Todos Santos Travel Guide

My Todos Santos Travel Guide is officially here! This town is such a gem! If you ever get a chance, I highly recommend visiting. It’s a 90 minute drive from Los Cabos International Airport, but a world away from the resorts and tourist corridor. I first heard of Todos with the opening of the Hotel San Cristobal, a property just a few miles south of this sleepy surf town, circa 2017. I immediate put it on my bucket list and filed it away. Though I’ve been lucky enough to visit Mexico probably a dozen times, I had never been to Baja California, so when I found myself in Los Cabos for a family trip in 2023, I knew I needed to pay a visit to Todos Santos.

Getting there and getting around

The closest airport is Los Cabos International. From there, you can rent a car and it’s an easy and beautiful ~90 minute drive to Todos. Be sure to have cash on hand for the toll you’ll pass along the way. The official currency is pesos, but I found U.S. dollars to be widely accepted, including at this toll. The roads were extremely well maintained and I felt safe driving solo during daylight hours.

Having a car once in Todos was advantageous too. Lots of the places I stayed (including Hotel San Cristóbal), as well as lots of beaches, activities and even restaurants are outside the little town center and having your own transportation makes getting anywhere a breeze. Parking was ample and free all around Todos. I also did a day trip to La Paz and was so happy to explore on my own and go at my own pace.

Where to stay

Hotel San Cristóbal

I planned this entire trip around the Hotel San Cristóbal and I have to say, it lived up to the hype! I absolutely adored this property. If you don’t mind staying a bit outside of town, the location steps from the sea, cannot be beat. The design and every detail is a dream, and with 32 rooms, it felt small and intimate. The staff to guest ratio felt about 1:1 and the service was spectacular. When lounging at the pool, I was definitely never left waiting for a drink. The on site restaurants, drinks, everything was five star. I stayed in a poolside room for two nights, which was lovely, but then upgraded to an oceanfront room for the last two nights. Even though there’s not a lot to “do,” four nights at this property flew by and I loved going for walks along the beach every morning, and lounging by the pool all day. I’d stay here again in a heartbeat!

DESIERTO AZUL BAJA

Ahhh, this was the perfect desert retreat. Desierto Azul is a small property with just a handful of rooms. Located on the outskirts of Todos, in the desert, surrounded by saguaros, the property is quiet and relaxing, and features a small salt water pool, perfect for lounging in the sun. I didn’t take full advantage of all of the experiences they offer at Desierto Azul, but they are known for their plant-based food and offer cooking classes. My room was its own free-standing casita with plenty of outdoor space and I loved the minimally chic room. The bathroom was spa like with a rainfall shower head. The proprietor was so friendly and prepared the most amazing breakfasts, and drinks too!

CASA MELINA

I was one of the first guests to stay at this gem located in the center of Todos. If you want to be amidst it all, this is the perfect spot. Casa Melina is a gorgeous property with just a few rooms, a central pool, and a watchtower. It’s an architectural dream – so much so that it was featured on the cover of Dwell magazine! The rooms are spacious and comfortable and the bathroom was larger than most hotel rooms. I didn’t take advantage of the soaking tub, but I wanted to! Like all the properties I stayed at in Todos, I would stay here again in a heartbeat.

La Bohemia Baja

The last place I stayed (yes, I literally stayed at four places on an 8 night trip!) was La Bohemia Baja. I first learned about this property through the Goop Todos Santos Travel Guide, and I knew I had to stay there! I booked the Hayes suite which is like an apartment with a full kitchen and seating area, a separate king bedroom with a seating area and a spacious bathroom. This suite also boats the best view on the property, as it has a balcony and sits up high above the central courtyard and shared pool. I didn’t get a chance to enjoy the pool or bar, as I was too busy exploring Todos, but I loved the suite!

Additional places to stay in Todos Santos

I didn’t have time to stay everywhere, but these places were on my short list and I’ll check them out next time:
Paradero (this spot looks incredible, absolute must next time!)
Villa Santa Cruz
Hotel Casa Toto
Rancho Corazon
Mas Olas
El Perdido (in the neighboring town of El Pescadero)
Cerritos Surf Town (in the neighboring town of El Pescadero)

Where to eat

The Green Room – it’s hard to say, “if you only go to one place, go here,” but this would probably be that number one spot. The Green Room is just spectacular. It’s beach front, right on the sea, so time your dinner to sunset to enjoy the views. The food and cocktails were just as amazing as the view. I wish I could’ve eaten here again and again to try everything on the menu. Get the rosarito beach rolls – trust me.

Benno – Benno is the onsite restaurant at the Hotel San Cristóbal, and it was a top contender as my number one spot. I’ve already talked about the atmosphere at San Cristóbal, and Benno fits the vibe too – amazing for lunch or dinner. Seriously, my only regret is not being able to eat every meal here. There really is never enough time when traveling!

Jazamango – Another top notch pick that passes the vibe check. Jazamango is a serene outdoor setting, with amazing service and even better food.

Dum – Gorgeous grounds, pool, and a serene restaurant to match!

Moon – vegan and veggie breakfast and lunch spot with hearty and healthy options, smoothies, and more

Baracuda Cantina – south of Todos on Los Cerritos Beach (one of the few beaches in the area safe for swimming) sits this little gem, right in the sand! They were featured on Netflix’s Taco Chronicles, so this was high on my list. I sat at the bar and the tacos and cocktails were so yummy, and the atmosphere was equally as great with lots of surfers, travelers, live music, and just a ton of energy.

I didn’t get any pics at the following spots because I was too busy devouring their delicious food, but some other favs included Hierbabuena, Tre Galine, and Agricole.

Where to drink

For drinks, I recommend Oystera, Teatro No 6, Sky Lounge, Alchemia, any of the bars at San Cristóbal, and of course, you have to try Mezcal. I did a tasting (and ate) at El Refugio Mezcaleria and I loved it!

What to do

Day trip to Playa Balandra. Balandra is a protected nature reserve, therefore the number of cars/people that can enter is restricted. There are two time slots each day, 8-noon, and 1-4PM, and each time slot is limited to 450 people. Once the limit is hit, no one else is allowed to enter, even if other people leave. Because of this, people line up in their cars up to an hour before entry opens at 8:00 AM and 1:00 PM. I recommend being patient and expecting to queue in a line in your car for a bit. I got in with no problem, but I got there around 12:15 PM to queue for the 1:00 entry. Once you get in, you can lounge at the beach, or a rent a paddle board and cruise all over the calm bay. There’s also a great hike (no reservations required) right before Balandra and the views are insane. There is NO SHADE in this area and no services such as gas stations or markets, so carry water and snacks as needed. I did the hike before entering, as I arrived too early and had time to kill before I needed to queue up. The entry process for Balandra can be a bit confusing, so check out this blog post which does a great job of explaining it!
Hike Punta Lobos:

Wander around Todos Santos on foot:

Shop at the darling boutiques. I loved Nomad Chic, Etnica, La Sonrisa de la Muerte, Zocalo, La Tienda at Hotel San Cristobal, Hilo Rojo, Saguaro, Ululu, Desert Fox Baja, Tarot de Baja, Kere, Mexican Gourmet (mezcal, spices, spirits, wine, check for mezcal tastings). And be sure to stop by The Blanket Factory on your way in or out of Todos – it’s quite a bit south, before Los Cerritos and El Pescadero. This shop is a MUST! Todos is admittedly quite expensive for Mexico, in line with Cabo prices, but The Blanket Factory had the most reasonable prices I saw for textiles and blankets, and by far the largest selection.

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