environmental conservation. The INEGI data and Sectur figures were first reported by Mexico News Daily.