Both bookable turtle release tours in Cabo San Lucas end at the same Pacific beach camp. Here is how they differ, when the season runs, what it costs and why releases get cancelled.
What You Should Know
- A Cabo turtle release is a late-afternoon visit to a Pacific beach turtle camp, where a marine biologist explains the work and you help release olive ridley or black turtle hatchlings at sunset.
- Tours run only in hatching season, from late July to early January; the bookable dates cluster from September to November, and there are no releases from about mid-January to July.
- Prices run from $85 to $109 per adult, with free entry for under-4s on one tour; both tours include transport to the beach, about 35 to 45 minutes from the marina.
- Nothing is guaranteed: if no nests hatch that day, the release is cancelled, often the day before, so book early in your trip to leave room to reschedule.
Turtle Releases in Cabo San Lucas
A Cabo turtle release takes you to a conservation camp on the Pacific coast, where sea turtles nest in summer and the eggs are moved to a protected nursery until they hatch. You hear a talk from a marine biologist, see the nests, and at sunset each guest carries a hatchling or two to the sand and watches it crawl into the surf. A turtle release in Cabo San Lucas takes three to four hours with transport and costs $85 to $109 per adult.
Two tours can be booked in advance, and both end at the same place: Rancho Carisuva's turtle camp on the Pacific side, about 35 to 45 minutes by van from the marina. Rancho Carisuva sells its own tour with hotel pickup, and Cabo Trek runs a smaller-group version from its office at the marina. So the choice is not the beach or the turtles but the season, the group size, how you get there and how each company handles cancellations. If you are staying in Todos Santos, the local volunteer group there releases hatchlings later in the year; see our Todos Santos in December guide.
Which turtle release should I book?
| If you want | Book | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The best overall, September to November | Cabo Trek: Cabo Turtle Release | 4.9 from 140 reviews, up to 8 per booking, meet at the marina |
| Hotel pickup, or a December or August date | Rancho Carisuva: Sunset Turtle Release | Picks up from your hotel lobby and runs from late July to early January |
| The lowest price for a family | Rancho Carisuva: Sunset Turtle Release | $85 per person; Cabo Trek is $109 per adult and $89 per child |
| A group to yourselves | Rancho Carisuva: private option | $127 per person on the same listing |
Cabo Trek: Cabo Turtle Release
We chose it for the more reliable record of the two (133 of its 140 reviews are five stars, against 221 of 262 for the ranch's own listing), groups capped at eight per booking, and far fewer complaints about cancellations and refunds in recent reviews. It ends at the same Rancho Carisuva release beach.
Book NowCabo Turtle Release Tours: Side-by-Side Comparison
| Tour Operator | Price | Online Rating | Ages | Max per Booking | Duration | Season and Start Time | Transport | Included | Not Included |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our Pick: Best Overall Cabo Trek Cabo Turtle Release Book Now |
$109 per adult, $89 ages 4 to 11, under 4 free ($98.10 per adult on some dates to mid-November) | ⭐ 4.9 (140 reviews) Read Reviews |
All ages | 8 | ~3 hours | Sep 1 to Dec 14, 4:00pm daily; few December dates were open when we checked | Van from Cabo Trek's office in the Tesoro Hotel at the marina | Marine biologist talk, water, soft drinks, snacks | Hotel pickup |
| Longest Season Rancho Carisuva Los Cabos Sunset Turtle Release Conservation Experience Book Now |
$85 per person (adults and children); private option $127 per person | ⭐ 4.5 (262 reviews) Read Reviews |
Children and adults (same price) | 14 | ~4 hours | Jul 22 to Jan 10, 4:30pm daily | Van pickup from your hotel lobby | Marine biologist talk, bottled water, restrooms, visit to the ranch's donkey sanctuary | Turtle "birth certificate", photo session, merchandise, tips |
ℹ️ All tours and information were checked against live operator listings and published guest reviews on October 30, 2026. Both tours were bookable for November 2026 when we checked; Rancho Carisuva also had dates to January 10, 2027 and again from late July 2027. Releases depend on nests hatching, so any date can be cancelled at short notice. Prices and availability may change, so always confirm with the operator before booking.
What to Expect on a Cabo Turtle Release
- 01About 4:00pm
Pickup or meet
Van from your hotel (Rancho Carisuva) or from the marina office (Cabo Trek).
- 0235 to 45 min
Drive to the Pacific
The van heads to Rancho Carisuva's camp on the Pacific coast.
