The Living Guide · Todos Santos
Todos Santos, Baja: an oasis between the desert and the Pacific.
Todos Santos, Baja California Sur. On one side the Sierra de la Laguna; on the other the open horizon of the ocean. In between: palm groves, streets with history, galleries, memorable tables and beaches where the sunset becomes part of the routine. This is the town — and how to live in it.
Where it is
Between the Sierra and the Pacific.
- ≈ 15 minPlaya Los Cerritos
- ≈ 1 hCabo San Lucas · 75 km
- ≈ 1 h 15La Paz · 80 km
- ≈ 1 h 30Los Cabos airport · SJD
1733Founded as the mission of Santa Rosa
Dec – MarHumpback whales off the coast, from the beachA curated guide to living well here
For residents, visitors and the people deciding whether to make this home: where to eat, where to stay, what to do — and the neighbourhoods behind each one.
01Where to eatMICHELIN picks, farm tables, tacos and coffee — by neighbourhood.Open the guide — 
02Where to stayThree MICHELIN Key hotels, a resort and casitas — a test drive for each area.Open the guide — 03Beaches & things to doWhales in winter, surf at Cerritos, galleries, markets and turtle releases.Open the guide — A town with deep roots
Mission, sugar cane, orchards — and a character that welcomed new influences without losing its origins.
Some places you visit, and some places start to feel like a different way of living. Todos Santos belongs to the second kind. It is a town with its own identity, built by generations of local families, farmers, fishermen, artists and entrepreneurs. Its mix of Mexican culture, nature and contemporary life explains why so many people arrive for a few days and begin to imagine a life here.
The history begins long before its popularity as a destination. In 1733 the mission of Santa Rosa de Todos Santos was established. Later, water flowing from the Sierra de la Laguna allowed agriculture to prosper — sugar cane in particular. That past is still visible in the architecture of the centre, in the old landscape of orchards and in the pace of the streets. Since 2006 it has been part of Mexico's Pueblos Mágicos program.
The town recorded 7,185 residents in the 2020 Census — the town itself, not the wider area that includes El Pescadero and Cerritos. It is a scale that explains the closeness of daily life: the morning greeting, the café you keep going back to, the market and the streets you still walk without hurry.
Hay lugares que se visitan y lugares que empiezan a sentirse como una forma distinta de vivir. Todos Santos pertenece a los segundos. Es un pueblo con identidad propia, construido por generaciones de familias locales, agricultores, pescadores, artistas y emprendedores. Su mezcla de cultura mexicana, naturaleza y vida contemporánea explica por qué tantas personas llegan por unos días y empiezan a imaginar una vida aquí.
La historia comienza mucho antes de su popularidad como destino. En 1733 se estableció la misión de Santa Rosa de Todos Santos. Más tarde, el agua de la Sierra de la Laguna permitió prosperar a la agricultura y, en particular, a la caña de azúcar. Ese pasado todavía se percibe en la arquitectura del centro, en el antiguo paisaje de huertas y en el ritmo de las calles. Desde 2006 forma parte del programa Pueblos Mágicos de México.
El pueblo registró 7,185 habitantes en el Censo de 2020; la cifra se refiere al pueblo, no a toda la región que incluye El Pescadero y Cerritos. Es una escala que explica la cercanía de la vida diaria: el saludo de la mañana, el café al que se vuelve, el mercado y las calles que todavía se recorren sin prisa.
The Pacific, in all its forms
Punta Lobos, La Pastora, Los Cerritos: three faces of the same ocean, fifteen minutes apart.
In Todos Santos, the ocean sets the rhythm of the day. The sky changes colour over the coast, the dunes and the long beaches. There are mornings for walking on the sand, afternoons for watching the waves and nights when the sound of the Pacific is the last thing you hear before sleep.
The nearby coast brings together very different settings. Punta Lobos keeps its bond with the fishing community; La Pastora shows a more open and powerful face of the ocean; and to the south, Playa Los Cerritos, in the community of El Pescadero, is the meeting point for surfers, families and anyone who wants to spend a whole day by the sea — roughly 15 minutes by car from town.
The wide golden sand and the afternoon light are part of Cerritos' charm. Its waves draw people taking their first surf lesson as well as those who know a board well. As on any Pacific beach, conditions change: before going in, watch the swell, the currents and the local guidance.
