Cabo area guide

Todos Santos

Todos Santos is a pueblo mágico an hour north of Cabo San Lucas on the Pacific side, where the desert meets consistent surf and a real arts-and-food scene that existed before tourism. It's a working town—galleries, organic cafes, taco stands, a small central plaza—wrapped in a low-key boutique hotel scene that runs from hillside casitas to palm-grove inns steps from the plaza. This is not a beach resort base; it's a town where you stay to surf Cerritos, walk to dinner, and escape the all-inclusive strip entirely.

Updated September 2026

Base here if

Surfers who want daily Pacific waves and a walkable town for tacos and coffee between sessions
Couples looking for boutique calm, art galleries, and farm-to-table restaurants without the resort machinery
Travelers who want a real Mexican town feel with gringo infrastructure—good wine bars, yoga, and English menus when you need them
People splitting a week between the Corridor's beaches and a quieter, creative base with actual streets to explore

Look elsewhere if

Families with young kids—limited swimmable beaches nearby, and the town vibe skews adult and mellow
Anyone who wants easy beach access from their room; you'll drive to Cerritos or Las Playitas for the sand
Travelers who need nightlife or resort amenities; Todos Santos shuts down early and doesn't do clubs or poolside service
People without a car—town is walkable, but getting to surf breaks, beaches, or back to the Corridor requires wheels

The vibe

At 9am, Todos Santos feels like an art town waking up: Baja Beans Cafe has a line, surfers are loading boards, and gallery doors are still closed. By 9pm, it's candlelit restaurant patios—La Casita, Jazamango, Rumi Garden—and the occasional live music set, but no party scene. The energy is creative, unhurried, and older-skewing; this is where people come to decompress, not rage.

On foot vs. with wheels

The town itself is compact and walkable—plaza to cafes to galleries in ten minutes—and several hotels like The Hotelito sit right in that grid. But the best surf (Cerritos, Las Playitas) and the beaches worth visiting are a 10–15 minute drive, and getting back to Cabo San Lucas or the Corridor for excursions is an hour each way. You'll want a car or budget for taxis. Parking in town is easy; street spots and small lots work fine.

Where to stay

The best stays in Todos Santos.

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Villa Santa Cruz

Villa Santa Cruz sits on the Pacific side near Todos Santos, a few minutes from town but removed enough that the only sound you'll hear is surf. Perfect rating across 474 reviews isn't common — when it happens, it usually means the place is small, deliberately managed, and doesn't try to be everything to everyone. The subratings back that up: 4.9 for service, 4.9 for sleep quality, 4.9 for rooms. Value comes in at 4.8, which suggests people feel they're getting what they pay for even at boutique pricing. The property leans into the quiet. Todos Santos pulls a different crowd than Cabo San Lucas — more gallery walks than nightclub crawls — and Villa Santa Cruz reflects that. If you're looking for animation or resort programming, this isn't it. If you want a base for exploring the art town and Pacific beaches without sacrificing comfort, the ratings suggest it delivers.

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The Hotelito

The Hotelito sits just off the plaza in Todos Santos, close enough to walk to the galleries and cafes but set back behind a palm grove. It's small — the kind of place where staff remember your name by breakfast on day two. The 4.9 rating across rooms, service, and cleanliness holds up, and the 4.8 for value is notable for a boutique property in a town where mid-tier lodging can feel overpriced. Rooms and sleep quality both score 4.9, which suggests they've figured out the mattress-and-linens part that so many places miss. The location rating sits at 4.6 — not because it's far from anything, but because Todos Santos itself is a 45-minute drive from the airport and an hour from Cabo proper. If you're coming here, you're coming for the town, not for proximity to the marina.

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La Poza Boutique Hotel & Spa

La Poza sits in Todos Santos on the Pacific side, which means no sargassum — the coast here stays clear. The 4.8 rating holds across 468 reviews, and the subratings tell the story: sleep quality and cleanliness both hit 4.9, rooms and service match the overall score, and value comes in at 4.7. That consistency doesn't happen by accident at a boutique property. The name references the lagoon that forms seasonally between the hotel and the beach. Todos Santos itself is an hour north of Cabo San Lucas — art galleries, organic cafes, surf breaks — so this is the choice if you want distance from the resort corridor. The Pacific side means bigger waves and cooler water than the Sea of Cortez, which suits some people perfectly and others not at all. If you're hunting for a small property with tight operations and you'd rather skip the all-inclusive scene, the ratings suggest La Poza delivers. Just know it's Todos Santos, not Cabo proper.

