The Cabo San Lucas Dog Hike (Everything To Know)

Have You Heard About The Dog Hike In Cabo San Lucas, Mexico But Aren’t Quite Sure What It Is?

I’ve traveled to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico a few times, but on my last visit I finally did the “Cabo Dog Hike” and although it was tough for a couple of reasons, I enjoyed the wonderful views at the top (more details on all of this below).

🐕 What Is The Cabo San Lucas Dog Hike?

There are definielty some things I think you should know before going out on this trail. — View at the top of the hike, looking back at Cabo San Lucas

Enrique is a local Cabo guy that has a number of dogs of his own, plus he runs a sort of doggy day care at his property here.

Almost every morning (and sometimes other times of day too), Enrique takes the dogs on a hike up the mountain behind his property and he opens it up for visitors to join him.

The mountain is on private property so the only way you can hike up here and see great views of the Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Cortez, Cabo San Lucas, the Arch area, and the Lovers Beach area is with Enrique and his dogs.

➡️ A lot of people speak English in Cabo, including Enrique who will explain everything in Spanish first then in English

🥾 How Do You Go On The Cabo San Lucas Dog Hike?

Since you have to do this Cabo San Lucas hike with Enrique, there are few things to know about how to go on it:

Check Facebook – check Enrique’s Facebook page to see any changes to the regular hiking schedule

Hiking Days – usually he hikes everyday of the week, except Saturdays (he does sometimes take a month long break in the summer though)

Hiking Time – usually he opens the gates up right at 8:00am, but people usually start lining up as early as 7:30 along the gate

Cost – Enrique doesn’t charge anything to go on the hike with him, but he does have two little tip boxes on the gate if you want to give him something (which he definitely deserves because he’s a great guy, plus he entertains so many people, helps them with hike, and gives a bit of a history lesson)

*️⃣ Uber can be a good, safe option in Cabo to get you where you need to go, but it does get expensive and I personally hate it here

⛰ What To Expect On The Cabo Dog Hike

The views at the top of the Cabo San Lucas dog hike are pretty incredible. — The Sea of Cortez to the left, the Arch & Lovers Beach behind, and the Pacific Ocean to the right

Here are some chronological tips to help you know what to expect for this hike in Cabo San Lucas:

Dress Accordingly – come prepared clothing-wise; I suggest light colored clothes to help with the heat in summer and you’ll definitely want good traction shoes on this trail because it is very rocky and there’s lots of gravel

Supplies – especially if you’re visiting in the warmer months of the year, Cabo San Lucas gets really hot and even though you’re right next to the ocean, there’s not always much wind on this trail, so definitely come prepared with lots of water for this hike

Arrive Early – it doesn’t matter where you get in line because everyone will make a circle around Enrique when he opens up the gate to listen to some instructions, but he will take off pretty fast so you don’t want to be late

Don’t Get Too Close To The Gate – while waiting for the start, don’t lean up against the gate, stick your fingers in the gate, or get too close to the gate; Enriques dogs are guard dogs and they will bite if he’s not there with them

The Dogs – I love dogs and am always happy to be around them, but these dogs are very attentive to Enrique so they don’t spend too much time getting pets from the visitors

The trail is a bit wild and pretty steep, so you should be in good fitness to do it.

Expect A Steady Incline – the first chunk of the hike will be a pretty steady incline as you get closer to the water and further from downtown Cabo San Lucas

Then Expect A Steep Incline – just before reaching the top, there will be quite an incline and a bit of bouldering (pictured above)

At The Top – at the top of the trail, look to the left to see the Sea of Cortez, look straight out to see the famous Arch and Lovers Beach, and look to the right to see the Pacific Ocean

On The Way Down – the guys that were helping Enrique with the hike were telling me that the way down is sometimes more dangerous and they’ve had more injuries because it is very rocky and can be slippery

After The Hike – back down at the bottom, leave a tip for Enrique and his helpers, say goodbye to the dogs, and go back out into Cabo San Lucas for more sightseeing or to grab some well deserved tacos

➡️ Since the entire Baja California Sur area is quite mountainous, there are plenty of great hiking options to do on your own here or with a group

🔁 Sum Up: The Cabo San Lucas Dog Hike

I had heard a lot about the Dog Hike in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico so on my last trip here I finally went to check it out, and although it was a little tough for a couple of reasons (the weather, the steepness, and helping the other hiker with me), I really enjoyed the view at the top and would recommend it to any experienced hikers.