- 03At the ranch
Biologist's talk
Half an hour to an hour on sea turtles, the nests and the nursery.
- 04Before sunset
Walk to the beach
A quarter mile or so through soft sand to the release spot.
- 05Dusk
The release
Set your hatchlings on the sand and watch them crawl into the surf.
- 06About 7:30pm
Back to Cabo
The van returns to the marina or your hotel after dark.
- 01
Pickup or meet
Van from your hotel (Rancho Carisuva) or from the marina office (Cabo Trek).
About 4:00pm - 35 to 45 min02
Drive to the Pacific
The van heads to Rancho Carisuva's camp on the Pacific coast.
- 03
Biologist's talk
Half an hour to an hour on sea turtles, the nests and the nursery.
At the ranch - Before sunset04
Walk to the beach
A quarter mile or so through soft sand to the release spot.
- 05
The release
Set your hatchlings on the sand and watch them crawl into the surf.
Dusk - About 7:30pm06
Back to Cabo
The van returns to the marina or your hotel after dark.
Both tours follow the same evening at Rancho Carisuva. You arrive mid to late afternoon, and a marine biologist talks for roughly half an hour to an hour about sea turtles and how the camp protects the nests. Then you walk down to the beach and wait for the sun to set. The release waits for sundown, which guests are told keeps the seagulls from taking the hatchlings, though one December 2025 guest still saw gulls trying during the release. Each guest gets a bowl with one or more hatchlings, names them, and sets them down on the sand on the guide's count, and the group watches them crawl to the surf.
Our take (the turtles set the schedule): The main thing to understand before booking is that nobody can schedule a hatching. If no nests hatch that day, the release is off, and recent guests describe being told the day before, or the morning of. Several were happy to be moved to another evening; the ones who left Cabo before it could happen are behind most of the one-star reviews.
What reviewers consistently mention
- A walk through soft sand. The walk from the camp to the water is roughly a quarter mile of loose sand. Wear shoes you can slip off, and ask in advance if someone in your group cannot manage it; one guest says a ride was offered.
- A longish ride. The camp is about 35 to 45 minutes from the marina, and some guests describe the ride as a little rough. Guests who drove themselves describe it as a haul.
- How many turtles varies. Some guests release one or two each; some groups describe releasing hundreds. It depends on how many nests hatched.
- Bring bug spray and a layer. Bugs during the talk at the ranch and a chilly beach after sunset in late autumn both come up, and two December 2025 guests found the ranch restrooms basic or not working.
- Extras are sold on site. Rancho Carisuva sells a turtle "birth certificate", photos and merchandise; none of it is required.
Best Turtle Release Tours in Cabo
Because both tours end at the same release beach, we compared them on what you can control: the dates, the group size, the transport, and how each company has handled cancelled releases in recent reviews.
Cabo Trek: Cabo Turtle Release
A van from Cabo Trek's office at the marina takes you to Rancho Carisuva for the biologist's talk and a sunset release, and back by about 7:30pm. It is rated 4.9 from 140 reviews, 133 of them five stars. Bookings are capped at eight, but other groups' vans join at the beach: one October 2026 guest counted more than 30 people, was not given a turtle because there were too few to go round, and says the money was not returned. That is the only recent complaint of its kind for this tour. It costs $109 per adult and $89 for ages 4 to 11, and under-4s go free. Dates run from September to mid-December, and few December dates were open when we checked. The trade-off is getting to the marina: there is no hotel pickup.
Check availabilityRancho Carisuva: Sunset Turtle Release
The ranch that runs the release program sells its own tour, with hotel pickup, at $85 for everyone, which makes it the cheaper choice for a family. It runs from July 22 to January 10, so it is the only bookable option in August or late December. Guests praise the biologists and the half-hour talk, and some visit the donkey sanctuary at the ranch. But 23 of its 262 reviews are one star, and most of the 2026 ones tell the same story: a release cancelled because no nests hatched, then a refund that never arrived. We'd book it if your dates or your hotel rule out Cabo Trek, and keep your booking confirmation for any refund request.
Check availabilityIf your dates allow either, we would book Cabo Trek for the smaller group and the cleaner record. If you are in Cabo in August or after mid-December, Rancho Carisuva is the only bookable option.
When Is Turtle Release Season in Cabo?
