Landing at Los Cabos Airport (SJD): A First-Timer's Survival Guide
Los Cabos International (SJD) is a pleasant, modern airport with exactly one hazard: the stretch between customs and the exit, where a corridor of friendly people with clipboards would very much like to discuss vacation ownership with you. Here's how arrival actually works, and how to glide through it.
Step by step
- Immigration: passport scan and stamp (see our 2026 entry guide) — busiest when several flights land together
- Baggage claim, then customs: press the button or walk the lane; random checks are quick
- The gauntlet: polite 'no, gracias' and keep walking — legitimate drivers wait OUTSIDE the terminal doors
- Find your name board outside, or your pre-arranged meet point
Getting to your villa
Skip the rental counter unless you plan to explore widely — most villa guests use private transfers and on-call drivers instead. Pre-booked private transfer is the move: fixed price, cold water in the car, no negotiating in the sun. Cabo San Lucas is about 45 minutes; San José del Cabo as little as 15–20.
Every MPC stay includes airport pickup: our driver tracks your flight, meets you past the gauntlet, and the villa is opened, cooled, and (if you sent us a list) grocery-stocked when you walk in.
Small print worth knowing
- Uber operates in Los Cabos but can't pick up curbside at the airport — another reason transfers win on arrival day
- Pesos are handy but not required immediately; cards are widely accepted and ATMs are in arrivals
- Departure: arrive 3 hours early in peak season; the lounge is worth it on busy afternoons
Fourteen hand-picked villas, a local concierge, and eleven years on the ground. Tell us the trip — we’ll handle the details.
