FAQ
where everything essential is found
RECEPTION
You can check in to your room or occupy your bed in the dormitory from 3:00 PM.
Of course, you’re always welcome to arrive earlier and enjoy the facilities in the hostel while you wait for your bed to be ready. Grab a coffee and chill in the common area, have a chat with one of the other travelers or take a shower to shake the road dust off of you. We’ve got you!
For the little and big explorers amongst you, there’s always the option to store your luggage while you already embark on an adventure….
All good trips come to an end… we know you don’t want to leave us, but the day will come that you have to catch a flight or move on to another awesome place.
On your departure day, you must vacate your room before 11:00 AM. The most considerate travelers also remove the bed linens and place them in the laundry basket before leaving.
If your flight / bus / bicycle / taxi doesn’t leave until later the day of your departure, no need to carry your heavy backpack with you on that last adventure in Los Cabos. We keep your luggage safe with us until you’re really really really ready to go!
You’ll find us at the hostel starting from 9h00 until 21h00.
Since we’re a small hostel, we might be scrubbing the toilet or making the beds or cooking breakfast when you arrive. Just ring the reception bell (or give us a big long shout… singing a Bad Bunny song will work as well) & we’ll come running your way.
Arriving before 9h00 or after 21h00? Let us know in advance via hola@whaletaleshostel.com or via WhatsApp to +52 624 21 38 642 and we will find a solution.
Nope, you’ll have to sleep outside. Just kidding! Let us know in advance what time you will be arriving and we’ll send you all the info you need to know so we can check you in at lightning speed when you arrive. Before you know it, you’ll put your head down on your pillow for a well deserved good night's sleep.
If you’re old enough to visit us all by yourself, then you’re old enough to stay out until the morning light. Or until 22h00, if you like to sleep early and wake up for a nice sunrise view on top of Cerro de la Chiva. Both are fine by us, you’ll always be able to enter the hostel during your stay. So no, no curfew in Whale Tales hostel…
Just make sure not to forget your key!
RESERVATIONS
Great to hear you want to catch some Baja vibes in our hostel!
You click on Book now! and off you go to that reservation page. Follow the steps and fill in all information needed. If that doesn’t work, we might have to fix something on this website…in that case, contact us via hola@whaletaleshostel.com or WhatsApp +52 624 21 38 642 and we'll organize your trip in a flash.
At the hostel, we accept payments with debit cards, credit cards and cash.
When you make your reservation online or via our website, you’ll have to give in a valid credit card number to be able to confirm your reservation. A deposit the value of your first night’s stay will be charged on your card and you’ll pay the remaining amount the day of your arrival with us.
How fun, getting to show your kids a slice of Baja California Sur!
We would love to welcome you and your family to our hostel. Even though the hostel hasn’t been designed with children in mind, we’ll happily let you stay in one of our private rooms. However, since all of our facilities are shared and not suited for very young children, we can only accept moms / dads / families with children the age of six and older.
Bear in mind, we don’t have the space to put extra beds in the private rooms in case you have a big family. If you still feel Whale Tales hostel would be a good fit for you and kid(s), give us a shout!
Or send an email to hola@whaletaleshostel.com or WhatsApp message to +52 62421 38 642, which might be a bit more practical.
How much we would like to pet little Xolo the chihuahua or play with Michi the kitten, we have to make our heart out of stone and say “No, you can’t.”.
For various reasons, we don’t accept any pets in Whale Tales hostel. The only exception to this rule are people traveling with a Service Animal, providing legal documentation. Under Mexican Law, emotional support animals are not recognized as a Service Animal and therefore treated as pets, which means they are not accepted in the hostel. We’re sorry, Michi and Xolo!
GETTING HERE & PARKING
Oh, we do wish to have a giant parking lot next to the hostel, but unfortunately, we can’t always get what we wa-a-ant.
We do have a fairly quiet street with a lot of space and we'd be more than happy to help you find a place in the area!
By public transport
You’ll want to take the yellow-purple buses of the “Ruta del Desierto”. This bus stops both in front of the exit at Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 of Los Cabos Airport and runs every 5 to 10 minutes. You can buy the tickets in advance from the employee before the bus arrives, the ticket from the airport will cost you 100 MXN per person.
Depending on traffic, it will take you 30 to 45 minutes before you reach the bus stop called ‘COBACH’ (named after the local high school across the road) in front of Plaza Perla. When you hop off, you’ll follow the street in the direction of traffic. Once you reach the street with on the corner a restaurant called ‘Sushi & Sashimi El Burro’, you turn right into the street called C. Paseo Barlovento. You’ll follow until you spot our bright pink building behind a big, bright pink bougainvillea on the right side.
