Todos Santos is a small Pueblo Mágico on the Pacific side of Baja California Sur, with a walkable historic center of galleries, courtyards and cafes and, a short drive away, some of the peninsula's best-known surf beaches. El Pescadero, a little further south, is the farm-and-beach community around Los Cerritos. The trip works best when you split your time between town and coast: mornings in the center, afternoons and sunsets at the shoreline.
Check current travel advisories
Conditions in any destination can change, so check the travel advisories your own government publishes for Mexico and Baja California Sur before you book and again before you fly, and follow local guidance once you are there.
What to book ahead
Very little here needs a reservation, which is part of the charm. The main bookable experiences in this guide are the private art walk, which runs about four hours from the theater in the center and is worth reserving a few days ahead, and the guided beach horseback ride, where you should confirm the ride length with the operator when you book. Rooms are the real constraint: the small hotels fill up in the winter high season and on holiday weekends, so reserve those first.
What to do on your own
Start in the center. The plaza, the mission church on its esplanade and the Siglo XXI Cultural Center sit within a few blocks, and the town's galleries are scattered around them. Hotel California, open since 1950, is worth a look at the courtyard and a drink even if you stay elsewhere, and the real story of the building is better than the Eagles legend. For the coast, Punta Lobos is the fishing beach closest to town and the start of the trail to the old sugar port, while Playa Los Cerritos is the surf beach for lessons, sunsets and beach bars. Swimming on this side of Baja needs care because the Pacific has strong currents, so ask locals before you get in.
Turtle releases are seasonal
A volunteer group has protected the nesting beaches since 2003 and holds hatchling releases at sunset, generally from about September to January. Contact the group to confirm a date, bring water and sunscreen, and never handle a hatchling yourself, because only authorized staff may do so. If you visit outside the season, enjoy the beaches instead.
How to get around
Most visitors arrive by rental car or private transfer from the Los Cabos or La Paz airports, a drive of roughly an hour or more depending on route and traffic. Once you are in town you can walk the center. For Punta Lobos, Cerritos and El Pescadero you will want a car, a taxi or a transfer arranged by your hotel. Carry pesos for small purchases, tips and beach vendors, because not every stall takes cards, and expect some galleries and shops to keep short hours on quiet weekdays.
How many days
Two nights is the minimum that feels worthwhile, because it gives you one full day in town and one on the coast. Three or four nights lets you add the art walk, a horseback ride, a turtle release in season and an unhurried day at the beach. A day trip from Cabo or La Paz is possible but means you see the center in the middle of the day and miss the quiet mornings and the golden evenings.
When to go
The cooler months are the most comfortable and the busiest, with the arts festival in February and the film festival in March, and the turtle season running in the autumn and winter. Summer is hot, so plan outings for early morning and late afternoon. Ask your hotel about the current conditions on the beaches, because the surf and the weather change with the season.
A simple plan
Day one: a morning walk through the center, the church and the cultural center, lunch, a gallery visit and a courtyard drink at Hotel California. Day two: a morning at Punta Lobos, lunch near Cerritos and sunset on the beach, with a turtle release if the season fits. If you have a third day, book the art walk or the horseback ride and keep the afternoon for rest. For the city of La Paz, see the separate La Paz guide on this site.
