Todos Santos: The Complete Guide
By Mr. Playas · Updated 2026
Todos Santos is one hour north of Cabo San Lucas on Highway 19. It is a Pueblo Mágico — a Mexican government designation for towns with cultural significance — and it earns it. The town has a surf break, a serious art community, an interesting food scene, and the Hotel California (not the Eagles song, but the building that launched the myth). Most visitors to Los Cabos never make it here. That is a mistake.
Getting There from Los Cabos
Highway 19 north from Cabo San Lucas. One hour, no tolls, straightforward drive through Baja desert with Pacific views. A rental car is by far the best option — Todos Santos is compact and walkable once you arrive, but there is no practical way to get there without a vehicle or a tour.
Day tours from Cabo San Lucas operate and are worth considering if you do not have a rental car. They typically include transport, a guided town walk, lunch, and a beach stop for $60–90 USD per person.
The Historic Center
The downtown core covers about 10 square blocks around the main plaza and the 18th-century Misión Santa Rosa de las Palmas. The streets are colonial, mostly quiet, and walkable in a morning. The art galleries are concentrated here — Todos Santos has a genuine artist colony that dates back decades, well before it became a travel destination.
The Hotel California on Calle Juárez gets its traffic from the Eagles rumor — the band has explicitly denied any connection to the hotel, which predates the song by decades. The current owners have leaned into the connection anyway. The hotel is worth seeing briefly; the restaurant and bar are fine without the mythology.
Beaches
The Pacific beaches outside Todos Santos are dramatic and worth seeing. Most are not safe for swimming — the Pacific swell here is powerful and the currents are unpredictable. Playa Los Cerritos, about 12 km south of town, is the exception: wide, with a break that is manageable for beginner and intermediate surfers and calm enough on most days for casual beach use.
Punta Lobos is a working fishing beach about 2 km south of town. Fishing boats return in the morning and you can buy directly from the fishermen. Not for swimming. Worth the brief stop.
Surfing
The surf breaks around Todos Santos work best October through April when Pacific swells are most consistent. Los Cerritos is the main beginner-friendly break. La Pastora and Punta Márquez are for experienced surfers — exposed reef breaks with consequences. Surf schools and board rentals operate at Los Cerritos ($30–50 USD for a 1.5-hour lesson with equipment).
Restaurants
The food in Todos Santos consistently surprises people who arrived expecting nothing. The town has a cluster of restaurants that are genuinely good — not resort-good, actually good. The produce comes from farms in the Todos Santos valley (one of the few places in southern Baja with real agricultural soil). The seafood comes from the Pacific 2 km away.
Los Adobes de Todos Santos has been the anchor restaurant in town for years — Mexican cuisine, garden setting, reliable. Jazamango uses produce almost entirely from their own farm. Shut Up Frank's is the casual spot that locals actually eat at. Expect mains at $15–30 USD at the upper tier, $5–12 at the taco and casual end.
Art Galleries
The gallery scene here is real — not the tourist-souvenir version of a gallery scene. Charles Stewart Gallery has been operating since the 1980s. Galería de Todos Santos shows local and regional artists across multiple mediums. A walk around the centro on a weekend morning will cover most of the significant spaces. Many are open daily in high season (November–April), with reduced hours or closures in summer.
Day Trip vs Overnight
A day trip from Cabo San Lucas covers the essentials: the historic center, one beach stop at Los Cerritos, lunch at a good restaurant, and a gallery or two. Leave by 9 AM, return by 6 PM. An overnight lets you experience the town in the evening — slower, more local, and genuinely different from the daytime tourist circuit. Several boutique hotels operate in the centro for $100–200 USD/night.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, for independent travelers who want something beyond the Cabo San Lucas marina circuit. The town is compact, the food is genuinely good, and the drive through Baja desert on Highway 19 is scenic enough to be worthwhile on its own.
No. The Eagles have explicitly denied any connection to this hotel, which predates the song. The current owners have leaned into the association for marketing purposes. The hotel is pleasant. The bar is fine. The mythology is manufactured.
Playa Los Cerritos (12 km south) is the only beach in the immediate area suitable for casual swimming. Most other Pacific beaches near Todos Santos have strong currents and are not safe for swimming — they are for surfing, photography, and walking.
One hour north on Highway 19. No tolls. Straightforward drive. A rental car is necessary — there is no practical public transport between Todos Santos and Los Cabos.
November through April — the galleries and restaurants are fully open, the surf is best, and the weather is 68–80°F. Summer is hot (90°F+) and some businesses close or reduce hours.
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