By car
If you plan on getting a rental car, you’ll be bombarded with choice once you step foot into the arrival hall. You can check prices while you wait for your luggage to arrive and before you know it, you’re on the Carretera Peninsular or Highway 1, heading straight for the hostel. Literally, there’s only one highway if you don’t count the toll road and it’s in a straight line to San José del Cabo. After about 20 to 25 minutes, depending on traffic, you should reach the hostel. Couldn’t be easier, don’t you think?
If you’re not sure on which company to book with, give us a shout and we’ll see what we can do for you!
By taxi
Taxis are by far the easiest to find in Los Cabos Airport. Personally, we only recommend them as a last resort, since they know their prices and it’s not cheap.
You can count on 1200 MXN minimum for a one way ride to San José del Cabo in a private taxi. Shared options are available, they will set you back around 300 MXN per person.
On Uber
Our preferred method of reaching the hostel from Los Cabos Airport if you’re travelling with at least two people is Uber. It will cost you around 200 - 300 MXN per ride from the airport to the hostel, which sometimes ends up even cheaper than taking public transport. The only caveat is that Uber drivers shouldn’t be operating on federal terrain, but that doesn’t mean they won’t pick you up.
Need any tips on how to plan your way to the hostel? Send us an email to hola@whaletaleshostel.com or a message to our Whatsapp +52 624 21 38 642
HOW TO GET AROUND Los Cabos / BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR
Old school buses bring you to the city centre when you don’t fancy the short walk. .
The Ruta del Desierto, the main bus line in Los Cabos, connects the international airport with San José del Cabo, Cabo San Lucas and all the beaches in between. If you’d like to travel beyond Los Cabos, then the main bus terminal will be your best friend.
RUTA DEL DESIERTO
You’ll want to take the yellow-purple buses of the “Ruta del Desierto”. This bus line runs from the Los Cabos International Airport all the way to Cabo San Lucas, with stops in San José del Cabo, the Hotel corridor (that’s where the beaches are) and downtown Cabo San Lucas. It runs every 5 to 10 minutes, from 4:30 AM until 10:00 PM. Rides within San José cost 16 MXN, to the Hotel Zone 35 MXN and from San José del Cabo to Cabo San Lucas costs 45 MXN. You can check prices in the area of the bus above the bus drivers’ seat. Only cash is accepted and paid directly to the bus driver.
AGUILA
Aguila is the go-to bus company offering transportation to the nearby towns and cities, leaving from the main bus terminal. Your trip will be comfortable, with reclining seats, AC, toilets and wifi. Whether you just have time to check out Todos Santos and La Paz or you’re going all the way up to Tijuana, Aguila will be your main pick. For detailed prices and routes, you can check their website: https://autobusesaguila.com
FRADISA
Fradisa is another transportation service offering routes to Todos Santos and La Paz. Not in big coach buses, but in smaller vans that can get you a bit faster to your destination and in general, they’re a bit cheaper too. Their ‘terminal’ in San José del Cabo is a small stand before Plaza San José and Walmart on the Carretera Peninsular, where you can check the times and buy your tickets.
It’s best to buy your tickets a couple of hours in advance if you want to leave at a specific time.
FACILITIES
A big fat yes.
As fellow travelers, we know how important it is to keep your valuables safe. All beds have a locker assigned to them, you just need to bring a padlock and you’re good to go!
Whether you fancy a weekend in La Paz or you’re just heading out camping in the Sierra for a night without your big bulky backpack: we’ll be happy to keep your luggage in storage, if you’re staying with us before and after your trip.
We’re happy to hold your luggage if you need a little bit more time than a night, for a small fee.
Yes, we do!
We can’t start our day without a good breakfast, so why should you? Every day from 8h00 until 10h00, you fill your belly with toast, spreads, fresh fruits, ‘agua del dia’, coffee, tea & the surprise hot breakfast of the day. It's completely free with your stay at the hostel!
As a bonus: free coffee & tea all day long. Coffee addicts, eat your heart out. But don’t bounce off your bunk bed during the night, ok?
You bet there is!
After breakfast, the kitchen is all yours: stove, oven, blender, margarita glasses, sink, dish soap… As long as you clean everything up after using it, our staff will be happy to let you fulfill your long-lost dream of becoming a Michelin-starred chef (although we secretly know you'll be cooking pesto pasta).
Yes, we do!
We make up your bed with freshly washed white linens before you arrive, so that when you check-in, your pillow is waiting for you to take a well deserved beauty nap right there and then. For hygienic reasons, we actually don’t allow guests to sleep in our beds with their own bed linens or sleeping bags.