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Beach Club & Spa with zero carbon footprint pool

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Guaycura Boutique Hotel Beach Club & Spa

Guaycura sits in the center of Todos Santos, the old mission town on the Pacific side, about an hour north of Cabo San Lucas. It's not beach-front — Todos Santos is inland from the surf breaks — but it operates a beach club setup for guests who want ocean access without sleeping in the sand. The 4.9 cleanliness score and 4.8 for rooms track with what people notice first: the property is tight, well-kept, and the staff ratio shows. Sleep quality comes in at 4.7, which is solid for a boutique in a small town where street noise can be a factor. The spa component gives it more range than most places this size. Todos Santos pulls a different crowd than the resort strip — surfers, artists, weekenders escaping the marina scene. Guaycura works if you want a base in town with polished rooms and the option to drive down to the beach when the swell's right. The Pacific side has no sargassum issues, so the water stays clear year-round.

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Los Colibris Casitas

Los Colibris Casitas is a small collection of independent casitas in Todos Santos, a couple blocks from the Pacific on the La Poza side of town. The 4.9 rating across nearly 300 reviews tells you what's working: the value score and service score both sit at or near the top, and guests report sleeping well — which at a quiet property like this isn't a surprise. The casitas are private, not clustered resort-style, so you get space and a kitchen if you want it. Todos Santos pulls a quieter crowd than the main tourist corridor, and this setup leans into that. The Pacific here doesn't deal with sargassum, so the coast stays clear. Rooms score slightly lower than the other categories, but still a 4.7 — likely just a reflection of the casita style versus polished resort finishes. If you're after full-service resort amenities, this isn't the play. If you want a base in Todos Santos with strong host attention and good value, it consistently delivers.

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Hotel California

Hotel California sits in the center of Todos Santos, a Pacific-side artist town about an hour north of Cabo San Lucas. It's not on the beach — the Pacific here is rough and the hotel is planted in the colonial grid, a couple blocks from galleries and the main square. The 4.1 rating holds across 846 reviews, with service and cleanliness both landing at 4.3. Rooms and sleep quality match at 4.2, which is solid for a boutique property that leans more toward character than luxury scale. The town itself draws weekenders and day-trippers who want something quieter than the tourist corridor. The Pacific coast here doesn't deal with sargassum, so the view stays clean when wind picks up. You're here for the vibe of Todos Santos more than for resort amenities — the hotel fits the place, and the place is the point.

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The sand

Beaches on your doorstep.

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Playa Los Cerritos

Playa Los Cerritos sits on the Pacific side just north of Todos Santos, and it's one of the few beaches on this coast where you can actually swim without getting pummeled. The gentle waves make it a beginner surf spot — you'll see plenty of people standing up for the first time — and there's a consistent beach-break year-round. The sand is wide, the water stays clean, and you won't deal with sargassum here; it doesn't drift this far north on the Pacific. The 4.3 rating across 671 reviews reflects what you get: a functional beach with decent access, a couple of casual restaurants behind the dunes, and enough surf rental operations that you don't need to bring your own board. Weekends draw families from Todos Santos and La Paz, but it rarely feels crowded. If you're staying in Todos Santos and want water you can get in without drama, this is the answer.

Great swim

Family

Quiet

Where to eat

Eating well in Todos Santos.

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Tequila’s Sunrise Bar & Grill

Tequila's Sunrise sits on Calle Benito Juarez in the center of Todos Santos, serving Mexican and American plates in a casual setup that works for families. The food rating edges above the overall score, and service runs consistently high across nearly a thousand reviews, which suggests the kitchen and staff have the rhythm down. The menu covers both sides of the border without trying to be fancy about it—tacos, burgers, grilled fish, the usual suspects done well enough that people come back. Mid-range pricing and a 4.3 value rating mean you're getting what you pay for without surprises on the check. The vibe is straightforward: walk in, order, eat, leave happy. It's the kind of place that handles kids without making a thing of it, and since Todos Santos doesn't have wall-to-wall dining options, having a reliable spot that doesn't require a reservation or a dress code matters. If you're in town and hungry, it works.

