If you’re staying in Cabo San Lucas or anywhere along the Corridor and looking for a day that feels nothing like a resort strip, Todos Santos is the answer. This colonial art town earned its Pueblo Mágico designation for good reason: it has genuine character, a working art scene, historic sugar mill ruins, and one of the more beginner-friendly surf beaches in Baja within easy reach.
It’s about 80 kilometers (roughly 50 miles) north of Cabo San Lucas via Highway 19, which hugs the Pacific side of the peninsula through cactus desert and low sierra foothills. The drive takes 60 to 80 minutes depending on your pace.
Getting There
A rental car gives you the most flexibility and is the way most travelers do this trip. Highway 19 is a well-maintained two-lane road and the drive is genuinely scenic. You’ll pass through small agricultural towns, pass roadside taco stands, and see the Sierra de la Laguna range rising to the east. Fuel up before you leave Cabo since gas stations are sparse on this stretch.
If you don’t have a car, tour operators in Cabo San Lucas and the Corridor run guided day trips to Todos Santos, typically combining it with a beach stop at Cerritos. Prices run roughly $80 to $130 USD per person for a guided group tour; private transfers cost more. Check the tour desks at your hotel or browse operators in the marina district.
The main road into town is Calle Topete, which deposits you near the historic center. Street parking exists but fills up by mid-morning on weekends. Arrive before 10 AM if you want a spot close to the galleries.
The Historic Center and Art Galleries
Todos Santos has been drawing artists since the 1980s, when low land prices and striking light attracted painters, sculptors, and ceramicists from the US and Mexico. The art scene here is real, not manufactured for tourism. Galleries line the streets around the main plaza and down Calle Legaspy and Calle Centenario.
The Galería de Todos Santos on Calle Topete is one of the oldest and most respected, focusing on fine art by regional and Baja California Sur artists. Galería Logan, run by American artists JoAnn and Charles Logan, shows bold color-field paintings and ceramics. Emporio Todos Santos carries silver jewelry and folk art alongside regional crafts. You can spend 30 minutes or two hours just walking the gallery blocks, and most are free to enter.
The historic center itself rewards slow walking. The Misión de Todos Santos (also called Nuestra Señora del Pilar) sits at the edge of town and dates from the early 18th century, though the current structure was rebuilt after floods. The old sugar cane haciendas and their ruins are visible on the outskirts; the town ran on sugar production for most of the 19th century until a drought in the 1950s ended the industry. The colonial buildings on the main streets are remarkably intact by Baja standards.
One genuine insider detail: Thursday afternoon is when many galleries open new shows or host the artist. If you can time your trip midweek, you’ll catch a quieter version of the scene. Weekends bring more visitors from Cabo and La Paz.
The Hotel California and the Legend
Ask anyone in Todos Santos about the Hotel California and you’ll get a raised eyebrow, a grin, or a flat correction. The hotel of the same name on Calle Benito Juárez is a restored 1947 property with a bar, restaurant, and a gift shop stocked with Eagles memorabilia. The owners have long leaned into the association with the famous song, though the Eagles themselves have consistently denied any connection to this specific building.
Worth a stop regardless of your position on the controversy: the courtyard bar is cool and shaded, the margaritas are solid, and the decor is genuinely interesting, mixing Day of the Dead art with 1970s Americana in a way that shouldn’t work but does. Drinks run $10 to $18 USD. The restaurant next door serves Baja-California cuisine for lunch with entrees in the $15 to $28 range.
An insider note: the real story is more interesting than the song myth. The building was originally a hardware store, then became a hotel in the 1950s under a different owner. A Canadian couple bought and restored it in 2001 and named it after their favorite song. The Eagles connection is purely coincidental, which the current owners freely admit in private while still selling the t-shirts.
Cerritos Beach and the Surf
About 12 kilometers south of Todos Santos on Highway 19 sits Cerritos Beach, the most accessible surf spot for beginners in the Todos Santos area. The break is a left-hand point that works best on northwest swells from October through April. The wave quality isn’t going to impress the hardcore crowd, but it’s consistent, the shoulder sections are forgiving, and the beach club rents boards and offers lessons.
Cerritos has a small beach club with chairs, umbrellas, food, and drinks. Food runs in the $10 to $20 range for tacos and sandwiches. Board rentals are roughly $15 to $25 per hour; surf lessons with an instructor run $60 to $90 USD for a 90-minute session.