Sometimes, when traveling, you miss the small luxuries of home and we know a big fluffy towel is easily number one of those luxuries. You do you, if you don’t mind using your trusted quick dry towel, but all the travelers pining for their big fluffy towels: for a deposit of 150 MXN, you’ll use one during the length of your stay.
For the beach bums amongst you that dislike sand sticking all over the place after having a swim, check out our beach packages, which include an extra-large beach blanket.
Yes, we do!
For all those travelers who have some crusty socks that need a quick rinse or just some t-shirts to freshen up, we’ve got you!
A very traditional Mexican invention called the ‘lavadero’, ideal to do a small hand wash, is available for all guests to use whenever they want to.
For a bigger load of laundry, we’ll wash, line-dry and fold your clothes at an extra cost.
Alas, we don’t reserve any beds.
Beds are chosen on a first come, first served basis. If you, for any reason whatsoever, need to sleep in a bottom bunk, you’re welcome to reserve our 4-bed glamping dorm, which only has single beds. You’re welcome!
Whale Tales Hostel, just like every hostel, is a shared, co-living environment which depends and relies upon the cooperation of every hostel guest. Unfortunately, there will always be inconsiderate people out there, that either willingly or not, do not respect house rules or the needs of fellow travellers.
Whale Tales Hostel has a quiet hours policy, which means you’ll better tiptoe around and leave your rustling plastic bags packed away from 23h00 until 8h00. We don’t have the capacity to run a 24/7 reception service and just can’t control the sound of every barking dog / ambulance / snores of fellow travellers to guarantee you a noise-free environment.
Our private glamping can be a great option if you want your own space, but unfortunately, outside noise is out of our hands.
Yes, we do!
Even though internet connection is not the same as finding you some old school hostel friends and going on an adventure together, we do know you need your scroll every once in a while. Good wi-fi is not a given in Baja California Sur, which we experienced first hand in our search for a reliable internet provider. But, especially for you, we splurged and got you a Starlink connection.
Enjoy the free Wi-Fi!
ACTIVITIES
We love our travelers mingling together, meeting new friends and sharing food… so why not organize it?
Devour all the pizza slices you can eat during our Pizza Night, lose all your (fake) money at Board Game night, watch pink sunsets from the top of Cerro de La Chiva or just stroll around the plaza Mijares with a bunch of new made friends trying to spot interesting paintings during Art Walk… and much more!
Soon we will!
Keep an eye on our website, because in the near future we’ll take you to have a soak in hot springs or cold pools in the desert, to go hiking between giant cacti or other prickly plants or why not both on the same day, just in a different place?
What can I do in San José del Cabo / Los Cabos / Baja California Sur?
Depending on the time of the year, you can snorkel with whale sharks or baby sea lions; dive for sunken ships and nudibranchs, admire the biggest mammal on earth during whale migration, see tons of dolphins or mobula rays jumping out of the water…
You can soak in some hot springs, whether they are right on the beach or high up in the Sierra de la Laguna, stand under waterfalls and jump in turquoise blue pools in the middle of the desert…
Cuddle giant cacti or maybe better, admire them from a distance. You can hike along the coast trying to recognize the spout of a humpback or pilot whale, you can hike in the Sierra and smell the herby scent of dry foliage while listening to the cries of a golden eagle flying high above.
You can stroll around the Malecón in La Paz, Plaza Mijares in San José del Cabo or the marina of Cabo San Lucas. Party until the morning light at Squid Roe in Cabo San Lucas or be an early riser to watch a pinkish sky and a sunrise to remember. There’s stargazing and sunsets, blue skies to admire and bluer water to swim in. Or you can kayak. Or do some paddleboarding. Or rent a jetski, do some kitesurfing, surfing, fishing. Have a sunset cruise with food & drinks.
Do some sand boarding, mountain biking, trail running or have a ride on an ATV, but look out for turtle nests!
Dive into history: visit a 300 year old olive tree and Spanish colonial missions, listen to stories of Pirates and Pericúes, admire ancient petroglyphs and 7.500 years old cave paintings, get to know about the mines, vaqueros and pearls…
There’s beaches: virgin beaches, beaches with rocks, with seats and without, deserted and packed, with waves and without, with shallow waters and unswimmable shores. Islands. Volcanoes. Dunes and desert. And a lot of palm trees.
That’s just scratching the surface of all the amazing experiences you can live in San José del Cabo and Baja California Sur. We’re pretty sure you want to know more about how to catch that magical Baja vibe… Head over to our blogwhere we'll soon spill all our secrets: where to go, what to do and when is the best time for you to visit us!
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