San Jose del Cabo: Evening Taco Walk & Tequila Tastings

4.75

(133 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I didn’t expect to start a food tour standing in front of the old church, watching kids chase each other across the plaza while our guide, Carla, waved us over. The sun was just dipping behind the rooftops — that kind of gold light that makes everything look softer. Carla handed out our first bite (some kind of crispy tostada with shrimp and lime) and I remember thinking, “Okay, this is already better than dinner at the hotel.” We set off slowly, no rush at all.

The streets in San Jose del Cabo get quieter as evening comes on, but every block seemed to have its own smell — grilled meat here, sweet bread there. At one stop, an older man behind a cart handed me a gordita so hot I almost dropped it. Carla laughed and showed me how to hold it without burning my fingers. We talked about her family living here for generations; she knew everyone we passed by name. There was this moment when she poured us tiny shots of tequila (smooth, not like what I drank in college), and someone from our group tried to toast in Spanish — pretty sure we butchered it but nobody cared.

By the time we reached the last spot (a little place with plastic chairs and salsa jars lined up on the counter), I’d lost track of how many tacos we’d had. There was fruit juice too — bright pink agua fresca that tasted like summer. I still think about that view down the side street lit by string lights, people laughing around us. The whole thing felt more like being invited along with locals than any “tour.” And yeah, my shirt smelled like grilled onions when I got back but honestly? Worth it.