Water in Cabo?

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

My potential guest is concerned about the water in Cabo... is it like Cancun, where the hotel zone purifies all the water? Or do tourists still get a fair bit of Montezuma's revenge, and have to be careful?

[Amanda Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Amanda]

Hi,

I have only been to Cabo once (last August) and stayed at Hacienda del Mar on the Corridor. I was told to be careful with the water as well before going, and was even told to go as far as not eating salad or fruit because it is rinsed in water (and to brush my teeth with bottled water!) Needless to say, I was a little scared!

But, it was totally fine. The hotels do purify the water, so teeth brushing and salads are fine. I wouldn't drink a glass of tap water, but minimal exposure did not cause a problem. We even ate in town and had drinks with ice, and we were fine.

I would suggest being careful, but you can still enjoy yourself. I have never been to Cancun, but I would think the Cabo water system is better since it is more of an extension of California than mainland Mexico.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

I would suggest being careful, but you can still enjoy yourself. I have never been to Cancun, but I would think the Cabo water system is better since it is more of an extension of California than mainland Mexico.

The fact that it's Baja and not mainland means nothing as regards water quality and sanitation.

Most of the resort hotels operate their own on-site water treatment systems, in which the desalt seawater to make fresh water. That process in itself provides significant purification, and is followed by a formal disinfection process, most likely with chlorine or ultraviolet light. Bottom line is that the water in most of the hotels should be safe.

I would not be nearly as sanguine, though, about the community water system. SJdC and CSL have both grown relatively quickly, and have outstripped their water supply and wastewater infrastructures.

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Food sanitation is a separate issue from water sanitation. Even though the water supply in the hotel zone might be save, the food itself can still be contaminated. Merely washing food is not sufficient to remove contamination, as was made abundantly clear with the spinach outbreaks in the US last year.

If ice supplies are brought in from off-site, the ice can be contaminated, which would affect all iced beverages.

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For myself, I don't worry much about water supplies in the hotel. I'm suspicious of any iced drink. Outside the hotel zone I would take the usual and customary precautions - bottled beverages only and no uncooked or partly cooked foods.

[Fern Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Fern]

It may *seem* like the US, and have prices like the US, but its still Mexico. And no matter how modern it is, as Steve mentioned, there is no way the water plant can keep up with the growth.

Me, I use bottled water. Many don't, but I'd rather be careful with my delicate system than spend several days in he** like my sister did one vacation.

Fern

[Amanda Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Amanda]

Fair enough. You both bring up good points regarding the water system considering the major growth in the area.. and I am not yet the experienced traveller.

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

Two friends of mine went fishing in Cabo and got Montezuma's revenge for 2 months. Dont' drink the water, don't use the ice and don't eat salads. I don't even brush my teeth with anything but bottled water.