Favorite Food Spots
Cafelix
Cafelix is my absolute favorite place to get breakfast. Besides bomb eggs and pancakes, the owner is friends with the man who originally built my casita and has spent a lot of time there. Fun random fact. The menu is very diverse and they have great fresh juices and smoothies. There’s outdoor seating and AC’d indoor seating, and they have local art displayed inside. This is a great people watching spot in the heart of downtown Todos Santos.
Hotel Guaycura
These guys have the only rooftop bar in downtown Todos Santos, which makes it an awesome spot for lunch, with great views of the orchards outside downtown. Cool off in their rooftop pool after one (or 3) of their signature Guaycura margs. Make sure to take the stairs up instead of the elevator and enjoy the hand painted ceiling.
Hotel Casa Tota
If you’re searching for eggs benedict in a historic hotel downtown, Casa Tota is your spot. They have views of a beautiful sugar skull wall mural, indoor and outdoor seating, and bomb mimosas. Located right in the heart of downtown as well, great spot to fuel your day of shopping! (or hiking or surfing, etc.)
Los Adobes
The gardens within this restaurant’s “al fresco” dining area are 100% worth the visit. Apart from delicious Mexican food, (and my favorite vegan bowl of stewed veggies in a mortar bowl w/rice) what you’ll remember most about this spot are the stunning cacti gardens and flowering fruit trees. Wander the little paths with margarita in hand, those are top notch here too! Plant enthusiasts, don’t miss this spot!
El Mirador
Located high on a hill in downtown Todos Santos, this is a great special occasion spot for a beautiful sunset view dinner. The palapa construction is an impressive sight, and the upscale, organic and local cuisine will not disappoint. If they have red snapper on the menu, I highly recommend you order it!
Santos Pecados
For a truly local experience check out Santos Pecados, “Holy Sins”, in the heart of downtown T.S. The service is exceptionally friendly and you feel like part of the neighborhood. If you like mushrooms, their sautéed mushroom appetizer is to die for. Satisfying and varied menu in a casual “al fresco” dining space.
Hierbabuena
Located 20 minutes south of Todos Santos in the little town of Pescadero, Hierbabuena (The Good Herb) is a very vegetarian friendly, organic farm to table style eatery. You walk through herb and vegetable gardens as you approach their outdoor dining area. Everything is delicious here, including pizza and cocktails. Well worth the visit for the quality and healthy options. I recommend a sunny lunch and a refreshing drink at this spot.
Todos Santos Inn
Another historic, upscale Mexican spot with fantastic food in a beautiful indoor-outdoor garden setting. Sit amongst the plantings or head indoors to their masterfully carved bar and enjoy craft cocktails and high end food options. Great special occasion spot.
El Santo Chilote
(The Saint, or Holy, Chile) For an excellent budget choice that has fantastic tacos and margs, you must try El Santo Chilote. Located right on the corner of the main road in Todos Santos, tacos here are each $30 pesos all day, every day. Their portion sizes and quality rival their more expensive neighbors, and they’re sure to catch on someday, so definitely check them out! They do a taco bar style for toppings, so you get to build your taco of choice just how you like it.
A few other spots worth noting are:
Derek Sushi for sushi
La Esquina for breakfast, lunch or dinner
La Catrina for dinner and drinks
Todos Santos Brewing for craft beer and live music
Jardin Alquemia for craft cocktails and dancing
La Morena for margaritas, live music and dancing
Hacienda Cerritos for after surf dinner at sunset, or lunch time drinks and pool time
Local Activities
Cuatro Vientos Yoga
The closest and arguably most beautiful yoga studio in town is located 1 mile down the road from Casa de la Luz. Their schedule is on their Facebook page and also hung on the board outside their studio. Even if there is no class in session, feel free to walk around their ultra zen gardens, chill on a bench and enjoy the peace.
Sunset Walk
If you drive to the El Mirador parking lot (up a big hill downtown) and look to the right as you face the ocean, you’ll see a trail that leads to some great cliff top spots to watch the sun set. This is a short 5 minute walk, i recommend sneakers as it is rocky! It’s also a great spot to see the lagoon that empties onto the beach. You may want to bring bug spray or a blanket, bugs like the lagoon too. Still worth it!
Local Hike
There’s an awesome half day hike to a secluded beach 10 minutes south of town. You turn off the highway onto the entrance for the San Cristobal Hotel, follow the dirt road down until you see the hotel parking lot on your right, and you’ll see a chainlink fence/gate on your left. Park by the fence (never leave valuables in your car). Walk past the fence and you’ll see the structural stone remains of an old fish cannery, walk past this as well and you’ll see some signs for a yoga platform at the entrance to an ATV trail. This is your trail, take it all the way to the beach, you can’t miss it. Roughly 2-4 hours roundtrip, depending on how long you stay and swim or snorkel.
El Faro Beach Club
If you’re feeling fancy or want a massage and swim up bar, El Faro has all this plus a restaurant, day beds, spa, and beach hammocks. It is located just south of town, down a long dirt road, right on the beach. The staff is awesome and the location and gardens are really beautiful. Well worth the cheap entry price to enjoy what they have to offer.
ATVs
The best place to go for self guided ATV tours is Black Sheep Motor sports. They have a few different tours to choose from, and its an incredible way to get out into the desert and the foothills of the Sierras. Bring a bandana and a cooler with beverages, plus sun protection! These tours are self guided with an IPad and GPS provided, I highly recommend doing at least once if you like this sort of thing. It’s pricey, but worth the views and the privacy! blacksheepmotorsports.com
Mountain Biking
There are plenty of dirt roads in the desert hills surrounding the property to go for walks, mountain biking or trail running. Other spots are behind the Colorado State University satellite campus in downtown Todos Santos, and trails by the San Cristobal Hotel. Both are 10-15 minutes from the house. Resources for more info on renting bikes and guided tours: Otesports.com, mtbproject.com and tressantosbaja.com
Surfing
Perhaps what Baja is best known for is its pristine, and often deserted, surfable beaches. Cerritos Beach, located 20 minutes south of Todos Santos, is the most popular surf spot in the area. You can rent boards and take lessons here. This beach is also swimmable, but watch out for rip tides and strong currents, as with any beach. A great stop after a solid surf sesh is the Hacienda Cerritos, the beautiful hotel that sits on the bluff overlooking the beach. Take a dip in their infinity pool, feast on some freshly caught fish and watch the sun set into the Pacific, or head back down for a sun set surf sesh to end the day.
The next best spot to surf is La Pastora beach, which is the closest beach to the property, located just under 10 minutes north. Head down the beach road, you won’t find any signs for this beach, just look out for the congregation of vanlifers who make this beach home in the winter. No need to worry, this beach is big enough for everyone. There’s no where to rent or take lessons here, so bring a board and a cooler for after. Other spots to check out are Playa las Palmas, right turn down a dirt road after kilometer marker 57 heading south on Highway 19, and Playa San Pedrito, in Pescadero. Surf’s up!