En Todos Santos, el mar marca el ritmo del día. El cielo cambia de color sobre la costa, las dunas y las playas extensas. Hay mañanas para caminar sobre la arena, tardes para seguir las olas con la mirada y noches en que el sonido del Pacífico es lo último que se escucha antes de dormir.
La costa cercana reúne escenarios muy distintos. Punta Lobos conserva su vínculo con la pesca; La Pastora ofrece una cara más abierta y poderosa del océano; y hacia el sur, Playa Los Cerritos, en la comunidad de El Pescadero, es el punto de encuentro de surfistas, familias y quienes quieren pasar un día entero frente al mar — a unos 15 minutos en coche del pueblo.
La amplitud de la arena dorada y la luz de la tarde son parte del encanto de Cerritos. Sus olas atraen a quienes toman su primera clase de surf y a quienes ya conocen bien una tabla. Como en cualquier playa del Pacífico, las condiciones cambian: antes de entrar al agua conviene observar el oleaje, las corrientes y las indicaciones locales.
A climate for living outdoors
Most of the year invites breakfast on a terrace, a walk through town or ending the day by the sea. Winter months feel mild; spring and early summer bring many clear days; late summer is hotter and more humid, with the possibility of rain and tropical storms. The Pacific breeze and the oasis make Todos Santos a different experience from the interior of the peninsula.
Living here also means knowing its natural cycles. The desert needs water; the coast demands respect; the rainy season deserves attention. That is why a house is valued for more than its view: orientation, shade, ventilation, access and responsible water management matter as much as its design.
La mayor parte del año invita a desayunar en una terraza, pasear por el pueblo o terminar el día frente al mar. Los meses de invierno se sienten templados; primavera y comienzos de verano traen muchos días despejados; el final del verano es más cálido y húmedo, con posibilidad de lluvias y tormentas tropicales. La brisa del Pacífico y el oasis hacen de Todos Santos una experiencia distinta a la del interior de la península.
Vivir aquí también significa conocer sus ciclos naturales. El desierto necesita agua; la costa exige respeto; la temporada de lluvias merece atención. Por eso una casa se valora por algo más que su vista: orientación, sombra, ventilación, acceso y manejo responsable del agua importan tanto como su diseño.
- Dec – MarWhales off the coast, mild days, festivals; the busiest season.
- Apr – JunClear, dry and quieter. Good surf, long evenings.
- Jul – OctWarm and humid; rain and the chance of tropical storms. Turtle nesting begins.
A day here
Seven stops, coffee to stars. Each one tells you which neighbourhood you are standing in — and how many homes are for sale there.
07:30 09:00 11:30 
13:30 
15:30 
18:30 22:00 Where would you live?
- Historic centre— homes
- Las Tunas · La Cachora— homes
- La Pastora— homes
- Punta Lobos · Las Playitas— homes
- El Pescadero— homes
- Los Cerritos— homes
Brick, galleries, the plaza. Walk everywhere; the beach is a short drive.
- EatDŪM · Oystera · Santa Terra · Mejibó
- StayTodos Santos Boutique Hotel · Guaycura Boutique Hotel
- DoA walk through the centre · Galleries
Fields and quiet lanes between town and sea. Big lots, gardens, the sound of the Pacific.
- EatJazamango · Desierto Azul
- StayLa Poza Boutique Hotel · Los Colibrís Casitas
- DoPlaya La Cachora · Turtle releases
Dirt road, no neighbours, the ocean. Off-grid feeling, minutes from the centre.
- EatThe Green Room
- StayVilla Santa Cruz · Pachamama Mexico
- DoSunset on the beach · Whales Dec–Mar
The fishermen's beach, minutes from the centre. Oceanfront hotels, pangas at noon, whales in winter.
- EatBenno · Hotel San Cristóbal
- StayHotel San Cristóbal
- DoPunta Lobos walk · Whale watching
Farm restaurants, Sunday market, desert gardens. Quieter than town.
- EatCocina de Campo by Agricole · Tenoch · Paradero · Carlito's Place
- StayParadero Todos Santos
- DoPlaya San Pedrito · Sierra de la Laguna
Forgiving waves, surf schools, condos on the hill. The most international corner of the coast.
