Where to Stay in Todos Santos (and El Pescadero)

Deciding where to stay in Todos Santos comes down to one question: do you want to walk to dinner, or wake up next to the surf? The historic centre puts galleries, cafés and restaurants on your doorstep. The beach neighbourhoods at the edge of town are quieter but need a car or taxi. El Pescadero, about 10 minutes south on Highway 19, is a farming village with surf breaks and beach houses, and Los Cerritos, about 15 minutes south, has the area's most swimmable beach.

Area	Drive to the plaza	Typical lodging	Best for	Trade-off
Historic centre	On foot	Small hotels, guesthouses, casitas	First visits, no car, galleries and food	No beach on the doorstep
Beaches at the edge of town	About 5–10 min	Rental houses, small boutique hotels	Sunsets, whale watching from the sand, quiet	Rough surf, a car is close to essential
El Pescadero	About 10 min	Casitas, surf lodges, farm stays, beach houses	Surfers, longer stays, a village feel	Spread out along dirt roads
Los Cerritos	About 15 min	Condos, rental villas, beach hotels	Swimming on calm days, beginner surf, families	Busier and more built up

Todos Santos is small, and the whole stretch from the town to Cerritos is barely 20 km of the same Pacific coast. You are never far from anything, but the character of each area is different, and so is how much you depend on a car. Below is what each one is like and who it suits.

The historic centre of Todos Santos

The old town is a grid of brick and adobe houses around the mission church and the main plaza. Many of the 19th-century buildings now hold small hotels and guesthouses, often with a garden or a pool in the courtyard. It is the only part of the area where you can do everything on foot.

What staying in town is like

You can walk to the galleries on Calle Centenario and Juárez, to breakfast, to the fish taco stands and back to your room after dinner without driving. Intercity buses on the La Paz–Cabo San Lucas route stop on the main road, so the centre is also the easiest base if you arrive without a car. The beaches are a short drive or a long walk away, and none of them is visible from most streets in town.

Who it suits, and what to expect

The centre is the right choice for a first visit of two or three nights, for travellers who do not want to drive and for anyone coming mainly for the art, the food and the evening atmosphere. It is a working Mexican town, so expect roosters at dawn, barking dogs and music on weekends; the patron saint's fiesta around 12 October fills the plaza for several days. If you sleep lightly, ask for a room away from the street.

The beach neighbourhoods at the edge of town

West and north of the centre, sandy lanes run down through the palm groves and orchards to a long, open beach. This is where many rental houses and a few boutique hotels sit, a few minutes' drive from the plaza but with a very different feel: the sound of the waves, wide sunsets and humpback whales passing offshore roughly from December to April.

La Cachora, Las Pocitas and the north side

The beaches of La Cachora and Las Pocitas are long, empty and good for walking. Remember the main rule of this coast: these are not swimming beaches. The shore break is steep and the currents are strong, so if a pool matters to you, check that the house or hotel has one.

Towards Punta Lobos

South of town, the land rises towards Punta Lobos, where the fishing cooperative lands its boats in the afternoon. Houses on the higher ground here have sea views, but the access roads are unpaved, so look at a map pin before you book and ask whether a regular car can reach the door.

Staying in El Pescadero

El Pescadero is a farming village on Highway 19, about 10 minutes south of Todos Santos. Its fields grow organic vegetables and herbs, a good part of which are shipped north, and between the farms and the beach are scattered casitas, surf lodges and rental houses. It is the base most surfers choose, because the breaks at San Pedrito and La Pastora are close by.

What it is like

There is no compact centre: the village stretches along the highway, with small grocery shops, taco stands, cafés and a petrol station, and the accommodation is spread down dirt roads towards the ocean. Many places are self-catering, with kitchens and outdoor showers, and longer stays of a week or a month are common. If you are coming for a surf trip or want a slower, rural feel, this is the area to look at first.

What to know before you book

You will need a car or a reliable taxi contact, and you should cross the highway carefully, since it is the main road between Cabo San Lucas and La Paz. Ask your host for a map pin rather than an address, because many lanes have no street names. Evenings are quiet: most of the restaurant choice is in Todos Santos, 10 minutes up the road.

Staying at Los Cerritos

Los Cerritos, about 15 minutes south of Todos Santos, is the beach most visitors end up at sooner or later. A rocky point softens the swell, the bottom is sandy, and on calm days it is the area's usual swimming beach. Surf schools rent boards on the sand, and there are places to eat right on the beach.

Why families and beginners choose it

If you want to swim, take surf lessons or spend whole days at the beach with children, Cerritos makes the most sense. You can walk from many of the condos and villas to the water, which is not true of most places closer to town. Even here, check the flags and the conditions every day; this is still the open Pacific.

The trade-offs

Cerritos has grown fast, and the hills behind the beach are now covered in condos and villas, with building work still going on. It is livelier than Todos Santos or Pescadero, especially at weekends, and dining out in the evening often means driving to Pescadero or into town. For a different trip, Cabo San Lucas is under an hour south.

How to choose your stay

Once you have picked an area, three practical points decide the booking. For background on the town itself, its history and its status as a Pueblo Mágico, see the Todos Santos entry on Wikipedia.

Types of lodging

There are no large all-inclusive resorts here. The choice is between small boutique hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs in town, rental houses and casitas on the coast, surf lodges in Pescadero and condos at Cerritos. Browse the Todos Santos hotels and hostels in our directory to see what is on each part of the coast.

When to book early

Demand peaks in the dry, mild months from November to April, when the whales are offshore and the winter swells bring surfers, and above all over Christmas and New Year. Summer is hot, and from August to October the Pacific hurricane season is at its most active, so many places lower their rates and some close for a few weeks. In those months, air conditioning and flexible cancellation are worth paying for.

Getting around

Outside the centre, plan on a car: the beaches, Pescadero and Cerritos are all off the main road. Read our guide on how to get to Todos Santos from the Los Cabos and La Paz airports, and once you are settled, plan your days with the best things to do in Todos Santos.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it better to stay in Todos Santos or El Pescadero?

Stay in Todos Santos if you want to walk to restaurants and galleries and do without a car. Choose El Pescadero if you are coming to surf, want a quieter, rural base and will have a car.

Can you stay on the beach in Todos Santos?

Yes. Rental houses and small hotels line the beaches just outside town, but most of those beaches are unsafe for swimming. For a beach you can swim at on calm days, stay near Los Cerritos.

Do I need a car if I stay in the centre of Todos Santos?

Not for the town itself, which is walkable. You will still want a car or taxis for the beaches, Pescadero and Cerritos, and for day trips to La Paz or Cabo San Lucas.

How many nights should I book in Todos Santos?

Two or three nights cover the town and a couple of beaches. Many visitors stay a week or longer, especially surfers in Pescadero and winter visitors who rent a house.