Olive ridley and black sea turtles come ashore to nest on the beaches near Cabo from about July to September, according to Rancho Carisuva, and the hatchlings emerge about 45 days later. That puts the release season at roughly late July to early January. The bookable dates bear this out: Rancho Carisuva sells releases from July 22 to January 10 and Cabo Trek from September 1 to December 14. Reviews of both tours cluster from September to December. Outside that window there are no releases to book near Cabo San Lucas.
Turtle releases near Todos Santos follow a different calendar. The volunteer group there, Tortugueros Las Playitas, says its releases run from December to April. Our Todos Santos in January guide covers it. For more to do around Cabo, see our best things to do in Cabo San Lucas.
Only Rancho Carisuva runs, and the first nests are hatching. This overlaps with the hottest, most humid weeks and the start of hurricane season.
Both tours run, and most reviews come from these months. Some groups describe releasing hundreds of hatchlings; one October guest also saw an adult turtle come ashore to nest.
Cabo Trek ends on December 14 and had few December dates open; Rancho Carisuva runs to January 10. Several of the cancellations in recent reviews came in late December and early January.
For the best odds of a release going ahead, we would aim for September to November and treat a December release as a bonus rather than the plan: both tours have fewer open dates then, and several recent cancellations fell in late December and early January. For month-by-month weather, see our Cabo in October and Cabo in November guides.
How Much Does a Turtle Release Cost in Cabo?
A turtle release in Cabo costs $85 to $109 per adult, with transport and a biologist's talk included on both tours. The money goes partly to the camp's conservation work. Extras sold on the day (photos, a turtle certificate, merchandise) and a tip for the guides are optional.
Per person, adults and children alike, with pickup from your hotel lobby. The cheaper option for families with older children.
Per adult ($98.10 on some dates to mid-November), $89 for ages 4 to 11 and free for under-4s, with a van from the marina but no hotel pickup.
Per person for Rancho Carisuva's private option, which keeps your group on its own for the release.
For a family of four with two children aged 4 to 11, Cabo Trek costs $396 and Rancho Carisuva $340. With children under 4, Cabo Trek's free places can make it the cheaper of the two, since Rancho Carisuva lists 3-year-olds at the full $85.
Is a Turtle Release in Cabo Ethical?
Both tours here go to a camp that patrols its beach in nesting season and moves eggs to a protected nursery, which Cabo Trek describes as an authorized release program. On these release tours guests handle only hatchlings, carried in bowls and set on the sand, and the release waits for sundown to reduce the risk from seagulls. Guests on the Rancho Carisuva tour describe staff keeping the gulls back.
Not every observer is convinced. A 2022 review of a different Cabo release (not one in this guide) by a guest who described themselves as an ecology researcher said seagulls picked hatchlings out of the surf after a sunset release, and argued that hatchlings naturally emerge at night to avoid exactly that. A release is not a guarantee of survival. If that matters to you, ask the biologist how the camp decides when and where to release, and how many nests it protected this season.
Our Take
The pattern we keep seeing is that the release itself almost always delights; what goes wrong is the calendar. Guests who booked it early in their trip and stayed flexible got their evening, while the one-star reviews come from guests who booked their last night and ran out of time when nothing hatched.
Tips for Your Cabo Turtle Release
- Book it early in your stay. If the release is cancelled because no nests hatched, you want spare evenings left to move to.
- Answer messages the day before. Cancellations and changes come by message, often the day before, and one guest reports having to chase the operator to arrange a new date.
- If it is cancelled, get the refund in writing. Several 2026 reviews of Rancho Carisuva describe promised refunds that never arrived. Ask for the cancellation in writing and request the refund through the platform you booked on.
- Confirm the pickup time. Two Rancho Carisuva guests were not told when, or whether, they were being collected until they asked, so message the operator the day before with your hotel name.
- Speak up about the driving. One October 2026 guest on the Cabo Trek van reports speeds of 145 km/h in a 90 km/h zone on the highway, there and back. Ask the driver to slow down if you are uncomfortable.
- Don't turn up unbooked out of season. One family paid for a long taxi to the ranch in February and found no release running.
- Wear slip-off shoes and bring bug spray. The walk to the beach is soft sand, and mosquitoes are out at the ranch around the talk.
- Bring a layer. It cools off quickly on the beach after sunset in November and December.
- Driving yourself? Rancho Carisuva suggests Waze, or the cycling mode in Google Maps, to find the ranch, and guests describe the last part of the road as rough.