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La Casita Tapas & Wine Bar

La Casita Tapas & Wine Bar is a casual spot in the central zone of Todos Santos, and it's been quietly collecting fans for years — 616 reviews at 4.5 stars tells you it's consistent. The food and service both score 4.7, which is unusually high for a mid-range place, and the tapas format means you can graze through a half-dozen plates without committing to one entrée. The menu skews international, so you're not locked into one style, and the wine list gets mentioned enough in reviews to suggest they care about pairings. It's kid-friendly, which is rare in the tapas category, so families can actually use it without feeling like they're crashing a date night. No reservations required — walk-ins work fine most nights. Value scores well, which tracks for the price tier, and the atmosphere rating suggests it's comfortable without trying too hard. If you're in Todos Santos and want something more flexible than a full sit-down meal, this handles the job.

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Paella Sundays with live music / Domingos de Paella con música en vivo

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El Mirador Restaurant

El Mirador sits above Todos Santos on a hillside road, and the 4.9 atmosphere rating tells you what you need to know about the view — you're looking straight out over the Pacific. The food runs upscale Mexican and Mediterranean with a seafood focus, and the kitchen backs it up with a 4.6 score that edges out the already-solid service mark. Fine dining in Todos Santos means you're not in the resort corridor, so the crowd skews older, quieter, more interested in the plating than the playlist. The value rating at 4.3 is honest for what you're paying — this isn't a taco stand, but it's not trying to be. Reservations aren't required, though sunset tables disappear fast on weekends. If you're staying in Todos Santos and want one meal with a tablecloth and a wine list, this is the move.

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Los Adobes de Todos Santos

Los Adobes sits on Calle Hidalgo in the center of Todos Santos, a block from the main plaza. It's one of the town's reliable Mexican places, the kind of spot where families show up midweek and nobody's dressed up. The courtyard is the reason for the 4.8 atmosphere score—outdoor tables under palms and bougainvillea, string lights at night, enough breeze that you don't think about the heat. The menu runs through standards done right: fresh fish tacos, grilled shrimp, mole that doesn't come from a jar. The 4.6 service rating tracks—staff moves efficiently and knows the menu. Mid-range pricing means you can feed a table without calculating tips on your phone beforehand, and the 4.3 value score suggests portions back that up. It's open to kids, which matters in Todos Santos where casual family options thin out quickly. No reservation needed, but peak dinner hours in high season can mean a short wait. Cash and cards both work.

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Baja Beans Cafe

Baja Beans Cafe sits on Highway 19 just outside El Pescadero, a few minutes south of Todos Santos. It's a casual breakfast-and-lunch spot pulling 385 reviews at 4.5 stars, with the atmosphere rating (4.7) running higher than the food or service — which tells you something about the outdoor seating and the palapa vibe. The menu bounces between American cafe standards and Mexican plates, with gluten-free options marked. Families show up, surfers show up, people working laptops show up. The value score sits at 4.1, so you're paying a bit more than you would at a local taco stand, but mid-range pricing in this area still means reasonable. No reservations, which is typical for the format — you order at the counter, grab a table, and wait for your number. It's a reliable stop if you're driving the coastal loop and need more than gas-station coffee.

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Rumi Garden

Rumi Garden is a courtyard spot in downtown Todos Santos serving international dishes in a laid-back setting that pulls high marks across the board. The 4.8 scores for atmosphere and service aren't surprising once you sit down—tables are scattered under trees and strung lights, and the staff moves quickly without hovering. Food and value both land at 4.6 and above, which is solid for a mid-range kitchen turning out a rotating menu that isn't locked to one cuisine. It's casual enough for kids and doesn't require a reservation, so it works as a fallback when the sit-down places closer to the plaza are full. Todos Santos runs quieter than the cape corridor, and Rumi fits that rhythm—good cooking, no pretense, consistent enough that locals and visitors both show up. If you're staying in town for more than a night, you'll probably end up here.

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Things to do

Worth your time nearby.

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Todos Santos Eco Adventures

Todos Santos Eco Adventures runs a full-day outing on the Pacific side, pulling a 5/5 rating from nearly 400 reviews — unusually high consensus for a multi-hour activity. The seven-hour format keeps group sizes manageable and builds in time on the water, not just standing around gear. Intensity sits at a 3 out of 5, so expect some physical engagement but nothing that requires prior experience or extreme fitness. The route typically includes coastal exploration and chances to see marine life that migrate through the corridor between the peninsula and the open Pacific. Pricing sits at $150, which tracks with the duration and the specialized access. Book direct through their site; they handle their own calendar and don't farm reservations out to aggregators, which usually means faster responses and fewer surprise upcharges. If you're staying in Cabo proper, factor in the drive — Todos Santos is an hour north, and most pickups add time.