The beach itself is wide and clean. The southern end has calmer water if you just want to swim, but read the flags: this is Pacific-side Baja and currents can shift. When the surf is pumping, stick to the designated swimming area away from the break.
Cerritos is a natural first or last stop on the day trip route. Head there in the morning, catch the cooler hours, then drive up to Todos Santos proper for galleries and lunch.
Sea Turtle Releases
From October through early December, the beaches around Todos Santos become an active olive ridley sea turtle nesting zone. Several stretches of sand north and south of town see nighttime nesting activity, and local conservation groups run organized turtle releases in the early mornings, usually just after sunrise. These are genuine conservation operations, not staged tourist events.
Ask at your hotel in Cabo or check with tour operators in Todos Santos if you’re visiting during nesting season. Some operators in Cabo San Lucas run overnight or early-morning turtle release excursions during the peak October to November window, combining the drive with a sunrise release and breakfast in town.
Outside nesting season, the conservation groups sometimes still maintain hatcheries near the beach. The practice of releasing hatchlings by hand has become controversial among some biologists (handling can affect the imprinting process), so if you do book a release experience, look for operators that follow best practices rather than just photo opportunities.
Where to Eat
Todos Santos has a food scene that punches well above its size. The options below are actual establishments with established reputations; prices are estimates and can shift seasonally.
Shut Up Frank’s on the main road through town is the go-to for American comfort food with Baja flair. Burgers, burritos, fish tacos, and cold beer in a casual open-air setting. Expect to pay $10 to $18 per person for lunch.
La Copa Cocina is the higher-end option near the gallery district. They specialize in wood-fired preparations with local ingredients, and the wine list features Baja California wines from the Valle de Guadalupe. Lunch entrees run $18 to $35 USD.
Taqueria San Francisco is a no-frills counter on a side street near the plaza and serves breakfast burritos and fish tacos at $3 to $6 per item. Lines form early on weekends. This is the move before you hit the galleries.
For something sweet, look for the paleta carts and small ice cream shops around the main plaza. The tamarind and mango-chile paletas are the correct choice.
An insider tip: the taco stands that appear along Highway 19 as you approach Todos Santos from the south are legitimate. Baja fish tacos from a roadside stand with a good fryer are often better than anything you’ll find at a sit-down restaurant on the same street.
How Long to Spend
A full day is comfortable and gives you time to do the galleries, lunch, and Cerritos without rushing. Leave Cabo San Lucas between 8:00 and 8:30 AM, stop at Cerritos on the way in, hit the galleries and lunch in town, and be back on Highway 19 by 4:00 PM to avoid arriving back at your resort after dark on an unfamiliar road.
A half-day works if you skip Cerritos and focus only on the historic center and lunch. Some visitors fold Todos Santos into a longer Pacific coast drive if they’re heading toward La Paz.
Combining with Other Day Trips
If you’re planning multiple excursions, Todos Santos pairs naturally with la paz day trip from cabo if you’re doing a multi-day road trip up the Pacific side of the peninsula. The two don’t combine well in a single day, since La Paz is another hour and a half north of Todos Santos.
For a shorter combo, some travelers split Todos Santos with a morning at a Corridor snorkeling beach (Chileno or Santa Maria) before making the drive north. That gets complicated logistically but is doable if you’re an early riser.
The best time to visit for Todos Santos is the same as the broader Los Cabos region: November through April for reliable weather and lower humidity. October adds the turtle nesting bonus. Midsummer (July through September) means heat, humidity, and the possibility of tropical storm activity.
What to Know Before You Go
A few practical notes for the drive and the day:
Cash matters here. Todos Santos has ATMs but they run out on busy weekends. Bring enough pesos or dollars from Cabo to cover lunch, galleries, and Cerritos without relying on finding a working machine. Most sit-down restaurants take cards; street food and smaller shops are cash only.
The sun at elevation hits differently. The drive takes you into slightly higher and drier terrain. Sunscreen, a hat, and water are not optional.
Cell service gets spotty. Download the Google Maps route offline before you leave your hotel. The route is straightforward but if you miss the Todos Santos turnoff on Highway 19 you’ll add time.
Tipping: See our cabo resort fees and tipping guide for general guidance. In Todos Santos, 15 percent is standard at sit-down restaurants; rounding up for street food is appreciated.
The Los Cabos Travel Guide has the full picture if you’re still planning the broader trip. Todos Santos is one of the best reasons to rent a car for at least one day of your stay.