Todos Santos
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Todos Santos

Todos Santos

Baja California Sur arts town near Pacific surf breaks, with galleries in colonial streets

Todos Santos is a small town on the Pacific coast of Baja California Sur, about 80 kilometres north of Cabo San Lucas. It has developed a reputation as an arts colony — the gallery district along Calle Topete has studios and fine art galleries tucked into colonial buildings — while staying considerably more relaxed than Cabo. The town sits just inland from some powerful Pacific surf breaks.

The palm-shaded historic centre has the Misión Santa Rosa de las Palmas and a colonial plaza. Unlike the tourist strip further south, Todos Santos has a local Mexican character that manages to coexist with the expat and visitor presence. The Hotel California — whether or not it inspired the Eagles song — has a good bar and has become a town landmark in its own right.

Guide

Eating Out

For a small town, Todos Santos eats surprisingly well. The combination of a resident expat community, organic farms in the surrounding oasis, and fresh seafood from the Pacific has produced a restaurant scene that punches above its weight.

Café Santa Fe is the town's most established restaurant — Italian-influenced, using local ingredients, in a courtyard setting. La Copa Cocina does modern Mexican food with Baja ingredients: local fish tacos, octopus, and wood-fired preparations. Miguel's Restaurant is a reliable breakfast stop, with good huevos rancheros and strong coffee.

For tacos and street food, the taco stands near the central plaza open from late afternoon and are where locals eat. The fish taco — freshly caught, battered, and served with cabbage and chipotle — is as good here as anywhere on the peninsula.

Guide

Getting There

Todos Santos is 80 km north of Cabo San Lucas on Highway 19. The nearest international airports are at Los Cabos (SJD), about 90 minutes by road, and La Paz (LAP), about 90 minutes north. Car rental is the easiest way to get there from either airport; the drive is straightforward on good roads.

Direct buses run from both Cabo San Lucas and La Paz to Todos Santos several times daily. The Aguila bus company operates the main routes. The journey from Cabo is about 1.5 hours and costs around 100 pesos. There is no central bus station in town — buses stop on the main road.

Once in Todos Santos, a car or bicycle is useful for reaching the beaches, which are several kilometres from the town centre.

Guide

Things to Do

Todos Santos lives at the intersection of surf culture, art, and old Mexico. The mission church and colonial plaza make a modest but charming historic centre, while the galleries along Calle Topete are worth an afternoon. Beyond town, the Pacific beaches offer world-class surfing and emptier sands than you will find at the southern cape resorts.

Guide

When to Go

Todos Santos has two seasons: the dry, mild winter (November through April) and the hot, occasionally stormy summer (May through October). The best months are November through March, when daytime temperatures stay in the mid-twenties, the surf is consistent, and the town is at its most active socially and culturally.

July and August bring heat and humidity, and the occasional late-summer hurricane. The town quiets down and some restaurants close or reduce hours. Late October sees a rush of returning residents and the beginning of the art season.

The Festival de Arte, usually held in late October or early November, is the liveliest cultural event of the year.