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Omega Tours Todos Santos

Omega Tours runs mountain-biking and adventure excursions out of Todos Santos, a small art town on the Pacific side about an hour north of Cabo San Lucas. The 4.9 rating across 311 reviews puts it near the top of activity operators in the area, and the intensity level is high—this is not a sunset photo tour. Trips run around four hours and typically involve rugged terrain, either on two wheels or scrambling through desert canyons depending on the route. The $120 price point is mid-range for guided outdoor adventures in Baja, and you're paying for local knowledge of trails that don't show up on apps. Book directly through them. Todos Santos itself sits between the Sierra de la Laguna foothills and empty Pacific beaches, so the backdrop is stark and wide open. If you're comfortable on a bike or hiking in heat, this is a straightforward way to see the backside of the peninsula without a tour bus.

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Explora Baja

Explora Baja runs small-group kayaking and snorkeling trips out of Todos Santos, on the Pacific side where Baja drops into open ocean. The four-hour outings put you in sea caves and kelp forests that bigger outfits can't reach, often with sightings of sea turtles, rays, and seasonal gray whales. It's a 5-star average across 222 reviews, which is unusual for something physically demanding — most water tours on this coast trend lower because conditions can be rough. The guides are bilingual locals who grew up fishing these breaks, so the pacing adjusts to swell and skill level without drama. Expect moderate paddling and some scrambling on rocks; the snorkel portion depends on clarity that day. They cap groups at eight and include wetsuits and reef-safe sunscreen in the $100 rate. Book direct through their site — they don't run through the big platforms, and slots fill early in winter when the water's calmest.

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Tortugueros Las Playitas

Tortugueros Las Playitas runs a sea turtle conservation program on a quiet beach south of Todos Santos. It's volunteer-run and donation-based, which keeps the price at zero but also means the experience depends on the season and what's happening that day. During nesting season (roughly July through December), you might help release hatchlings at sunset or patrol for nests. Outside that window, the focus shifts to education and beach cleanup — still worthwhile if you're traveling with kids or want to learn the basics of local conservation, but not the full turtle encounter some visitors expect. The 4.7 rating across nearly 250 reviews suggests most people leave happy, especially when hatchlings are involved. Just confirm what's actually running before you drive out. The location is remote enough that it feels like you're doing something real rather than performative, and the staff will explain the work without overselling it. Bring cash for a donation if you go.

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A day based here

How a Todos Santos day actually goes.

Morning

Start at Baja Beans Cafe for organic coffee and a breakfast burrito, then drive to Cerritos or Las Playitas for a surf lesson with Todos Santos Eco Adventures or just to post up on the sand. If you skip the beach, walk the town galleries and the Hotel California courtyard (yes, that one), then stop at Tequila's Sunrise for a late breakfast overlooking the Pacific.

Afternoon

Hit Omega Tours or Explora Baja for a horseback ride through the desert or a guided tour to local farms and Tortugueros Las Playitas for turtle conservation. If you're staying mellow, grab lunch at Tacos Y Mariscos El Sinaloense (the 4.7-rated taco spot locals actually use), then read by the pool at Villa Santa Cruz or Villas La Mar.

Evening

Shower off the salt and walk to La Casita Tapas & Wine Bar for small plates and Baja wines, or book a table at Rumi Garden for farm-to-table Mediterranean. End the night with mezcal at La Catrina Cantina or an early nightcap back at your hotel—Todos Santos doesn't do late nights, and that's the point.

Good to know

Book your hotel early if visiting November–April; the boutique properties here are small (most under 10 rooms) and fill up weeks ahead during high season.
Cerritos is the beginner-friendly surf break; Las Playitas is more advanced and less crowded. Rent boards in town or through your hotel—most places have connections.
Restaurants don't take reservations everywhere, but La Casita, Jazamango, and Rumi Garden do during peak season. Walk-ins work midweek.
Bring cash—several taco stands and smaller spots don't take cards, and ATMs in town can run out on weekends.
The drive from Cabo San Lucas is one hour on Highway 19; it's paved and safe, but there are stretches with no services. Fill up gas in Cabo or Todos Santos, not in between.
If you're day-tripping from the Corridor, leave by 8am to beat traffic and get the morning light on the desert. Most tours and surf lessons start by 9 or 10am.

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