Todos Santos Travel Guide — Baja California Sur

Todos Santos guide: Baja art town, Pescadero surf beach, whale watching season, where to eat and stay, and how to get there from Los Cabos and La Paz.

Todos Santos sits in a transition zone: 80 km north of the Los Cabos resort strip but a world away in atmosphere. Where Los Cabos runs on sport fishing and resort pools, Todos Santos runs on art galleries, organic farms, mezcal bars, and the kind of low-key expat and creative culture that accumulates in places with good light, cheap land, and proximity to dramatic Pacific coast.

It is technically a Pueblo Mágico (a Mexican government designation for towns of particular cultural or historical value), and the colonial core around the central plaza — white-washed buildings, a 19th-century church, mango orchards — is well preserved. The surf beaches stretching south to Pescadero are among the best point breaks in Baja.

What Todos Santos Is (and Isn’t)

Todos Santos is not a resort town. There are no all-inclusive hotels, no beach clubs with bottle service, and no direct beach access from the town centre (the Pacific coast is a 10-minute drive west). What it has:

A well-preserved colonial core with an arts community that has been building since the 1990s
Some of the best independent restaurants in Baja California Sur
Access to world-class surf at Los Cerritos and Pescadero
Grey whale watching in season (December–March) without the coach-group crowds of the Los Cabos whale tours
Proximity to organic farms and tasting experiences

The town is small enough to walk in 20 minutes, and most visitors hire a car to reach the beaches and the highway.

The Beaches

Playa Los Cerritos (8 km south of town) is the most popular and most beginner-friendly beach near Todos Santos. A gentle right-hand point break on the south end makes it accessible to intermediate surfers; the north end is less exposed and calmer. Surf rentals and lessons available from the Los Cerritos parking area — approximately MXN $300–400 per hour board hire, MXN $600–800 for a 2-hour beginner lesson as of 2026. Several palapa restaurants serve fish tacos and cold beer directly on the beach.

Playa Pescadero (12 km south) is more exposed and more powerful. The break here attracts experienced surfers when Cerritos gets crowded or blown out. The beach is longer and less developed, with a wilder character. No facilities — bring everything you need.

Playa San Pedrito (4 km south) is the closest Pacific beach to town, with a dramatic rock point and consistent surf. Very popular with local surfers and those staying at nearby boutique hotels.

Playa Las Pocitas — north of Todos Santos, with tide pools, dramatic views, and almost nobody on it. No facilities, rough road access. Worth the effort for the solitude.

Playa El Pescadero (Las Olas) — further south at around 18 km, a consistent beach break and the preferred spot when Los Cerritos is overcrowded in high season.

Key Activities

Whale Watching

Grey whales migrate down the Pacific coast of Baja California from the Arctic each winter, arriving in Baja’s warm-water lagoons from approximately late November and remaining through March. The migration route passes within sight of the Todos Santos coast, and several operators run small-boat tours from nearby San Juan del Mar (35 km north) or from Ensenada de los Muertos to encounter grey whales in calmer waters.

The experience is intimate by Mexico standards — zodiac and small boat tours rather than large whale-watching catamarans, and genuinely close approaches to mothers and calves. Tours approximately USD $70–120 per person (as of 2026) with bilingual guides.

Magdalena Bay (300 km north) is the most famous grey whale nursery in Mexico — a half-day drive north on Highway 1, with operators in Ciudad Constitución running boats into the bay for up to 2-metre-distance encounters with grey whales. If whale watching is the primary goal of a Baja trip, Magdalena Bay from December–March is the headline experience.

Art Gallery Circuit

Todos Santos has an established art scene anchored by long-term expat residents and Mexican artists who settled here from the 1990s onward. The galleries cluster around the central plaza and on Calle Legaspi and Topete.

Notable galleries:

Galería de Todos Santos (Topete s/n) — the oldest in town, representing 20+ artists working in painting, sculpture, and photography
Ignacio Alende Arte y Diseño — contemporary Mexican art and design objects
Gallery at the Old Hotel California — rotating shows, with a focus on local landscape painting

The gallery circuit is walkable in an afternoon. Several artists open studios to visitors by appointment.

