Day of the Dead in Cabo San Lucas 2026: The Floating Altar Parade Returns November 2

Day of the Dead in Cabo San Lucas 2026 brings a parade you won't see inland: on Monday, November 2, a fleet of boats dressed as altars crosses Cabo San Lucas Bay, starting at 3:50 PM from Médano Beach. It is part of Altares en el Mar, a free festival that runs November 1 to 4 in the bay and the marina. This is its sixth year.

Día de Muertos is one of the best times of year to be in Mexico. Here is when and where to watch, what else is on that week, and how to fit it around a day on the water with Lands End Charters.

When is the Day of the Dead boat parade in Cabo San Lucas?

The floating parade is on Monday, November 2, 2026. According to The Cabo Sun, 23 boats decorated with marigolds, candles and altar pieces gather in front of the RIU hotel on Médano Beach, and the procession sets off across the bay at 3:50 PM. The Gringo Gazette, writing a day later, put the fleet at about 20 boats and said organizers had not yet released a docking schedule, so arrive early and allow for last minute changes.

At 5:00 PM the same day there is a show on the water honoring Chalchiuhtlicue, the ancient Mexican goddess of water and navigation. The Cabo Sun reports it was designed and directed by Olympic athlete Pamela Toscano, with more than 45 women swimming, kayaking and paddleboarding.

Where is the best place to watch the floating altars?

Watching is free. Médano Beach is the best seat, so get there early to claim a spot on the sand. The Cabo Sun suggests the beachfront bars on Médano, such as Mango Deck and The Office, which look straight out over the bay. The Gringo Gazette also names the marina area as a good place to watch.

What else is happening in Los Cabos for Día de Muertos?

From November 1 to 4, the Barracuda walkway in the Cabo San Lucas marina hosts live art, cultural displays and local food vendors. The Gringo Gazette adds DJs and local bands, urban art, live painting and booths selling crafts, food and drinks from local small businesses. The festival is backed this year by the Los Cabos city government.

The wider Day of the Dead celebration in Los Cabos runs from October 31 to November 2, according to the Gringo Gazette, with altars, marigolds, catrinas, music and food around town. If you are staying in Cabo that weekend, a walk through the marina after a day on the water is an easy way to see it.

Will the weather affect the festival?

Tropical Storm Vance brought heavy rain and flooding to Cabo San Lucas on the night of Tuesday, October 27, and the port captain closed the Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo ports to navigation from 8:30 PM that evening, according to the Gringo Gazette. Vance did not make landfall, and La Jornada reported that it weakened to a tropical depression on October 28. Lands End Charters boats were back out fishing by Friday, October 30. The port captain decides when boats can go out, so if your trip is this week, check with us before you head to the marina.

What does it mean for your trip?

If your Cabo trip lands between November 1 and 4, plan your Monday around the parade. The procession starts in the late afternoon, so a morning of fishing or a midday yacht cruise past Land's End and the Arch still leaves time to get to Médano Beach. Expect the marina and the beach to be busier than usual on November 2, and give yourself extra time.

If you would rather spend the day on a private yacht with your own group, see our Cabo San Lucas yacht charters, and we can help you plan the timing around the festival. For this week's fishing, water temperatures and news from all of Baja, read The Baja Catch Report for October 26 to November 1. For more on what is changing at the Cabo marina, see our story on the new port fees.