Two weeks ago, we flew to Cabo for four nights with my older sister’s family. My little sister came too, so altogether we had five adults and six kids/babies. It was a total circus, but we had SO much fun.
I hadn’t been to Cabo since a trip I took in 7th grade with my best friend and her mom (the highlight of my early adolescence), and this was everyone else’s first time.
We stayed at the JW Marriott in San José del Cabo, and I can’t recommend it enough (more on that below).
We flew domestically within Mexico (Tijuana to Cabo) to get there. The tickets were cheap, and using the CBX border crossing to get into the Tijuana airport couldn’t have been easier! I actually did a whole blog post about it last week–read more here if you missed it.
Today’s post is all about our experience with the hotel we stayed at, and I also included a few spots we were able to adventure to over the course of our four days in the area. With 6 kids in tow, we didn’t get out a ton, but we did manage to check a few items off my Cabo bucket list.
Stay in San José del Cabo at the JW Marriott
Cabo is best known for wild spring breaks trips and bachelorette parties, but I have to say, I thought it was AWESOME for families, too. A lot of this had to do with the area and hotel we stayed at.
I asked for recommendations on Instagram right after we booked the trip, and I was so pleased that a ton of people recommend staying in San José del Cabo as opposed to Cabo San Lucas. We had already booked the JW Marriott, and lots of people seemed to prefer the more laid-back atmosphere of San Jose–as well as the proximity to Flora Farms, a very important bullet on our itinerary.
We absolutely loved the JW Marriott. With sweeping ocean views, stunning architectural details, and immaculate desert-style landscaping, it’s one of the most unique properties we’ve ever stayed at.
The property itself is massive. The “lobby” is like walking through an open-air Pantheon or something–it’s breathtaking.
Every vantage point is photo-worthy. There are over 10 pools, all infinity-edge with a jaw-dropping ocean backdrop. They have an adults-only pool and bar section and an entire kids area with a splash pad/kiddie pool and a kids’ club.
We spent a lot of time over at the kid pool and even dropped Char and the older kids off at the kids’ club for the morning one day! I was a little nervous about leaving her, but Char was absolutely insistent on it and then asked to go back every second for the rest of the trip. (Emmie lasted 3 minutes, lol).
We actually stayed in the all-inclusive section of the hotel, called the Griffin Club, which ended up being PERFECT with kids. The Club had its own pool, bar, and restaurant/lounge area, all right underneath our rooms.
The best part about staying in the Griffin Club was it took the stress out of mealtimes for us, which can often be the most hectic part of traveling with kids/families. Instead of researching for restaurants before every meal, we just walked downstairs and ordered some scrambled eggs for the kids (and my classic vacay duo: a very pale mimosa and black coffee). This was a total lifesaver, and the food was amazing, too.
In addition to some of the most beautiful ocean views I’ve ever seen, the JW Marriott also has two direct beach access points. And while Cabo’s infamous wave situation isn’t exactly kid-friendly, we still made our way down to the sand a couple of times. One night, we brought towels and watched the most insane golden sunset with the girls–a memory I hope I never forget.
The rooms were spacious and beautiful. Our room had one king bed and a big pullout sofa bed on one side.
Char slept on the sofa bed–I propped up the seat cushions around the top to block some light/noise and put a sound machine right next to her to kind of insulate her. I was a little nervous about this but it worked totally fine.
And then for Emmie we put the hotel pack n play in the walk-in shower which sounds ridiculous but it was actually quite spacious. And of course, we put the SlumberPod over it to really give her a cocoon. This worked out perfectly because we could still use the bathroom at night. (The SlumberPod is my #1 family travel tip–check out my full review here and use code BYTHEHOUR20 for $20 off!).
Though the weather wasn’t quite as warm as I had pictured, we still spent most of the trip by the pool. Charlotte splashed around with her cousins, and Emmie stayed mostly planted on the ground next to my lounge chair or sitting in the shallowest part of the kiddie pool (bless her).
One of the coolest parts about the trip is that we saw TONS of whales from our view at the pool–just right out in front of the hotel!! I had never seen a whale in “real life” before, so this was a huge deal. One afternoon in particular there were a few playing and jumping around for nearly an hour which was truly so magical.
Where to Eat in San José del Cabo
Flora Farms: This place has been on my list for YEARS, so I was very bossy about bringing the whole family out. This 25 acre organic farm has something for everyone: a bougie restaurant with incredible food (try the pizzas!!), a spa, tons of cute shops, a pond and play area for kids, and an ice cream cart. Everything at Flora Farms is adorable, and it’s just a fun little family outing. We got dinner here one night and then went back the next morning for a coffee too. The girls loved their ice cream cones, and–between my little sister, Tyler, and I–we can vouch for nearly every cocktail on the menu. Get a reservation because this place books up.
Acre Baja: Another sprawling farm property in the hills outside of San José del Cabo, Acre Baja has an amazing restaurant with the CUTEST decor, a collection of hotel rooms that are actually up in treehouses (!!!), and an animal rescue. We ate here for lunch one day (the fish tacos were to-die-for) and walked out to the animal rescue which the girls, of course, loved. This is another place that you’ll need to plan ahead for and book in advance, but it’s so worth it. This would be such a cute dinner date night spot too.
Candil: This is one of the bars at the Zadún Ritz Carlton, just down the road from the JW. This stunning hotel is worth the trip over even just to walk around, grab brunch, or lounge at the patio at Candil. My little sister, Tyler, and I came over one night after bedtime and had so much fun. The cocktails and every appetizer we tried were perfect.
Taqueria Rossy: While we didn’t spend much time in the town itself, we did make a pit stop at Taqueria Rossy, a classic hole-in-the-wall taco shop with a dreamy-worthy salsa bar. This place came by recommendation of a friend of ours, and I’m SO glad we stopped by. Keeping with the theme of the trip, I ordered two fish tacos and practically swallowed them whole.
We had so much fun on this trip–our first real vacay as a family of four. It was super easy to get down to Cabo, and I would totally recommend the JW Marriott for couples and families alike.
More Mexico posts:
Using the CBX border crossing to fly out of the TIJ airport
More family travel posts:
My tips for flying with babies and toddlers
26 lifesaving tips for traveling with a baby in Europe
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