Todos Santos Travel Guide: Baja's Best Kept Secret

Hey Babes,

Remi here, back with another travel guide - to Todos Santos. This time we’re exploring Todos Santos Mexico- Baja's Best Kept Secret. Despite all my west coast Mexico travel, I hadn’t heard of Todos Santos until December when I was invited for a birthday trip. I quickly realized that I was going to fall in love with the laid back culture of Todos. As soon as I booked my flight, I noticed that every travel blogger & my most trusted travel friends had been (and loved it)!
So how had I not? Probably because it’s Baja’s best-kept secret. It’s becoming more of a destination- so go while it’s still under the radar!

To get there, fly into Cabos San Lucas (a 2-hour flight from LA) and drive 75 minutes north; you escape the tourists & college party vibe and find yourself in a secluded surf oasis. I went the week before Christmas break, and the temperature was incredible: mid-80s during the day and low 70s at night. We stayed for 6 nights, I loved every second of it & wouldn't have wanted to stay for any longer or shorter of a trip. I definitely got a tan. Todos Santos is super calm, it’s a perfect destination if you want to eat amazing food, explore a quaint town & hang out on the beach. The surf is great too, if you’re into that :)

WHERE TO STAY

I stayed for my entire trip at Hotel Casa Tota which was a dream. It’s not on the water, but it’s in town which is great if you want to catch cocktails and walk to dinner after your days at the beach. I can’t recommend this place enough- it was the same price as most Airbnbs (more affordable than other hotels), super cute & modern, had an amazing pool, a mean margarita, and incredibly friendly staff. Their wifi is chill, which is something I always look for since I need to be in touch with the Freck Fam at all times. When I go back to Todos in the future I’ll definitely be staying here- you get the same level of service (and design) as The Ace, but for a third of the price.

Image Credits: Travis Waddell | Hotel Casa Tota

If you search for travel guides on Todos Santos, the first hotel you’re going to come across is Hotel San Cristóbal, and for good reason. We didn’t stay here because there’s a serious price tag that comes along with this place but the hotel staff was nice enough to let us visit the pool, which has stunning green tile adorning every surface and has a hot tub inside the pool. You read that right. They have a cute boutique with curated gifts from Todos Santos & beyond, and a killer pina colada. Plan for a long chill afternoon of lounging and photo-taking, the grounds are breathtaking & you’ll have your camera out every 10 minutes. 

Image Credits: Aleksandra Zee | Hotel San Cristóbal

I didn’t get the chance to check out Pachamama, a Todos Santos yoga retreat with some really cool looking “adobo teepees” that you can stay in. I already checked for you, they are air-conditioned and have wifi :) They also have a full-service holistic spa, and (trust me) you’re gonna be on that R&R/ self-care tip while you’re visiting Todos.

Image Credit: Anna Jacobs

WHERE TO EAT

Always my favorite part of these travel guides, can you tell? These are all my favorite recommendations, sorted for most favorite and (in my opinion) most un-missable..

Hierbabuena is RIGHT up my alley. Here’s the thing- I always have a hard time finding bomb vegetables while I’m traveling. I’m not vegetarian but my favorite meals are, and people love blogging about pastries & pastas & steaks. That’s great and all, but you can’t go without vegetables so whenever I can find a plant forward restaurant I’m psyched. Hierbabuena is a cute little farm down a dirt road with a rad cocktail program. We ordered a gorgeous hummus plate, salad & pizza-- it was my favorite meal in Todos Santos. Don’t be fooled by the website, this place is cute af.
**Side note, my fav vegan/ vegetarian travel blogs are Vegan Miam & Worldwide Vegetarian, they’re thorough and know what’s up

Image Credits: Hierbabuena | Travis Waddell

We went to Todos Santos Inn for lunch on our last day in town and it was ~without doubt~ the best fish taco I had during this trip to Mexico. I’ve heard they have a stellar dinner, too. If you’re going for lunch, order at the bar and head to the downstairs patio/ garden area for overgrown jungle splendor. My boo & I were the only guests on the patio and didn’t mind one bit- this place is magical.

