Todos Santos is a small beach town on the Pacific coast of Baja California Sur in Mexico. This guide to Todos Santos provides you with everything you need to know before you go. From the top things to do, to the best restaurants of Todos Santos – read this guide to Todos Santos to plan your trip to one of Mexico’s dreamiest coastal villages.

Todos Santos only has 5,000 inhabitants and is still one of the rather undiscovered gems of Mexico. Even though Todos Santos has become a more popular destination within the past years, it has managed to keep its peacefulness.

The Mexican Ministry of Tourism designated Todos Santos a Pubelo Mágico (magic village). About 120 Mexican villages received the title “Pueblo Mágico” because of their natural beauty, their cultural richness and their great hospitality among other factors.

The village has an artsy boho flair and attracts travellers who seek to experience local authenticity instead of touristy resort towns. Visitors of Todos Santos enjoy off the beaten path travel and appreciate the laid-back vibe of the village.

Things to do in Todos Santos, Mexico

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Things to do in Todos Santos

Despite its small size, there are lots of things to do in Todos Santos. Here’s a list of the top things to do in this cute coastal town.

Walk the historical center

Todos Santos, Mexico

The tiny historical center of Todos Santos is home to colonial architecture and colourful buildings. Strolling through the center gives you a feeling of the town’s artsy soul. There’s a variety of local craft shops, art galleries and chic boutiques.

Punta Lobos

Punta Lobos is a great beach for surfing and sunbathing in a calm environment. However, the current is strong and the waves are big so I don’t recommend swimming there. Punta Lobos is a bit hard to find and you need to take a dirt road to get there. But you’re rewarded with a beautiful sandy beach that is only slightly populated. Usually, there are not many people at Punta Lobos and you can enjoy tranquility and peacefulness while watching local fishermen on their boats in the water.

The recently built Hotel San Cristobal is right next to Punta Lobos and I recommend checking out their beachfront restaurant Benno when you’re there.

Cerritos Beach

Cerritos Surfer Beach, Todos Santos

Cerritos is a calm surfer beach located a short drive outside the centre of Todos Santos. The wild waves of the Pacific Ocean attract many surfers and bodyboarders. Experts as well as beginners can find a suitable surf at Cerritos Beach. If surfing is not your thing, you can lounge in the sun and go for a swim to cool down. But be careful when you go swimming – the current is quite strong.

Go surfing

Todos Santos is one of the most popular surfing spots in Mexico. If you want to take a surf class I recommend Mario Surf School at Cerritos Beach. The instructors are known for being professional and great teachers. In case you already know how to surf by yourself, you can rent a board there.

Do a turtle release

If you’re in Todos Santos between December and March, don’t miss out on the amazing opportunity of participating in a turtle release.

With the organisation Tortugueros Las Playitas you can participate in a turtle release almost every day at around 5 pm. The organisation offers visitors to participate free of charge, you just need to sign up for the program “Biologist of the day”.

Even though it’s for free, please make a donation to support their good cause. The organisation operates solemnly on donations so they’re happy about every cent.

Take a yoga class

Besides surfing, Todos Santos is also a popular place for yoga retreats. If you don’t have enough time for a retreat that lasts for several days, you can also take a single yoga class.

The luxurious boutique hotel Pachamama offers yoga retreats that aim to disconnect participants from their daily routine and give them a boost of energy that should last beyond their stay.

“For us it is about more than just yoga. It’s connection and engagement that makes a truly memorable experience. With amenities not found at most retreat destinations, we offer so many ways to strengthen physical and spiritual bonds.” (Pachamama)

Baja Zen is a yoga center that offers public yoga classes every second day. In addition to the yoga classes, they also offer yoga and surf retreats.

Day trip to Playa Balandra

Playa Balandra, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Playa Balandra is Mexico’s most beautiful beach and only a 1.5 hour drive from Todos Santos. Every guide to Todos Santos should include a day trip to Playa Balandra. The water there has the most stunning tones of blue I’ve ever seen and it’s not too crowded if you go to the right place.

For everything you need to know before you visit Playa Balandra, read my detailed guide on Playa Balandra.

Playa Balandra, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Day trip to Cabo San Lucas

Another great day trip destination is Cabo San Lucas, which is only an hour from Todos Santos.

However, be aware that Cabo San Lucas is a typical resort town that attracts a large number of American tourists. It’s home to many American chain restaurants and shops. If you prefer off the beaten path travel, Cabo San Lucas might not be the ideal place for you.

Even though it’s touristy, Cabo San Lucas is still worth visiting. There are beautiful beaches and you can do a boat trip to the famous Arco de Cabo San Lucas.

Where to stay in Todos Santos

Todos Santos offers a variety of amazing accommodations, from modest beach hostels to luxury hotels with Mexican flair. Many hotels in Todos Santos are boutique hotels that are not geared towards mass tourism but rather focus on individual travellers.

For making your hotel reservation in Todos Santos I recommend using booking.com, as the room rate is often cheaper there than on the hotel’s website itself.

Luxury Hotels Todos Santos

Hotel San Cristobal

With the slogan “All good things are found at the end of a dirt road” the boutique hotel San Cristobal emphasises on its remote location off the tourist hotspots. The hotel is located right next to the beach Punta Lobos, which is a quiet area that is not visited by many tourists.

Pachamama

Pachamama is a luxury boutique hotel and a yoga retreat center. They’re mixing luxury with traditional Mexican design. Their beachfront location a few minutes outside of town is the perfect place for a calm and stress-free retreat.

