Golf Cart vs Car in Los Cabos: How You Actually Get Around

July 15, 2026 6 min read

The Shops at Palmilla in Los Cabos, a private community where golf carts are commonly used

If you spend real time in Los Cabos, the practical question is not "cart or car" but which one you use for each type of trip. Short answer: the golf cart is your everyday vehicle inside the development, and private transportation is what most people use to go out.

Inside your community, the cart wins

In developments such as Palmilla, Querencia, Chileno, Puerto Los Cabos, El Dorado and most private communities in the area, a golf cart covers nearly all of your activities: the clubhouse, the golf course, the beach, the pool, the gym, the spa, the gate and visits between homes. It is easier than pulling out the car, parks anywhere, and never waits on valet.

Important: golf carts cannot be used on public streets

This is the most important point in this article. In Los Cabos, golf carts are community vehicles: they are not allowed on public streets. The only exception is Palmilla, where carts may be driven on public streets within the area, but never on the highway.

So plan your trips knowing the cart stays inside the development. That is not much of a limitation, it is exactly what these vehicles are built for.

Leaving the development: private transportation

For the airport, restaurants in San José del Cabo or Cabo San Lucas, groceries or tours, most residents and visitors use private transportation with a driver. It is more comfortable than driving the highway, you skip parking altogether, and you avoid renting a car that would sit unused most of the time.

What about renting a car?

A rental car makes sense if you drive outside the development several times a week, for example if you work in the area or head to La Paz or the East Cape often. If your plan is beach, golf and dinners, the cart plus private transportation combo almost always wins on cost and convenience.

How most of our clients solve it

An owned or rented cart for everything inside the community.
Private transportation for the airport, dinners and shopping.
A rental car only for stays where highway driving is truly needed.