Best Things to Do in Todos Santos, Baja California Sur

The best things to do in Todos Santos are slow ones: walking the old town and its galleries, watching the fishing boats come in at Punta Lobos, surfing or swimming at Los Cerritos, spotting humpback whales from the shore in winter and eating fish tacos at a street stand. The town sits on the Pacific coast of Baja California Sur, about an hour by road from both Cabo San Lucas and La Paz, and it was named a Pueblo Mágico in 2006. One warning before anything else: most beaches here are not safe for swimming, because of heavy surf, steep shore breaks and strong currents.

Todos Santos lies close to the Tropic of Cancer, between the desert and a long stretch of open ocean, with the Sierra de la Laguna mountains rising behind it. It is a farming town as much as a beach town: the springs that once fed its sugar cane fields still water the orchards and the palm groves at the edge of town. Below is how to spend your days, grouped by what you want from the trip.

Walk the historic town of Todos Santos

The centre is compact enough to see on foot in a morning. Its brick and adobe houses date mostly from the 19th century, when sugar cane brought money to the town, and many now hold galleries, cafés and small hotels.

The mission, the plaza and the theatre

The town grew around a Jesuit mission founded in the 18th century, and its church, Nuestra Señora del Pilar, still faces the main plaza. Next to it stands the old Teatro Cine General Manuel Márquez de León, a small historic theatre that hosts events and festivals. The patron saint's fiesta around 12 October fills the plaza with music, food stalls and dancing. A few blocks away, the well-known Hotel California draws photographers; despite the local legend, it has no link to the Eagles song.

Art galleries and the cultural centre

Since the 1980s artists from Mexico and abroad have settled here, and the galleries are the main reason many people come. Most are within a few blocks of the plaza, along Calle Centenario, Juárez and Topete; browse the Todos Santos art galleries in our directory before you go. The Centro Cultural, in a former school decorated with murals, has displays on the town's history, the missions and the region's ranching culture.

The beaches, and why most are not for swimming

This is open Pacific. Waves break hard and close to the sand, the beach shelves steeply and rip currents form without warning. People drown here every year, including strong swimmers. Walk, watch the sunset and look for whales, but stay out of the water unless you are at a protected beach on a calm day, and always follow red flags and local advice.

Punta Lobos and the fishermen

At Punta Lobos, just south of town, the local fishing cooperative launches its pangas straight through the surf and brings them back in the afternoon, riding a wave onto the sand. Watching a landing is one of the best free things to do in Todos Santos, and you can often buy fish straight off the boat. The beach itself is too rough for swimming.

Las Palmas, La Cachora and Las Pocitas

Playa Las Palmas, south of Punta Lobos, is a cove backed by a palm grove and makes a good walk. La Cachora and Las Pocitas, closer to town, are long empty beaches for sunset walks. Treat all three as look-don't-swim beaches; the currents at Las Palmas in particular catch visitors who think a cove means calm water.

Surf, whales and sea turtles

The same ocean that makes swimming risky makes this one of the best surf and wildlife coasts in Mexico.

Surfing at Los Cerritos and San Pedrito

Los Cerritos, about 15 minutes south near the village of El Pescadero, is the area's beginner beach: a sandy bottom, a point that softens the swell and surf schools renting boards on the sand. It is also the beach where most people swim, on calm days. Experienced surfers head to San Pedrito and La Pastora, which work best with the winter swells from the northwest.

Whale watching from the shore

From roughly December to April, humpback whales migrate along this coast, and you can see them breaching from almost any beach or viewpoint, often close in. For gray whales, the classic trip is to Bahía Magdalena, a long day's drive north, where they gather in the calm lagoon to calve.

Sea turtle hatchling releases

Several species of sea turtle nest on the beaches around Todos Santos, and a local volunteer group, Tortugueros Las Playitas, protects the nests in a hatchery and releases the hatchlings at sunset during the season. Visitors can usually watch; ask in town for the current schedule. Never pick up a hatchling or use a flashlight near nests.

Where to eat and drink

Food in Todos Santos is a mix of Baja fishing-town staples and a farm-to-table scene fed by the orchards around El Pescadero.

Fish tacos and seafood

Start with battered fish tacos from a street stand or a simple taquería, with cabbage, crema and salsas on the side. Look out for almejas chocolatas, the large local clams, often grilled. Find stands and sit-down places in our Todos Santos restaurants directory.

Farm-to-table and organic produce

The valley south of town grows organic vegetables, herbs and fruit, a good part of which is shipped north. Several restaurants cook with produce from their own gardens, and small markets sell it in town. If you are self-catering, ask locally about the weekly organic market days.

Hikes and day trips from Todos Santos

A car makes the area far easier to explore; public buses run along Highway 19 between La Paz and Cabo San Lucas, but the beaches and trailheads are off the main road.

Sierra de la Laguna

The mountains east of town are a UNESCO biosphere reserve with oak and pine forest at the top, a surprise after the desert below. Short walks start from the foothills; the classic hike to the high meadow is a long, steep climb usually done over two days with a guide. Go between October and May, when it is cooler and drier. Read more about the Sierra de la Laguna biosphere reserve. Closer to town, the hills above the beaches give wide views of the coast.

La Paz and Cabo San Lucas

Both cities are about an hour away. La Paz, on the Sea of Cortez, is the day trip for calm, clear water: the beaches around Balandra and boat trips to Isla Espíritu Santo. Cabo San Lucas offers the boat ride to the arch at Land's End and a busier nightlife. Compare guided options on our Todos Santos tours page.

Most visitors stay at least three nights to match the town's pace. Choose between the walkable centre and the beach areas on the Todos Santos stays page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you swim at the beaches in Todos Santos?

Mostly no. The beaches right by town face open Pacific surf with strong currents and steep shore breaks. Los Cerritos, near El Pescadero, is the usual swimming beach on calm days; elsewhere, enjoy the water from the sand.

How many days do you need in Todos Santos?

Two days cover the town, the galleries and a couple of beaches. Three to four let you add a surf lesson, a hike in the Sierra de la Laguna or a day trip to La Paz.

When can you see whales in Todos Santos?

Humpback whales pass roughly from December to April, and they are often visible from the beach. The peak months are usually January to March.

Is Todos Santos worth visiting from Cabo?

Yes. It is about an hour's drive and offers a quieter, older town, galleries and empty beaches, a clear contrast with the resorts of Los Cabos. A day trip works, but staying a night lets you see the town after the tour buses leave.