Mid-budget Hotel Todos Santos

Los Colibris Casitas

Los Colibris Casitas is a great accommodation for nature-lovers who want to stay in a calm place and enjoy the scenery. According to them, they offer the services and amenities of a boutique hotel, combined with the privacy and comfort of a vacation home.

It’s only a 10 minute walk to the beach and a 5 minute drive to the center of Todos Santos.

Budget Hotel Todos Santos

Casa Wong

The modest Casa Wong offers modern design and simplicity. Located in the heart of Todos Santos, you have the historic center right at your doorstep.

Best restaurants in Todos Santos

Todos Santos has become a Mecca for food-lovers. Innovative restaurants, trendy cafés and hip bars are growing in number and are exceeding the exceptions of many travellers.

Here’s a restaurant guide to Todos Santos with the town’s top restaurants that are not to be missed during a stay there.

Hierbabuena

Hierbabuena is an absolute must when you’re in Todos Santos. They have great food at a reasonable price and their Margaritas are amazing. The open air seating area is a picturesque setting decorated with plants, making you feel like you’re in nature.

Jazamango

Jazamango is another must-visit restautant in Todos Santos. Similar to Hierbabuena, they also have a lovely decorated open air space with attention to detail. Their meals are amazing and very original.

Loncheria La Garita

La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Loncheria La Garita is a traditional Mexican restaurant where local families go for breakfast and lunch. This restaurant is not geared towards American tourists. Instead, they offer basic Mexican dishes that are all freshly prepared and made with love.

When you’re there make sure to visit the donkey and the other animals in their backyard. Besides, the fields of cacti and the mountainous backdrop make a perfect photo spot.

Loncheria La Garita, Todos Santos

Loncheria La Garita is located 30 minutes outside of Todos Santos in the direction of Playa Balandra. I recommend combining a day trip to Playa Balandra with a visit to the restaurant.

Fish tacos Santo Chilote

A local friend had told me that Santo Chilote had the best fish tacos of Todos Santos so I needed to try them. They have a vast menu that makes it difficult to choose.

We tried tacos with grilled fish, with marlin and with octopus and pineapple. All of them were really tasty and did not disappoint. I absolutely loved their spicy salsa.

Best restaurants in Todos Santos

Baja Tasty

If you have a sweet craving, visit Baja Tasty and treat yourself to an ice cream. I tried tequila ice cream for the first time and I loved it. But their other flavours taste great too!

Best restaurants in Todos Santos, Mexico

Best time to visit Todos Santos

The best time to visit Todos Santos is between December and April. During this period, days are sunny and warm while nights can get a little chilly. The average temperatures during this time are around 21°C degrees. Also, as mentioned above, this is the time in which you can participate in a turtle release.

The period from July to November is extremely hot with average temperatures soaring up to 27°C degrees. During these months you also have the highest probability of rain.

How to get to Todos Santos

Todos Santos doesn’t have an airport so you have to fly into its bigger neighbouring cities. The nearest airports are in La Paz (LAP) and in Los Cabos (SJD).

The best way to get to Todos Santos from La Paz or from Los Cabos is by renting a car. This gives you more flexibility and it’s not necessarily more expensive than taking a bus if you’re more than one person. Also, driving in Baja California Sur is quite safe and easy, as the highways are well-maintained.

Check out rentalcars.com to get the best deal on your rental car.

 

From La Paz to Todos Santos

By car

At the airport of La Paz, as well as in the city center, there are several car rental agencies. We got a car for about 30€ for a day at the rental agency Hertz in the center of La Paz.

From La Paz it’s a 1 hour drive do Todos Santos. Head to Highway 1 towards Los Cabos. After about half an hour there’s a junction with one way going to Todos Santos and the other one to Los Cabos. At this point, continue on Highway 19 to head to Todos Santos.

By bus

ABC busses leave twice a day from the malecón (board walk) in La Paz to Todos Santos. The busses are comfortable and relatively affordable. You can check the schedule and prices on their website.

From Los Cabos to Todos Santos

By car

Same as for getting to Todos Santos from La Paz, here you can also rent a car either at the airport of Los Cabos or in the city center.

Take Highway 19 and head north. It takes about an hour to get to Todos Santos from Los Cabos.

By bus

ABC busses operate the connection to Todos Santos on a daily basis. It takes slightly over an hour to get there by bus.

Getting around

The center of Todos Santos is tiny and easily walkable. However, the beaches and many accommodations are not right in the center and require a car to get there. If you got to Todos Santos by bus, you can either use Uber to get around in town or you rent a car in Todos Santos.

As mentioned above, I highly recommend renting a car to get around Baja California Sur. It’s inexpensive and gives you much more flexibility.

Is Todos Santos safe?

I’m happy to say that Todos Santos is completely safe to visit. It’s a calm and peaceful village and it seems like crime doesn’t exist there. The locals in Todos Santos are very kind, welcoming and friendly so you don’t have to worry about your safety at all.

Guide to Todos Santos, Mexico

The slow life and the local charm of the village inspired me to write this guide to Todos Santos. Todos Santos is truly a gem on the Baja Peninsula in Mexico and I’m glad that I had the chance to explore this coastal town.

If you have any questions about my guide to Todos Santos or anything else related to Mexico, feel free to contact me. I’ve lived in Mexico for 5 months.

I hope you find this guide to Todos Santos helpful. If you’ve ever been to there, I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments!

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