Image Credit: Remi B

You wouldn’t think to check out Italian food while you’re in Todos Santos, and trust, this is coming from someone who doesn’t even like pasta to start out with (I know, I’m insane). That being said, Cafe Santa Fe was delish. I went there starving and ordered a pasta and a pizza and crudo and (I presume) some other things because I was stuffed to the brim when we left. It’s one of the town’s go-to spots that you’ll read about on other blogs, I would absolutely recommend it. We had a bottle of Tempranillo from Valle de Guadalupe that was divine (check out my post on Mexican Wine Country if you fancy, that’s some good shit right there). I definitely would recommend.

Image Credits: Adam Goldberg | Ashley Proctor

For your coffee fix, you’re going to want to visit Taller 17 in town. I know some people who have read previous blog posts are gonna be like “umm Remi you don’t drink coffee” and LISTEN I know. But when the Cactus Collection rolled out I broke my 3 year caffeine-free streak and guess what, it feels good. Probably gonna stop drinking coffee again soon cause anxiety is no joke, but for now I’m enjoying it. I'm also not hating the fact that I can work until 10pm on blog posts (like I am right now). Taller 17 is a little coffee stand in town and their cupa Joe is no joe-k. I am so sorry. They have fresh pastries every morning that’ll keep you going until lunch & their logo is goals (the only souvenir that I brought home was a mug from here).

Image Credits: Taller 17

Image Credit: Travis Waddell

I took my boo to Jazamango for birthday dinner after reading it's abundant online praises- it was lackluster with a big ol' price tag. Skip this place, grab some tacos at Tacos y Mariscos El Sinaloense and head over to Jardin Alquimia for a fun night out.

Image Credits: The Sauce Life | Travis Waddell

WHERE TO DRINK

Full disclosure: Todos Santos is not a party town. This sleepy small town shuts down early, but if you're looking for a spot to grab an evening poloma look no further. One of my favorite nights in Todos Santos was spent over bomb cocktails, playing cards at Jardin Alquimia, watching a  sexy live cubana band. It's everything you'd want on a trip to Mexico in an overgrown, open ceiling space. Pro tip: if you're like me and want to know what the locals are getting into, you'll want to cozy up to the bartenders and see what's going on while you're in town.

I didn't get to check out Barracuda Cantina but it's supposed to be cool, I was too much on my R&R vibes to go out more than once. I also read that Sky Bar Lounge has an insane view.

Image Credit: Jardin Alquimia

WHAT TO DO

I have very few regrets in life, but one of them is not releasing baby sea turtles into the Cortez Sea. You can get all the details here, releases happen every day at sunset from December through March. 

Goes without saying.. but walking around the small town is so much fun, stop into the boutiques and art galleries. Be spontaneous about it ; )

Image Credit: Travis Waddell

Hacienda Cerritos is a perfect hotel to spend the afternoon and watch the sunset. Their pool overlooks the ocean, it's straight out of a fancy travel mag or something. You have to spend $50 in food & beverage to spend the day there, but it's f'sure worth it with two people.

Image Credit: Travis Waddell

Baladra Beach is a white sand cove of crystal clear waters where you can rent paddleboards and kayaks. We took a day trip out here and it was insanely gorgeous but very crowded, I'd recommend going on a weekday. On my next trip to Todos I'll probably opt to hike Sierra de la Laguna mountains instead. The mountain range receives more rainfall than any other part of the peninsula which means a different plant ecosystem than most of Baja!

Image Credits: Travis Waddell

Other than that, plan to spend a lot of time at the beach. Don't miss Cerritos beach, and be sure to explore secret looking roads near the ocean. Bring a book. Turn off your phone. It's glorious.

See you guys on the next one! And if you're planning a trip to Todos, check out my story highlight on my personal IG for even more fun spots. xo, @hi.remi

Image Credits: Travis Waddell (thanks, babe)