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Pre-Arrival
Cabo Luxury Lifestyle starts your vacation planning with the pre-planning process. While you can't do anything to prevent an unexpected storm from closing the airport, you can help cover your investment by buying travel insurance. Travel insurance can provide you with the best coverage for medical expenses, trip cancellation/interruption, baggage damage, medical evacuation, and much more. Cabo Luxury Lifestyle would be glad to help you with your TRAVEL GUARD TRAVEL INSURANCE purchase.
ALL TRAVELERS NEED A PASSPORT TO TRAVEL TO AND FROM MEXICO. The entry process for Mexico often starts at the airport or on the airplane for those traveling by air. Flight attendants will often distribute TOURIST CARD FORMS and CUSTOMS DECLARATION FORMS ahead of time (see samples below). This Tourist Card takes the place of an actual visa, as a visa is not required for short tourist stays in Mexico (see the U.S. Department of State's site).
If you do not receive the forms prior to arrival, don't panic. If this paperwork is not provided on your flight, though, as this just means you will fill out the paperwork at the airport. All forms are bilingual and provide clear instructions/questions: Why are you in Mexico? (tourist), How long will you be here? (enter dates).
Customs forms are similar, but instead ask about the types of things you are bringing into the country. Personal items are duty-free; that is you will not have to pay a tax to bring them into Mexico. You may also bring up to $300 (three hundred dollars) worth of gifts for friends and relatives, but you MUST be prepared to show the true worth of these gifts to officials if requested. You will want to be particularly careful with electronics and other higher cost items, as these most commonly cause problems. Checking the U.S. Department of State's website for specific directions and limitations shortly before your trip will serve you well.
IMMIGRATION
After you plane lands in Mexico, you are directed through the airport to line up to clear customs. Have your passport and Identification (ID) as well as your Tourist Card Form (FMT) and Custom Declarations Form ready for the agents. Passengers are queued first at immigration, with instructions and signage displayed bilingually. You will approach an immigration official generally stationed in some kind of booth who will need to view your Passport and Tourist Card. At times, you may be asked questions such as who you are visiting and why, what city are you traveling to, or what do you plan to do in Mexico? You may also be asked about your citizenry and other related questions.
You will also be required to declare whether you are carrying more than US $10,000, weapons, live animals, professional equipment, etc. Sign the form and present it to the officer AFTER you have retrieved your luggage and pushed the Stop/Go Light button, if selected to do so.
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| Customs Declaration Form | Tourist Card Form |
Customs
Upon passing through immigration, you are then queued to baggage, and finally to customs. Plan on handling your bags and luggage while waiting for customs officials to process other passengers. If you have an unusual amount of luggage or oversized bags, you may be automatically flagged for inspection. Make sure your prescription drugs are in their original containers, as Mexico has a zero tolerance for drug smuggling.
An interesting and somewhat fun aspect of Mexican customs is the “Inspection Signal” which is a red light/green light signal within the customs area. Each passenger must press a large button that will light up either a red light or green light. A red light means you will need to place your luggage on a table to be unzipped and searched. The screener is looking for contraband, but also for items that you failed to declare on your customs paper or items that you are planning to sell.
Those lucky enough to get a green light are free and clear and can proceed through the lines as directed. Once you are clear of the customs area, you are free to move about the country!
Airport Exit
After you've cleared Customs and Immigration the next step is to exit the Airport. Ignore the high- pressure Time Share presentations/sales pitches - all of the people asking you where you are going. The transportation companies are waiting right outside the doors. Cabo Luxury Lifestyle will gladly arrange Private Transfers, Rental Cars, Limo's or Shuttles depending on your needs. Taxis are also available outside the doors, however, BE SURE TO AGREE ON A FAIR PRICE BEFORE YOU ENTER THE CAB. If you desire to arrange Transportation through Cabo Luxury Lifestyle, please contact us before your arrival.
Weather
Los Cabos is known for its near perfect weather. In the summer, it gets a little warm by some folks standards. If you are used to living in the desert southwest, you will probably consider it cool. Those from the mountain states or the northwest U.S. probably consider it quite warm. It is a dry heat, however, and is welcomed by many used to the hot and humid summers such as in Chicago, Atlanta or New York. Los Cabos gets some summer storms, but the tropical storms and hurricanes hardly ever hit Cabo directly (they do, but not very often). They usually pass by, to the south. Rain often accompanies the storms, however, it never rains for very long. September is considered the “rainy month.”
Average annual rainfall: 10 inches
Coldest months: December and January
Storm season: July to October
Average water temperature: 72°
Min./max. temperatures: 50/80°F winter; 70/100°F summer
The Pacific side of Los Cabos is ~10°F cooler than the Sea of Cortez side
Check out the local weather and our Web Cam at Villa La Estancia.
Currency
The currency is the Peso. Many local vendors will not adjust their rates according to peso fluctuations. Most vendors gladly take US dollars, however, we recommend using pesos to secure the best value. If you decide to pay US dollars at the glass factory or market - you may end up paying more. Banks and Casas de Cambio (exchange houses) offer the current daily rates, with banks often having the most competitive exchange rates and Casas de Cambio running a close second. You can exchange most currencies at banks and exchange houses. Look out for major banks like Bancomer, Banamex, and Bital – they all have ATMs that operate with the CIRRUS and PLUS systems and offer Spanish/ English language menus. HSBC and Scotia Bank also have locations in Los Cabos with ATMs. Most machines will dispense pesos and a few will offer the option of withdrawing cash in US$. Exercise the normal caution while using the ATM.
Credit Cards are welcomed at many locations, but not all. A surcharge or transaction fee may be applied for using credit cards, and some establishments will give you a better price if you pay in cash. It's a good idea to have some cash available for smaller purchases, especially taxis. Traveler's checks are accepted in some places but it is easier to cash them at a bank or exchange house as you need them. When paying your bill, please note that Baja California Sur has an IVA tax or value-added tax of 10% on all goods and services.