Destinations / North America / Mexico / Cabo San Lucas / Berths

Superyachts at anchor in the bay off Cabo San Lucas at dusk

For captains

Anchoring and clearance in Cabo San Lucas

Arrival rules, port fees and permits for yachts at Cabo San Lucas, with a dated record of changes at the marina.

Picture made with AI. It shows the place but is not a photograph.

Arrival

Arrival rules for yachts on an ocean passage

The Mexican navy, SEMAR, publishes two forms for an arrival authorisation. Form SEMAR-05-017-E covers yachts and pleasure craft under 500 UAB. Form SEMAR-05-017-A covers vessels of 500 UAB and over.

Where to askAt the Capitanía de Puerto, the port captain's office, within the 24 hours before arrival.

What to giveThe last six ports of call and a crew list.

Fee, under 500 UABMXN 384 for more than 3 and up to 20 UAB, MXN 578 for more than 20 and up to 100 UAB, MXN 947 for more than 100 and up to 500 UAB.

Fee, 500 UAB and overMXN 2,016 for more than 500 and up to 1,000 gross tons. The fee doubles on non-working days and outside 9:00 to 14:30, Monday to Friday, central Mexico time.

Office hours08:30 to 14:30, Monday to Friday on working days.

ValidityOne arrival. A vessel that arrives more than three hours after the planned time needs a new authorisation.

Sources: SEMAR forms SEMAR-05-017-E and SEMAR-05-017-A. Check the rules for your passport.

Port fees

Port fees at Cabo San Lucas from the 2026 tariff

SEMAR authorised these tariffs in letter 5177/2026 of 18 September 2026 to ASIPONA Cabo San Lucas. The port authority holds the concession for the Cabo San Lucas port area. The figures are maximum fees and exclude IVA.

Fee	Amount
Daily port fee, yacht or pleasure craft under 500 UAB or 45 m that anchors in the port area or docks at a port authority dock	MXN 351.69 per day or fraction
Dock fee at a port authority dock	MXN 5.59 per foot of length per hour or fraction
Overnight dock fee, 18:00 to 05:59	MXN 10.34 per foot of length per hour or fraction
Passenger embarking or disembarking, not on a cruise ship	MXN 38.79 per passenger

Source: SEMAR letter 5177/2026. The tariff applies twenty working days after publication in the Diario Oficial de la Federación. Zeta Tijuana reported that it took effect on 21 October 2026 and that the new fees were charged from 28 October 2026. Port fees and dock fees are due by the next day at the latest. Yachts and pleasure craft have no exemption. A departing vessel needs a despacho de salida and proof that it owes nothing.

Marina record

Who runs Marina Cabo San Lucas: dated facts

These are dated reports and documents. Each line names its source.

24 February 2024SEMAR granted ASIPONA Cabo San Lucas a concession title for the integral port administration of the Cabo San Lucas port area, 457.002 ha, of which 454.741 ha is water. (SEMAR letter 5177/2026.)

11 April 2024In a report to the US Securities and Exchange Commission dated 11 April 2024, MarineMax said the General Directorate of Ports took the assets of Cabo Marina and that ASIPONA rejected the concession application Cabo Marina filed on 21 March 2024. MarineMax called the takeover illegal. (SEC Form 8-K.)

20 April 2024Boat International quoted the president of the US Superyacht Association, who said the marina was not accepting new dockage requests and would honour all previous bookings. IGY Marinas declined to comment.

7 May 2024The Gringo Gazette reported that the Mexican Navy had shut the docks leased by IGY Marinas on a Friday two weeks earlier, that they reopened late the same day, and that ASIPONA was reviewing dock leases.

6 August 2025MarinaWorld reported that ASIPONA will hire a private security company of at least 20 staff and plans to modernise CCTV and upgrade lighting at the marina. The same article describes the marina as operated by IGY Marinas.

4 September 2025The Cabo Sun reported that Hurricane Lorena flipped and grounded a number of yachts and small boats along the Cabo San Lucas waterfront.

27 October and 3 November 2026Zeta Tijuana reported that service providers and fishers protested the new tariff. It reported the yacht daily fee rising from MXN 64 to MXN 351.69 and said ASIPONA runs the marina.

Sources are listed at the foot of the page.

IGY figures

Marina figures published by IGY Marinas

These are IGY Marinas' own figures for Marina Cabo San Lucas. The IGY page carries no date.

Item	IGY figure (undated)
Slips	380 total, 33 for megayachts
Maximum length	375 ft (114 m)
Maximum draft	29 ft (8.8 m)
Maximum beam	63 ft (19 m)

Source: IGY Marinas. The page describes IGY as the operator. The dated record above lists the port authority's concession.

Permits and season

Vessel permit and hurricane season

Vessel permit

Valid for 10 years

A yacht of more than 4.5 m can get a temporary import permit from Banjercito. The permit allows multiple entries and exits. A new permit can be requested up to 45 days before the old one ends. Cost: USD 51 plus IVA at a border module, USD 45 plus IVA online. Check the rules for your passport.

Hurricane season

15 May to 30 November

This is the eastern Pacific hurricane season. The 1991 to 2020 average is 15 named storms, 8 hurricanes and 4 major hurricanes. The first named storm usually forms in early to mid June.

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