Fishing and Eco-Activities

Todos Santos is far from the commercial sportfishing world of Cabo San Lucas, but local fishermen (pangas) offer shared fishing trips for yellowfin tuna, dorado, and wahoo during peak season. Ask at the Pescadero beach for panga operators — rates approximately USD $100–150 per boat per half-day (fits 3–4 people) as of 2026.

Bird watching: The Estero San Cristóbal lagoon (5 km north of town) is a permanent waterbird habitat with herons, egrets, oystercatchers, and seasonal migrant species.

Organic farm visits: The agricultural valley behind the town (the area that feeds Todos Santos its mangoes, papayas, avocados, and herbs) has several farms that accept visitors or work with the restaurant scene for farm-to-table dinners.

Where to Eat

Restaurant	What to order	Approximate cost
Shut Up Frank’s (Calle Cuauhtémoc)	Baja fish tacos, local craft beer	MXN $80–150 per taco
Magnus	Contemporary Baja cuisine, natural wines	Mains MXN $300–500
La Copa Cocina (Calle Topete)	Sinaloa-style seafood, prawn dishes	MXN $200–400 per person
Bruja Bar	Mezcal cocktails, small plates	MXN $100–200 per drink
El Pastorcito (Calle Centenario)	Tacos al pastor, carnitas	MXN $40–70 per taco
Taco Mi Amor	Breakfast tacos, fresh juices	MXN $50–100 per item

Magnus is the most serious restaurant in town — a tasting-menu operation (approximately MXN $1,200–1,800 per person as of 2026) using locally sourced Baja ingredients including sea urchin, local fish, and valley vegetables. Book ahead for weekend dinners.

Shut Up Frank’s is the opposite — a no-frills palapa with plastic chairs, cold Pacífico, and Baja fish tacos that routinely top best-of lists despite (or because of) the complete absence of ambiance.

Where to Stay

Hotels in Todos Santos (2026 approximate rates):

Hotel San Cristóbal — the most design-forward hotel in town, with an excellent pool, rooftop bar, and rooms from approximately USD $250–450 per night. Opened 2020; quickly became the town’s social centre.
Guaycura Boutique Hotel — in a restored colonial building on the plaza, with pool and roof terrace. From approximately USD $180–350 per night.
Hotel Todos Santos (Calle Juárez) — the original boutique hotel in town; small, intimate, and slightly worn. From approximately USD $120–200 per night.
La Bohemia Baja Hotel Pequeño — five bungalows in a garden setting, with strong sustainable credentials. From approximately USD $150–280 per night.

Budget options are limited in the town centre. Pescadero (12 km south) has more hostel and guesthouse options near the surf beaches, including Todos Santos Eco Adventures which combines accommodation with surf lessons.

Getting There

From Los Cabos: Highway 19 runs directly north from San José del Cabo to Todos Santos — approximately 80 km, 1 hour by car. There is no direct bus from Los Cabos airport; take a taxi to San José del Cabo bus terminal (approximately MXN $200) and catch a bus to Todos Santos (approximately 45 minutes, MXN $80).

From La Paz: 105 km south on Highway 1 and then Highway 19 — approximately 1.5 hours by car. Direct buses from La Paz Central Bus Station run several times daily (approximately 1.5 hours, MXN $120).

Driving: A rental car is strongly recommended. Todos Santos’ beaches are scattered over 15–20 km of coastline and are not connected by public transport. Car rental from Los Cabos airport runs from approximately USD $35–60 per day (as of 2026); book ahead for the November–April high season when supply is limited.

Todos Santos vs Los Cabos

Factor	Todos Santos	Los Cabos
Vibe	Art town, independent	Resort, commercial
Beach	Surf/walking, not swimming	Swimming at protected coves
Restaurants	Independent, farm-to-table	Resort dining + high-end independents
Budget	More affordable	Higher prices
Activities	Surf, galleries, whales	Sport fishing, nightlife, whale watching
Best for	Creative travellers, surfers	Beach relaxation, sport fishing, couples

They are easily combined — a Los Cabos hotel for swimming access and services, with a full day trip to Todos Santos for galleries, lunch at Magnus, and sunset at Los Cerritos.