- EatKimpton Mas Olas · restaurants & bar · La Tuna Cerritos · Barracuda Cantina
- StayKimpton Mas Olas · Hacienda Cerritos
- DoPlaya Los Cerritos · Surf lessons
A food scene to enjoy slowly
- Cocina de Campo by AgricoleEl Pescadero · MICHELIN Bib Gourmand
- Oystera · Santa TerraCentre · Oysters in the old sugar mill
- DŪMTodos Santos · A menu that follows the moon
- Tenoch · ParaderoThe fields · Mexi-Cali, clay oven
- Benno · Hotel San CristóbalPunta Lobos · All day, by the sea
- The Green RoomLa Pastora · Barefoot, on the sand
- BarracudaCentre · Fish tacos, raw bar
A Bib Gourmand in the fields, five tables in the MICHELIN Guide, three-dollar fish tacos and dinner barefoot on the sand. Seafood, regional ingredients, chef-driven kitchens and spaces that could hardly exist anywhere else.
Eat like a resident
Sundays are for the market at Baja Beans; early afternoons for the pangas at Punta Lobos; December to March, reserve.
Sleep here, then buy here
Spend a week in the neighbourhood before you buy in it. One hotel per corner of the coast, each paired with the homes for sale around it.
Where to stay · the full guide —
On the sand at Punta Lobos, a pool among the palms.
Days with no itinerary
Whales from December to March, camels and horses on the sand, galleries in the centre and long, empty beaches.
Why so many people from the U.S. and Canada feel at home here
A Mexican town with a life of its own, an hour from Los Cabos, and room for a calmer relationship with time.
For many North American visitors, Todos Santos brings together a combination that is hard to find: a Mexican town with its own cultural and culinary life, relatively easy access from Los Cabos, and room for a calmer relationship with time. The chance to spend part of the winter in Baja, work remotely, host family or come back every season has driven interest in second homes in town, in El Pescadero and in Cerritos.
The appeal goes beyond the weather. Here a house can be part of a life with sunset walks, surf lessons, conversations in a gallery, fresh ingredients and weekends that need no itinerary. Some look for a home near the historic centre, some prefer the agricultural landscape of the oasis, and some picture themselves facing the ocean or near the waves of Cerritos.
Each area offers a different experience. Buying a property deserves getting to know it at different times of year and reviewing its legal status, access, infrastructure, water and applicable rules with local professionals.
Para muchos visitantes norteamericanos, Todos Santos reúne una combinación difícil de encontrar: un pueblo mexicano con vida cultural y gastronómica propia, acceso relativamente sencillo desde Los Cabos y espacio para una relación más tranquila con el tiempo. La posibilidad de pasar parte del invierno en Baja, trabajar a distancia, recibir a la familia o volver cada temporada ha impulsado el interés por segundas residencias en el pueblo, El Pescadero y Cerritos.
El atractivo va más allá del clima. Aquí una casa puede formar parte de una vida con caminatas al atardecer, clases de surf, conversaciones en una galería, ingredientes frescos y fines de semana sin itinerario. Hay quienes buscan cerca del centro histórico, quienes prefieren el paisaje agrícola del oasis y quienes se imaginan frente al mar o cerca de las olas de Cerritos.
Cada zona ofrece una experiencia distinta. Comprar una propiedad merece conocerla en distintos momentos del año y revisar con profesionales locales la situación jurídica, el acceso, la infraestructura, el agua y las reglas aplicables.
Before you move
The six questions every new resident asks, answered short. The long versions live in the Buyer's Guide and the Journal.
Buyer's guide —Yes, through a bank trust (fideicomiso). You hold every right: use, rent, sell, inherit. Buyer's guide —
Water. Well, municipal, cistern or delivery — it changes what you can build. Water in Todos Santos —
Los Cabos (SJD) 1.5 h; La Paz 1 h. Keep a car; the town is walkable.
At Cerritos, yes. Elsewhere, walk, surf with experience, watch whales. What to do —
Twice: winter, full and with whales; summer, hot and quiet.
You can manage without it; you live better with a little.
Close to Los Cabos, with a rhythm of its own
- From Cabo San Lucas
- ≈ 1 hFederal Highway 19
- From Los Cabos airport (SJD)
- ≈ 1 h 30Depending on route and traffic
- From La Paz
- ≈ 80 kmTo the northeast
That location combines the flight connections and services of Los Cabos with the more intimate scale of Todos Santos: friends for a weekend, the Pacific corridor to explore, or simply more time at home.
Find your place in Todos Santos.
Every property tells a different story, but they all share the same setting: the oasis, the desert, the light and the Pacific.