- Turtles on the Pacific beaches. Guests on daytime off-road rides to Migriño beach occasionally arrive in time for a release there too; see our Cabo UTV tour guide.
Where to Stay in Cabo San Lucas
Staying in Cabo San Lucas or planning a trip? Here are three well-reviewed hotels, with live prices from our booking system. Rooms at the best-rated hotels are usually the first to go, especially in peak season and over holidays, so it's worth locking in your stay before availability fills up.
Compare Live Cabo San Lucas Hotel Prices
Live rates for a three-night stay for two adults, checking in about a month from now. Change the dates at checkout and book with instant email confirmation.
- Instant confirmation by email
- Live rates, not brochure prices
- Free cancellation on selected rates
Nobu Hotel Los Cabos
A 9.6 across 754 reviews, with perfect scores for service and amenities. The strongest combination of score and review volume of any hotel in Cabo San Lucas.
Book now on:
Medano Hotel and Spa
A 9.2 across 1,121 reviews at mid-range prices, a short walk from Medano Beach and the marina.
Book now on:
ME by Meliá Cabo - Adults Only
Adults-only five-star on the sand at Medano, with nightlife a walk away. The highest-rated hotel in town on a beach you can swim at.
Book now on:
Estimated nightly rate for a 3-night stay, 2 adults. Final price on Expedia or Booking.com.Room only. Local taxes and fees are added at checkout and can add roughly 20%.
How We Selected These Tours
The Cabo Tour Guides team searched every turtle release and turtle conservation tour listed for Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo. Only two can actually be booked in the current season. We checked every listing against live operator data on October 30, 2026. We left out a San José del Cabo turtle release whose listing shows dates from December to August but had no availability on any date we sampled from November 2026 to September 2027, and which has had only three reviews in the past year. We also left out an overnight nesting patrol with two reviews in total and none since December 2025. For the experience details we read the 83 most recent reviews of each tour, 166 in all, of which 13 were rated 1 to 3 stars. They cover December 2023 to October 2026 for Cabo Trek and December 2025 to October 2026 for Rancho Carisuva. When we describe how common something is, we go by each tour's full rating distribution, not the share of complaints in that sample. The nesting and hatching timeline comes from Rancho Carisuva's listing; the Todos Santos season comes from Tortugueros Las Playitas. To be explicit about how this page is made and paid for: we have not taken these tours ourselves, and nothing here is written as though we had. Our judgements come from operator listing data and published guest reviews. Booking links are affiliate links and we may earn a commission if you book through them, at no extra cost to you. No operator paid for inclusion, for a label, or for its position in the table, and commission rates played no part in the order.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is turtle release season in Cabo San Lucas?+
From late July to early January. Turtles nest from about July to September and the hatchlings emerge about 45 days later. Bookable releases near Cabo run from July 22 to January 10, with most from September to November. Near Todos Santos, the local volunteer group releases hatchlings from December to April.
How much is a turtle release in Cabo?+
$85 per person with Rancho Carisuva, including hotel pickup, or $109 per adult and $89 per child aged 4 to 11 with Cabo Trek, which runs from the marina and is free for under-4s. Rancho Carisuva's private option is $127 per person. Photos and certificates are sold separately.
What is the best turtle release tour in Cabo?+
Cabo Trek's Cabo Turtle Release is our top pick: 4.9 from 140 reviews, groups capped at eight per booking, and a cleaner record on cancellations. It goes to the same Rancho Carisuva release beach as the ranch's own tour, which is the better choice if you need hotel pickup or a date outside September to mid-December.
Are turtle releases in Cabo guaranteed?+
No. Releases only happen when nests hatch, and if none do, the evening is cancelled, often the day before. Book early in your trip so you can move to another date, and get any cancellation and refund promise in writing.
Where do Cabo turtle releases take place?+
Both bookable tours go to Rancho Carisuva's turtle camp on the Pacific coast, about 35 to 45 minutes by van from the Cabo San Lucas marina. Rancho Carisuva picks up from hotels; Cabo Trek leaves from its office in the Tesoro Hotel at the marina.
Is a turtle release good for kids?+
Yes; it is one of the most family-friendly evenings in Cabo. Both tours take children, who get to name their turtles, and Cabo Trek is free for under-4s. Plan for a quarter mile or so of soft sand and a late return after dark.
Can you touch the baby turtles?+
Generally no. Guests on both tours describe carrying hatchlings in a bowl and setting them down on the sand on the guide's count, then watching them crawl to the water on their own.
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